What Racer Checkin does
Racer Checkin is the race-day app for bib pickup and registration desks. Open it at tools.zone4.ca/checkin/ and pick the race. You need to be able to edit that race.
The app is built for dynamic bib handout. Bibs don't have to be assigned before race day. The volunteer takes whichever bib is on top of the pile, types its number against the racer, and hands it over. Because there are no pre-sorted envelopes to find, each racer is through in seconds.
Any number of laptops can run the app on the same race. Every station sees each check-in within seconds, and a bib or chip that is already taken is refused on every station.
Checking a racer in
- Type the racer's name in the search box. Results start at two letters and narrow as you type. You can search by first name, last name, or both ("sarah mi" finds Sarah Mitchell). Typing a number searches bib numbers instead.
- Racers who don't have a bib yet are listed first. Racers who are already checked in are shaded green and show their check-in time.
- Click the racer's Bib cell and type the number of the bib you are handing out. Press Enter to save, or Tab to save and move to the next editable cell. Esc cancels the edit.
Saving a bib checks the racer in and stamps the check-in time. The row turns green once the server confirms the save. To undo a check-in, clear the bib and save.
If the bib or chip is already assigned to another racer, the cell turns red and the save is refused until you change or clear the value.
Handing out swag with Line 2
Clicking a row also opens its Line 2 panel underneath. Line 2 shows the extra fields you have chosen for it, such as distance, shirt size, or the extras the racer paid for, so the volunteer can hand everything over in one stop.
Which fields appear on Line 2 is set in the configuration, below.
Chips
If your race uses GoChips, the Chip column works like the Bib column. Chip numbers are one letter followed by one or two digits, such as A12, and letters are capitalised as you type. See Assigning Chip Numbers to Racers for other ways to assign chips.
When the connection drops
The status pill above the grid shows Online when saves are going through. If the laptop goes offline, or a save fails, the pill turns red and editing is paused, so nobody keeps typing changes that never reach the server. When the connection comes back, click Retry on the pill to send the failed saves.
Configuring the grid
Open the ⋯ menu at the top right and choose Configure.
Synchronize config changes across stations
This setting is on by default. While it is on, clicking Save Configuration sends your layout to every other station on the race, and this station picks up layout changes saved by other stations. The usual setup is to configure one laptop and let every other station pick up the same layout.
Turn it off when one station needs its own view. Its changes then stay on that laptop, and changes from other stations are ignored.
The field layout, field names, Line 2 settings and sort order are shared. Station Name and Lock Bib and Chip after save always belong to the station, even with sync on.
Field Order & Visibility
Every field on the race is listed here, including custom registration fields.
- Visible shows or hides the field as a column. Bib, First Name and Last Name are required and can't be hidden.
- Drag a field by its handle to change the column order. Required fields can't be dragged, but other fields can be dropped between them.
- Field name: click a name to rename the column at the checkin desk, for example to shorten "Emergency Contact Phone" to "Emerg." Clear the box to go back to the race's own name. Renaming here doesn't change the race.
- Editable lets volunteers change the field in the grid. Bib is always editable, and the check-in time is set automatically. Text and number fields can be made editable. Other field types are read-only for now.
- Line 2 moves the field out of the columns into the panel that opens under a row. Line 2 fields are read-only. Bib, First Name and Last Name always stay in the columns.
A field has to be visible before it can be made editable or moved to Line 2. Hiding a field also takes it off Line 2.
Station Name
An optional name for this laptop, such as "Reg desk 2" or "Change desk". It appears in the activity log next to every change made here, which makes it much easier to work out later which desk assigned a bib. It is saved on this laptop only.
Lock Bib and Chip after save
With this setting on, a bib or chip that has already been saved can't be changed from this station. Empty cells can still be filled in, so volunteers can keep checking racers in.
A common setup is to turn this on at volunteer stations and leave it off at one change desk, where an experienced person handles swaps and corrections. This setting belongs to each station and is never synced.
Hide Line 2 fields that have no value
This setting is on by default. Line 2 fields that are blank for a racer are left out of their panel. Turn it off to show every Line 2 field on every racer, with "—" for blanks, so each panel has the same layout.
Default Sort Order
Chooses the field and direction for sorting racers in the grid. You can sort by any visible field.
Other menu items
- Change Race goes back to the race list.
- Refresh Now reloads the racer list from the server. The app keeps itself up to date, so you only need this if the screen looks out of date.
- Download CSV downloads the racers with the columns currently shown.
- View Logs shows the activity log of check-ins and changes from every station, and Download All Logs downloads it.
- Investigate Missing Bib searches the activity log for a bib number and shows who it was assigned to, when, and from which station. Use it when a bib turns up on the wrong racer or can't be found.
Use Drop Cache & Reload or Re-authenticate only when Zone4 support asks you to.