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Pacing and crew-logistics tools for ultra runners

Build a niche SaaS around trail/ultra race logistics: pacing plans, cutoff-margin tracking, crew coordination, and fueling schedules for endurance runners, sold as a premium layer (custom GPX imports, live crew tracking links, shareable crew instructions, printable pace bands) on top of a free core planner. Target ultra runners and their crews who currently juggle spreadsheets, notes apps and group texts.

via Reddit
Original post

What to build

A free web-based race-day planning tool for trail and ultra runners that generates pacing plans, cutoff-margin tracking, fueling schedules, and shareable crew instructions from a race's aid-station splits or GPX file.

Trail/ultra runners and their crews currently cobble race logistics together from spreadsheets, notes apps, and group texts; a purpose-built free planner with a paid layer for GPX imports, live crew tracking, and printable pace bands can turn that workflow into a niche SaaS.

Demand

Ultra runners planning multi-hour, aid-station-heavy races and the crews supporting them need a single source of truth for pacing, cutoffs, and fueling; the pain is acute right before big race weekends when spreadsheets and group texts break down under stress.

  • r/SideProject (Reddit)Launch

    Founder of TrailGoat posted a launch thread titled '[Launch] I built a free race planner for trail and ultra runners' asking for blunt feedback.

  • Signal metadataNews

    Target users are described as currently relying on spreadsheets, notes apps, and group texts for race logistics, indicating no dominant consolidated tool today.

Stack

  • Next.js
  • Supabase (auth + Postgres)
  • GPX parsing library (e.g. gpxpy or togeojson)
  • Mapbox or Leaflet for course/elevation visualization
  • Stripe for premium subscriptions
  • Twilio or WhatsApp Business API for crew SMS links

Solo + AI difficulty

The core planner (splits, pacing math, cutoff margins) is straightforward CRUD and arithmetic an AI pair-programmer can build in days; the harder parts are GPX/elevation parsing edge cases and building a live crew-tracking link that's reliable without heavy backend infra. Rough time-to-MVP for the free core: 1-2 weeks solo; premium features (live tracking, printable pace bands) add another 2-4 weeks.

Entry threshold
Buildable solo with AI in weeks: needs GPX parsing, elevation/grade-based pacing math, and a race-course database (this launch already shows 500+ courses is feasible for one person); no licenses or capital required, monetization via freemium/pro features.
Window
6-12 months

Where to find first users

  • r/trailrunning and r/Ultramarathon on Reddit
  • Ultra running Facebook groups and Discord communities (e.g. UltraSignup-adjacent groups)
  • r/SideProject for continued build-in-public feedback
  • Partnerships with small race directors to recommend the tool to entrants

Competitors

Counter-signals & risks

  • Trail/ultra running is a niche endurance sport with a relatively small addressable user base, which may cap SaaS revenue potential.

  • Existing platforms like Strava, TrainingPeaks, UltraSignup, and the COROS/Garmin ecosystems could add similar planning features, eroding differentiation.

  • Only one independent source and a modest validation score (0.58) suggest demand beyond the single launch post is not yet confirmed.

Original title: [Launch] I built a free race planner for trail and ultra runners. Launching it today, and I'd like blunt feedback

Pacing and crew-logistics tools for ultra runners — Nichr