Which software should I use to run a speed climbing competition?
CompetHub is online software to organize the elimination phase of a speed climbing competition. It handles registrations by age and by gender, generates the pools and the head-to-head elimination bracket, advances the winner of each head-to-head automatically, keeps the ranking and the schedule by lane, then publishes it all on a branded public page. Timing and qualification on time stay kept by the timing system and the judges.
The speed climbing organizer's real problem
A speed climbing competition combines two clearly distinct phases. First a timed qualification phase: each climber makes two timed attempts on the standardized route, and the best time establishes a ranking. Then a head-to-head elimination phase: two climbers launch side by side on two identical parallel lanes, the fastest (or the one whose opponent falls or makes a false start) advancing through an elimination bracket, from the 1/8 all the way to the final.
The headache comes from the second phase. Once qualification is established, you have to draw the elimination bracket per category, carry over each head-to-head winner, recompose the matchups, all while juggling the availability of the wall's two lanes. Climbers are split by age (U15, U17, U19, Senior, Veteran) and by gender, and each category runs its own competition. Drawing these brackets by hand multiplies the mistakes and the dead time.
On top comes the tracking. You have to know who is climbing, on which lane and at what time, keep each pool's ranking up to date and inform a public that doesn't see the match sheets. A spreadsheet doesn't keep up with this pace. Dedicated software centralizes registrations, head-to-head brackets, results and schedule, and makes every line reliable.
Why not run the head-to-head phase in Excel?
Excel forces you to recopy each registration, to draw each bracket by hand and to carry over each winner from one head-to-head to the next. A single carry-over error throws off an entire bracket and the ranking. Dedicated software generates pools and brackets, advances the head-to-head winner automatically and publishes the schedule by lane, with no recopying.
How CompetHub runs a speed climbing competition
CompetHub ties each building block of the software to the reality of a speed climbing competition. It takes charge of the organization and the head-to-head phase; timing and qualification on time stay the responsibility of the timing system and the judges. Here's how.
Registrations by category and club lists
Each climber registers online in their category. The staff sees the list, filters by category and by status, searches by name, approves or rejects each request and checks in the present climbers (check-in) on event day. An automatic email goes out on registration, on approval and on rejection. You can also enter a club's list in bulk: climber records without an account, created in one go.
Categories by age and gender
You create your categories by combining age (U15, U17, U19, Senior, Veteran) and gender. The level field, free-form, lets you delimit the series or the open level. Climbing has been an Olympic sport since Paris 2024, and at Los Angeles 2028 speed will have its own medal. The climber chooses the category that concerns them at registration, and you keep control over approval. The national ranking, for its part, stays kept by the FFME.
Pools and head-to-head elimination brackets
Once the timed qualification is established, CompetHub generates the format suited to each category. The elimination phase is played in side-by-side head-to-heads in an elimination bracket (1/8, 1/4, semis, small final, final), sometimes preceded by a pool phase (round-robin) for small fields, where everyone meets. The winner of each head-to-head advances on its own. No more bracket redrawn by hand between two rounds.
Result entry and automatic advancement
On the wall, the head-to-head is played side by side on two identical parallel lanes, and electronic timing separates the climbers: sensor start pad, buzzer at the top, accuracy to the hundredth of a second. The fastest wins, except for a fall or false start that eliminates. In CompetHub, you record the winner of each head-to-head and a generic score or time (for example the recorded time, or simply the winner); the winner then advances on its own to the next round, or updates the pool ranking. An entry error stays correctable. You never carry over a result from one sheet to another again.
Pool ranking and schedule by lane
For categories played in a pool, CompetHub keeps the table of head-to-heads played, wins and losses, ranks on points and breaks ties on the difference. On the schedule side, you assign each head-to-head a lane (free-form label) and a time, and CompetHub displays the schedule and flags conflicts (same lane in the same slot). You orchestrate your two lanes without a side spreadsheet.
Public results page
You publish a public page in the competition's colors (logo, colors), with the overview, the participants, the brackets and the pool ranking. It updates automatically during the competition, without the spectator reloading the page, and stays accessible without an account. The list of entrants, the pool ranking and the schedule export to CSV for your archives.
How do I manage the head-to-head phase of a speed climbing competition with CompetHub?
Create your account, add the competition, create your categories by age and gender, then open registrations. Once the timed qualification is established by the timing system and the judges, generate the pools then the head-to-head elimination bracket, enter the winner and the result of each head-to-head (the winner advances on its own) and publish the results, ready to follow on the public page.
Which format to run for a speed climbing competition
A speed climbing competition combines a timed qualification phase (each climber makes two timed attempts on the standardized route, the best time establishes a ranking) then a head-to-head elimination phase (side-by-side matches in a bracket, from the 1/8 to the final). CompetHub takes charge of the head-to-head phase: it generates the pool, the elimination bracket (with an optional match for 3rd place) and the double elimination, and advances the winner automatically at each head-to-head entered. The placement of the seeds, according to the qualification ranking, falls to the organizer and the judges; CompetHub does not do automatic seeding from the ranking. Electronic timing and the computation of the qualification on time stay kept by the timing system and the judges.
