The short answer
Live tracking for running events puts every runner on one map while the race is on. Each runner's phone sends their position, and supporters see their dot, distance, pace and finish time, in any browser. On livedot, the course is also coloured by how hard the heat makes each stretch, and organisers get the race set up free.
Key takeaways
- Every runner is a live dot on one map, with their distance, pace and finish time.
- The course is coloured by how hard the heat makes each stretch, timed to each runner's pace.
- Supporters need no app and no account; runners go live from the free RunFast app.
- Each runner chooses who can see them, and only they can make themselves findable by name.
- Organisers fill in one form at livedot.me/organisers, and it's free for everyone.
On this page
Words this guide uses
- Race tracking
- Live tracking that puts a whole field of runners on one shared map, rather than one runner's position sent to a few chosen contacts.
- Goal ghost
- A marker that runs a runner's goal time beside them, so supporters see how far ahead or behind the goal they are.
What is live tracking for a running event?
Live tracking for running events puts every runner on one map while the race is happening. Each runner carries a phone that sends their position, and family, friends and the organiser follow along from anywhere. It suits road races, marathons, trail races and ultras, the same races whose weather we cover in marathon weather history.
livedot (livedot.me) is a live tracking platform for sports events, for running and cycling. Runners go live from RunFast, its running app, and riders from Windline, its cycling app. Supporters need neither: they open a link in any browser.
There are two common kinds of tracking. Personal tools, such as Strava Beacon, send one runner's position to a few chosen safety contacts. Race tracking puts the whole field on one map, so anyone following can see who is where. livedot does the second, and each runner still decides who can see them.
What do supporters see?
A supporter opens the race map, the organiser's page at livedot.me, or a runner's own link. On it:
- Every runner is a live dot on the course, from the front of the race to the back of the field.
- Each runner's distance, pace and finish time update as they run.
- A goal ghost runs beside anyone who set a goal time, so supporters see how far ahead or behind they are.
- Taps on the back: anyone following can send one, and the runner's phone buzzes and shows the count.
Supporters can also find a runner by name, but only runners who chose to be findable. If a runner's phone loses signal on a trail, the page says when they were last seen. The phone keeps every position and sends them when the signal returns, so the track fills in.
Why does the heat matter on a live map?
Because it explains what the dots are doing. Heat slows runners more than air temperature suggests: the American College of Sports Medicine advises postponing or cancelling races above a WBGT of 28 °C (82 °F), with risk for everyone from 23 °C (73 °F), as our guide to how hot is too hot to run explains.
On livedot, the course is coloured by how much the weather slows each runner on each stretch, at their pace and at the hour they get there: Ideal, A little slower, Hard and Very hard. Each runner's card has a "Heat here" reading. When a runner's pace drops late in the race, supporters can see that they've run into the hottest part of the day. For riders, Windline colours the course by the wind instead.
Race organisers who fly heat flags will know the scale: see marathon heat flags. The forecasts come from Apple Weather, and they're the same numbers RunFast shows for every run.
How do runners go live on race day?
Runners use the free RunFast app on their phone, on iPhone or Android. Before race day, each runner adds your race in the app and switches on live tracking for it:
- Their follow link, to send to family and friends, with a share picture.
- Findable by anyone, off unless they switch it on, so anyone can find them by name.
- A goal time, if they want one, and a few words of their own.
Two hours before the gun, their phone reminds them, with Go live on the notification. They tap Start live tracking, put the phone in a pocket or a belt and run. The phone sends their position every 30 seconds, and tracking stops by itself at the finish.
On a long race, start with a full battery. An ultra may need a small power bank.
What does a race organiser need to do?
Very little on the day. Tell livedot about the race with the form at livedot.me/organisers: its name, the sport, the date, how many runners you expect and your website. A person replies by email and sets up your page and your race with you, course included.
Your page lives at livedot.me/your-name. It shows what's live now, what's coming up and what's been, with running and cycling on one page if you run both. Share that one address with runners and supporters: on your website, in your race-week emails and at the start.
To see how it looks first, open the example organiser page, with two demo races live on its map, or follow the Comrades demo and its 200 simulated runners. In race week, our race day weather forecast guide shows how to read the heat kilometre by kilometre.
Who can see a runner?
Each runner chooses, in their race's live tracking, and every change takes effect at once:
| Choice | Who sees them |
|---|---|
| Their follow link | Anyone they send it to, in any browser |
| People they approve | Anyone who asked to follow them in the app and was accepted |
| Findable by anyone (off unless they switch it on) | Anyone who searches their name, and their club's race map |
livedot never shows an email address or a phone number. The positions a runner's phone sends while they're live are deleted after 7 days. A summary of the race, the line they ran and their finish time, stays with their account.
Questions runners ask
Does livedot cost anything for a running event?
No. livedot and its two apps, RunFast for running and Windline for cycling, are free for organisers, runners and everyone following, thanks to the platform sponsor, ProLend. There's no fee per runner or per race, and supporters need no app and no account. Organisers fill in the form at livedot.me/organisers, and a person sets up the race with them.
Do supporters need to install an app to follow a runner?
No. Supporters open the race map, the organiser's page at livedot.me or a runner's own link in any browser, on a phone or a computer. Only runners who go live need the RunFast app. Supporters who use the RunFast app can also get alerts when a runner starts, reaches halfway and finishes, with or without an account.
What happens when a runner's phone loses signal?
The runner's phone keeps every position it records, says how many are waiting, and sends them all when the signal comes back, so nothing is lost. Meanwhile, supporters see a status such as "No signal since km 31, 6 min ago" instead of a dot that looks live but isn't. Trail races and ultras often cross dead spots.
Can runners set a goal time that supporters see?
Yes. A runner adds their goal time when they add or edit the race. With live tracking on, supporters see the goal before the gun, the goal as a ghost on the course during the race, and how far ahead or behind it the runner is. The runner's own pace and finish estimate follow the goal too.
Does livedot work for races outside Europe and North America?
Yes. It works in any country where runners' phones get a signal some of the time. The forecasts come from Apple Weather, which covers the whole world, and paces and distances show in kilometres or miles. The two demo races run in South Africa and California, and organisers anywhere can use the form at livedot.me/organisers to get started.
Get your event live.
Tell us about your race and we’ll set it up with you: every runner on one map, with the heat where each one is, and supporters anywhere. Free for organisers, runners and everyone following.
Sources and method
- Strava Help Center (2026). Strava Beacon
- Apple Developer (2026). WeatherKit
Product facts (the reminder two hours before the gun, a position sent every 30 seconds, tracking that stops by itself at the finish, positions kept through a dead spot, and positions deleted after 7 days) are from RunFast's live tracking as built and documented in its help centre in October 2026. The heat figures are from our guide to how hot is too hot to run, which cites the American College of Sports Medicine. Conversions: 1 km = 0.621 miles; °F = °C × 9/5 + 32.
Wes Thomson
Wes Thomson builds RunFast, which times the heat, humidity and dew point to a runner's own pace along the route, and its sister Windline, live wind forecasts for cyclists. Both run on the same forecast engine. He writes these guides with one focus: what the weather will do to your run, kilometre by kilometre, and how to plan around it.