RaceJoy

Just ran my first 26.2, Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. Had just loaded the app on iPhone 7, which I carried in a waist mounted zippered pouch. Also had my Apple Watch series 2. My perspective: once I pushed the “start race” button, I stowed my phone. Muted all the audible updates. Notifications of each mile status was impossible to read. A lot of data for the small watch display, I had my prescription sunglasses with no bi-focals and I was running so I couldn’t keep the watch still enough to read. It also did not do split times, just overall average pace, I think, because I couldn’t read the display. I did notice some cheers come thru also. Again, couldn’t read much more than who they were from. Not sure if they were generic or custom, because I don’t know how or if I can go back and read cheers. Happy at the end that it tracked my overall finish time. Overall, app was not difficult to figure out and very importantly, did not crash. My fans’ perspective: they loved being able to see where I was, so they could get ahead to the next cheering location on the route. That made it worth loading a new app the day before a big run, and my first marathon! Overall, I would recommend app as is for sending your live location to spectators. Work on the notifications display for watch. Since I didn’t use it as my in-run tool, I can’t speak to its features for pace tracking.

I used RaceJoy at the Wineglass Marathon. It was ideal for keeping my husband updated on my progress so he could get to the finish in time, and I found out later that several other running friends were tracking me. So they knew my results as soon as I did! The cheers I received were a lot of fun, too, although I didn’t see most of them until afterward because I had turned off the audio splits (I didn’t want to stress too much over my pace). I was listening to music on iTunes, through Bluetooth headphones. It would be great if cheers could still get through the audio, even if splits are turned off.

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Love the tracking, love that anyone can follow and send audible cheers throughout the run, however don’t love that the person has to have the app to be tracked. May as well just sign up for basic race texts or use find my friends and skip the app. Not everyone carries their iPhone or has space for an additional app. I’m sure that if the app is sanctioned by the race, it can track the bib chip not the phone. The worst thing about the app is that you actually have to physically hit start when you begin running. A previous relay I was on, we all didn’t realize this until it was too late, so the app was basically useless. I don’t get why the gps that has to be constantly running, draining your battery, can’t just track your whereabouts on its own. In a world where we track our mileage on watches, and listen to music...do I really need ANOTHER thing to start when I begin my race?? No...better off using find my friends app or something you already have. The negatives outweigh the positives for me.

I just used this during the Boilermaker 15k. It was very nice to have the mile updates that were accurate and it’s nice to be able to check out after completing a race. I have to admit I only set it up while waiting for the race to start, so I didn’t play with it and familiarize myself enough to really use it to its full potential. Even still, it was great to have. I wish every race I participate in would have this. I will take the time to become more familiar with it now. I will have a look through it and if it lists future races that use it I will be trying to exclusively run in races that do use race joy.

I ran my first virtual race, due to the social distancing fad, and decided to try the Run Anywhere feature from RaceJoy that was being offered. I didn’t have the other runners to keep me running, but having RaceJoy shouting out mile markers, pace, and splits helped to keep me motivated. Plus the cheers it played along the way was a nice alternative, since there were no actual spectators yelling and holding signs. I think that the soothing robotic voices in the app will also help me to become accustomed to the inevitable robot uprising that will likely happen in the autumn of 2020, making for a less traumatic transition into that new norm.