Back My Run, a new race-day companion app designed to deliver recorded messages of encouragement at specified GPS milestones, has launched on the App Store and Google Play.
The app allows runners to create an event or personal route for distances ranging from a 5km run to an ultramarathon. Supporters can record voice notes using a web browser without needing to download an app, create an account, or pay. The supporter chooses the specific course distance where each message will play.
During a race, Back My Run plays the audio messages through the runner’s headphones as they reach designated distances. Audio files and course details are downloaded prior to the start of the event, allowing playback to function without a mobile connection in areas such as tunnels, remote trails, or crowded event areas. The audio also functions while a smartphone screen is locked.
Following an event, the audio notes remain available within the app. Users can also generate digital media including photograph, race metrics, and supporter lists, or a video option pairing a finish-line image with a voice message.
Back My Run Founder Daniel Moores said “During a 30-kilometre training run, I imagined how powerful it would be to hear the voice of someone I loved at that exact point. Every runner reaches a difficult kilometre. Back My Run makes sure they don’t have to face it alone.”
The concept was developed by Moores following his participation in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Marathon, where he ran in memory of his grandparents to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation and the Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.
Moores added “Behind every runner is a group of people who helped them reach the start line. We created Back My Run so those people can be present during the race, wherever in the world they happen to be.”
Based in Dubai, UAE, Back My Run offers the app as a free download, with a runner’s first 5km event available at no cost. Additional distance options and unlimited usage are accessed via in-app purchases, whilst supporters access the platform free of charge.
Key features of the platform include:
- Audio notes played automatically at selected GPS milestones
- Shareable link for supporters without app download requirements
- Offline playback functionality once downloaded before the event start
- Coverage for distances from 5km to ultramarathons on personal or organised routes
- Digital post-race summary assets and video options
