This article walks you through creating a run template in ROLLER Karting. Run templates are the settings that define a type of race at your venue. You'll create one for each race style you offer (for example, adult arrive-and-drive, junior race, party event), then map them to your ROLLER products so bookings automatically create the right kind of race on your schedule.
About run templates
A run template is the saved set of rules for a single style of race. It answers questions like:
How long is the race? (Number of laps, or a fixed amount of time.)
How do you win? (Fastest lap, best average lap time, or first across the line.)
When does the countdown start and when does the race end?
Which course is it run on?
Should results be emailed or printed automatically?
You'll create one run template per race style your venue offers. When a guest books a karting product in ROLLER, the matching run template tells ROLLER Karting which kind of race to create. You also use run templates when adding races directly on the schedule by hand.
If you selected the simulated timing loop option during installation, ROLLER Karting includes a set of demo run templates (for example, Adult 15 Lap Race, Junior 10 Lap Race, 10 min quali). These are useful for testing but should be edited or replaced before you go live so they reflect the races your venue actually offers.
Before you begin
ROLLER Karting is installed and you can sign in as an admin. See Install ROLLER Karting if you haven't completed the install yet.
You've decided which race styles your venue offers (for example, adult arrive-and-drive, junior race, Grand Prix party). Create a run template for each one.
Your race track is set up in ROLLER Karting, including at least one course. See Set up your race track in ROLLER Karting if you haven't done this yet.
Step 1: Open Run Templates
Open the Run Templates settings inside ROLLER Karting. Follow the steps below:
From the left menu, go to Settings.
Under the Sessions header, select Run Templates.
You'll see the list of templates already in your venue, including any demo templates created during install.
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Step 2: Create or edit a template
Decide whether to start from scratch or adjust an existing template inside ROLLER Karting. Follow the steps below:
To create a new template, select NEW RUN TEMPLATE.
To adjust an existing one, select the pencil icon next to the template name in the list.
The Edit Run Template dialog opens. The rest of these steps walk through the fields in that dialog, from top to bottom. Save your work at the end (Step 10).
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Step 3: Set the basics
Give your template a name, capacity, and visual identity so it's easy to recognize on the schedule. This is done in ROLLER Karting. Follow the steps below:
Enter a clear, descriptive Name (for example, Adult 15 Lap Race or Junior 10 Lap Race). This name is used by default when the race appears on the schedule. Staff can override it when creating a one-off race (for example, Wes's birthday party).
Set Maximum Participants to match the capacity of the track for this race style (for example, 10 or 12). This is a visual indicator on the schedule. Actual capacity control happens on the ROLLER booking side.
Choose a Color for this template. Use the color picker or enter RGB values. We recommend giving different race types different colors so staff can tell them apart at a glance on the schedule (for example, blue for adult races, red for junior races, green for parties).
Leave Hidden from run creation listing? unchecked so staff can pick this template when creating a one-off race on the schedule. Tick it only if you want to retire a template without deleting it.
Step 4: Set duration and scoring
Define how the race is scored and how long it takes up on the schedule. This is done in ROLLER Karting. Follow the steps below:
Leave Only score competitors pre-added to the session list selected. This ensures only the racers in the current session get scored, even if karts from a previous race are still finishing their laps.
Set Duration on calendar to the time you want this race to occupy on the schedule. Use the hours, minutes, and seconds inputs (for example, 0 hours, 10 minutes, 0 seconds). This is visual only. It controls how big the time block looks on the schedule, not how long the race actually runs.
Choose how the winner is decided in Win the Race By:
Fastest Lap Time: the driver with the single fastest lap wins. Best for qualifying-style sessions.
Best Average Time: the driver with the best average lap across all laps wins. Rewards consistency as well as raw pace.
Best Position: the standard race format. The driver who completes the most laps in the race wins. Use this for most party races and competitive events.
Leave Do not score these lap numbers empty for most tracks. See the FAQ for when to use this field.
Set Discard laps faster than to a value just below your slowest realistic lap, in seconds (for example, 10 for a track with 12-second laps). This prevents false short laps from being recorded if a kart spins and crosses the start-finish line multiple times. Leave it at 0 to disable.
The same threshold can be set at the course level instead (as Minimum lap time). See Set up your race track in ROLLER Karting. If you set both, the run template value wins for races using this template.
Step 5: Tag for leaderboards
Tag this race type so its results show up on the right leaderboard. Different leaderboards let you compare like with like, so pro racers don't get mixed in with first-time guests, for example. This is done in ROLLER Karting.
Leaderboard tags themselves are created and managed under Settings > Sessions > Leaderboard Tags. Set up your tags there first, then come back to this step to assign them to each run template.
Follow the steps below:
From Leaderboard tags, select one or more tags to apply to every race created from this template. Tags determine which leaderboards this race contributes to. For example, races tagged Pro roll up to your Pro leaderboard, separate from leaderboards for everyday amateur racers. Leaderboards can also be filtered by age, gender, or session tag, so you can run separate boards for juniors, adults, members, or Tuesday-night league races.
If you don't use leaderboards yet, or you're not sure which tag fits, leave the field empty. You can come back and add tags later.
