Common questions about organising a race

No. With CronoMeta your race gets its own public page in minutes: open entries, race information, entrants and results — with no separate website to build or pay for.

Yes. It is built for running and mountain races, road cycling, MTB and time trials, with multiple distances, stage races, age categories and a separate classification for local runners.

You pay for the first year only for what you use, and you publish straight away. After that your race stays online for a maintenance fee of 49 €/year (you never pay for the modules again), and your second race gets 20% off. No tie-in: cancel whenever you like.

No. One click creates next year's edition with your whole set-up (categories, form, prices, poster, course…), with no entrants or times and the dates already moved forward.

Yes. The annual plans include every module and several races a year with no per-race checkout, and keep your whole back catalogue of races online.

Si, tenemos un plugin específico para WordPress para que puedas embeber dentro de tu web la información de la prueba, la fiche técnica, listado de inscritos, seguimiento On-live y clasificaciones así como el enlace para las inscripciones. Tan simple como instalar el plugin desde el instalador de WordPress y poner la url de tu prueba en los ajustes del mismo. El sistema te crea una página automáticamente y te ofrece los shortcode para que lo puedas mostrar donde quieras. Cualquier duda ponte en contacto con nosotros.

Dentro de la pestaña de "Info técnica" tiene una herramienta para generar el reglamento de la prueba que le ayudará a tener un reglamento profesional con todos los datos que el sistema tiene del evento. Si le faltase alguno le preguntará antes de comenzar y una vez generado le da la opción de modificarlo para que lo pueda adaptar a las características concretas de su evento deportivo. Una vez adaptado, tiene la opción de generarlo en PDF y añadirlo automáticamente al apartado de documentos de la Ficha Técnica del evento para su consulta pública.

Tienes diferentes opciones; pago seguro con tarjeta bancaria, Paypal, transferencia bancaria y en el caso de Ayuntamiento o instituciones podemos girar los recibos anualmente.

Si, CronoMeta te permite crear los campos que quieras en el formulario de inscripción de tu evento, ya sean campos simples de texto como grupos de selección o check para que el participante solo tenga que marcar. Ideal para grupos de opciones.

With your own Stripe keys (card), by bank transfer or with PayPal. Entry money goes straight into your account; we are not a middleman between you and your runners.

Si, CronoMeta te permite personalizar los formularios para añadirles los campos extras que quieras e incluso campos extras que al marcarlos se incremente el precio de la inscripción en la cantidad que tu le indiques. Muy útil para cobrar por diferentes extras (alojamiento, maillot, transporte, comida...) o incluso te abre la posibilidad de ofrecer merchandising del evento que te ayuden a cubrir los gastos.

Los organizadores tienen la posibilidad de permitir categorias por parejas y estos se pueden inscribir en esta modalidad. Cada participante de la pareja tiene que realizar su inscripción; el primero que la realice recibirá un enlace con un Qr y un código que es el que tendrá que utilizar su pareja para formalizar la inscripción y que el sistema os detecte como pareja.

Si, CronoMeta te ofrece esa posibilidad desde la pestaña de Inscripciones; puedes cerrar inscripciones o dejarla abierta para que los participantes se inscriban en la lista de reserva (sin tener que realizar el pago). En el listado de participantes de la parte administrativa podrás ir otorgando plazas a tu criterio y según tus necesidades con solo pulsar un botón; el sistema mandará un correo a ese participante con el plazo de tiempo que le indiques para asignarle la plaza.

La inscripción rápida se activa automaticamente tras finalizar la primera inscripción en alguna prueba dentro de CronoMeta. El sistema no te volverá a pedir tus datos; al meter tu DNI, el sistema ya te reconocerá y podrás formalizar la inscripción rápidamente. Tan solo si la prueba tiene datos nuevos en su formulario te pedirá rellenarlos.

Overall, by category, by gender, local runners and pairs (men's, women's and mixed). Every runner sees their overall, category and gender position at once.

Paste the link in "URL" mode and they show up on your event's results tab, so you don't have to send participants off to a different site.

