RaceOwl

RaceOwl is a tracking and communication system that specializes in paddling races. All Racers in the Red River Paddle Challenge are required to use the new RaceOwlRacer app. It is used by most racers via an app on a smart phone, but can also be used using a satellite tracker. We strongly encourage tracking so that:

  • Safety crews and officials have an approximate location of each racer at any given point during the race.
  • Ground crews can know when to expect you at the next checkpoint or finish line.
  • Spectators can enjoy tracking racers during the event on the RaceOwl website.
  • RaceOwl also provides a critical communication link between race officials, paddlers, and ground crew. Safety related text messages can be broadcasted to participants alerting you to hazards such as weather events.

Please note: RaceOwlRacer is to be used by all participants. If you participated in past events (pre-2023) using RaceOwl, you will need to download RaceOwlRacer. The old RaceOwl app can be used by spectators, but not participants.

During the event and when your position is at the event, RaceOwlRacer automatically and periodically transmits your position on the RaceOwl.com site. When you finish or exit the race course, RaceOwlRacer automatically stops tracking you. The phone’s screen does not need to remain on for the app to work; racers may just start the app, turn off the screen and put the phone away.

RaceOwlRacer Video Tutorials

The following videos demonstrate how to setup RaceOwlRacer.

Please note: The instructions include a section about Checkpoint Logging. You can ignore this as we don’t use that feature for the Red River Paddle Challenge.

RaceOwlRacer app download links

If you plan to use a smartphone during the race, please download and install RaceOwlRacer a week or two prior to the race. You can then verify tracking and see your boat on the RRPC RaceOwl map and practice using the tracker.

RaceOwlRacer Tracking Checklist

2 to 7 days prior to race day

Download or update RaceOwlRacer from the App store or Google Play Store. Please give the app its requested permissions. It will need cellular data during the race so please make sure that it is turned on.

For Android phones, please turn off battery saving mode as this severely inhibits tracking and can provide incorrect information to race officials.

Registration information

After you have downloaded RaceOwlRacer, you will need to enter some basic information to set up the tracker.

  1. From the Home screen menu, select Registration.
  2. Select the race event (e.g., RRPC2024).
  3. Select your division (e.g., solo female kayak).
  4. Enter your 10 digit phone number. (for example 2045551234). Providing your phone number allows race officials to contact you in the event of an emergency. For example, weather events and other hazards are broadcast to race participants, ground crew and observers.
  5. Enter your 4 digit Racer ID or Number. If you don’t know your number, you can look it up on the RaceOwl website (https://raceowl.com/RRPC2024/RaceResults). This is the number that appears in the Number column.
  6. Enter your first and last name or an alias.
  7. You can leave all other fields blank.
  8. Press the Register button to register as a participant. A Success message should appear once you are registered.
  9. Verify your information. At a minimum: correct race selected, correct division selected, boat number correct, phone number entered.

Tracking verification

  1. Go to the Tracking Status screen and press Ping location – you should see green bar and success message.

Note: After you press Ping location, your location will appear on the RaceOwl map. If you have concerns about sharing your location (i.e., home location), we suggest doing the above steps at a different location. Once you close the tracker, the app will not track you or report your location on the race map.

Notes:

  1. The tracker is designed to track you when the app is running and you are near the event and event time.
  2. Exiting the tracker app will stop the tracking activity.
  3. Only one paddler per boat needs to be tracking with RaceOwlRacer.
  4. Make plans to keep your phone dry and have a charging strategy.

During the race:

  1. Have a full charge and, preferably, put the device on a charger.
  2. Open RaceOwlRacer 30 minutes prior to race start.
    RaceOwlRacer automatically tracks your position when you’re near the course route.
  3. No airplane mode.
  4. To confirm your tracking status, go to the Tracking Status screen and press Ping location – you should see green bar and success message.
  5. Turn the screen off (but don’t exit the app please).
  6. Put the device in a shaded, waterproof location. (e.g., PFD pocket in a drybag).

RaceOwl Spectators

During the race, spectators can use the RaceOwl website or the RaceOwl app (NOT RaceOwlRacer – this is for racers). The website or RaceOwl app allows for:

  • A live map that shows the current locations of all tracked racers
  • Rank ordered status and results
  • Individual split times and estimated time of arrival at checkpoints

Red River Paddle Challenge links

Tracking

There are two ways to track your position during the race:

  • Use the RaceOwlRacer app for iOS or Android
  • Use a satellite tracker, such as Garmin InReach or SPOT Tracker

Most racers use the smart phone app because it’s free and smart phones are increasingly common. Just make sure your phone is fully charged when the race starts. We recommend bringing along a spare battery pack and charger for your phone. Once your phone is tracking and the race is about to start, connect your phone to your charger and toss it in a dry bag.

The benefit of using a satellite tracker such as an inReach or Spot device is that you will have continuous connectivity over the entire race course. However, satellite trackers can be costly and getting them connected to RaceOwl takes a little more work than connecting a smart phone.

Whether you are using a smartphone or a satellite tracker, as long as your tracking is working the system will automatically log the time you start and finish your race, and log a split time at checkpoints.

Timing is not official until the race is over and race officials certify the results.

RaceOwl resources

The documents above explain how to set up and use RaceOwlRacer on an android phone, an iPhone, an inReach device or a Spot device. Don’t wait until the night before the race to familiarize yourself with the RaceOwl system. The training material covers topics such as: tracking, app use and website use.

If you have any questions, contact RaceOwl at RaceOwl.Info@gmail.com

RaceOwl

Click on the map below to get live race updates!

Red River Paddle Challenge