A native mobile event application powered by Map My Tracks, providing live participant tracking and real-time engagement for mass-participation challenges.
What we did
- Development of native iOS and Android event applications
- Integration with the Map My Tracks real-time tracking API
- Custom UI/UX design for charity event branding
- Implementation of live participant maps for spectators
- Creation of an automated event promotion and news feed
- Ongoing technical support and data synchronisation
About the project
Pilgrims Hospices is the largest hospice charity in east Kent, providing vital end-of-life care and support for thousands of people every year. To fund these essential services, the charity organises a wide range of mass-participation sports events, including the iconic Cycle Challenge and the Pilgrims Way Challenge. These events attract thousands of participants, from casual walkers to serious endurance cyclists, all dedicated to raising funds for a local cause.
Tinderhouse was commissioned to provide a digital solution that would elevate the event experience for both participants and their supporters. By leveraging our proprietary Map My Tracks technology, we built a dedicated event app that serves as a central hub for all Pilgrims Hospices challenges. This partnership allowed the charity to offer a professional-grade mobile tool usually reserved for major international marathons, providing a unique selling point for their fundraising efforts.
We used a strategic MVP approach to ensure the core tracking and event information features were delivered in time for the peak fundraising season. By focusing on a high-performance sports app development framework, we created a platform that not only promotes the events but also fosters a sense of community and safety. This minimum viable product strategy enabled Pilgrims Hospices to validate the demand for live tracking among their supporters, which has since become a cornerstone of their digital engagement strategy.
The Challenge
Organising large-scale charity sports events involves significant logistical hurdles, particularly regarding participant engagement and safety. Pilgrims Hospices faced several specific pain points:
- Spectator Disconnect: Friends and family often found it difficult to follow the progress of participants across long distances, leading to a lack of engagement on the day.
- Information Fragmentation: Critical event details like route maps, rest stops, and emergency numbers were often spread across paper guides and emails, making them hard to find during the event.
- Safety Concerns: Monitoring the location of hundreds of participants across the Kent countryside in real-time was a manual and challenging task for event marshals.
- Sponsorship Friction: Participants needed an easy way to share their progress with donors to boost sponsorship and awareness for the charity.
- Brand Consistency: The charity required a dedicated mobile presence that felt like their own, rather than a third-party listing, to maintain professional credibility.
- Mobile Accessibility: The solution needed to be reliable for users with varying levels of technical proficiency and across a wide range of smartphone devices.
Our Solution
High-Performance Native Mobile Apps
We developed native applications for both iOS and Android to ensure the highest level of stability and performance. By focusing on native app development standards, we were able to provide a smooth, responsive interface that works flawlessly in outdoor environments. The apps allow participants to see their routes and access important numbers instantly, while also providing a professional platform for the charity to push updates and promotional content.
Real-Time Live Tracking Integration
The core feature of the app is its live tracking capability, powered by the Map My Tracks API. Participants can choose to track their progress live, allowing friends and family to see their exact location on an interactive map. This "Spectator Mode" has transformed the event day experience, as supporters can now time their arrivals at cheer points or the finish line perfectly. This level of real-time synchronisation is a primary focus for our mobile app developers, ensuring low-latency data updates across diverse mobile networks
Centralised Event Hub and Resources
The app serves as a digital companion for the entire event lifecycle. From the moment a participant signs up, they have access to training resources, route previews, and rest stop locations. We integrated an automated news feed that pulls in content directly from the charity’s marketing channels, ensuring that everyone remains informed about fundraising milestones and event updates. This web development integration ensures that the app is a valuable resource long before the starter’s pistol fires.
Spectator Engagement and Social Sharing
To boost the fundraising impact, we built features that make it easy for participants to share their live tracking link via social media and messaging platforms. Spectators can follow multiple participants simultaneously, viewing their speed, distance covered, and estimated time of arrival. This visual representation of effort encourages donors to engage more deeply with the challenge, often leading to increased last-minute sponsorship.
The Results
The introduction of the Pilgrims Hospices event app has significantly modernised the charity's fundraising events, providing a world-class experience for their community.
Enhanced Spectator Involvement: Thousands of supporters now use the app on event days to follow their loved ones live, creating a vibrant atmosphere at finish lines.
Improved Participant Safety: Event organisers can monitor participant distribution across routes, allowing for more efficient resource allocation and faster response times.
Boosted Fundraising Visibility: The ease of sharing live tracking links has led to increased social media reach and awareness for the charity's mission.
Operational Efficiency: By centralising event information in the app, the charity has reduced the need for physical printing and manual info-desks.
Positive User Feedback: Participants have consistently praised the app's reliability and the professional feel it adds to the charity challenges.
Technical Highlights
Mobile Platforms: Native iOS (Swift) and Android (Kotlin) for optimal performance.
API Integration: Full synchronisation with the Map My Tracks real-time tracking engine.
Mapping: Interactive high-resolution map tiles with custom route overlays.
Data Handling: Efficient background location services to minimise battery drain during long events.
Content Management: Automated news and event data synchronisation with the charity's web platform.
Security: Secure account management and privacy controls for participant location data.
Ready to Elevate Your Mass Participation Event?
Whether you are a charity looking for a branded event tool or need an MVP development plan for a new sports concept, our Kent-based team has the expertise to help. We specialise in building high-performance mobile tools that connect and engage.