You've created your Steal Run account. Now what? This guide takes you from opening the app to your first check-in on race day, step by step. Ten minutes and you're operational.
Set up your club profile
The first time you sign in, you'll be asked to create your club profile. Fill in:
- Club name — what runners will see on event pages
- Handle — your unique identifier (e.g. stealrunnyc). Choose carefully: it can't be changed later
- City — where you usually run
- Founded year and homebase — the park, square, or regular meeting spot
- Bio and vibe — two lines about the club and what kind of running you do (recovery, tempo, trail, etc.)
You can also upload your club logo. Everything is editable later except the handle.
Create your first event
From the dashboard, hit + NEW. You'll find a form with everything you need:
- Title — e.g. "Sunday Long Run · Prospect Park"
- Date and time
- Location — search for the address using the built-in search bar
- Capacity — max runners you want to admit (optional)
- Visibility — public (anyone with the link) or private
- Run of show — add checkpoints one by one: name, location, notes (pace, water, meeting point)
When you save, Steal Run automatically generates a dedicated event page with a unique URL and a QR code ready to print or share digitally.
Share the link with your runners
This is where Steal Run makes the difference. Copy the event link and send it anywhere:
- In your club WhatsApp group
- On Instagram Stories
- In your Telegram channel
- Via email or newsletter
The runner taps the link, lands on the event page, hits "RSVP" and signs in with Google in one tap. No app to install, no password to remember, no form to fill in. Registration confirmed in seconds.
You get a notification every time someone RSVPs and can see the live participant list in real time from your dashboard.
Race day: check in your runners
You arrive at the meeting point, open Steal Run on your phone and go to the event page. You have two options:
- Manual check-in — scroll through the RSVP list and tap each runner as they arrive
- QR code — display the event QR code (or print it and stick it at the meeting point) and each runner scans it themselves
The distinction matters: Steal Run separates who signed up from who showed up. These are two separate data points, both visible in your stats. So you know not just how many people are in your club, but how many actually turn up week after week.
Read your stats and grow the club
After each event, your stats update automatically. From the dashboard you see:
- Total attendance and per-event breakdowns
- Active runners this month — who showed up at least once
- New runners — who was at their first run with you
- Growth over time — month-over-month trend
This data helps you understand the real health of your club: whether the community is growing, whether runners keep coming back, whether certain events work better than others. All things impossible to know from a group chat.
Practical tips for captains
- Create events at least 5-7 days ahead — runners need time to plan
- Use the run of show even for simple runs — just the meeting point and start time helps latecomers
- Share the link more than once — a reminder 24 hours before the event significantly boosts attendance
- Always do check-in — even when it feels like extra effort. That data builds your club's history over time
- Use capacity limits for events in restricted spaces — Steal Run automatically closes RSVPs when the limit is reached
How long does it take to get started?
From zero to first event published: about 10 minutes. Club setup (5 min) + event creation (3-4 min) + sharing the link (1 min). Your runners can RSVP the same day. No waiting, no approval needed.