Pacers & crewers — frequently asked questions

Go to Me → Your roles and toggle on Pacer or Crewer (or both). You can hold multiple roles at once. Once a role is on, your profile becomes searchable by runners looking for support, and you can browse races to offer your services.

Runners searching for pacers or crewers browse profiles filtered by area, pace style, availability and other attributes you set. Make sure your profile is complete — a clear photo, your coverage areas, the types of terrain you are comfortable with, and whether you are open to expenses all help runners find and choose you.

Browse to the race page and tap Offer to pace or Offer to crew. Your offer appears on that race page and is visible to runners who have added the race. Runners can accept, decline or message you in response.

Yes. Runners can browse pacer and crewer profiles and send you a connection request directly. You will receive an in-app notification and can accept, decline or start a conversation.

From the Races browse screen, use Inside my zones to show races within your declared coverage areas. You can also filter by Pacers allowed or Crew allowed, date range and distance to find events that suit you. Save the filter set as a saved search to reuse it.

Pacers run alongside the athlete, joining at a designated checkpoint and running some or all of the remaining course with them. Crewers travel independently by vehicle, meeting the runner at crew-access checkpoints to hand over supplies, kit and moral support. Both roles have separate filters and profile attributes.

There is no hard limit set by Bield. However, your reputation depends on showing up for commitments — keep your calendar realistic. Runners will see your committed engagements when they view your profile, so overcommitting can put them off.

Bield allows you to hold both a Runner engagement and a Pacer engagement on the same race. In practice this would mean pacing someone else whilst also competing yourself — make sure the organiser's rules allow this before offering.

Your status on their engagement changes to Committed. You receive an in-app notification. A corresponding Pacing or Crewing engagement then appears in your own Me → My races list, giving you your own workspace for that race.

• Approached — interest expressed by either party; not yet committed.
• Willing — you've indicated you can do it; awaiting the runner's confirmation.
• Committed — both sides confirmed.
• Standby — reserve position; you have stepped back but not fully withdrawn.
• Declined — either party declined.
• Withdrawn — either party withdrew after committing.

Yes, once you are in Committed status. The runner's bib number is shared automatically with all committed crew and pacers on their engagement. It appears on your engagement view for that race.

If the runner has used the Bield pace calculator and generated a pace plan, the checkpoint ETAs from that plan are visible to their committed crew and pacers. This helps you know when to expect them at crew meet or pacer join points.

Yes. Crew access points are flagged on the race map and checkpoint list. On your crewing engagement for the race, the checkpoints where you are permitted to meet the runner are clearly marked. Only crew-flagged checkpoints allow crew access — you cannot set up at other checkpoints.

Yes. Drop-bag checkpoints are marked with a bag icon 🎒 in the checkpoint list on the race page. Your crewing engagement also highlights these so you know where the runner's bag will be waiting.

Yes — the same checkpoint facility information available to runners is visible to you on the race page. If the organiser has published a menu, you'll see item names and dietary flags (vegan, gluten-free, etc.) under each aid station. This helps you plan what additional supplies to bring for your runner.

If the runner or their team has enabled position sharing, a live blue dot shows their location on the race map. This is visible to committed crew and pacers. If the organiser has set up an external tracking system, there is also a link on the race page to their live tracker.

Only if the runner has consciously shared it with the race team via a share pack. You will not see it by default. If you need to know about allergies or medical conditions for safety reasons, ask the runner directly — they control whether to share this.

If you have an active pacing or crewing engagement for the race, organiser broadcast messages are delivered to you as in-app notifications. Enable Organiser announcements in Me → Notifications to make sure they come through.

Introduce yourself to the race director or marshal at your designated checkpoint. Some organisers have a formal marshal check-in — confirm with them in advance. On Bield, your committed engagement is your record of your role; show it on your phone if asked to confirm your status.

Only at checkpoints the organiser has designated as pacer join points. These are shown on the race page and your pacing engagement. Joining between checkpoints or at non-designated points may break the race rules — always check with the organiser if unsure.