Yes. Export them to CSV and upload: the ranking goes live instantly. You can also type them in by hand.

Yes. There's a mobile-first results view with filters by category, gender and club.

Yes, every ranking (overall, by category, by gender, locals and pairs) in a single click. Plus a special podium print with just the winners of each category.

Yes, every ranking (overall, by category, by gender, locals and pairs) in a single click. Plus a special podium print with just the winners of each category.

Yes. Results update on their own and, with live tracking, provisional times are published from each checkpoint. The site is also an installable app with alerts so you can follow your favourite runners.

Si, tenemos un plugin específico para WordPress para que puedas embeber dentro de tu web la información de la prueba, la fiche técnica, listado de inscritos, seguimiento On-live y clasificaciones así como el enlace para las inscripciones. Tan simple como instalar el plugin desde el instalador de WordPress y poner la url de tu prueba en los ajustes del mismo. El sistema te crea una página automáticamente y te ofrece los shortcode para que lo puedas mostrar donde quieras. Cualquier duda ponte en contacto con nosotros.

No hay problemas, con solo marcar un check, CronoMeta te permite sacar el PDF del pódium contemplando esta posibilidad para que los premiados en la clasificación absoluta no suban al pódium en sus respectivas categorías, incluso los locales. De esta manera se benefician más participantes en el reparto de premios.

Yes, but that comes from the Timing module (it's a separate one). Combined with Results, the times you record turn into the live public ranking on their own.

Si, en el listado de inscritos podrás marcar como favoritos a todos los corredores que quieras hacerles un seguimiento y el sistema te avisará con una notificación al paso de los participantes añadidos por los puntos intermedios o al cruzar la línea de meta.

No. It works with any phone: you tap in the bib and the time is recorded. Every checkpoint has its own link and QR.

As many as you want (5K, 10K, finish…). Each with its own time and live ranking.

Yes. With the mobile timing module you set up checkpoints with QR codes and tap bib numbers from any phone; the times feed straight into the live results. You can also keep using your timing company and publish their results.

You freeze the time, calmly type in every bib in the group and save them all on that same split time.

No problem: with the screen already open, if the signal cuts out your marks are saved on the phone itself and sent on their own the moment it's back, each with its exact time. The only requirement is having opened the screen with a signal at the start (with no internet at all, the link won't even load). For a point that's completely cut off, take the times there and enter them by hand from the panel afterwards.

Not necessarily. They can open the link (or scan the QR) in their phone's browser and start timing.

Finish times and split times go straight to your event's public results (shown by the Results module).

Si, con este módulo podrás marcar como favorito a los participantes que quieras y poder filtrar por ellos en los resultados. Tambien, puedes indicar al sistema que te mande una notificación cuando estos/as pasen por los diferentes puntos intermedios o lleguen a meta.

Their time begins when you hit START, not by the schedule. They go when they go and their clock is exact, with no penalty for being late to their slot.

You type the bib that actually rolls off each time; it doesn't have to be sequential. The system doesn't fall apart over bibs out of order.

Yes. With the mobile timing module you set up checkpoints with QR codes and tap bib numbers from any phone; the times feed straight into the live results. You can also keep using your timing company and publish their results.

No, it's a configurable (and pausable) visual aid to coordinate the starts. Each rider's real time is set by the START.

From their own start to each split point and to the finish. The ranking is sorted by fastest elapsed time.

Yes. On crossing the finish they get an email with their time and provisional ranking.

Finish times and split times go straight to your event's public results (shown by the Results module).

No. It works with any phone: you open the point's link (or QR) and start timing.

Yes. Each distance is an independent event with its own price, cap, categories, bibs and ranking.

On the event page there's a picker with every distance as cards; they pick theirs in a click, with a notice if any is full.

No. The public listing only shows the main event; the distances are chosen from inside, to keep everything tidy.

Yes. If someone signed up for the wrong distance, you move them to the right one without deleting or redoing their entry.

Yes, unchanged. Since each distance is a normal event, it reuses all those modules as-is.

Yes. You can group an existing event as a sub-distance of another, or turn the current one into the main event.

