When should I use physical trackers instead of the athlete app?

For most events, the free RunnerBeam athlete app is all you need - athletes track themselves on their own phones with nothing to hand out or collect.

Physical trackers shine where phones aren't practical: relay formats where a baton carries the tracker, bikes and support vehicles, races where athletes don't carry phones, or events that want a uniform, branded device on every participant.

Both run on the same platform, so you can mix them freely in a single event - phones for most of the field, physical trackers where the format demands it.