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Why Rack Cards Are Still Indispensable

In the age of the internet, it’s easy to write off rack cards as antiquated. When everyone’s carrying the internet in their pockets and few people use mail-in race registrations anymore, surely an already-busy race director does not need to waste time producing a pretty rack card. This, however, is far from the truth. While the internet is an invaluable tool for race directors in acquiring registrants, rack cards still have their place and are a necessity in any event of significant size.

To understand why this is, one must take themselves out of the shoes of a race director for a moment and simply think of themselves as a runner. Every runner needs a pair of good shoes, and running stores exist to provide that. This is where rack cards are critical. If that store happens to have a visually pleasing, well-thought-out rack card for your event, the likelihood of those local runners being exposed to your event is much higher.

Consider this: a runner actively looking for an event will probably find something through the internet—but what about those who are not actively looking yet still might participate given the opportunity? Increasing your visibility through publicly-distributed rack cards is a great way to draw in that passive audience. At the very least it generates attention for your event that otherwise would not exist. This is especially true with family-friendly races and fun runs. The casual running crowd might not necessarily be looking for an event to participate in, but if you catch their eye while they are out shopping they just might be your next registrants.

Visibility is key when it comes to attracting people to your event. While advertising on the internet is all well and good, the humble rack card still has its place in the industry—and brings awareness of your race to those who might otherwise not see it.

 

Roxanne Castelone

Databar Events Team