This is the full text of the standard behind the Better Race badge. It is written to be read by runners, not lawyers. Any race organization, on any registration platform, may adopt these commitments; displaying the badge additionally requires signed membership in the Better Race Network and acceptance of the accountability policy below.
1The real price
Members show participants the complete cost of registering before checkout begins.
- All fees a runner will pay — entry, processing, platform, and any add-ons — are visible before payment information is requested.
- Advertised prices are prices a runner can actually pay; a "from" price that no one can obtain is a misrepresentation.
- Price increases and deadline tiers are dated and published in advance.
2Honest race information
Members describe their events as they actually are.
- Course, distance, elevation, surface, timing method, awards, and amenities are described accurately on the race website.
- Certification and measurement claims are made only when true, and stated precisely.
- When something material changes — course, venue, date, timing, amenities — the change is announced publicly and registered participants are notified directly.
3Clear policies, up front
Members publish the rules of the transaction before asking anyone to enter it.
- Refund, transfer, deferral, and cancellation policies are posted where a runner can read them before registering.
- Weather and force-majeure handling is described in advance, including what happens to entry fees if the event cannot be held.
- Policies are applied as written. A published policy that is quietly ignored, in either direction, fails this standard.
4Respect for runner data
Members treat participant information as something held in trust.
- Registration data is used to operate races and communicate with participants — it is never sold.
- Third-party marketing to participants happens only with genuine consent, and every message offers a working way out.
- Members take reasonable care in how participant data is stored and who can access it.
5Every participant counts
Members put on races for the whole field, not just the front of it.
- First-time racers, walkers, and back-of-pack participants receive a real finish-line experience within the event's published time limits.
- Published time limits are honest, and generous where the course allows.
- Volunteers and staff are treated as part of the event, and participants are expected to treat them that way too.
6We answer
Members respond to the people who trusted them with an entry fee.
- A working contact method is published on the race website, and messages from participants receive responses.
- When something goes wrong — a course error, a timing failure, a shortage — members acknowledge it plainly and say what they are doing about it.
- Members respond to concerns forwarded by the Better Race Network within 14 days, as described in the accountability policy.
7Community over short-term gain
Members act like the future of local running depends on them, because it does.
- Courses, venues, parks, and neighborhoods are left clean and in good standing, so races remain welcome there.
- Permits, safety planning, and insurance are real — a race that endangers participants or hosts endangers every race after it.
- Members deal honestly with the vendors, timers, photographers, charities, and communities that make race day possible.
Accountability policy
The badge is a commitment, not a trophy. This section describes exactly what enforcement looks like — and what it doesn't.
What membership means
A current member has publicly signed this standard, keeps the commitments above, and has agreed to the response process below. Membership does not certify that an event is well-produced, enjoyable, or error-free, and it is not an endorsement of any race's quality.
What membership covers
Membership applies to the organizing entity, and its commitment covers every event that entity owns or directly operates. The badge may be displayed on those events — and only those. It may not be displayed on events a member merely times, sponsors, or promotes for someone else, and it may not be displayed selectively while a member's other events ignore the standard.
How concerns are handled
- Anyone may send a concern about a member race to hello@betterracenetwork.com.
- The network forwards the concern to the organizer and logs it. The organizer commits to respond to the person raising it within 14 days.
- The network's role is forwarding and tracking responsiveness. We do not adjudicate outcomes: we do not decide whether a refund was deserved, whether a course was pleasant, or who was right in a dispute.
What costs a race its badge
- A pattern of non-response — repeatedly ignoring participants or concerns forwarded by the network.
- Factual misrepresentation — demonstrably false statements about pricing, course, certification, policies, or the badge itself.
- Continuing to display the badge after membership ends.
Removal follows a documented process: written notice describing the issue, 30 days to respond or remedy, then a decision recorded in the network's log. A removed organization may reapply after one year.
Governance & disclosure
The Better Race Network was founded in 2026 by the organizers of A Better World Running, which has produced affordable, community-centered races in Southern California since 2011, with technology support from Race Ascend.
Three commitments govern how the network itself operates:
- Platform-neutral membership. Joining never requires Race Ascend or any particular registration platform, and no membership or removal decision is ever based on what software a race uses.
- An open standard. The text of the Better Race Standard is released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) — any race organization may copy, adapt, and adopt it, with credit, with or without membership. The Better Race Network name, the badge, and the network's marks are not part of that license and may be displayed only by current members.
- Founding-member voice. Changes to this standard are published as numbered versions, and founding members review every draft before adoption. Version 1.0 stands through at least the 2027 season.
- A founding council at ten. When the network reaches ten member organizations, a council of three to five people — independent race directors, at least half of whom are not Race Ascend customers, plus a runner representative — takes over review of standard revisions and any contested badge removal.
Questions about the standard, the policy, or the network: hello@betterracenetwork.com.