Strava Beacon alternative for race day

Strava Beacon is a sensible safety tool: on a ride or run, a few people at home can see where you are. On race day you may want more than that: the course, your finish time, a way for anyone to find you, and a way for them to cheer. This page sets out what Beacon does, from Strava's own help, and where livedot fits instead, or alongside.

What does Strava Beacon do?

Beacon shares your live location with up to three safety contacts while you record in the Strava app. Strava's help, checked in October 2026, describes it like this:

• Where it works: "when recording with the Strava mobile app". From a watch or a Garmin, it's a subscriber feature, and Beacon for Garmin still needs your phone to send your location.
• How you start it: record, slide up the menu, choose Share Live Location, add up to three safety contacts, and send the Beacon text.
• What contacts get: a text with a unique link. They don't need the Strava app or a Strava account. Anyone with the link can see it.
• What they see: your current location, your past location and where you started, whether you're recording and when it last updated, and in the expanded view your start time, time active and battery.
• How often: about every 15 seconds, depending on your mobile signal. It needs signal, and doesn't work in airplane mode.
• When it ends: once you finish recording, contacts can no longer see your current location. After the upload, they see your finished activity.

Is Strava Beacon free?

On your phone, yes. Strava's team wrote in 2023 that Beacon is available to all when you share from the Strava app on your phone, and Strava's plans page lists safety features under both free and subscription. From a compatible watch or a Garmin, Strava lists Beacon as a feature for subscribers.

Can you live track someone on Strava?

Only if they send you a Beacon link. Following someone on Strava doesn't show them live: Beacon is a link sent by text to the contacts they choose. If someone hasn't sent you one, ask them for it, or, if they're racing on Windline or RunFast, ask for their follow link or search their name on livedot.me.

When is Beacon the right tool?

For training days and solo outings, when what matters is that someone knows where you are. It's in an app you may already use, it's quick to start, and your contacts need nothing to open the link. If you ride or run alone, Beacon on a Tuesday evening makes sense. It also suits a day when you'd rather not have a link going round at all: three named contacts, and nobody else unless one of them forwards it.

Where does it fall short on race day?

On the things a race adds. By Strava's own description, Beacon shows where you are, where you've been and where you started. It doesn't mention:

• the race course, your distance to go or the next place on the course;
• a finish time that updates as you go, or a goal to measure against;
• the weather where you are, or on the road ahead;
• finding you by name, or a map of the whole field or your club;
• a way for followers to cheer you on.

It's also built for a small circle: up to three safety contacts by text. For a race with a family group, a club and friends of friends watching, you want one link anyone can open.

How does livedot compare?

livedot is for races. You go live from Windline (cycling) or RunFast (running) on your phone, and anyone with your link watches in any browser.

The wider comparison, with Garmin LiveTrack, Find My and Google Maps, is in live tracking for races compared.

How do I use livedot for my race instead?

Add the race in the app for your sport, turn on live tracking and send your link.

1. Get the app: Windline for Android for a cycling race, or RunFast for Android for a running race. Sign in with a free account.
2. Add the race, and turn on live tracking: Windline switches it on for a new race; RunFast leaves it off until you do.
3. Choose who sees you, and switch on Findable by anyone only if you want people to find you by name.
4. Send your link or your share picture. See how to get friends and family following you.
5. On race day, tap Start live tracking and put the phone away.

The whole setup is in how to share your live location in a race.

What happens when I lose signal?

Both need mobile signal to send. Strava says Beacon's updates depend on your mobile service and that it doesn't work in airplane mode. On livedot, the app keeps every position while there's no signal and sends them all when it's back, so the line on the map fills in; meanwhile followers see "No signal" and when you were last seen.

Does it work for cycling and running?

Beacon works with whatever you record in Strava. livedot covers cycling races through Windline and running races through RunFast, with each sport's own numbers: speed and the wind for riders, pace and the heat for runners. Followers can follow both from one place, on livedot.me.

Can I keep Beacon for safety too?

Yes. You can keep a safety contact on Beacon and give everyone else your livedot link. Both run on your phone, so start with a full battery and carry a power bank on a long race. Tell your followers which link is which.

What if someone wants to find me without a link?

With Beacon, they can't. With livedot, they can search your name on livedot.me if you switched on Findable by anyone for the race. See how to find someone in a race by name.

Sources

From Strava's own help, checked in October 2026: Strava Beacon, Beacon compatible devices, Beacon for Garmin, and Strava's guide to Beacon (Community Hub, 11 May 2023). Strava changes its features from time to time, so check its pages for the latest.