What's the cheapest live tracking for a small running club race?

Cheapest: $0, if you’re okay with a DIY setup. Have runners share their live location from a phone or watch and send the links to spectators. It costs nothing, but people may need to open separate links; it’s not a polished, single race map.

If you want one race-wide tracking experience, RaceJoy currently lists a $750 flat fee for events with up to 1,000 participants (up to 50 miles). Runners and spectators can use its tracking features for free, but the event needs to be set up through a RaceJoy-certified timer. (racejoy.net)

My pick for a small club: start with free location sharing. Pay for RaceJoy only if a shared event map and spectator features are worth the cost. Note that GPS tracking depends on runners carrying phones and having usable cell service; it’s not the same as chip timing or a safety-grade tracker.

Short answer: For a small club race, the cheapest options are free or near-free phone-based tracking. Dedicated GPS trackers cost more per runner. Prices vary a lot between sources, so check the current quote before you commit.

Cheapest options

• Racemap: The free trial lets you test it, and hosting an interactive sports map costs €25. Runners can use their own GPS devices or rent from RACEMAP. Participants and spectators use a tracking app for all kinds of sports events, free download for participants & spectators.
• RaceJoy (phone-based): Runners carry their phones, so no hardware is needed. Pricing is inconsistent across sources. RaceJoy's own pricing page lists $350 for under 10K participants up to 3,000 people, while RunSignup says for events not using RunSignup's registration, RaceJoy is available for certified timers at a minimum price of $750 per event. RaceJoy is available through certified timers, and those events using RunSignup for registration can get a discounted price. Ask a RaceJoy Certified Timer for a quote, since they set the price.
• RaceID Spectate: This is a free option for friends and family, but it's not really for organizers to follow all racers at once. You can follow up to 10 racers at a time. Runners need either a smart phone or a smart watch.
• RaceClocker (timing, not tracking): If you only need live results, RaceClocker is free up to 10 participants per race. It publishes results in real time so the crowd can follow along, but it doesn't show runners moving on a map.

Dedicated hardware

• GB Race Tracker (UK): Offers professional live GPS tracking for events from only £6.99 per tracker, subject to distance & duration of race. This is likely more than a phone-based option for a small field, since you pay per tracker.

Recommendation: Start by asking a RaceJoy certified timer for a quote, and compare it with Racemap's €25 map fee plus any device rental. If your field is 10 or fewer and you only need results, RaceClocker is free. Ask each provider whether their price includes hosting, setup, and any per-runner fees.

For a small running club race, "live tracking" can mean two very different things: live GPS tracking (seeing a dot move on a map in real-time) or live timing (updating results as runners cross specific points).

Because professional RFID chip systems are expensive and unnecessary for small fields (typically 50–250 runners), the most cost-effective solutions leverage technology the runners already have in their pockets: their smartphones.

1. The Cheapest Live GPS Tracking (Real-Time Map)

If your goal is for spectators to watch runners move along a course map, avoid hardware-based trackers (which require renting/shipping devices). Use smartphone-based platforms instead:

• Racemap: A popular choice for small-to-medium events. It allows you to host an interactive map for a low flat fee (often around €25 per event). It is "bring-your-own-device," meaning participants use their own smartphones to broadcast their location.
• WHIP LIVE: Another app-based platform that allows participants to track themselves via their phones. It provides a dashboard for organizers to monitor participants and a public-facing map for spectators, significantly reducing costs by removing the need for external hardware.
• RunGo: Offers live tracking where participants can be followed on a web map using their phone or Apple Watch (cellular). It is designed to be battery-friendly and handles spotty cellular coverage well.

2. The Cheapest Live Timing (Results & Leaderboards)

If you just need to know who is winning or when runners finish, you do not need GPS tracking. Use a DIY Timing App:

• Webscorer: Highly recommended for small clubs. It is one of the most budget-friendly options, using a subscription-based model (e.g., ~$50–$100/year for single or multiple devices). You use a tablet or smartphone at the finish line to "tap" runners as they cross, and it instantly generates live results and leaderboards.
• Manual/App Timing: For very small races, the cheapest method is having a volunteer at the finish line use a timing app to record bib numbers and times. This eliminates the cost of equipment entirely.

Summary Comparison

Important Recommendations for Small Clubs:

• Don't force a device: If you choose a GPS app-based solution, ensure your runners are comfortable carrying their phones. Some runners prefer not to, so offer it as an "optional" feature for those who want family to follow them.
• Check Connectivity: GPS and app-based tracking rely on cellular data. If your race course is in a remote forest or deep valley with no cell service, these apps will struggle to update in real-time regardless of the provider.
• Combine Methods: You can get the best of both worlds by using a timing app for official results (the most important part) and encouraging runners to use their own Strava Beacon or Garmin LiveTrack if they want friends to follow their specific progress. This costs the club $0.

Cheapest practical option: Map My Tracks—its Basic plan is free for up to five participants. If your club has more runners, Premium is £2.50 per participant per day for events of up to two days, with live tracking and an event page included. ¹

For example, tracking 20 runners for one day would cost about £50. If you mean occasional GPS updates rather than a dedicated event-tracking service, you could also have runners share their location through a regular phone app—but that’s less race-ready and depends on everyone setting it up.

For context, RaceJoy’s listed event pricing starts at $350 for a race under 10K with up to 3,000 participants, so it’s probably overkill for a small club event. ²

¹ Map My Tracks pricing
² RaceJoy pricing