Virtual Routes
Overview
Virtual routes are the backbone of every Racery event. A route maps real-world geography to participants' progress — as people log activities, their avatars advance along the route, unlocking milestones, stories, and 360° Street View imagery along the way.
Routes give your race a sense of shared journey. Whether your team is "touring" the Pacific Coast Highway, retracing the Iditarod, or visiting your company's office locations around the world, the route ties individual effort into a collective adventure.
How Routes Work
Each route is a series of waypoints plotted on a real map. As participants log activities, their accumulated miles move their avatar from one waypoint to the next. At each point along the route, participants can see:
- 360° Street View: An immersive view of the actual location
- Stories and photos: Curated content about the location — historical facts, cultural highlights, or fun trivia
- Milestone awards: Digital badges earned at specific distances
The activity feed shows each logged activity alongside a Street View image of the avatar's current virtual location, creating a tangible sense of progress.
Pre-Built Routes
Racery maintains a library of ready-made routes that you can use immediately. Popular options include:
- US Routes: Pacific Coast Highway, Route 66, Appalachian Trail
- International Tours: Summer tours of Italy, Ireland, France, Japan
- Heritage Routes: HBCU campus tours (Black History Month), cultural landmark tours
- Adventure Routes: Iditarod Trail, Camino de Santiago, Great Wall of China
- Local Routes: Shorter routes within a city or region for quick events
Pre-built routes come with stories, photos, and milestones already configured, so you can launch quickly.
Custom Routes
For a more tailored experience, work with the Racery team to design a route that matches your event's theme:
- Company-themed: Connect your office locations around the world, or trace the path of a product launch
- Charity-themed: Follow a route meaningful to your cause — a cancer walk route, a veterans' memorial tour
- Cultural: Trace a heritage route for a diversity and inclusion event
- Industry-specific: Nike salespeople used a route hitting various showrooms; accounting firms tour famous cities
Tip: Routes that resonate with your race's theme create stronger emotional connections. An accounting firm running a "Summer Tour of Italy" or a tech company "visiting" global offices both create a shared sense of purpose.
Route Features
Milestones
Milestones are special waypoints along the route where participants earn awards. They can be placed at classic distances (marathon, 100 miles) or at meaningful locations along the route.
Pin Drops & Postcards
Pin drops mark specific locations on the route with photos and stories. When a participant's avatar reaches a pin drop, they receive a virtual postcard — a visual souvenir from that location.
360° Street View
Every point along the route connects to Google Street View, letting participants explore the actual geography they are "traveling" through. This transforms abstract miles into a tangible virtual experience.
Avatars on the Map
Each participant's avatar moves along the route as they accumulate miles. Seeing other participants' avatars nearby creates a sense of shared progress and friendly competition.
Choosing the Right Route
Consider these factors when selecting a route:
| Factor | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Theme | Match the route to your event's purpose — a wellness challenge benefits from a scenic route; a heritage month event benefits from a culturally significant route |
| Distance | Match total distance to your race duration and audience size. A 4-week race with 50 participants might target 300-500 miles total per person |
| Audience | Choose geography that resonates with your participants — international teams enjoy global routes; local events benefit from regional routes |
| Content | Routes with rich stories and photos at each waypoint drive more engagement than bare routes |
Next Steps
Route Builder Basics
Learn how to build custom routes with the route builder tool.
Adding Milestones
Place milestones along your route to motivate participants.
Your First Race
End-to-end walkthrough of running a race.
Contact support if you have questions.