Privacy Policy – Running.Life

Last updated: 2025-11-27

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and protect your personal data when you visit and use:

(collectively: “the Website”, “we”, “us”, “our”).

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or about our processing of personal data, please contact us at the contact details provided on our Website.

1. Data Controller

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the data controller is the person or entity that operates Running.Life (“we”, “us”).

You can contact us regarding privacy matters via [insert email address] or via the contact options listed on our Website.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

2.1 Data you provide to us directly

  • Account and profile information (if/when user accounts are available): Name, email address, password (hashed), preferences, saved events or favourites.
  • Contact information and communication: When you contact us (e.g. via contact form or email), we process the information you provide, such as name, email address and the content of your message.
  • Newsletter / marketing subscriptions (if applicable): Email address and any preferences you set.

2.2 Data collected automatically

When you visit our Website, certain data is collected automatically by our servers and by cookies and similar technologies, including:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • Internet Service Provider (ISP)
  • Date and time of access
  • Referring and exit pages
  • Pages visited and actions taken on the Website
  • Approximate location (city/region) derived from your IP address

Under EU law, IP addresses and IP-based geolocation can be considered personal data.

2.3 Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

  • Remember your preferences
  • Improve the performance and security of the Website
  • Measure usage and performance
  • Serve and manage advertisements

Some cookies are set by us (first-party cookies) and some by third parties (e.g. advertising partners such as Google). You can manage your cookie and consent choices via our consent management platform (“consent widget”) on the Website and via your browser settings. For more details, please see our cookie information where available.

3. IP-Based Geolocation and “Nearest City” Feature

To help you find running events near you, we use your IP address to estimate your approximate location (city/region). This allows us to:

  • Display your nearest city in the interface
  • Show running events and races that are geographically close to you

We use an IP geolocation service provided by MaxMind, Inc. or a similar provider. Depending on our integration, your IP address may be:

  • Queried against a local geolocation database that we host, or
  • Sent to MaxMind’s API to obtain an approximate city/region result.

We do not use precise GPS location through your device for this feature. The location is an estimate based on IP and is typically limited to city/region level.

You can always choose to:

  • Ignore the suggested nearest city
  • Change the city manually (where the interface allows this)
  • Use the Website without relying on local suggestions

4. Purposes and Legal Bases for Processing

We only process your personal data where we have a valid legal basis under the GDPR. Depending on the context, we rely on the following legal bases:

4.1 Providing and operating the Website

  • To display the Website and its content
  • To enable basic functionality (navigation, loading pages, saving preferences)
  • To provide user accounts and related features (if available)

Legal basis:

  • Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR), where we provide you with an account or specific services at your request;
  • Our legitimate interest in operating and maintaining an online service for runners and visitors (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

4.2 Showing local events and nearest city

  • To estimate your city/region from your IP address
  • To show your nearest city and running events near you

Legal basis:

  • Our legitimate interest in providing a more relevant and user-friendly service by displaying local content (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

You have the right to object to this processing at any time (see section 9). If you object, we will no longer use your IP address for geolocation-based local suggestions.

4.3 Analytics and statistics

  • To understand how the Website is used
  • To improve performance, layout and content
  • To analyse overall trends (e.g. number of visitors, popular pages)

Legal basis:

  • Our legitimate interests in analysing and improving our services (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR), and/or
  • Your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR) where required by law and captured via our consent widget.

4.4 Advertising and monetisation

We display advertising on the Website, for example via Google and other advertising partners.

  • To serve and measure advertisements
  • To personalise ads where you have given consent
  • To comply with advertising and consent requirements

Legal basis:

  • Your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR), as collected via our consent widget;
  • Our legitimate interest in financing and supporting the Website through advertising, where permitted (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

You can manage your advertising/tracking preferences at any time through the consent widget.

