Running USA Spotlight on the Sport: RaceSafe – By: Leah Etling, Running USA

Keeping thousands of runners safe on the day of their much-anticipated race is not just a matter of weather conditions, personal fitness, event preparedness, and good luck. It’s also about timing, responsiveness, volunteer training and data tracking.

RaceSafe founder Dr. Anthony Luke, a professor, event medical director, and sports medicine specialist, has created a mobile medical management system that aims to keep people safe at events. He sees better communication, coordination, and documentation as the keys to improving runner health and safety.

“We're aiming to help race organizers and their medical teams deliver better medical care to runners, and minimize liability by increasing event safety,” Dr. Luke explains. “RaceSafe is a platform of mobile apps that enables secure, mobile medical communication between smart phones. 

Features of RaceSafe include paperless medical documentation and GPS, and timestamped tracking of all medical events that help connect the medical team. It allows for detailed record-keeping that may be needed in the aftermath of an emergency, fast communication between the medical team and race day volunteers, and incident tracking for race organizers.

Dr. Luke is a clinical Professor in Sports Medicine at University of California San Francisco and Medical Director of several large Bay Area races including the San Francisco Marathon and Escape from Alcatraz Race. He used his own race course experiences as research for the app’s development.

Read on for more insight about RaceSafe.                                                                    

What does RaceSafe offer events and event management teams? 

Dr. Luke: Organizing the medical team is challenging since it is often an aspect of the race which is complex, and surprisingly not always treated as a priority.  Our solutions allow medical teams to provide fast, coordinated treatment with paperless, accurate data of everything that happens during events.  Secure access is granted and operations are simplified by electronic documentation and tracking of care.  The end product is a 911 modeled system that is customized for events. Whether you have a medical staff of 10 or 200, RaceSafe’s technological tools enable a uniform standard of processes.  Some of our larger partners include the Rock 'n' Roll series, San Francisco Marathon and Twin Cities Marathon.

How does it work?  

Dr. Luke: Leading up to the race we upload the registration list of participants into our secure database.  Medical volunteers download the free apps on their own Apple or Android smart phones (the easiest and most economical solution) or tablets.  Training is incorporated in the sign-up process and typically takes less than 10 minutes.  Once signed up, they can easily be organized and managed by event personnel through our time-saving Volunteer Assignment module.  Now, the medical team is ready to use the RaceSafe app to securely document and better communicate all medical events.  Another administrative feature, Medical Command, assists the volunteer medical team on the course with GPS to dispatch the appropriate care warranted by each medical event or injury.  All medical care details from course medical volunteers and the Command Center are recorded electronically in real-time with time stamps. 

This makes for easy generation of analytical reports that are often important to race organizers and city officials after an event’s completion.  Organizers can easily see what medical concerns occurred that day(s) and use the data to decide how to follow-up with patients. The real-time analytics can help with in-race course safety management and forecasting for future events.

RaceSafe also offers runners the option to share additional health data by setting up a secure, editable, profile.  This process includes an excellent opportunity for race organizers to highlight the parties responsible for making runners' health and overall safety a priority.  Customizable, click-through, engagement resources are made available for RaceSafers who want to learn more about future races, training programs, or valued partners.  By partnering with RaceSafe, an event conveys a solid commitment to its participants and volunteers.

Can you describe one or two things that make RaceSafe stand out in the running industry?

Dr. Luke: RaceSafe was created from my vision and experience as a University of California professor in sports medicine, and Bay Area Medical Director for several races including the San Francisco Marathon and Escape From Alcatraz triathlon.  I continually notice the needs of medical teams and runners, as well as the challenges and complexities of care.  My knowledge is infused throughout the RaceSafe product and makes the apps intuitive, helpful, and easy to use.  Medical volunteers can be confident that help is just a click away.  The expedited communication our software provides minimizes confusion and helps manage resources more efficiently.  Unexpected problems will dissipate, and you will be able to focus more clearly on what exactly is happening at your event.

We are the industry leader in medical management software for running events helping over 92 large races.  Recently, we partnered with Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati to support just under 40,000 runners.  Next, we will again team up with Run Ottawa for a race weekend in Canada numbering around 50,000.  However, when one has a lower budget and fewer volunteers, enhanced coordination is often times even more critical in the event something serious happens. Our goal is to continually improve race medicine by using technology and data to create helpful solutions scalable for any size race.

What general happenings or trends in the running industry are you most excited about, and why?

Dr. Luke: I am very excited with the advancements in technology that are being incorporated into races.  The ability to track runners throughout the course and provide real-time updates to loved ones is priceless.  This functionality keeps families connected and informed of how the race is going for the participant.  Software solutions afford event organizers with improved operational control and provide lasting, memorable experiences for participants.  With advancements in self-monitoring gadgets and race registration tools, problem prevention will continue to expand.  Information is truly powerful.

What is a current challenge for you that input and insight from other industry leaders might help solve?

Dr. Luke: One of our challenges is explaining why better medical care is important for event organizers and the runners themselves.  Unfortunately, people don’t always think of getting injured or worse until it has already happened.  It isn't something that people want to think about.  Figuring out how to set aside even a small portion of the medical budget, or rallying sponsor support can increase adoption of various safety measures that reduce problems at events.  In my experience, people only value medical care if they've needed it personally or if there's been a bad incident at an event.  

In some ways, it is like having insurance.  However, having a well coordinated and engaged medical team is a huge importance in some instances.  Like when there is an extremely hot race.  Although most of us will never realize a medical system as advanced as the Boston Marathon, we should all continue to strive toward making events as safe as possible.  This directly equates to increased numbers of runners with happier experiences, and continued growth in the sport of running.

Anything else that you would like to share?

Dr. Luke: We went to the annual Running USA meeting as an exhibitor for the first time this year.  Allen and I were extremely impressed by the quality of the learning experiences as well as the interaction among different companies at the expo.  Great contacts with several races who are now using RaceSafe.  We also met other technology companies and are brainstorming ways to work together to help the running industry.  It is great to see how close people work together in our industry, and getting to know the landscape and families of running events.  Our Business Development Manager, raves about your online resources as well.  

Thanks Running USA!