SUPPORT

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Two roles: who rides or runs (app, one live map, SOS) and who watches the map (browser, no app).

APP

WHO RIDES OR RUNS

With the app you are visible in real time on a single map, together with every other participant. You can share your position for help or support (SOS).

01 Do I need to register to use the app?

No, you don't need one: open the app, enter your name and phone number on the device and go. Free sessions (ride / training) last 24 hours.

02 Which phone permissions are required?

Set up permissions — otherwise GPS tracking stops and you'll show up as a stuck dot on the map!

AndroidiPhone
Location → ALLOW ALL THE TIME + PRECISE LOCATION Location Services → ALWAYS + PRECISE
Turn off Pause app activity if unused Turn on Background App Refresh
Xiaomi/Samsung/HyperOS: battery → No restrictions Don't close the app from the switcher during a race
03 What happens when I use the app?

You appear on the same live map as everyone else using TrailCore: the organiser, family, friends, teammates and managers see you in real time.

If you need help, hold SOS to share your position with people on the map and with staff. TrailCore Radar does not replace 112 / emergency services.

04 How do I start a free session (ride / training)?

No code needed. Install the Android or iOS app, enter your name and phone number (stored on the device only), then tap ON in the tracker and ride. A free session lasts 24 hours. The screen can stay off: tracking continues in background.

05 How do I join an organised race or event?

The organiser (e.g. a Gran Fondo, a trail race, a cycling tour) gives you a 4-digit code. Open the app, enter it and tap JOIN: the race name appears to confirm.

On scheduled races GPS starts by itself inside the race window. Do not kill the app; the screen can stay off.

06 Who can see my position on the map?

Anyone who has the map link (staff, family, team). The phone number is for staff emergencies and does not appear to people who only open the public link.

Within 300 m of start and finish the map can hide the marker and trail. Details in the Privacy Policy.

07 How much battery does the app use?

The app is built to use little power, but phones vary: there is no universal figure. In a hard test (Milano–Sanremo Amatori) TrailCore Radar ran for about 10 hours using less than 70% battery — about 7% per hour. Start with a full charge; on multi-day events bring a power bank.

08 How do auto-pause and battery work?

After a few still minutes the app auto-pauses: it keeps a periodic heartbeat and sends fewer points. Movement resumes tracking. Screen off is fine; killing the app or leaving battery optimisation on is not.

09 How does SOS work?

In the app, hold SOS for 3 seconds and pick a type (fall, lost, medical, other). Staff get an email with position and map links. TrailCore Radar does not replace 112 emergency services.

10 What does I'm here do?

In the Tracker, I'm here is a button separate from SOS. It creates a Google Maps or Waze link to share via WhatsApp or SMS. The person who receives it does not need an account or the app.

11 What is Elevation? Why is there no summed D+?

On the map, Elevation is the GPS altitude of the latest fix, not accumulated climb. Summing every phone swing produces impossible values.

12 How is distance covered calculated?

It is the sum of accepted GPS hops, not GPX length. Unrealistic speed jumps are dropped. In woods or while paused it can creep up from GPS drift.

MAP

WHO WATCHES THE MAP

Organiser, family, friends, teammates, managers. No app: a web browser on a phone, tablet, PC or laptop is enough.

01 Who watches the map?

The event organiser, family, friends, teammates, managers. Everyone sees the same live map.

02 Do I need an app to see the map?

No. A web browser is enough. It works on anything: phone, tablet, PC, laptop.

03 What do I see on the map?

Every participant who uses the app. For anyone who is stopped, off track or in danger (SOS) you see the last available position, with status and last fix.

04 How do I open the map?

Use the staff viewer link, or open radar.trailcore.app and enter the 4-digit code. The page updates live: position, status, battery, distance and last fix.

05 What do the map statuses mean?
  • RACING — tracking is on, athlete is in the race.
  • PAUSED — map filter: little net movement even if fixes arrive. The server stays RACING.
  • LOST — no GPS past the lost-signal threshold (default 20 min).
  • STOPPED — still past the staff threshold (default 10 min).
  • FINISHED / DNF — finished or withdrawn.
  • SOS — athlete sent an alarm.
06 Why do I see PAUSED while the athlete is moving?

PAUSED is not an official stop. If GPS points keep arriving but net displacement stays under 50 metres for more than 60 seconds, the map shows PAUSED so jitter does not look like racing. Once net movement clears the threshold, the badge returns to RACING.

07 Why does the track zigzag or look still?

In woods, gullies or while standing still, phone GPS is off by several metres. Points fall in a zigzag around the true position. It is sensor noise, not a late map.

08 What does “No GPX track” mean?

The event has no official course. The map shows only the athlete trail: no completion percent, distance to finish or course ETA. The organiser can upload a GPX at any time.

09 Which filters does the platform use?

Filters cut false alarms and dirty tracks. The main ones:

  • Jitter / PAUSED — net move under 50 m for more than 60 s.
  • Phone auto-pause — after about 5 minutes still the app drops to a GPS heartbeat.
  • Privacy — within 300 m of start and finish, marker and trail stay hidden (staff can turn this off).
  • Off track — more than 500 m from the official GPX, when a course is loaded.
  • Isolated jump — a single fix that jumps more than 50 m is not drawn on the trail.
10 How do I filter athletes on the map?

The left-hand list can filter by status: ALL, RACING, PAUSED, NOT STARTED, LOST, STOPPED, FINISHED, DNF, SOS. Useful on large events.

The OFF TRACK button shows only athletes more than 500 m from the official GPX (when a course is loaded).

EVENTS

STAFF / CREATE EVENTS

The organiser watches the same map as everyone else. This section is only for creating races, GPX and logo.

01 Who needs to register?

Anyone who wants to create races or repeatable events, with no expiry, and customise them with a GPX course and a team or club logo.

Riders and people watching the map do not open an account: they use the app or the browser. Staff panel: Organiser guide.

02 How many people on the same map?

The platform is designed for about 400 people on the same map. It can scale on request from organisers: there is no hard cap.

03 What can the organiser do from the panel?

The staff panel lets you:

  • Upload / replace the GPX track and choose the course colour on the map.
  • Upload a logo for the club or the race (shown in the viewer).
  • Send push messages to all connected athletes or to a single athlete.
  • Stop an athlete remotely (DNF + push) when needed.
  • Toggle filters: privacy zone (300 m from start/finish), off-track filter, auto-archive.
  • Set race dates (start → finish window) for automatic GPS activation.
  • Reset map or tracks between editions.
  • Download all athlete GPX tracks as a ZIP file.
  • Configure SOS emails that receive alarms.
  • Track staff on the map — name/phone/role list in the ORG tab (see question 04).

Details: Organiser guide.

04 Track staff: dedicated pins on the map?

Yes. In the panel ORG tab you maintain a list of staff / volunteers (name, phone, role). Roles include Staff, Medic, Judge, Vehicle — each with a default emoji, or you can upload an image (PNG/JPG/WebP/SVG) instead of the emoji.

Listed people join the race with the same code or QR as athletes, using the same phone number in the app as in your list. No second code or separate QR is required.

On the viewer, staff pins are larger than athlete pins (emoji ~40 px vs ~32 px; with a custom image up to ~56 px) so support, medics or vehicles are easy to spot on the course.

Step-by-step: Organiser guide (ORG · Track staff section).

Full guides: Athlete (quick) · Athlete · Staff · Map · Android · iOS
Write to [email protected]