Skip to main content
A checkpoint is any point on the route worth naming — an aid station, the top of a climb, a landmark, a segment boundary. Checkpoints carry over into every plan built on the route, so anything you mark once is reusable.

​
Checkpoint types

Each checkpoint has a type that influences how it shows up on the map and in plans:
  • Aid station — full aid (water, food, restocking). Most common on races.
  • Water only — water available but no food.
  • Medical — medical staff on site.
  • Big aid station — the milestone aid stations where crews wait and gear swaps happen.
  • Segment boundary — divides the course into segments for pacing and fueling. Doesn’t have to coincide with an aid station.
  • Other — landmarks, photo spots, decision points.
The type affects the default marker style on the map. You can override it per checkpoint.

​
Add a checkpoint

1

Open the route in the editor

From the Routes page, click the route card.
2

Click on the map at the checkpoint location

A checkpoint dialog opens.
3

Name it and pick a type

Required: name and type. Optional: notes, cutoff time, drop bag flag, crew access flag, aid offerings (water, gels, food, etc.).
4

Save

The checkpoint snaps onto the route line and shows up in the route’s checkpoint list.

​
Aid-station details

For aid stations, you can record what’s actually available:
  • Water / Sports drink / Soda / Coffee
  • Gels / Bars / Real food / Salt tablets
  • Drop bag access — yes/no
  • Crew access — yes/no
These details show up in plan fueling and gear steps, so the planner can suggest what to carry between checkpoints based on what’s available at each one.
Only fill in what’s confirmed. An empty offering field is better than wrong — a runner planning around inaccurate info can blow up a race.

​
Cutoff times

Set the cutoff as the time of day you need to be through the checkpoint by. The planner uses cutoffs to flag pacing risks (e.g., “your target finish time is realistic but cutoff at km 80 is tight”). For multi-day races, use the absolute time including the day offset.

​
Segment boundaries

Mark a checkpoint as a segment boundary when it divides the course into pacing chunks. Common examples: aid stations, the top of major climbs, the end of a technical section. The planner asks for per-segment pace and fueling, so well-placed segment boundaries make planning easier. You can also create segment boundaries that aren’t at named checkpoints — e.g., halfway up a long climb — for finer pacing control.

​
Design overrides

Each checkpoint can override the default marker style:
  • Icon — letter, flag, circle, number, or emoji.
  • Color and size.
  • Custom letter / emoji for the marker.
Useful for race organizers building a branded version of the course map, or for runners marking critical checkpoints visually.

​
Next

Once checkpoints are set, share the route so other runners and your crew can see them, or build a plan that uses them. Marking checkpoints and setting aid-station details is covered in the Routes 101 walkthrough on YouTube.