Race and trail registrations
charity
Organise your charity race or trail: online registration, multiple distances, medical certificate, additional donations with tax receipt. 100% free.
Why Donoor for this project
The tools you need, already connected and free. No pricing plan, no tiers, no equipment to rent.
Multiple distances
5km, 10km, half marathon, 25km trail: create a price per distance with a quota per category. Runners choose.
Additional donations
Let runners add a donation to the cause when they register (+€5, +€10, +€20). Automatic tax receipt.
Medical certificate
Mandatory checkbox: “I certify that I hold a medical certificate of fitness to race”. Compliant with FFA regulations.
Zero commission
For 500 runners at €15, you keep €7,500 versus €6,974 with Eventbrite (€526 more for your cause).
What to prepare
The honest list of equipment and team you need to make your course a success. No proprietary hardware to buy, you already have 90% of what you need.
Staffing
- 1 race directorRoute, permits, safety, scheduling. Often an experienced runner from the organisation or a specialist contractor.
- 15 to 40 volunteers depending on distance1 volunteer every 500 m along the course for marking, refreshments and safety.
- 1 doctor / 1 ambulanceMANDATORY for events over 5 km. Doctor on site + ambulance from Protection Civile, Croix-Rouge or SDIS (fire and rescue service).
- 2 to 4 road crossing marshalsMANDATORY if the course crosses open roads. High-visibility vest + flag + municipal traffic order.
- 1 timekeeperEither a professional provider with RFID chips (allow €1–3 per runner), or manual timing for small races.
Tools and equipment
- A Donoor account (5 min)Multiple distances, prices per distance, form with medical certificate upload, additional donations added to the basket (Cerfa 11580 tax receipts).
- Race permit from the town hall / prefectureDepending on scale: notification to the town hall for fewer than 100 runners, prefecture for larger events or inter-municipal routes. File 3 months in advance.
- Course markingBarrier tape + arrows + pictograms every 100 m. Specialist running equipment hire, or purchase (~€200 for the full kit).
- RefreshmentsOne refreshment stop every 5–7 km for races over 10 km. Water, isotonic drink, fruit and energy bars. Often provided by sponsors.
- Start / finish villageMarquees, sound system, podium, Tap to Pay refreshment stand and T-shirts. Budget €600–2,000 depending on ambition.
What the law says
We explain the legal obligations for your course in plain language. Checked by our team and up to date for 2026.
Prefectoral authorisation required
Any sporting event held on a public highway must be authorised by the prefecture three months in advance (form Cerfa 13391). Complete file: GPX route, safety arrangements, proof of insurance, evacuation plan. The prefecture consults the town halls along the route and the gendarmerie.
Medical certificate required
To take part in a competition, each non-licensed runner must provide a medical certificate confirming no contraindication to competitive sport, dated less than one year earlier. FFA and FFTri licence holders are exempt. Donoor allows you to upload the certificate from the registration form.
Competition liability insurance
Specific “sporting event” liability insurance (organiser liability) is mandatory. It is often included in FFA affiliation for road races or ITRA for trail races. Otherwise, take out a specific contract with your insurer (allow €200–800 depending on the number of participants).
Participant limit by classification
For non-competitive events (charity run or walk), there is no FFA requirement. Beyond a simple “charity walk”, your race becomes competitive: FFA approval, official timing and rankings are mandatory. Choose your format when you declare the event.
Tax receipts for additional donations
The registration fee is NOT tax-deductible (in return, participants receive the right to take part in the race). However, additional donations made with the basket are deductible (66% for individuals, 60% for companies). Donoor automatically separates the two amounts and issues Cerfa 11580 only for the donation portion.
Your checklist for D-Day
Everything you must not forget, by phase. Print it and tick items off as you go.
