# How to Set Up Registration for a Trail Race: Capacity, Cut-offs and Mandatory Gear > By Amit K · Published 12 November 2026 · Updated 13 November 2026 · Event Management · [Read on endurace.pro](https://staging.endurace.pro/blog/how-to-set-up-registration-for-a-trail-race) Trail races take place on narrow paths, on hills and sometimes far from the nearest road. That changes what registration has to do. It is not only a payment form. It is where you cap the field to match your permit and your trail, check that runners understand what they are signing up for, and collect the safety information your team will need if someone is in trouble a long way from the start. This guide covers how to set that up. ## Let the trail set your capacity Most trail races are small by road-race standards. Permits, the carrying capacity of the path, aid-station supplies and the number of marshals all limit how many runners you can safely send out. Decide the number for each distance first, then build registration around it. Do not leave a distance open-ended and plan to “see how many come”. A field that is too large is hard to fix after sales close. Separate distances should have separate capacities. A short trail run of around 10 km and a long one of 50 km need different support and attract different runners, so each deserves its own ticket and its own limit. ## Be explicit about cut-offs and mandatory gear Trail runners often underestimate how long a hilly course takes. State your cut-off times plainly on the event page, and add a tick-box at registration where the runner confirms they have read them. Do the same with mandatory gear. Typical lists include a headlamp for early or late starts, a waterproof jacket, a cup or bottle, a phone, a whistle and an emergency blanket, but yours should reflect your own course and weather. A tick-box does not replace gear checks at the start, but it gives you a record that the rule was shown and accepted before payment, and it filters out runners who would not have turned up equipped. ## Ask about experience, and use the answers For longer or more technical races, ask a few short questions: the longest trail race the runner has finished, any previous finish at your event, and an estimated finish time as a time (for example 6:30 or 10:15). You can use these answers to decide who needs a conversation before race day, how long your aid stations need to stay open, and where to place slower runners at the start. ## Collect safety information, and only what you need Every runner needs an emergency contact. A blood group is also useful for your medical team. If you ask about medical conditions, make the question optional, explain why you are asking, and ask only what you will actually act on, because medical details are sensitive. Keep the signed waiver, with its exact wording and the time it was accepted, attached to each entry, and make sure your medical team can open one list of emergency contacts on race morning. ## Waitlists and weather Trail races often sell out and then lose a few runners to injury or travel. A waitlist that offers each free place to the person who has waited longest keeps your field full and fair. Publish a refund policy with dates before sales open. If you have to cancel the whole event for safety or weather, decide in advance how every runner will be refunded. ## Common mistakes - **No cap per distance.** The trail, not demand, should set your numbers. - **Cut-offs and gear only on a web page.** Put them in the form so they are accepted before payment. - **Asking for medical details you will not use.** Collect less, and handle it with care. - **No plan for drop-outs.** Without a waitlist, free places are simply lost. ## Set it up on endurace.pro - Several distances per event, each with its own price, capacity and distance in km or miles. - Your own questions per distance: tick-boxes for cut-offs and gear, text for race history, and a time question for estimated finish. - A mobile registration form that collects date of birth, blood group and emergency contact, with waivers kept per registration. - A waitlist that is on by default, with a 24-hour hold on each offered place. - A tiered cancellation policy on the event page, and a one-step full refund for everyone if you cancel the event. - A searchable registration list with CSV export, including safety information, plus bib assignment and check-in per person. ![Summary graphic: seven things to settle before trail race entries open: capacity and permits, cut-offs and gear list, experience questions, emergency and medical info, waitlist for full races, weather and refunds, and check-in and bibs.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/42sizs9z/production/379d495d595800373c5fe27550a54455a151194b-2400x3138.png?w=1600) Ready to list your race? [See how endurace.pro works for organizers](https://staging.endurace.pro/for-organizers). Want to see how trail races look to athletes? [Browse trail races](https://staging.endurace.pro/events?discipline=trail). Going live is free. You pay only when you sell.