Create the event
Set the format, route, checkpoints, controls, or key locations, participant invites, and one public link.
Live GPS tracking and event control for outdoor events
Run, change, and follow your event from one live map
MapCatch helps organisers publish a route, invite participants, track them with phones or GPS devices, send official updates, change the route when conditions shift, and give spectators one public link.
Phones when they are enough. Trackers when they are needed. One live event map either way.
Phones first
Use participant phones or prepared Android phones when they fit the event.
Change the event live
Update routes, checkpoints, messages, and tracking sources during the event.
Trackers when needed
Add GSM, SPOT, Garmin, ZOLEO, uploads, timing data when agreed separately, and corrections.
One public map
Spectators follow the live event story without installing an app.
How MapCatch works
From event setup to public live map
Build the event once, then keep it accurate as the field, route, checkpoints, weather, and devices change.
Choose the tracking mix
Use participant phones, rented Android phones, GSM trackers, satellite trackers, uploaded activities, timing data when agreed separately, or organiser corrections.
Run it live
Send official messages, change the route, switch tracking sources, handle incidents, and keep the event view aligned with reality.
Follow, replay, and correct
Spectators see live event context: position, route progress, standings, ETA, messages, replay, and explained corrections.
Built by organisers with 20+ years of race experience. Includes Lost Ride and Spiral MTB formats where live route context matters.
Why it is different
Built for events that change while they are running
MapCatch is live GPS tracking, outdoor event tracking, race tracking, and organiser control in one operational view.
Not just tracking
MapCatch gives organisers live event control when the course, devices, or official context change.
Not just dots
The public map can show route progress, official context, and explainable results.
Not tracker-only
Phones, trackers, uploads, timing data when agreed separately, and corrections can share one event timeline.
Not fixed at the start
Routes, messages, and tracking source changes can happen while the event is running.
Built for organisers in the field
Manage routes, messages, participants, tracking source changes, and result corrections without returning to a laptop.
Phone-first event control
Can I run the event from my phone?
Yes. Mobile-first organiser controls are central to MapCatch.
Change the route during the event. Publish edits for closures, permit changes, checkpoint moves, unsafe sections, or optional variants.
Send official event context. Participants can receive messages and route context in the app instead of relying on scattered chats.
Switch tracking sources. Move a participant from phone to tracker, tracker to upload, or correction to official result when reality changes.
Keep corrections transparent. Tracking source changes and result corrections can stay explainable instead of silently rewriting the event.
Event needs
What are you trying to run?
Start with the format and the decisions you need to manage. The tracking mix comes after that.
Endurance events
Bikepacking and endurance races
Show where a spread-out field really is on a long route, even when the story changes.
Trail and adventure
Trail runs and adventure races
Keep crews, checkpoints, weather calls, and route updates aligned from the field.
Stage formats
Stage competitions
Run separate days or segments without scattering participants and followers across links.
Outdoor games
Treasure hunts and outdoor games
Build outdoor games where clues, missions, proof points, and scoring react to location.
Self-paced formats
Challenges without one start time
Support rolling starts and self-paced attempts without losing one shared ranking context.
Controls and navigation
Orienteering and checkpoint events
Handle controls, route choices, reveal rules, and proof review in one event picture.
Remote journeys
Expeditions and remote crossings
Tell a remote journey honestly with sparse updates, notes, uploads, and replay.
Operational awareness
Fleet and field awareness
Watch a moving field with stale updates, battery signals, messages, and incident context.
Tracking mix
Then choose the sources that fit
Use phones, prepared Android phones, GSM trackers, satellite trackers, uploads, timing data when agreed separately, or corrections. MapCatch keeps the event picture together.
Participant phones
Best for low logistics, rich interaction, frequent updates, route changes, and official messages.
Rented Android phones
Best when you want phone-app benefits but need prepared, predictable hardware.
GSM trackers
Best for simple dedicated equipment where cellular coverage is usable.
SPOT, Garmin, ZOLEO
Best for remote terrain, sparse updates, and events where phone coverage is not enough.
Uploads, timing data, corrections
Best for official evidence, post-event completion, and explainable results.
What changes for organisers
Why MapCatch is more than tracker rental
Traditional tracker-only setup MapCatch phone-first event control
Hardware logistics
Hand out and collect a tracker for every participant.
Start with phones when suitable. Add devices only where needed.
Participant interaction
A tracker sends location but tells the participant little.
The app can show route context, messages, standings, and updates.
Route changes
Course changes usually live outside the tracker view.
Publish route changes during the event.
Fallback
A failed tracker creates a gap.
Switch or combine phone, tracker, upload, timing, and correction sources.
Public story
Followers watch dots and a leaderboard.
Spectators see progress, ETA, messages, replay, and explained changes.
Pricing
What does it cost?
Start with app access for participants. Add rented phones, GSM trackers, satellite trackers, delivery, setup, or race-day support only when your event needs them.
The estimator shows an example setup first. Your quote depends on duration, rented hardware, integrations, and support.
Public following
What do spectators see?
Friends, crews, families, and fans do not need an app.
They open one public live map for progress, standings, ETA, messages, replay, and corrections.
The same event context can combine phone updates, trackers, uploads, timing data when agreed separately, and organiser decisions.
Trust and safety
What if coverage fails?
MapCatch improves event awareness, but it is not an emergency dispatch service and does not guarantee remote-area coverage.
Plan remote or high-risk events with suitable trackers, communications, local procedures, and support.
Safety awareness and incident context. Stale positions, low battery, off-route context, and organiser messages can support human decisions without replacing emergency procedures.
Buyer questions
Common organiser questions
Can participants use their own phones?
Yes, when the event allows it and participants can manage setup, permissions, charging, and battery discipline.
What if we need dedicated trackers?
Add GSM, SPOT, Garmin, or ZOLEO trackers where phone coverage, battery, ruggedness, or event policy requires them.
What if the route changes during the event?
Organisers can publish route changes, checkpoint moves, messages, and official context while the event is live.
What if coverage fails?
Use a suitable mix of phones, cellular trackers, satellite trackers, uploads, and procedures for the terrain.
What if a device fails?
MapCatch can combine or switch sources and keep corrections explainable in the official event timeline.
Do spectators need the app?
No. Spectators follow from the public web map.
Can MapCatch support remote events?
Yes, with the right satellite, communications, and support plan. Satellite updates are usually sparse.
Is MapCatch an emergency service?
No. It improves event awareness, but it is not emergency dispatch and does not guarantee remote coverage.
What about iPhone users?
iOS is currently closed beta. Public iOS availability is planned for October 2026.
What does pricing depend on?
Participant count, duration, tracking mix, rented hardware, delivery, setup, timing integrations, and race-day support.
Plan your event
Ready to choose the right tracking mix?
Tell us the format, terrain, participant count, and where the event may change.