Check the checkpoint facilities on the race page to understand what aid is already provided (water, food, first aid). Bring whatever the runner has asked for that is not already at the aid station — spare kit, specific food, poles, head torch, a change of shoes. Coordinate with the runner beforehand using the notes and messaging features on the engagement.

Adjust your position at the next crew access point accordingly. If you have checkpoint ETAs from the pace plan and the runner is running ahead or behind, use the gap to recalculate where to be. Some crew use the external tracker link or position sharing to monitor progress in real time. Communicate with the runner's other team members if there are multiple crew or pacers.

Update your status to Withdrawn on the engagement as soon as possible and notify the runner directly — do not leave them waiting without warning. If it is a late withdrawal close to race day, contact the runner by phone. Unexplained last-minute withdrawals damage your trust score and reputation on Bield.

This depends entirely on the organiser and the location — Bield does not manage parking. Check the race's own crew guide or briefing document, which the organiser should publish on their race website. Ask the organiser directly if it is not clear.

Yes. Completed pacing and crewing engagements are recorded on your Bield profile as part of your race history. This builds your profile over time and is visible to runners considering you for future races.

Runners can leave a reference or note on your profile after a completed engagement. These references contribute to your trust score and are visible to future runners browsing your profile.

Finisher certificates on Bield are for the race entrants — the runners who competed. Pacers and crewers do not receive finisher certificates via Bield. If the organiser separately offers a pacer acknowledgement (some do), that is outside of Bield.

The six-marshal milestone (which unlocks a period of Bield Premium) is specifically for marshal engagements. Pacing and crewing engagements are tracked separately and do not count towards that total. See the Marshals & volunteers guide for details.

Yes. Bield does not restrict this. Whether you charge, ask for expenses only, or volunteer is entirely your choice. Set your Open to expenses flag on your profile so runners know your general position, then agree the specifics directly with each runner.

Go to Me → Profile → Pacer settings (or Crewer settings) and toggle Open to expenses. This flag shows on your public profile and in search results so runners know you may require reimbursement. It is a signal only — the amount is always agreed separately.

This is a private matter between you and the runner — Bield has no role in enforcing payment agreements. You can leave a note or reference reflecting your experience. If you believe there has been misconduct, contact support@bield.run.

No. Bield does not provide insurance cover for pacers, crewers or any other participants. Check your own personal liability insurance and the race's own insurance position if you have concerns.

Runners filter by: coverage areas (the regions or events you cover), pace style (front / middle / back of the pack), terrain experience (trail, mountain, fell), night pacing, ITRA index, and notable races you have finished. A profile photo and a short bio also help. Keep your areas up to date — stale zones mean you miss relevant search results.

Runners filter crewers by: coverage areas, vehicle availability, seat count, and open to expenses. A brief bio describing your experience crewing ultras helps build trust. Being responsive to messages also matters — runners check response times.

The trust score (0–200) signals to runners that you are who you claim to be. It builds from: verified background checks (DBS, Disclosure Scotland, AccessNI), coaching or mountain-leader qualifications, first-aid certificates, references from past race contacts, and Strava-verified race completions. Go to Me → Trust score to see what you have verified and what is outstanding.

Upload a photo of your DBS (or equivalent) certificate from Me → Trust score → Background check. A Bield moderator reviews it and marks it as verified. The certificate image is not stored after verification — only the verified flag is retained.

Yes. Go to Me → Your roles and enable as many roles as apply to you. Each active role gives you access to its own set of features, engagements and search filters.

Go to Me → Notifications and toggle individual categories. Relevant categories for pacers and crewers include connection requests, offer responses, organiser announcements, and engagement status changes.

Go to Me → Privacy & data. Export my data delivers a JSON of everything Bield holds on you. Delete account begins a 30-day grace period — cancel by emailing privacy@bield.run within that window.

Core pacer and crewer features — creating a profile, offering on races, connecting with runners and managing commitments — are available on the free tier. Bield Premium may unlock additional visibility or search-ranking features. Check Me → Billing for the current tier breakdown.