Running, with a finish line

RoadRacers wanted a running app that people open because it is fun, not because they feel they should. The idea: turn a solo run into a race against friends.

A race only works if it feels live. Positions have to update for every runner as they move, on a phone that is bouncing in a pocket. And a race needs a reason to come back tomorrow, or it is a novelty.

A live race screen with everyone on one map and the gaps in metres, a results screen with the route and leaderboard, a feed of real runs, and profiles with followers and divisions.

Progress runs on XP and divisions, from Rookie Bronze up. We drew a panther mascot and the race art around it, so finishing a race feels like a celebration rather than a stats screen.

An iOS and Android app built with Expo, an Express API with real-time race updates over sockets, and a Next.js site for marketing, invitation links and administration, all in one workspace.

Maps come from Mapbox, subscriptions from RevenueCat, race narration from ElevenLabs, and uploads and race art from object storage. Automated regression tests run against an isolated database.

Before release we audited the app against the App Store guidelines and recorded the evidence for every control, so the launch would not stall in review.