Racery sends automated emails across four lifecycle phases: pre-race, active race, post-race, and admin notifications. A typical 4-week race results in approximately 10–15 emails per participant, depending on their activity level and achievements. This article covers the most common email types — the full system includes many additional types configured per-race in Django admin.
This article documents the main email types, their triggers, recipients, and key content. For the client-facing version of this information, see Email FAQ for Sponsors. For template variable details, see Email Template Variables Reference.
Note: Many email types, frequencies, and schedules are configurable per-race in Django admin — not hardcoded. The triggers and frequencies listed below are defaults that organizers can adjust.
Pre-Race Emails (5)
These emails fire between registration and race start.
1. Welcome / Registration Confirmation
Trigger
Participant completes registration (or is added by admin)
Recipient
Individual participant
Key Content
Welcome message, race name and dates, how-to-join instructions, team assignment (if applicable), organizer branding
Frequency
Once per registration
2. How to Join / Getting Started
Trigger
24–48 hours after registration if no activity logged
Recipient
Individual participant
Key Content
Step-by-step setup guide, connect fitness tracker, join team instructions, FAQ link
Frequency
Once (conditional)
3. Team Assignment Notification
Trigger
Participant is assigned to or placed on a team
Recipient
Individual participant
Key Content
Team name, teammates list, team captain info, team goal
Frequency
Once per assignment
4. Race Countdown / Race Starts Soon
Trigger
3 days and 1 day before race start
Recipient
All registered participants
Key Content
Days until start, quick-start checklist, race goal reminder, motivational message
Frequency
1–2 per race
5. Race Started
Trigger
Race start date/time reached
Recipient
All registered participants
Key Content
“The race is on!” announcement, dashboard link, first-day tips, logging instructions
Frequency
Once
Active Race Emails (5)
These emails fire during the race window. Schedules and content are configurable per-race in Django admin.
6. Daily Nudge (“Were you active today?”)
Trigger
Daily (typically morning), sent to racers who haven’t logged activity that day
Recipient
Individual participant
Key Content
Current team and individual standings with mile counts, links to race page and mobile apps. For charity races, the subject references the charity name.
Frequency
Daily (configurable per race in Django admin; can be disabled)
7. Daily Activity Report
Trigger
Daily (typically evening), summarizes the previous day’s race activity
Recipient
Individual participant
Key Content
Yesterday’s activity summary for the race. Shows “everyone took a rest day” if no activity was logged. Links to race map for current positions.
Frequency
Daily (configurable per race in Django admin; can be disabled)
8. Badge Earned
Trigger
Participant earns a badge (distance milestone, streak, challenge completion)
Recipient
Individual participant
Key Content
Badge image, badge name and description, achievement details, share prompt
Frequency
Per badge earned
9. Milestone Email
Trigger
Participant passes a defined mile marker (configured in the Milestone Email dashboard, a premium feature)
Recipient
Individual participant
Key Content
Milestone label, congratulations, stats snapshot. Content is customizable per milestone in the dashboard.
Frequency
Per milestone reached (number of milestones configured per race)
Note: This table shows common defaults. The system includes many additional email types (non-starter check-ins at 1/3/10/15 days, referral prompts, and more) that are configured per-race in Django admin. Organizers can enable, disable, and schedule emails to match their race’s needs.
Branding & Customization
Racery emails support per-race / per-client branding:
Organization logo — appears in the email header alongside the race name
Race banner image — displayed at the top of key emails (welcome, weekly progress)
Brand colors — applied to CTA buttons, accent bars, and section dividers
Custom welcome message — included in the welcome email
Branding is configured through the race setup process. All branded elements appear consistently across the full email lifecycle. See Email FAQ for Sponsors for the client-facing explanation.
Spam Suppression & Deliverability
Racery sends email through Mailgun. If a participant marks a Racery email as spam in their inbox, Mailgun automatically suppresses all future emails to that address. This means the participant will stop receiving every Racery email — including registration confirmations and bib downloads.
Important for participants: Use the Opt Out link at the bottom of any Racery email instead of your inbox’s spam button. The Opt Out link lets you unsubscribe from specific email types while still receiving essential messages. Marking as spam blocks everything permanently until support intervenes.
How Suppression Is Resolved
When a participant reports missing emails, the support workflow is:
Check Mailgun send logs for the participant’s email address
Look for a suppression entry (“Not delivering to a user who marked your messages as spam”)
Remove the suppression in Mailgun
Resend the registration / bib email to the participant
Opt-Out, Auto Opt-Out & Unsubscribe
Bling-related emails (bibs, awards, postcards) can be edited directly from the Bling dashboard. Automated lifecycle emails (daily reports, milestone notifications, nudges) require a paid sponsor package that includes automated email configuration — this enables editing content, adding your organization’s logo, and applying custom branding to automated emails.
Opt-Out Granularity
Participants have two levels of opt-out control:
Per-type, per-race: Opt out of a specific email type (e.g., “Run Reminder”) for a single race
All Racery emails: Opt out of every email from Racery system-wide
Automatic Opt-Out
To prevent email fatigue, Racery automatically opts participants out of “Run Reminder” and “Run Reminder With Results” emails after 7 consecutive days of inactivity. This keeps the inbox clean for participants who have disengaged from a race.
Retention & Nudge Emails
The system sends automated retention emails to re-engage participants:
Non-Starter Check-Ins
Joined 1 day ago — welcome check-in the day after signup
3-day check-in — nudge for non-starters after 3 days
10-day check-in — nudge for non-starters after 10 days
15-day check-in — final nudge for non-starters after 15 days
Daily Nudges (Active Racers)
Daily nudge (“Were you active today?”) — sent to racers who haven’t logged activity that day. Includes current team and individual standings with mile counts. For charity races, the subject references the charity name.
Daily activity report — summarizes yesterday’s race activity. Shows “everyone took a rest day” if no activity was logged. Links to the race map for current positions.
Achievement Emails
Streak congratulations — triggered when a racer achieves a consecutive-day streak (e.g., 7-day, 20-day, perfect streak). Includes a downloadable streak badge image and a link to the racer’s profile page.
The Racery team receives a daily admin report listing which racers are scheduled to receive each automated retention email, as well as a daily Opt-Outs Report showing who opted out in the last 24 hours (separated into manual vs. automatic inactivity opt-outs).
Every email includes an unsubscribe link in the footer. All emails comply with CAN-SPAM requirements including a physical mailing address and functional unsubscribe mechanism.
