Customer Snapshot
- Annual number of participants using RunSignup: 15,000+
- Annual tickets sold: 15,000+
- Annual volunteers managed: 1000+
- Total number of events on RunSignup/TicketSignup over past five years: 100+
Trials of Miles produces a wide range of running events across the United States. Their events include everything from small, community-focused races to large-scale national championships.
“We do events of all shapes and sizes,” said Dave, co-founder of Trials of Miles. “Some are on the track, some on the road, some on trails. No two events are the same.”
Managing that variety requires flexibility. Small races need simplicity. Large events demand scale, speed, and control. Trials of Miles needed a registration and ticketing platform that could handle both. RunSignup and TicketSignup are the perfect solution. Trials of Miles uses RunSignup for road race and track meet registration, and TicketSignup for track meet spectator tickets and some other ticketed events.
A few of the many events that Trials of Miles hosts:
Trials of Miles started using RunSignup about five years ago. Since then, the platform has become their go-to for both race registration and ticketing. “The platform and the interface are very easy to use,” Dave said. “That’s why we keep using it.”
Today, they see the broader market moving in the same direction.
There are tons of new races popping up in my area, and they all go to RunSignup. It’s the tried-and-true platform. People are familiar with it.
— Trials of Miles Co-Founder
That familiarity matters. It reduces friction for participants. It also simplifies operations for race organizers.
Managing a 15,000+ Person Event with Ease
One of Trials of Miles’ largest events is New Balance Indoor Nationals, which draws more than 15,000 attendees. TicketSignup plays a critical role in making the event run smoothly.
Online and On-Site Ticketing
Long lines and heavy cash handling can slow down entry and create a frustrating attendee experience at large events. With TicketSignup, attendees purchase tickets online or on-site, making check-in faster and more efficient for both staff and spectators. The streamlined process keeps lines moving so attendees can focus on the most important part of the day — cheering on the athletes.
Capacity Management at Scale
The Indoor Nationals facility this year had capacity limits of approximately ~6,000 people at a time. Using ticket checkin interval report data from last year that’s easily accessible in the event dashboard on TicketSignup, Trials of Miles was able to plan for crowd flow and prevent over-capacity issues.
Streamlined Inventory Management
At New Balance Indoor Nationals, every athlete receives a backpack, requiring accurate tracking at scale. Trials of Miles used barcodes on race bibs to scan pickups and manage 6,000–7,000 distributions – a feature that’s easily set up using RunSignup technology.
Whether you’re working on the management side or the consumer side, the platform is very easy.
— Trials of Miles Co-Founder
Key Features That Power Trials of Miles Events
Across every event, Trials of Miles depends on a core set of features in RunSignup and TicketSignup to keep operations running smoothly. The platform brings together everything from volunteer management to reporting in one easy-to-use system. Here are some of their favorite features:
1. Volunteer Management
Volunteers are critical to every event. With the volunteer management system, Trials of Miles can:
- Set volunteer caps for each role
- Close time slots automatically when full
- Check-in volunteers on event day using the free CheckIn app
- Send automated confirmation emails
This keeps volunteer coordination organized and efficient.
2. Check-In App
For events of all sizes, long lines and slow entry can create major bottlenecks. To streamline check-in, Trials of Miles uses the free RaceDay CheckIn App for registration-based events and the free Tickets App for CheckIn for ticketed events. Staff and volunteers download the apps directly to their phones, allowing them to quickly check in participants and attendees while keeping lines moving efficiently.
3. Powerful Data Collection and Reporting
Trials of Miles relies heavily on data. Using purpose-built reporting for registration and ticketing, they can:
- Track participant lists
- Collect goal times and event data
- Generate detailed reports
The interface makes it easy to interpret and act on that data.
4. Simplified Financial Reporting
Managing finances across multiple events can be complex. With RunSignup/TicketSignup technology, it’s made simple. This level of clarity helps Trials of Miles maintain tight budgets and evaluate event performance.
In any given stretch, RunSignup is giving us a payout that could include eight different events. For our accountant, it’s very easy to see the breakdown
— Trials of Miles Co-Founder
5. Built-In Fundraising Tools
Many of Trials of Miles’ road races support charitable causes, which could make fundraising and tax reporting complicated to manage without purpose-built technology. With RunSignup and TicketSignup donations, the team can easily set up donation campaigns alongside registration and ticket sales. The technology’s tax reporting tools also simplify the financial side of events, helping keep records clean, organized, and easy for their accounting team to manage.
6. Real-Time Inventory Management
Managing merchandise inventory across dozens of events can quickly become difficult, especially when items sell out at different times. With merch at most of their events, Trials of Miles relies on RunSignup and TicketSignup inventory management to update automatically in real time. When items sell out, they are removed from availability automatically, preventing overselling and reducing the need for manual tracking.
7. Role-Based Access Controls
Working with a large team can be a balancing act between sharing sensitive financial data with too many people, and restricting employees by limiting their direct access to data. RunSignup and TicketSignup allow organizers to assign different levels of access to different users, meaning each employee can view the participant and ticket data they need to do their job (and nothing more).
A Proactive Partner for Event Growth
Beyond features, Trials of Miles values the platform’s responsiveness. That partnership helps both Trials of Miles and RunSignup/TicketSignup continue to grow and innovate.
Over the last five years, we’ve had three or four ideas, and the developers went in and made it happen. It’s a very proactive platform.
— Trials of Miles Co-Founder