How do I set up Racer Categories in my Zone4 Registration Form?

There are two primary ways that you can sort registrants into Racer Categories in Zone4 Timing. These are:

• Collecting the information you need from registrants in various fields (most often Age, Gender and Race Distance as pictured below) in order to sort them into Racer Categories in Zone4 Timing. This is the recommended method of sorting racers into categories as it simplifies your registration form and allows for greater flexibility in Zone4 Timing. There are however some limitations to this method. Read below to find out more.

• Having registrants select their Racer Category from a list of categories on the registration form. This is most often done with a “Single Choice Fee Group” (as seen below) or a “Single Choice Option Group”.
  

How do I know Which method to use?

Thanks to the flexibility of the Racer Group system in Zone4 Timing, which allows timers to define (sort) Start Groups, Course Groups, and Result Groups using any combination of fields from the registration form, creating a category field on your registration form is usually not required.

For most events simply defining (sorting) Racer Groups using a variety of fields from your registration form is enough to meet the needs of your event. There are however some scenarios where you may still want to have racers select their category from a list, these are:

• Fees that racers pay are directly tied to the category they race in: Many races have fees that vary depending on the age category, rather then the distance/ event, racers are register in. In this case you would most likely want to use a “Single Choice Fee Group” field where registrants can select their category from a list on your registration form (with fees attached) like the one pictured below. 
• Racers have some flexibility as to what category they race in: This is often the case in ski racing where racers are sorted into age categories, but often have the option of “racing up” in another category. In this case you would need to have racers choose a category in your registration form and would most likely use a “Single Choice Fee Group” field (pictured above or a “Single Choice Option Group” field (pictured below) to do so. 
• You want to have racers divided into categories for reporting purposes: Some sports such as skiing like to have public conformation lists (Public Reports) where you can see all individuals who have already registered and what category they’re registered in. Also many administrators like to collect racer category data as it can help them to better organize logistics on race day.

To access the “Edit Fields” documentation and learn how to add and configure fields in your registration from click here.

To learn more about how to set up racer categories in Zone4 Timing click here.