Step 6: Set the length of the run
Tell ROLLER Karting how long the race itself runs, either by lap count or by time. This is done in ROLLER Karting. Follow the steps below:
In Length of Run is, choose either By laps or By time.
Enter the value in the field that appears next to it:
If you chose By laps, enter the Number of Laps (for example, 15).
If you chose By time, enter the race duration in hours, minutes, and seconds (for example, 0 hours, 10 minutes, 0 seconds).
This is different from Duration on calendar: this field controls when the actual race ends, while Duration on calendar only controls how the race appears on the schedule.
Step 7: Set race timing
Tell ROLLER Karting when to start the countdown and when to end the race. This is done in ROLLER Karting. Follow the steps below:
In Run Countdown Starts, choose when the race timer begins. The first option is manual; the other three are automatic triggers:
Manually: staff start the countdown themselves from the race screen. Useful when you need full control over when the timer begins, for example if you're holding the field at the start line and the race director will call go.
Immediately on Green Flag: the timer starts automatically the moment you drop the green flag. Most common.
First Crossing of the Assignment Loop: the timer starts automatically when the first kart leaves the pit lane and crosses the assignment loop. Useful if there's a delay between the green flag and karts actually starting.
First Crossing of the Finish Line: the timer starts automatically when the first kart crosses the start-finish line.
In Run Ends When, choose how the race finishes:
All Racers Complete Current Lap: the checkered flag drops, but every kart still on track is allowed to finish the lap they're on. This is the most common option and the one we recommend for most races.
Immediately on Checkered Flag: the race ends the moment the checkered flag drops, even if karts are mid-lap. Best for keeping the schedule exactly on time.
All Racers Complete All Laps: the race doesn't end until every racer has completed the full lap count. Rarely used. Avoid this on a busy schedule, since one slow racer can hold up the next race.
Set After checkered flag automatically finish in to 30 seconds. This is a fail-safe for races where a kart ducks into the pits before completing its final lap and would otherwise never trigger a finish. After the timer runs out, ROLLER Karting ends the race automatically.
Step 8: Set course, points, and speed control
Choose the course this race runs on, plus optional fields for points and speed control. This is done in ROLLER Karting. Follow the steps below:
Leave Point Template set to None unless this race is part of an autogridded event (where points accumulate across multiple races). See the FAQ for more.
From Course name, select the course this race should use (for example, Main Track). Courses are configured separately under Settings > Course Setup & Timing > Courses.
Leave Force green flag speed level to empty unless this race style needs to override the kart's normal green-flag speed (the speed it accelerates to once the green flag drops). Most venues control speed at the kart level instead.
Leave Force out lap speed level to empty unless this race style needs to override the kart's normal out-lap speed (the speed when karts leave the pits). Same caveat as above.
Step 9: Set results delivery
Decide whether ROLLER Karting should email or print results automatically when the race ends. This is done in ROLLER Karting.
Email and print templates are managed separately under Settings > General > Email & Print Templates. Create or edit your templates there first, then come back to this step to select them.
Follow the steps below:
Select Email Results? to send race results to participants by email after the race ends. Choose the email template you want to use. Racers without an email address on file won't receive the email, but staff can manually email or print results from the race screen.
Select Print Results? if your venue prints results on paper. Two more fields appear:
In Print quantity, choose One per participant so each racer gets their own printout, or One per run for a single printout (useful for venues that display results on a board next to the pit lane).
In Print Template, choose the template you want to use (for example, Race Results Printout (original) or your venue's custom template).
Most venues use email only.
Step 10: Save
Select SAVE at the bottom of the Edit Run Template dialog. Your new template now appears in the Run Templates list and is ready to be mapped to a ROLLER product or used directly on the schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Are the default templates from the install the ones I should use?
The demo templates that appear after installation come from the simulated timing loop option you selected during setup. They include templates like Adult 15 Lap Race, Junior 10 Lap Race, and 10 min quali. They're useful for testing but don't reflect your actual races. Edit them to match your races, or create new templates and delete the demos before going live.
What's a Point Template?
A point template assigns a number of points to each finishing position (for example, 20 points for 1st, 19 for 2nd). It's used for autogridded events where you combine multiple races into a single overall standing. Point templates are managed under Settings > Sessions > Point Templates. Leave the field set to None on this run template for standard arrive-and-drive races. We'll cover autogridded events in a separate article.
When should I use the "Do not score these lap numbers" field?
Leave this empty for standard tracks. It's only needed when the course is configured so that a kart can complete a very short, unrealistic lap right after leaving the pits (for example, when the pit exit sits close to the start-finish line). In that case, you can tell ROLLER Karting to skip the first lap when scoring. On most tracks, karts have to complete a full lap before crossing the line for the first time, so this field stays empty.
When should I use the speed control fields?
Most venues control kart speed at the kart level (set by the type of kart and the speed control automation), not the run template. Use Force green flag speed level to or Force out lap speed level to only when you want a specific race style to override those defaults, for example capping a junior race at a slower top speed regardless of which kart is on track. We'll cover speed control in a separate article.
What's next
With your run templates in place, you can now connect ROLLER products to them. When a guest books a karting product in ROLLER, the matching run template tells ROLLER Karting which kind of race to create.
See Map ROLLER bookings to ROLLER Karting races to set this up.