Which format for a speed climbing competition?
The hybrid format pairs a timed qualification (two timed attempts on the standardized route, the best time ranks) then a side-by-side head-to-head elimination in a bracket, per category. CompetHub handles the head-to-head phase: it generates pools and brackets, advances the winner of each head-to-head on its own and keeps the ranking of each pool up to date.
Why CompetHub rather than Excel or a spreadsheet
| Step | Excel or paper | CompetHub |
|---|---|---|
| Registrations | Manual recopying, duplicates | Online form, approval, auto emails |
| Age and gender categories | Sorting by hand by age and series | Age / gender categories, guided registration |
| Pools and head-to-head brackets | Brackets drawn by hand | Pools and elimination generated in one click |
| Head-to-head results | Carry-over from one sheet to another | Winner and result entered, automatic advancement |
| Lane schedule | Separate grid, conflicts unseen | Lane and time per head-to-head, conflicts flagged |
| Informing the public | Paper display, quickly outdated | Brackets and ranking on a public page, no account |
Does CompetHub replace Excel for a speed climbing competition?
Yes, for the head-to-head phase and the organization. Where Excel imposes recopying and brackets drawn by hand, CompetHub generates pools and brackets, advances the head-to-head winner automatically, keeps the pool ranking and publishes the schedule by lane. You keep the history and export entrants, pool ranking and schedule to CSV. Timing and qualification on time stay kept by the timing system and the judges.
CompetHub versus other software
CompetHub aims for simplicity. You create a speed climbing competition in a few minutes, with no installation or heavy configuration. Where some platforms demand a long learning curve, CompetHub offers the essential building blocks directly: categories by age and gender, pools, head-to-head elimination brackets, result entry, pool ranking, schedule by lane and a public results page. It's a tool to get started fast and run the head-to-head phase, whether you're putting on a club competition, an exhibition or an open. Sanctioning, the federal system, timing and the official ranking stay handled by the FFME, the timing system and the judges.
What's the difference between CompetHub and other competition software?
CompetHub aims for simplicity: you run the head-to-head phase of a speed climbing competition in a few minutes, for free and with no credit card. Categories by age and gender, pools, elimination brackets, head-to-head result entry, pool ranking, schedule and a public page are included, with no complex configuration or installation.
Free to start
CompetHub is free to start, no credit card. You create your first speed climbing competition, open registrations, define your categories, generate pools and head-to-head brackets, enter the results and publish the ranking without paying anything. You test the full cycle, from registration to the final of the head-to-heads, before any commitment.
Is CompetHub free to organize a speed climbing competition?
Yes, CompetHub is free to start, no credit card. You manage registrations, categories, pools, head-to-head brackets, results and the ranking, and publish the public results page without paying. You test the full cycle before any commitment.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create the head-to-head phase of a speed climbing competition online?
Create a CompetHub account, add your competition, create your categories by age and gender, then open registrations. Once the timed qualification is established by the timing system and the judges, carry over the ranking and generate the head-to-head elimination bracket: you enter the winner and a score or a time of each head-to-head (the winner advances automatically) and publish the results on the public page.
Is the software free?
Yes, CompetHub is free to start, no credit card. You manage registrations, categories, pools, head-to-head brackets, results and the ranking, and publish the public results page for free, before deciding to go further.
How do you manage categories in speed climbing?
Speed climbing is classified by age (U15, U17, U19, Senior, Veteran) and by gender. You create your categories by combining these criteria. The level field, free-form, lets you specify the series or the open level. The official ranking stays kept by the FFME: CompetHub handles the organization and the head-to-heads, not the computation of the national ranking.
How do the brackets work in CompetHub?
After the timed qualification phase, the speed climbing competition is played in side-by-side head-to-heads in an elimination bracket (1/8, 1/4, semis, small final, final). CompetHub generates the pool (round-robin) and the elimination bracket, with an optional match for 3rd place. When a result is entered, the winner of the head-to-head advances on its own to the next round.
How do you enter the head-to-head results?
You record the winner of each head-to-head and a generic score or time (for example the recorded time, or simply the winner). The result stays correctable, and the winner advances automatically to the next round or updates the pool ranking. CompetHub does not time: electronic timing (sensor start pad, buzzer at the top, accuracy to the hundredth of a second) and the qualification ranking on time stay kept by the timing system and the judges.
Can the public follow the results?
Yes. CompetHub publishes a branded public page, accessible without an account, that presents the competition, the participants, the brackets and the pool ranking. It updates automatically during the competition, without the spectator reloading the page.
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