With 95 million downloads and 10 million average monthly users, new Running USA member Pacer has established itself as one of the most popular step trackers downloadable to your phone.
And as the COVID-19 crisis continues to force cancellations and postponements of running events worldwide, Pacer will soon introduce virtual run tracking and registration functionality that will be valuable to events and race directors. Even when the pandemic resolves, virtual events and fitness challenges will likely be more popular than ever before.
But event organizers are still looking for reliable, affordable ways to document participant activity and engage with participants and sponsors alike. Pacer hopes to deliver an accessible solution.
“Pacer’s ability to track event participant activity and provide sponsorship fulfillment is an exciting development for the road running industry during this challenging time,” said Eric McGraw, who heads up international business development for Pacer.
The Pacer app already facilitates the fulfillment of sponsor and partnership agreements and engagements with runners and walkers participating in challenges on their own, worldwide. All they must do is download the app and sign up. And its open API makes it easy to integrate with existing registration platforms to convert intended in-person events that must now become virtual ones.
“We look forward to working with individual races and organizations to deliver a customized experience branded just for their event and participants,” said McGraw. Already in the development pipeline, Pacer expedited the delivery of its virtual race component to meet industry needs in March. It’s expected to be ready to use after May 20, 2020.
As a consumer app, Pacer is already popular among active athletic users – with nearly 1 million reviews, it has an average app rating of a stellar 4.7-4.8. And its dependable performance and strong word-of-mouth appeal has earned it much of the traction it has today.
Users especially love being able to encourage each other for meeting their goals or participating in challenges and earning badges for accomplishments that they can show off on social media. The app also contains many options for workout inspiration, from weight loss to stretching.
“We provide intrinsic motivation for participating in monthly challenges and a social component that can’t be underestimated, especially right now,” said McGraw, who engages in many of the month running challenges himself. “We’ve had as many as 100,000 participants engage in a virtual event thus far.”
Pacer can also score groups of friends or colleagues as teams that can compete against other groups in challenges or virtual events. This is especially popular for workplace activity competitions, but could be a win in the running space as well.
To learn more about Pacer and its opportunities for virtual events, reach out to Eric McGraw. And to check out the app for yourself, download the App Store or Google Play option to your smartphone and start stepping.
