RaceNation
RaceNation is a UK-based sports technology company providing an all-in-one cloud platform for event registration, ticketing, integrated charity fundraising, and event-day operations (timing, QR scanning, live tracking) serving mass-participation sports organizers, registered charities, and event entrants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBrighton, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What RaceNation does
RaceNation is a UK-based sports technology company that operates an all-in-one cloud platform combining event registration, ticketing, charity fundraising, and event-day operations (timing, QR scanning, live GPS tracking, results) for mass-participation endurance events. Founded in 2014 as SportsGiving and now organized under Race Nation Limited (incorporated in Jersey with a UK establishment in Brighton at the Sussex Innovation Centre), the company serves hundreds of event organizers across running, triathlon, obstacle course racing, cycling, and walking events, alongside UK charities such as Cancer Research UK, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Muscular Dystrophy UK. The platform includes a participant portal (MyRaceNation), a free Event Day mobile application on iOS and Android, and certified integrations with British Triathlon (Race Pass Administration, 2024) and Racecheck (reviews, 2023).
The technology stack is hosted on AWS, uses Stripe for payment processing with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna and major card networks, integrates with Strava for results submission (up to 50 activities per entrant), and applies Cloudflare for security/CDN. Notable proprietary capabilities include a Smart Ballot lottery system for high-demand events, a Transfer Centre for ticket transfers/deferrals, an Online Storefront for merchandise, and UK Gift Aid processing routed via HMRC-compatible reports. Customer support tiers include a dedicated VIP Support team handling platform switching and data migration for enterprise-leaning organizers.
RaceNation's commercial model is a freemium-plus-transaction-fee structure: free events remain free indefinitely, paid registrations incur a 5% all-in fee, and SportsGiving donations incur a 3.5% fee (with an optional "Covered Fees" model where donors absorb the cost so charities receive 100%). Go-to-market is product-led via a "Start for free" CTA, supplemented by a direct-sales demo motion and VIP onboarding for larger organizers and sports governing bodies like British Triathlon. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors and no recent funding activity.
RaceNation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RaceNation
- Legal name
- Race Nation Limited
- Website
- https://race-nation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RaceNation is a UK-based sports technology company providing an all-in-one cloud platform for event registration, ticketing, integrated charity fundraising, and event-day operations (timing, QR scanning, live tracking) serving mass-participation sports organizers, registered charities, and event entrants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RaceNation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Registration & Management Software
- NAICS
- Other Spectator Sports (711219), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ticketing, Registration & Event Technology (Badging, Apps) (BPAFAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mass Participation Race Organizers (Runs, Triathlons, Cycling) (MPAKADAD)
Keywords
Where RaceNation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brighton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
RaceNation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Event Registration Fees: RaceNation charges a 5% fee on the total transaction value of paid event registrations. This is an 'all-in' rate meaning it covers all platform features including branding, customisation, and support.
- Fundraising Platform Fees: SportsGiving charges a 3.5% 'all-in' fee on fundraising transactions. The platform also offers a 'Covered Fees' option where charities can receive 100% of donations with the fee covered by donors.
- Free Event Hosting: Free events are hosted at no cost to organizers, generating indirect value through platform adoption and upsell opportunities to paid features.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free tier for event organizers hosting free events with full platform access |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | 5% transaction fee on paid event registrations |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | 3.5% transaction fee on fundraising donations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
RaceNation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RaceNation provides an all-in-one cloud-based event registration and fundraising platform for mass participation sports events. The platform enables event organisers to sell tickets, manage entries, process payments, and run integrated charity fundraising from a single white-label system. It includes a participant portal (MyRaceNation), native mobile apps for event day operations (QR scanning, live GPS tracking, push notifications), timing/results integration with Strava, Gift Aid processing for UK charities, merchandise storefronts, and VIP onboarding support.
Product overview
RaceNation is an all-in-one event registration and fundraising platform comprising a core platform (RaceNation Platform) and participant portal (MyRaceNation) for managing ticketing, entries, and payments. The ecosystem includes the RaceNation App for event day operations with QR scanning, live tracking, and messaging. SportsGiving is a fully-owned sub-brand providing white-label fundraising capabilities with multi-charity support and Gift Aid processing. Key modules include RaceNation Ballot for lottery-based entry selection, Transfer Centre for entry transfers, Refund Protect for refund protection, Results Leaderboard for timing integration with Strava, Live Entrant Tracking for spectator following, Online Storefront for merchandise sales, and Referral URL Tracking for marketing analytics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use RaceNation
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
RaceNation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability2 records
Feature13 records
RaceNation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- British TriathloncoreRaceNation automates British Triathlon Race Pass Administration for event organizers. The 'Gold Standard' integration ensures all aspects of race licensing are fully managed on behalf of event organizers, reducing administrative burden and enhancing the registration experience for participants.
