What Is RaceOwl?

RaceOwl was developed by racers for racers to fulfill several key roles within a race's safety and administration plan. The system combines the RaceOwl website, texting services, phone apps, and location trackers to serve three main purposes:

1. Communication

   RaceOwl provides a critical communication link between race officials, racers, and support crew.

   • For Officials: Race organizers can broadcast safety-related text messages to participants, alerting them to hazards such as changing course conditions or weather events.
   • For Racers: You can send text messages to RaceOwl, where volunteers can answer your questions and assist you with non-emergency issues.

2. Location & Safety

   Officials need to ensure that you are progressing along the race course in a safe manner and within expected times. This is a key safety feature.

   The system allows race officials and spectators to track your location along the course in real-time, providing crucial safety oversight.

3. Leaderboard & Data

   The RaceOwl website gathers race data and calculates racer positions to create an up-to-the-minute leaderboard.

   • It displays estimated racer arrival times at checkpoints and stops.
   • Detailed information, including split times, speeds, and location history, is also available.

Our History

RaceOwl grew out of the community surrounding the Missouri River 340 (MR340), a challenging, multi-day 340-mile canoe and kayak race that draws hundreds of participants. Jeff Ilseman, Hogan Haake, and Jon Marble—all veteran MR340 racers—came together to build RaceOwl for the MR340 community and the larger world of adventure races.

• 2013: Website

  Jeff Ilseman created the first version of RaceOwl for the MR340. This system replaced manual spreadsheets and minimal visibility, allowing support crew, friends, and family to follow the race.

• 2015: Live Tracking

  Hogan Haake, who had used a SPOT tracker during his 2013 race, reached out to Jeff to help revamp the site. Hogan added the ability to track all registered racers on a single map, transforming the experience into a real-time follow.

• 2016: App Integration

  Jon Marble, having authored the popular MR340 Pro Paddler app for navigation, joined the team. He merged his app efforts into the RaceOwl system, automating many of the interactions between racers and the race platform.

Our goal today remains the same: to make race tracking affordable and easy for anyone interested. We are regular people doing our best to connect a distance racing community through simple, inexpensive technology solutions. Feel free to tell your other racing friends about us—we are here to bring people together!