Getting started · Athletes & registration
Get athletes into your competition
There are two ways to populate your field: import a list you already have, or let athletes register online through your public hub. Either way, you'll check them in on the day before scoring starts. This page covers all three.
Before you load athletes
Categories must exist first. Every athlete is assigned to a category, so the import will fail on any athlete whose category name does not match one you've created. If you haven't done that step yet, jump back to Create a competition.
Important
Option A — Import an athlete list
The fastest path when you already have a spreadsheet or federation list of entrants.
- 1Open the import page for the discipline you are setting up.
- 2Paste or upload your athlete list. Most organisers start from a spreadsheet and export a CSV; the columns below are what GripRank needs to recognise each row.
- 3Preview the rows before committing. Check every row for: the right bib number, the athlete's full name (no blank names, no doubled-up entries), the team (if you use teams), and — most importantly — the correct category.
- 4Fix duplicates, missing names, missing bibs, and wrong categories in the preview, not after committing. The preview is the cheap place to clean data; the imported competition is the expensive one.
- 5Commit the import, then spot-check a couple of categories to confirm the counts match what you expected.
Columns that matter
- Bib — unique per athlete. Doubles cause confusing judge entries.
- Name — first and last name. Avoid blank cells; judges cannot score an unnamed athlete.
- Team — optional, used for team scoring.
- Category — must match a category you created. Misspellings here are the #1 import failure.
After the import
Option B — Online registration
Let athletes sign themselves up before the event through your public hub. Best when you don't have a pre-existing entrant list, or when athletes expect to register themselves.
- 1Open your hub's admin area and go to the Registration tab.
- 2Configure registration: open or close it, set the categories athletes can choose from, decide whether payment is required (Stripe checkout is supported), and choose when registration closes.
- 3Publish the hub so the public register page is reachable. Athletes go to the hub URL (e.g. griprank.com/c/your-event) and follow the Register link.
- 4Review incoming registrations in the same Registration tab. Confirmed registrations appear in your athlete list automatically and are available in the startlist builder.
What athletes see
What you see
Note
Check-in on the day
Confirming who actually showed up, before the first scores are entered. This happens at the door under time pressure, so make it boring and reliable.
- 1Open the admin check-in page for your hub. Use a tablet or laptop at the entrance so volunteers can work through the queue quickly.
- 2Search for the athlete by name or bib, mark them as checked in, and (if you use them) give them their bib or wristband.
- 3Athletes can also self check-in from their phone by scanning the QR code on your hub — useful for low-staff setups or warm-up areas.
- 4Watch the no-shows list as the round approaches. If you have time, send a quick reminder to anyone who is registered but not yet checked in.
Tip
Startlists
The athlete list becomes a startlist once you decide who runs when, and (for speed) who is in which lane. Once a startlist is right, judges can score and spectators can follow along.
- 1Open the startlist page for the discipline you are running.
- 2Review the ordering — by category, then by bib or seeding. Confirm any heats or groups (boulder details, speed lanes A/B) are set the way you want.
- 3Publish the startlist when you are happy with it. The public hub will show it as soon as the hub is published.
- 4Check the startlist on a phone before sharing it publicly. Most athletes will see it on their phone, not a laptop.
Note
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Tip