- RacecheckcoreFull integration with Racecheck, the world's leading review platform for mass participation events with over 1,250+ event professionals. The integration embeds authentic reviews into the registration journey and is proven to increase event registrations by over 22%. RaceNation clients received exclusive free upgrade to Racecheck Premium.
- StripecoreThird-party payment processor used for all payment transactions. Stripe handles card processing and payment gateway services.
- HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)coreUK tax authority for Gift Aid processing and submission. RaceNation prepares Gift Aid reports in a format suitable for HMRC claim submission.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RaceNation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RunSignup: US-based leading event registration platform for running, triathlon, cycling, and other mass participation events. Closest direct competitor to RaceNation, with similar transaction-fee model, integrated timing/results, and nonprofit/club fundraising functionality — differs primarily in geographic focus (US vs UK).
- Race Roster: Canadian event registration and management platform focused on running, cycling, and triathlon events. Directly competes with RaceNation in the mass participation endurance space with similar feature set (registration, fundraising, results) and partnership-led distribution strategy.
- Ticketbud: Event registration and ticketing platform with similar transaction-fee model and feature set (custom branding, multiple payment options, fundraising add-ons). Direct peer in the SMB/mid-market event organizer segment.
- JustGiving: UK-based online fundraising platform owned by Blackbaud, focused on charity and peer-to-peer fundraising including mass participation events. Direct competitor to RaceNation's SportsGiving fundraising arm, especially for charity event organizers in the UK.
- RegFox: Event registration platform providing customizable registration pages, payment processing, and event management tools. Direct peer competing for the same SMB and mid-market event organizer customers with a comparable transaction-fee model.
- Let’s Do This: Global endurance event marketplace and registration platform covering running, triathlon, cycling, and obstacle races. Direct peer in the mass participation discovery and registration space, with stronger consumer-side marketplace brand versus RaceNation's organizer-side focus.
- GiveSignup: Event registration platform with built-in fundraising for nonprofits, evolved from the GiveSignup/RunSignup ecosystem. Direct peer combining registration and charity fundraising functionality, similar to RaceNation + SportsGoing combined offering.
Broad incumbents
- Eventbrite: Public, large-scale ticketing and event registration platform serving a broad range of event categories including running and endurance races. Operates as a broad incumbent rather than a niche endurance specialist, but increasingly overlaps with RaceNation in mass participation ticketing.
Emerging players
- Givebutter: Modern fundraising and donor management platform with event ticketing functionality, gaining traction with nonprofits and event organizers. Emerging competitor that increasingly overlaps with SportsGiving's charity + event registration value proposition.
Regional players
- Eventective: Event registration and venue marketplace platform with broader event-type focus. Comparable as a registration platform with marketing/distribution features, though less specialized in endurance sports than RaceNation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RaceNation social profiles
Digital presenceRaceNation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
RaceNation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RaceNation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
RaceNation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RaceNation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RaceNation
What does RaceNation do?
RaceNation provides an all-in-one cloud-based event registration and fundraising platform for mass participation sports events. The platform enables event organisers to sell tickets, manage entries, process payments, and run integrated charity fundraising from a single white-label system. It includes a participant portal (MyRaceNation), native mobile apps for event day operations (QR scanning, live GPS tracking, push notifications), timing/results integration with Strava, Gift Aid processing for UK charities, merchandise storefronts, and VIP onboarding support.
Is RaceNation a public or private company?
RaceNation is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was RaceNation founded?
RaceNation was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RaceNation based?
RaceNation is headquartered in Brighton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does RaceNation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Event Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are fundraising Platform Fees and free Event Hosting.
Who are RaceNation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RunSignup, Race Roster, Ticketbud, JustGiving, RegFox, Let’s Do This and GiveSignup. Eventbrite is listed as a broad incumbent. Givebutter is listed as an emerging player. Eventective is listed as a regional player.
Does RaceNation have an API?
No public API is recorded for RaceNation.
What industry is RaceNation in?
RaceNation's product category is Event Registration & Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAGAL, Ticketing, Registration & Event Technology (Badging, Apps), with a secondary code of MPAKADAD, Mass Participation Race Organizers (Runs, Triathlons, Cycling). Its NAICS code is 711219 and its SIC code is 7900.