The hard part of a 5K isn't selling out the registration page — it's the silent gap between signup and race morning. Most entrants pay early, plan to train, and then let a busy month erode their fitness until the alarm on race day feels optional. Empty corrals, DNS bibs, and one-and-done runners are all symptoms of the same problem: nothing holds people accountable between the day they register and the day they line up.
- Entrants register weeks out, then never build a real training habit before race day.
- No-shows leave paid bibs unclaimed and start-line corrals thinner than your headcount.
- Under-trained runners have a rough first 5K and never come back for the next one.
- You have no way to keep runners engaged with your event between signup and the gun.
How Cadoo solves it
Real money on the line turns intentions into training runs
Runners bet their own money on hitting training goals — a weekly step target, a set of strength sessions, a consistency streak leading into your event. When there's cash at stake, the training plan stops being a nice idea and becomes something they actually do before your start line.
Cadoo-verified goals mean the training is real, not self-reported
Every rep is counted and form-scored by AI through the phone camera — pushups, squats, situps, pullups, dips, and plank holds — while daily steps are read straight from Apple Health or Google Health Connect. Nobody games their way to a payout, so the fitness runners build in your program is the fitness they bring to race day.
Leagues, leaderboards, and shareable wins keep your event top of mind
Entrants bet with friends, climb leagues, and chase leaderboard spots in the run-up to your race, then post skinned highlight clips of their milestones. Every shared win puts your 5K in front of their friends — turning your training window into free momentum and a bigger field next year.
Frequently asked questions
How does Cadoo help 5K Races?
Cadoo gives your entrants a reason to train in the weeks before race day. They join verified, money-staked fitness games tied to running-adjacent goals — step targets and strength work — so instead of registering and disappearing, they build real fitness, stay connected to your event, and arrive at the start line ready to run. That means fewer no-shows, better first-race experiences, and more runners who come back.
How do you make sure runners can't fake their training?
Verification is built into every goal. Reps like pushups, squats, situps, pullups, dips, and plank holds are counted and form-scored by AI from the phone camera, and daily steps come directly from Apple Health or Google Health Connect. The camera handles reps only; steps always come from the health app — so the money is staked on training that genuinely happened.
How do we set this up for our race?
You can launch a training game for your entrants through the Cadoo Upside Hub, or email Tim@cadoo.io and we'll help you tailor it to your 5K's timeline and goals.
Ready to launch a game for 5K race organizers?
Set up a branded, camera-verified fitness game through the Cadoo Upside Hub, or talk to us and we’ll build it with you.