Yes. They can enter a single stage or the full pack in one payment, whichever you set up.

No. Pay the pack and they're entered automatically in every stage, with the same details and bib.

By adding up each stage's time for those with a record in all of them. It's sorted from lowest to highest total.

With no time on some stage, they don't make the overall (but they keep their ranking in the stages they did finish).

Yes. The overall is also generated by pairs (men's/women's/mixed) and, if every stage shares the same town, by local runners.

You can mark each stage's level and the overall is worked out separately for each. That said, the pack's automatic entry is for now designed for single-level races; if you use several levels, check with us the best way to set it up for your race.

By entry order, surname, category or gender, with whatever prefix and starting number you want. And you can always adjust any bib by hand afterwards.

Yes. Automatic assignment guarantees unique bibs, with no duplicates or clashes, and the listing stays editable by hand.

Yes. Set the starting number to leave the first block free and assign the ones you want to reserve by hand.

You assign their bib on the spot, without touching the ones already handed out. You can re-run the assignment as many times as you need.

That's the Bib designer module: it takes the numbers already assigned and generates the print PDF with each runner's name, size and your own design.

Si, puedes realizar la asignación de dorsales tal y como van llegando los corredores y en sistema al detectar que este participante no tiene dorsal asignado, lo primero que pregunta es por el número de dorsal que le quieres asignar recomendándote por defecto el siguiente libre que detecta pero puedes indicarle el número que quieras. Se le asigna el número y se confirma. Si hubiese un pago pendiente tambien aparecería en pantalla indicando que tienes que cobrar (indica el importe), antes de realizar la asignación. Cualquier movimiento de entrega, cobro, cesión... queda registrado en el sistema con el voluntario que lo ha realizado.

The designer lays the bibs out for you. Pick the physical size your printer asks for (200×150 or 210×150 mm), upload your background image — the poster, a photo or the sponsor board — and choose the colours and sizes of each field. The system places each runner name, number, category and emergency phone on top, and you download a print-ready PDF with one page per bib. No Illustrator, no manual layout.

The race name and date in the header, the giant number (with an optional colour block), the runner's full name, their size, the event type, the category, the control boxes you set up and the emergency phone number at the foot.

You choose between 200×150 and 210×150 mm, the standard print formats. The PDF comes out at the exact physical size, ready to send.

Yes. You upload any image (your poster, a course photo, the sponsor band) and the system lays the details on top, over a translucent band so the number always reads.

Yes. You define a general colour and, if you want, a specific colour for each category of the event, plus a colour block behind the number.

It's not required. The designer prints any bib that already exists: you can assign them with our numbering module or import them from a CSV. All it needs is for each runner to have their number.

Only those who already have a bib assigned, in number order. If someone new comes in, you give them their bib and regenerate the PDF.

No. You pick a template and your event's details drop in on their own. If you want to fine-tune, every text has simple controls for position, size, colour and typeface, with a live preview.

Portrait A3 or A2, at the exact physical size printers ask for. The same PDF also works for sharing on social media.

Yes. You upload any photo or artwork (JPG, PNG or WebP) and adjust the darkening layer so the texts read perfectly on top.

You turn it on with a checkbox and it appears on the poster with the link to your race's entry page. You can move it, resize it and edit its caption. It sits on a white box so any phone scans it, even over dark backgrounds.

The event's (name, discipline, date and time, venue, distance and organiser) plus an extra free text. All editable and each with its own style: position, size, colour, typeface, bold and alignment.

No: you correct whatever changed and download the PDF again instantly. You can regenerate it as many times as you like.

Every entrant gets a QR code in their confirmation email. On race day your volunteers open the bib collection app on their phone, scan that code and the runner's details appear: name, bib number, category and shirt size. One tap confirms the handover, saving the time and who did it. If someone turns up without the QR code, you can search by surname, ID or bib number.

No. Your volunteers can go straight in from their phone's browser using the link you send them. That said, with the CronoMeta app (free on Google Play) the screen opens full size, without the browser bars, which is more comfortable for a full day at the bib desk.

