FAQs

Stuff coaches ask after practice

Grouped by whatever’s bugging you.

Try

Can it? Will it? Does it?

Does it write my training?: No. You bring the workouts. RBN works out every runner’s target splits, keeps their results, effort ratings and check-ins together, and flags check-in answers that keep lining up with slower or harder workouts. What to do about it is your call.
Can I use my own pace formulas?: You choose the training. The targets come from each runner’s working 1600m time and RBN’s built-in pace system. It isn’t a blank formula box. I’d rather tell you that now than say “fully customizable” and let you find out which half of that sentence I meant.
Is it for track too?: Distance track, yes. Right now it’s built for distance: 800m and up, in cross country and on the track. It isn’t built for sprints or field events yet.
Do I need a season of data before it’s useful?: No. The first useful thing is a practice: one workout, every runner’s targets, a sheet you can print. Patterns need several weeks of check-ins and workouts, because one practice can’t show you whether something repeats.
Does it pull from Garmin, Strava or other watches?: No. Results are entered by hand. Your watch still has its own job.
Can I bring in last year’s results?: You can type in past races and anchor times. There’s no import from spreadsheets or results sites.
Does it work on my phone?: Your athletes use the app on their phones. On your phone, you get your dashboard, your athletes, the pace sheet, and buttons to push workouts and ask for check-ins. Entering results, patterns, follow-ups, printing and planning are on the web.
Will it replace my calendar?: No. RBN has a calendar view, but it only shows your training. Bus times, school events and the appointment you’ll otherwise remember at a bad moment stay wherever they live now.

Athletes, parents and privacy

Who sees what my athletes report?: Your team’s head coach and assistant coaches can see athlete responses. Coach notes and follow-ups aren’t displayed in athlete accounts. See our Privacy Policy for how RBN handles information.
Can athletes see my notes and follow-ups?: No. Coach notes and follow-ups aren’t displayed in athlete accounts.
How old do athletes have to be?: 13 or older. Athletes ages 13 through 17 need a parent or guardian to approve before they use the app with your team.
Do you sell data or show ads?: No. We don’t sell personal information or use it for advertising, and there are no ads in the app.
Do athletes have to answer the check-ins?: They don’t have to. A missing answer stays blank. It doesn’t count as “fine” and it doesn’t count as anything else.
What about questions on soreness and illness?: They’re off unless you turn them on. If your school has rules about asking athletes for health information, start with those rules. RBN isn’t medical software and doesn’t give medical advice.
Is it available outside the US?: Not right now. Run By Numbers is offered in the United States only.

Switching from your spreadsheet

I already have a spreadsheet that works.: Good. If it already does your targets well, RBN doesn’t need to win on the arithmetic. The question is what happens after practice: whether the reps, the effort ratings and what the runner told you end up somewhere you’ll actually look again. Try it free with 7 athletes and 25 workouts, and see whether it earns a spot.
What do I need to get started?: Your athletes, a working 1600m time for each one, and a workout. That’s enough for one real practice with every runner’s targets.
How do my athletes get on the app?: You send each athlete an invitation from your roster. They open it on their phone and sign in with Google. Tell them to use their personal Gmail. The phone has several candidates for being them, and the school account is usually the wrong one.
My assistant isn’t a tech person.: They don’t need to be. Good at coaching and new to a screen are two different things, and nobody needs to grade them together.

Paying and cancelling

What’s free?: You can try it with 7 athletes and 25 workouts, no credit card. Every feature is in it, and so are your assistant coaches. When you’ve used your 25 workouts, you’ll need a paid plan to keep adding more.
What does “founding” mean?: Coaches who sign up for a yearly plan by January 31, 2027 pay $249 a year (under 50 athletes) or $349 a year (50 or more), and keep that price for as long as they stay subscribed. Their first year runs 15 months, and they also get the book, four founder-only Coaching Labs and the 90-day guarantee. The Founders Club
Can I pay monthly?: Yes: $29.95 a month under 50 athletes, $39.95 for 50 or more. Monthly doesn’t come with founding pricing or the founding extras.
Can my school or Booster Club pay for it?: Yes, with a school credit card. Checkout is by card only. There are no invoices or purchase orders. If it’s not in your budget, ask your Booster Club: they already pay for things the whole team uses. Write the letter in a minute
What happens when I cancel?: When your paid access ends, your team becomes read-only. Cancelling your subscription doesn’t itself delete your records.
Can I get a refund?: If founding yearly isn’t useful to you, email us within 90 days of your first workout for a full refund, and keep the book. Those 90 days start by January 31, 2027 at the latest. On monthly or regular yearly, email us within 30 days of your first payment for a full refund.
Can I delete everything?: Yes. The head coach can delete the team on the web. That’s permanent: athletes, results, check-ins, notes and invitations all go with it.