Skip to Content
Menu

Volunteer documentation

On station in under 10 minutes

You are manning a checkpoint. ChronoKey gives you an ultra-simple mobile interface: a numeric keypad to record a bib, name search, automatic offline mode if the network drops. All from your phone, nothing to install.

9 Articles
~12 min Reading time
Mobile No installation

Before the race · 2 min

Activate my access key

The organizer has sent you an access key — either by email with a direct link, or as a QR code to scan. This key gives you access to the timing interface and remains valid throughout the event (typically until midnight on race day).

ChronoKey

Volunteer access

Enter your key or scan the QR code

Enter manually Scan QR 1

Your access key

260eaf8b-f289-40df… 2
  1. Two modes: manual entry or QR

    The "Enter manually" tab accepts the key received by email. The "Scan QR" tab opens your phone's camera — useful when the organizer displays the QR on site.

  2. Paste or type your access key

    The key looks like 260eaf8b-f289-40df-a4e9-c95e0fb434d0. Copy it from your email to avoid typing errors.

  3. Confirm to access the interface

    You arrive on the checkpoint selection page (next item). Your session remains active as long as you do not log out — closing the tab does not log you out.

If the organizer has locked your key to a specific checkpoint, you will arrive directly on the check-in interface. Otherwise, you choose the post to hold at the next step.

Before the race · 1 min

Select my post

If your key is not locked to a single checkpoint, the app presents the list of checkpoints open for volunteer check-in. Choose the one where you are physically located. This selection is not binding: you can change it later from the menu.

Select your checkpoint

CP3 — Maintenon

68 km · 2 races

1
CP5 — La Loupe

142 km · 1 race

Finish

200 km · BRM 200

  1. The list shows open checkpoints

    A checkpoint only appears if the race containing it is locked or started. Those from draft races are hidden.

  2. Tap your station

    The check-in interface opens. The checkpoint name is displayed prominently at the top of the screen — no possible confusion.

During the race · 2 min

Record a bib with the numeric keypad

The Numeric Keypad mode is designed for speed: 3 digits, press Validate, the runner is recorded. This is the default mode, ideal for high-traffic checkpoints.

Trail des Crêtes 2026 Online

CP3 — Maintenon

1
NUMPAD LIST SEARCH

Bib number

019
2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 C 0 ⌫
  1. Check the checkpoint displayed at the top

    The checkpoint name and connection status are always displayed at the top of the screen. Green dot = online; orange = offline mode active.

  2. Type the 3 bib digits

    The central display shows the number in large format. The C key clears everything, ⌫ deletes the last digit.

  3. Press VALIDATE PASSAGE

    The gold button is very visible. A vibration and a green message confirm it has been recorded. The keypad resets for the next runner.

No need to enter leading zeros: 19, 019 and 0019 all find the right runner if their bib is 0019.

During the race · 1 min

Search by name instead of bib

When a runner arrives without their bib visible (hidden by a jacket, torn, forgotten), switch to the List search tab. Type the first letters of the surname or first name — the list filters in real time. Also ideal for checking whether an expected runner has already passed.

CP3 — Maintenon

NUMPAD LIST SEARCH
lema | 1
0019

LEMAIRE Karine

BRM 200 · W · Cyclo Club

0083

LEMAÎTRE Paul

BRM 300 · M · Audax Club

2
  1. Type the first letters

    The filter works on last name, first name, and bib simultaneously. 3–4 characters are enough to narrow the list.

  2. Tap the correct runner

    The app asks for confirmation (runner profile view), then records the check-in. The bib number, race and club help verify it's the right runner.

During the race · 2 min

Record in offline mode

At isolated checkpoints (mountain trail, rural BRM), network coverage is not guaranteed. Good news: ChronoKey keeps working without a connection. Check-ins are stored locally on your phone and synchronized automatically as soon as a connection returns, with no action required on your part.

Offline mode — 4 check-ins pending 4 1
Trail des Crêtes 2026 Offline

CP5 — La Loupe

Last check-in

0142 · ROUSSEL JL

⏳ Queued — will be sent on reconnection

  1. The app detects network loss

    An orange banner appears automatically with the badge "X check-ins pending". You continue recording check-ins normally, as if online.

  2. Check-ins are queued locally

    Stored in your phone's local memory. They survive a restart and closing the tab.

  3. Automatic synchronization when the network is restored

    As soon as the phone regains a connection (4G/Wi-Fi), check-ins are sent automatically in batches, with no risk of duplicates.

Offline capacity: several hours of check-ins work without issue. The organizer can verify that your check-ins are syncing properly from their console.

Do not close the page while check-ins are in the queue. If you really need to leave, wait until you have a connection and the orange badge disappears.

During the race · 1 min

Correct or cancel a check-in

A typo (wrong bib) is easily corrected. A 10-minute window after the check-in allows you to cancel it directly from your interface. Beyond that, contact the organizer — they can correct it with no time limit from their console.

The Cancel last check-in button appears right after each validation. It disappears after 10 minutes. When used, the check-in is marked as cancelled in the runner's history (no hard deletion).

If you spot a mistake later (for example "I recorded bib 042 instead of 240"), contact the organizer with: your name, the bib recorded by mistake, the correct bib, and the approximate time. The correction is quick from their console.

During the race · 1 min

Mark a runner as DNF

A runner arrives at your checkpoint and says they are dropping out? You can mark them as DNF (in cycling, for Did Not Finish) from your interface, without going through a regular check-in. This immediately notifies the organizer and releases volunteers at subsequent checkpoints from waiting for them.

From the List search tab, select the runner. The opened record offers two actions: Record passage (normal check-in) or Mark DNF. Confirming DNF requires a second validation to prevent accidental actions.

Only mark DNF after talking to the runner. An incorrect DNF requires organizer intervention to reinstate the runner in the race.

During the race · 2 min

Understanding GPS zone modes

The GPS zone modes concern the GPS self check-in by participants (not volunteer check-in, which is never blocked by location). But as a volunteer, it’s useful to understand what runners see on their phone at your checkpoint.

"Warning" mode (default)

If a runner attempts to self check-in outside the checkpoint zone (e.g. they scan at the bottom of a hill while the checkpoint is at the top), a warning appears on their phone. They can still confirm — their check-in will be marked as suspect in the history for review.

"Strict" mode

Unconditional refusal. The runner must be physically within the defined zone (typically a radius of 50 to 200 m) for their check-in to be accepted. No way around it.

As a volunteer, you always check in without GPS constraints. Your role is precisely to compensate for any failures in participant self check-in.

End of shift · 1 min

Close my station at the end

When the last runner has passed (or the organizer closes the checkpoint), one last step: verify that all your check-ins have been uploaded, then sign out properly.

  1. Make sure no check-in is pending

    The orange badge "X check-ins pending" must be absent. If it is still there, wait a few minutes for the synchronisation to complete.

  2. Notify the organizer of the closure

    As per your instructions: a call, an SMS to the race control, or a message on the volunteer WhatsApp group. The organizer can then close the checkpoint from their console.

  3. Log out

    Top-right menu → Log out. Your access key remains valid until the end of the event; you can log back in if needed (e.g., for a late runner).

Thank you for your time! Without you, there’s no event. A word from the ChronoKey organizers: the quality of timing largely depends on the rigor of volunteers at intermediate checkpoints.