The Better Race Standard is a public commitment race organizers make to the runners, walkers, and volunteers who show up for your events. It's free to sign, open to any race on any registration platform, and it turns good race-directing practice into eight public promises.
The badge members display on their race websites.
A runner should be able to read the whole standard in the time it takes to pin on a bib. Each promise is expanded into specific commitments in the full standard.
We make the cost clear before runners commit. Mandatory fees aren't hidden at the final step, and optional purchases are clearly identified as optional.
We describe our events as they actually are — course or format, advertised distance, timing, awards and included amenities — and material changes are communicated promptly.
Refund, transfer, deferral and cancellation terms are published where runners can read them before registering, and we apply them consistently and in good faith.
We protect participant information and use it only for legitimate event, safety and disclosed purposes. Runner data is not a product for sale, and third-party marketing requires clear permission.
First-timers, walkers, competitive athletes, kids, back-of-pack participants and volunteers are treated with the same dignity and respect. Time limits and participation requirements are communicated honestly.
When something changes or goes wrong, we say so. We respond to reasonable questions and concerns within 14 days, and make a good-faith effort to put right what can be put right.
We respect the places and communities that host our events, minimize avoidable impact, leave courses and venues clean and in good standing, and protect the long-term health of local running.
We build events of our own. We don't copy another race's distinctive identity or original creative work in ways that could confuse runners, imply an affiliation that doesn't exist, or present someone else's work as our own. Common race themes and ideas belong to the running community. Build your own race. Respect what others have built.
Read the full standard, including the accountability policy → The Better Race Standard v1.0
The organizer has publicly signed the standard and committed to respond when runners raise a concern. The promise is transparency and responsiveness — in writing, with their name on it.
That a race will never make a mistake, that every refund request succeeds, or that the network referees disputes. We are not a court, and membership is never a verdict on race quality.
Concerns sent to the network are forwarded to the organizer and logged. Members commit to respond within 14 days. A pattern of ignoring runners, or misrepresenting facts, is what costs a race its badge — full policy here.
We're inviting fifty race organizations to found the network — organizations that already run races this way and are willing to say so publicly. Founding membership is free and stays free, and it's open to organizations of every size and structure: individuals, clubs, nonprofits, charities, schools, community organizations and race companies.
Optional resources. Members who want them can have free concierge migration to Race Ascend and help putting the standard into practice. Using, considering, or declining Race Ascend has no effect on membership, badge status, complaints, governance, or directory placement.
Founded by race organizers, not by a ratings company. Better Race Network grew out of more than a decade of race mornings at A Better World Running, which has produced community-centered races in Southern California since 2011 — and out of the belief that the practices good organizers already follow should be visible to the runners who trust them.
The network is independent of any registration platform. Membership is free, no membership decision is ever based on what software a race uses, and technology support is provided by Race Ascend. We think transparency should start with us.
Two minutes. We read every application personally and reply within a few days.