Aid station timing for trail ultras
Runner check-ins from remote aid stations to race HQ in minutes.
No cell service, and no one reading bib numbers over the radio. Volunteers type each bib into a station box, and the times reach HQ and OpenSplitTime on their own over your race's own radio network.
How it works
Every entry travels to HQ, and HQ confirms it back.
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Step 1
Type the bib
A volunteer types the bib on a 10-key keypad and presses In or Out. The station box saves it.
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Step 2
It goes by radio
The box sends it over a private long-range radio network. Solar relays carry it over ridges where needed.
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Step 3
HQ confirms it
HQ confirms every entry. Anything not yet confirmed is sent again, so an outage delays times but doesn't lose them.
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Step 4
Crews follow live
HQ posts times to OpenSplitTime whenever it has internet, so crews and families can follow along.
For race directors
What it gives your race
Times at HQ in minutes, not hours
Built to send each entry as soon as it's typed.
Radio operators freed up
Voice stays for medical, safety and logistics. Nobody reads bibs aloud.
Fewer transcription errors
The bib is typed once, by the person who saw the runner.
Drops reach HQ right away
Volunteers mark a drop at the station like any other entry.
Nothing new for runners
No trackers to hand out, charge or collect, and no per-runner fee.
Easy on volunteers
A preconfigured kit, a 10-key keypad and a status light. Designed for a 5-minute briefing.
No trackers on runners. No satellite internet at every station.
Nothing for runners to carry, charge or lose
A volunteer sees the runner and types the bib, the same check-in the station already does. The hardware stays on the table.
One internet connection for the whole race
Stations need no internet at all; they talk to HQ over the race's own radio network. HQ posts to OpenSplitTime when it's online, and keeps working when it isn't.
For comms teams
Built to help your comms team, not replace it.
- It takes over the bib traffic, so operators can focus on medical, safety and logistics.
- Your comms lead confirms relay sites from field checks before race day.
- It runs on unlicensed 915 MHz radio, separate from the ham bands, and its traffic is encrypted.
FAQs
- Do the aid stations need cell service or internet?
- No. Stations talk to HQ over the race's own radio network. HQ uses internet to post to OpenSplitTime when it has a connection, and keeps working without one.
- What happens if the radio link drops?
- The station keeps recording. When the link comes back, the box sends whatever HQ hasn't confirmed, automatically. Nothing has to be typed twice.
- What if a station box fails?
- The kit includes spares that a sweep or course crew can swap in. Until then the station keeps a paper log, the same backup it has today, and those times are entered afterward.
- Does this replace our ham radio operators?
- No. It takes over the bib traffic so operators can focus on medical, safety and logistics. Voice radio stays.
- Do volunteers need to know anything about radio?
- No. They type a bib on a 10-key keypad and press In or Out, and a status light shows whether the station is connected.
- Do we need a radio license?
- No. It uses FCC-certified radio modules in the unlicensed 915 MHz band.
- How far does it reach?
- That depends on terrain, so every race gets a radio plan: we map the course, place solar relays on high points where needed, and check each link during course marking.
- Does it work with OpenSplitTime and OST Remote?
- Yes. Times post straight to your OpenSplitTime event. If a station also runs OST Remote, OpenSplitTime matches the two records instead of counting the runner twice.
- What goes over the air?
- Only bib numbers and times, encrypted. Runner names and emergency contacts never go over the radio.
- What does it cost?
- Pricing is set after the pilot season.
Follow the build
Switchback Radio is heading into its first races. Follow along, and if you have questions or ideas for your race, get in touch.