University of Florida employee creates app to help you find local races

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Looking for a race to join but don’t know where to find one? There’s an app for that.

Brian Hunt started racing back in 2005.

“I’m a runner and tri-athlete," Hunt said, “and I was frustrated trying to find race information on different websites ... there’s a lot of them out there. So, I thought, why isn’t there one place to consolidate all of this? Why isn’t there an app? So I thought this would be a good opportunity to make one.”

Hunt launched the Let’s Race app in 2019, less than a year after building the app himself.

“I taught myself IOS programming ... took some online classes, watched a lot of YouTube," he said.

Despite his new skill, all of this is just a passion project for the University of Florida employee. Hunt works at UF as an Insurance and Risk Coordinator.

“That’s what I handle on a daily basis. This is totally a hobby ... I put the kids to bed and stay up till midnight or one finding race information or working on programming," he said with a laugh.

His hobby has proven to be successful -- with the app gaining thousands of users and winning an award over the summer for Summer 2020 Best New Mobile App.

While his company is technology-based, he said starting his app here has been beneficial.

“Gainesville has an awesome running and triathlon community, with the Florida Track Club and G3 Tri Club nearby, so we are happy to be based here."

You can find live and virtual running, swimming, triathlon, and obstacle course races across the country. All you have to do is make an account and you can register for the races right on the app.

The app doesn’t just help you find races, it lets you share your racing experience with the community too. You can take pictures at the finish line, share your log times, and write reviews about the race.

“It definitely started as a calendar," Hunt said, "and the social aspect I wanted to bring in when I got better at programming. It’s not just about finding races ... it’s about that racing community.”

While the pandemic has brought changes to communities everywhere, Hunt hopes to keep the racing spirit alive in his.

“There’s just something about that start line," he said. “We miss that now with coronavirus ... but having those people, whether it’s hundreds or thousands of people, around you ... that community ... It’s been powerful for me and I want to create opportunities for other people to find that for themselves.”

Whether its a real finish line or a virtual one, Let’s Race gives you the chance to feel those special moments again. Find the next race near you with Let’s Race.

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