Clubs on Bield
Clubs get the same event management toolset as race organisers — routes, checkpoints, volunteers, results, certificates. The difference is community: clubs have a member list, a public page discoverable on the Clubs map, and the regular-run scheduler.
Clubs are self-managed. Bield does not take membership fees or gate access — membership decisions and any dues are the club's own arrangements.
Creating a club
- Go to Clubs → New club You need a Bield account. No separate organiser-level vetting is required to create a club — unlike race organiser access, clubs are self-serve.
- Fill in the club basics Club name, location, description, public page banner and profile image. These appear on your public club page and the Clubs map search.
- Set up your public page From Dashboard → Public presence (clubs see “Your page”), you can edit your intro, set photos, configure your page appearance, and — when you're running events — set up your certificate design.
Regular runs
Regular runs let you schedule a recurring activity that appears as a series on your dashboard — not one-off events.
Schedule types
| Schedule | What it generates | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Club runs — one occurrence per week | Thursday night club run |
| Fortnightly | Club runs — every two weeks | Biweekly long run |
| Monthly | Club runs — same day each month | First-Saturday social run |
| Annual | Races — one per year, using the race wizard | Annual club championship race |
All occurrences of a series collapse into a single series card on your dashboard — you manage the series, not individual occurrences.
How runners RSVP to regular runs
- Just this one — RSVPs the runner for one occurrence of the series.
- Every week — a standing RSVP that automatically adds the runner to all future occurrences. No need to RSVP individually each week.
Members and join requests
- Club members appear in Dashboard → People → Members.
- Runners can find your club on the Clubs map and send a join request. You see these in People → Join requests and can approve or decline each one, with an optional “add as club member” when approving.
- You can also invite members directly by Bield handle or email.
- Members can be assigned positions (e.g. committee member, first aider, run leader).
Route library
The route library is a club-scoped pool of reusable routes, separate from members' personal route collections.
- Upload a GPX or draw a route in the editor
- Name and tag routes for easy reuse
- Attach a saved route to any regular run or event in one click
- Club routes are accessible to all club administrators, not just the person who uploaded them
Your club’s public home page
Every club gets a public home page on Bield from day one — no setup required beyond creating the club. It’s live at app.bield.run/club/your-slug and appears on the Clubs map search, giving you an immediate landing page you can share with members and on social media.
What you can customise
| Element | What it controls | Where to edit |
|---|---|---|
| Banner image | The full-width hero photo at the top of your page | Dashboard → Public presence |
| Logo / profile image | Club badge overlapping the banner | Dashboard → Public presence |
| Club name & bio | Your club name and the description text below the hero | Dashboard → Public presence |
| Hero layout | Banner (full-width image) / Split (image beside text) / Minimal (text-only) | Dashboard → Public presence → Appearance |
| Accent / theme colour | Button highlights and badge colours on your page | Dashboard → Public presence → Appearance |
| Upcoming events | Published races and regular runs appear automatically once published | Automatic (from your event list) |
| Route library | Your saved club routes shown on the page | Route library tab |
| Certificate design | Your finisher certificate template (used for any race you run) | Dashboard → Public presence → Certificate |
Shareable link. Your club page URL is app.bield.run/club/your-slug. Post it in your club social media, newsletter, or WhatsApp group. Anyone who visits it — even without a Bield account — can see your upcoming events and bio. Only logged-in users can join or send a membership request.
Running events as a club
Clubs use the same event tools as race organisers. The wizard and management tabs are identical. See Race organisers for the full workflow: creating a race, managing checkpoints and marshal posts, uploading results, and sending finisher certificates.
Annual schedule entries in the regular-runs scheduler use the full race wizard, meaning they get checkpoints, marshal posts, results and certificates just like standalone races.
Document store
[Premium] — Required for the document store. Visible only to club administrators.
The document store is a private admin-only area for keeping operational club documents in one place. Store insurance certificates, race permits, briefing notes, committee minutes, and anything else the club needs.
Access: club admin → Documents section
- Not visible to club members or the public — admin-only.
- All club administrators can view and upload documents.
Club & org directory
Your club is listed automatically in the searchable public directory at /clubs once your club is published. You don't need to opt in separately.
- The listing includes structured data (JSON-LD) so your club can appear in search engine results for runners looking for clubs in your area.
- Runners and organisers searching for clubs nearby will find you through the directory and the Clubs map.
- To remove or suspend your listing, unpublish your club from the club settings.
Club reports & analytics
The club reports section gives administrators an aggregate view of the club's activity on Bield.
Access: /club/[slug]/reports (admin-gated)
What's covered
- Total spend — aggregate race entry spend across your member base (where members have linked spend data)
- Race participation rates — how many members are actively entering races on Bield over time
- Distance mix — the spread of race distances your members are competing in
Club run scoring
When your club races have split timing enabled, results from those races feed automatically into club scoring. League tables are then visible on the club admin dashboard.
- Scoring applies to club-organised events where members compete.
- Split timing must be enabled for the race — see Race organisers for how to set that up.
- League tables update as results are published.
Partner API
[Add-on] — Admin-vetted. Not self-serve. Contact support@bield.run to apply.
Bield can act as an OAuth2 provider for third-party integrations — useful for clubs that use external club management systems, timing platforms, or custom tooling.
- PKCE + OAuth2 compliant.
- Requires admin vetting and a signed Data Processing Agreement before credentials are issued.
- This is not a self-serve feature — email support@bield.run to start the process.
Common questions
Do I need race organiser access to create a club?
No — club creation is self-serve. Race Organiser access (separately vetted) is needed if you want to publish publicly listed races. Annual schedule runs from the regular-run scheduler use the race wizard but may also need organiser access depending on the race type — contact support@bield.run if you're unsure.
Can a runner join multiple clubs?
Yes. There's no limit on club memberships from the runner's side. Each club manages its own member list independently.
How do club members find our runs on the Bield race search?
Published club runs appear in the race search alongside events from race organisers. Club members can also go directly to your club page (discoverable on the Clubs map) and see all your scheduled runs.
What's the difference between a Club and an Organiser?
A club has a member list, regular-run scheduler, and a community-facing public page. An organiser is vetted specifically to create publicly listed races. Many clubs also need organiser access for their annual events — you can hold both roles. Contact support@bield.run if you need organiser access.
Can I manage multiple clubs from one account?
Yes — you can administer multiple clubs from the same Bield account. Each club has its own dashboard. Your account shows a switcher when you have more than one club.
Is the Document Store visible to members?
No — the Document Store is admin-only and not visible to club members or the public. Use it for internal operational documents like insurance certificates and permit applications.