6 months before
- Mark out the route and carry out a reconnaissance with an experienced runner
- Submit the complete file to the prefecture
- Approach local sponsors (sportswear brands, town hall, local shops)
- Book a doctor and ambulance (Red Cross / SDIS)
- Assemble a team of 15–40 volunteers
2 months before
- Create the race on Donoor with distances and upload the medical certificate
- Open early bird registrations (reduced rate)
- Communicate via social media, local press and running websites
- Confirm marshals and the municipal traffic order
- Prepare the race bibs (export from Donoor → print)
Race weekend
- Marking the course the day before (full team)
- Volunteer briefing + handover of bib numbers and timing chips
- Setting up the start/finish village + Tap to Pay refreshment stand
- Guided group warm-up + race start timing
- Real-time runner tracking + refreshment stations
- Awards ceremony + thank-yous
- Dismantling + clearing the course as a team
They did it
Three organisation profiles that ran their course with Donoor, so you can picture realistic cases.
Medical charity organisation
Annual charity run “Run for Heart” against cardiovascular disease. 3 distances (5 / 10 / 21 km), 600 runners. Entry fee €20 + suggested additional €10 donation to the cause. Tax receipts Cerfa 11580 sent automatically.
Local trail running club
25 km nature trail in the local mountains. 250 FFA-licensed runners. Entry fee €35 including refreshments, finisher t-shirt and soup at the finish. Equipment sponsors provide the prizes. Timing by RFID service provider.
Primary school parents' association (APE)
Charity mini-run “The kids run for...”. 200 children aged 4–11 run an adapted course, sponsored by their families (€1 per completed lap). Snack at the finish, medal for everyone. The cause changes every year.
A charity trail with 400 runners
400 registrants across 3 distances (10/21/42 km) × €25 registration fee = €10,000 + €3,800 in additional donations added to the basket (automatic Cerfa 11580 tax receipts) + €1,200 in T-shirts paid via Tap to Pay on iPhone at the start village. Medical certificates uploaded and verified from the dashboard.
Hesitating over another platform?
Compare Donoor with other providers on fees and features.
Other compatible projects
Many organisations run or combine several types of project. Explore the related guides.
Frequently asked questions
How do I manage the mandatory medical certificate?
Add a mandatory checkbox to the registration form: “I certify that I hold a medical certificate of fitness to take part in a competitive race, dated less than 1 year ago”. This is legally binding for the runner. For timed races (FFA), you can also ask runners to attach a PDF of their certificate (custom upload field).
Can we set a rate for FFA licence holders and one for non-licensed runners?
Yes, create 2 rates: “10km FFA licensee” = €15 (reserved via a confidential promo code sent to clubs), “10km non-licensed” = €18 (with mandatory medical certificate field). Independent quota per category.
How do I link a donation to registration for our charity cause?
Set up your race as a “charity event” in Donoor. When paying for their registration, the runner sees an option: “Add a donation to [your cause]” with suggested amounts (+€5, +€10, +€20, custom). The donation is added to the registration and receives a Cerfa 11580 tax receipt if your organisation is eligible.
When do we receive the funds?
Funds (registrations + donations) reach your organisation's account via Stripe Connect or PayPal 2–7 days after each transaction. You do NOT have to wait for the race date to receive the money.
Can we register participants on the day of the race?
Yes, via Tap to Pay on iPhone at the bib collection desk. You create the registration in 30 seconds, the runner receives their QR code, and you hand over their bib.
How do I export the list for the timekeeper?
Dashboard > Race > CSV export. The list includes surname, first name, club, date of birth, chosen distance and bib number (if assigned). Format compatible with common timekeeping providers (Sportips, Pyronear, Sport-Time).
We take care ofsetting it all up for you.
Create your organization space in a few minutes, or let us set everything up for you. Free, fast, hassle-free.
100% free · No subscription, no commitment
How it works
Set up in under 8 minutes, no technical knowledge needed.
Create your race or trail
Choose the “event” type with date and start location. Set up the distances: 5km = €12, 10km = €18, Half marathon = €25, Trail = €30.
Set up the runner form
Fields: last name, first name, date of birth, club, T-shirt size, medical certificate (checkbox).
Open registrations
Share the link on running networks, partner clubs and local press. Quota per distance to manage logistics.
Prepare race bib collection
Export the list for the day before the race. Scan the QR code when handing out race bibs. Summary of runners by number, distance and T-shirt size.