You search by surname, name, ID or bib and confirm the handout just as fast.

Yes. From the handout screen itself you can record their details, take cash payment and assign them a free bib, handing it over in the same move.

The system tells you who has it and asks if you want to transfer it. On confirming, it's freed from the previous holder and passes to the new participant.

Yes. Every handout is recorded with the time and the name or post of the volunteer who did it.

Yes, with group mode: you select several participants and hand them out together, with a summary of the sizes included.

A red "pending payment" warning shows before confirming the handout, so you decide with the facts in front of you.

Yes, as long as those races are set up in the same place (for example, if several clubs share the same championship site). The ranking simply groups the events you choose.

It cross-references results by ID. Whatever bib or club they raced each event with: if the ID matches, it counts in the ranking.

Points is the usual choice when the races are of different distance or difficulty (like a classic championship). Time makes sense if all the series races are very similar.

The number of worst results that DON'T count towards the overall. For example, in a 7-race series, dropping 2 means each runner's best 5 count.

Yes, it's optional and generated automatically alongside the overall.

Whichever you choose: on today's real entrants or on the event's full forecast.

Temperature and humidity raise fluid intake; rain lowers how many participants turn up. The calculation adjusts both automatically.

Yes. It splits consumption by kilometres and by the number of aid stations, and adjusts each point for whether it's at a summit, on the flat or downhill.

In real commercial formats: water drums, bottle packs, sports-drink bottles, cup packs, tablets and bags of solids. What you can order as-is from your supplier.

Yes. With indicative market prices you can edit, you get the approximate cost of each point and the aid-station total.

Yes, one sheet per point plus the final shopping list, all with the cost included.

Yes, each discipline has its own profile of liquid and solid intake.

From your event's own entries: gender, age, town, category and size are collected in the form. Nothing to enter separately.

Yes. The cover uses your event's name and poster, with a professional design.

Yes. The panel and the report always reflect the current data; generate the PDF whenever you want.

Yes. The size distribution gives you the exact breakdown to close the order with the supplier.

None. You see it in your event's tab and download it with a button.

No. Only someone who matches a real entry can sign up (same ID and email used when entering), which keeps out fake accounts.

It includes every race on the platform that runner has taken part in, identifying them by their ID.

As soon as the runner signs up and races it, it automatically shows in their history alongside the previous ones.

From the distance and time of each race with a recorded result, also showing their best time across them all.

Yes, you can set your own background image for each event; if you don't upload one, a default design is used.

Yes. Set the total use limit equal to the club's number of runners; once they're used up, it stops working.

Yes. With the validity dates (from/until) you set up an early bird or a seasonal promo.

Set the same start and end date: the code will only work that day.

Both. And on percentages you can set a maximum discount cap.

However you want: global for all your races or exclusive to one specific event.

With the total use limit and the per-participant limit, plus the minimum amount and the validity dates.

A Redsys virtual POS: they will give you a merchant code (FUC), a terminal number and a secret key. Paste them into your Payments screen and you are done.

It is €49, once. No monthly fees, no renewals and no CronoMeta commission per payment: you only pay your bank the fee you have agreed with them.

It is unlocked once for your organiser profile and stays available in all your events, including the ones you create in the future.

Yes. It has a test mode against the Redsys test environment, with its test card, so you can rehearse the whole flow without moving real money.

Yes, they coexist without any problem. In each event you choose which methods to offer and the runner chooses which one to pay with.

No. Payment happens on the official Redsys gateway of the Spanish banking system; CronoMeta only receives the bank-signed confirmation and verifies it before marking the entry as paid.

Full name, ID, email, phone, date of birth, gender, category, club, size, town, province, bib, payment status and entry date.

Yes, the file is set so Excel opens it correctly from the get-go, with no encoding problems.

The export downloads the event's full list; once in Excel you can filter or group as you need.

Yes, it's translated into clear text like "Paid (Stripe)", "Manual payment", "Guest" or "Unpaid".

No, only someone with management permissions over the event can generate the export.

Yes. For the council or a sponsor it includes the participation, origin and category data they ask for to justify the grant. And to your federation or your insurer you hand the full CSV, ready to import into their systems.