4.5 Security, fraud prevention and legal compliance

  • To protect the security and integrity of our systems
  • To detect and prevent abuse, fraud or attacks
  • To comply with legal obligations (e.g. record-keeping, responding to lawful requests)

Legal basis:

  • Our legitimate interest in securing our Website and services (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR);
  • Compliance with legal obligations (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR).

5. Log Files

Like many websites, we use log files. The information collected by log files includes IP addresses, browser type, ISP, date and time stamp, referring/exit pages and possibly the number of clicks.

We use this information to:

  • Analyse trends and administer the Website
  • Improve performance and diagnose technical issues
  • Enhance security and detect misuse

Because IP addresses and related data may be considered personal data under EU law, we treat this information in accordance with the GDPR.

6. Recipients and Third-Party Services

We may share personal data with the following categories of recipients, only where necessary and subject to appropriate safeguards:

  • Hosting providers and technical service providers Companies that host our servers, databases and infrastructure or help us deliver the Website (e.g. hosting providers, content delivery networks).

  • IP geolocation provider MaxMind, Inc. (or a similar provider) to estimate city/region from your IP address in order to show local events.

  • Analytics providers (if used) Tools that help us understand how visitors use the Website.

  • Advertising partners Including Google and other ad networks that display ads on the Website. These partners may use cookies and other identifiers to serve and measure ads, in line with the choices you make in the consent widget.

  • Professional advisors and authorities Where necessary, we may share data with legal or financial advisors, law enforcement, regulators or courts when we are legally required to do so or where it is necessary to protect our rights.

We do not sell your personal data in the sense of directly exchanging it for money. Where required by law (e.g. under certain “sale”/“sharing” definitions), you can opt out via our consent widget.

7. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers and partners may be located outside the European Economic Area (EEA), for example in the United States (such as MaxMind and certain advertising or analytics providers).

Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure that an adequate level of protection is provided, for example by:

  • An adequacy decision by the European Commission, and/or
  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or other appropriate safeguards as provided under the GDPR.

You can contact us for more information about international transfers and the safeguards used.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as required by law. In particular:

  • Account and profile data: retained for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter, unless we are required or allowed by law to keep it longer.
  • Log files and IP data: retained for a limited period necessary for security, troubleshooting and analysis, after which they are deleted or anonymised.
  • Geolocation data (city/region): used primarily in real time to provide local content; where stored for analytics or personalisation, we keep it only as long as needed and then delete or aggregate it.
  • Advertising and analytics data: retained according to our legitimate interests and/or the terms of our agreements with service providers, and in line with applicable laws and your consent choices.

When we no longer need your personal data for the purposes described, we will delete or anonymise it.

9. Your Rights Under the GDPR

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have the following rights in relation to your personal data, subject to the conditions and exceptions under the GDPR:

  • Right of access – to obtain confirmation as to whether we process your personal data and, if so, to receive a copy of it.

  • Right to rectification – to have inaccurate or incomplete personal data corrected.

  • Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) – to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.

  • Right to restriction of processing – to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations.

  • Right to data portability – to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to have it transmitted to another controller where technically feasible.

  • Right to object –

  • You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of your personal data based on our legitimate interests (including IP-based geolocation for local event suggestions).

  • Where we process your data for direct marketing, you can object at any time and we will stop such processing.

  • Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on your consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal.

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details provided on our Website. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular in the EU member state of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our Website is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 16 (or a lower age where permitted by local law, such as 13). If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided personal data to us, please contact us and we will take steps to delete such data.

11. Third-Party Websites

The Website may contain links to other websites and services that are not owned or controlled by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party websites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

12. Consent Management and Opt-Out

We use a consent management platform (“consent widget”) on our Website. Through this widget you can:

  • Give or withdraw consent for certain cookies and tracking technologies
  • Opt out of certain categories of data processing (such as personalised advertising), where required by law
  • Review and update your choices at any time

Your choices in the consent widget will be respected by us and by participating third parties, in accordance with applicable law.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements or other factors. When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Significant changes may also be communicated via the Website or by other appropriate means.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we process your personal data.