Excel (XLS and XLSX), CSV, ODS and plain text files.

No. The mapping wizard lets you assign each column of your file to the matching field, whatever its original order.

It's detected by ID (or by email if there's no ID) and updated instead of creating a duplicate entry.

Yes. You see a preview and confirm the mapping before anything is saved to the system.

That specific row is discarded and shown in the final report, with the reason for the error, without blocking the rest of the import.

Yes, you can download an Excel template with the right columns and examples already filled in.

With CronoMeta, online entries are the basic system: €49 + VAT per race, with form, categories, payments and public page included. In the following years, just €49 + VAT a year for maintenance. The price does not go up with more entrants, and extra modules, such as timing or bib handout, are only added if you need them.

No. CronoMeta takes nothing from each entry: the runner pays straight into your account and you only pay your gateway's fee (Stripe, PayPal or your bank). With bank transfer there is no gateway in between.

There is no waiting until the race is over: the money goes to your own account from the first entrant, without passing through CronoMeta. With card or PayPal it reaches your Stripe or PayPal as soon as the runner pays, and from there it moves to your bank on each gateway's timelines. With bank transfer or the Redsys POS it reaches your bank on your bank's usual timelines.

Yes, with the Redsys POS add-on: a one-time payment of €49 + VAT that works for all your races. The runner pays by card on your bank's gateway, at the fee you have agreed, and the money goes straight into your account.

Yes. You set the limit and, once it is full, the form stops accepting entries. If you turn on the waiting list, the next ones sign up on reserve without paying and, when a place frees up, you offer it to them and they pay then. You can also schedule the closing date.

Yes, in male, female or mixed categories. The first to sign up gets a code for their partner, each pays their own entry and pairs have their own limit, separate from the general one. Teams of more than two people are not available yet.

Name, surname, ID number, email, date of birth and gender are always included, because they are used to assign the category. From there you choose whether to ask for phone, town, province or club, turn on T-shirt size with your own sizes and add any questions you need.

No. The next edition is created in one click with all your settings (form, categories, entry limit and prices) and the dates moved forward a year. On top of that, from your second race onwards you get a 20% discount, modules included.

Yes, that is the norm on a circuit. You set the laps for each category plus a general rule for everyone else. When a rider completes theirs, that pass becomes their finish and later crossings stop adding laps.

The screen tells them as they tap the bib in: "lap 3 of 8, 5 to go". Nothing to tally by hand and no lists to check.

Each wave is fired separately from the phone and its clock starts right there. Every rider's time counts from their own wave's start, so the standings compare fairly even with half an hour between groups.

You choose. In flag mode the rest finish on their next pass with the laps they have (the norm in motorsport and circuit cycling). In full-laps mode everyone rides all of theirs, even long after the winner is done.

No. You set a minimum lap time and two passes closer together than that are treated as one. It is what stops a rider standing beside the timing point from racking up laps they never rode.

No. It works with any phone: open the circuit point's link or QR code and start tapping bibs. If you also have the RFID module, the reader uses that same point and the laps count themselves.

Because some people pre-register and never pay. If sizes were held on sign-up, shirts would be reserved for people who are not going to run while other runners go without theirs. Reserving on payment is the fairest way, and the form explains it to the runner when choosing.

They go without a garment and you see them in a list in your dashboard. If you top up the order or a unit is freed, you retry their reservation with one button, or change them to another size that is left.

No. They see whether their size is available, running low, down to the last units (1 to 3) or sold out, plus a bar with the percentage of the total that is left.

Yes. The garment can have men, women, unisex and kids fits, each with its own sizes and units.

All distances share the same order and the same stock: the garment belongs to the race, not to each distance.

Yes. If you add units, you can retry the reservation of anyone who was left without their size. If you reduce them, whoever has already paid keeps theirs.

Until it is reserved, yes: from their area or from the payment page, among the sizes that are left. You can always change it from their record in the dashboard.

Yes, if you allow it when setting up the order. That way you know how many don't want it and can fine-tune the order.