Being British, we should all be pretty familiar with the concept of queuing - after all, we seem to spend most of our lives in one these days!

However, adding a queue to an online entry system seems to completely throw some people into a panic!

What events will have a queue?

If you are entering an event that is likely to have a big initial rush for places then it's highly likely that a queue will be set up for it. The queue system acts as a 'shock absorber' to prevent everybody trying to get their entry in at the same time. So, if you know that the event normally sells out quickly you can pretty much bet that it will be running a queue.

Why did the event open early?

It didn't! The event will only ever start taking actual entries at the time stated on the page.

When an event doesn't have a queue the website simply won't let anyone press the 'Register now' button until the allotted time and then anyone can press it and start entering. If a lot of people all do this at the same time the website can start to run a little slowly.

Where the event is running a queue, the 'Register now' button will become active some time before the allotted time but pressing it does not start the entry process. What it does do is move you off into a waiting area. NOTE: for virtually all events a randomised queue is used to ensure a fairer distribution of entries. The randomised queue doesn't assign your position in the queue until the second the entry officially opens. This means that there's no benefit to getting into the queue early ('early queuing' seems to annoy some people - odd, given how that's the whole point...) as your 'position' no longer relates to when you joined the queue.

The normal entry page for the event is hidden by the queue page and you'll get a status message roughly every 20-30 seconds. These messages can, and often are, updated live by Results Base staff allocated to manage the process. We will let you know how things are going and when it looks like the event will sell out.

[Note, we say 'Register now' in the text above but the button on the page can have all sorts of names depending on how the event is set up. It'll be pretty obvious which button it is, it's the one that's sat there inviting you to enter!]

How does the event open for entry then?

At the allotted opening time the event will start moving people from the queue into the normal entry process. Your position counter will start to go down as people move off into the entry process and when it gets to zero (which you may never actually see) the entry process starts.The rate at which people move through registration depends on how long it take them to fill out the form and complete the payment so the system never loads up more than a controlled number and then maintains this by only adding more as and when people complete the process.

If you have used our system before it's always a good idea to check and update any information in your profile (this is effectively your account for placing orders). Every profile will have an athlete record, even if it's just you, and this allows you to enter yourself and others into an event on a single order. If you create/check/update this information in advance it will make the registration process much easier.

If you have not used our system before then it's always a good idea to set up your profile well before you actually join the queue for entry - even days before! Most of the queries we get after entry are related to adding or correcting information that people have not added/updated during the entry process. You can manage all of this yourself, you'll find full details on our FAQ page on updating an entry HERE.

How do I know what's going on while I'm in the queue?

While the queue system is running as well as the 'people ahead of you' number that is updated every 20 seconds or so there is often a message displayed on the page that tells you the current queue status, how many actual places are left, if there are any issues, etc. These extra messages are generated by a real human being, not the system and if you need to contact us about anything that you don't understand you can communicate via the online@resultsbase.net email address. Please note that this is only manned during normal office hours (or for major event entry openings) and we may take a while to respond if things are really hectic.

We do NOT respond to event entry queries submitted via social media channels.

Why does the queue slow down at the end?

The queue system isn't like water draining out of a bath - it doesn't go faster and faster as the level drops. In fact, and for very good reasons, the queue will generally run slower at the end. This is to allow us to get closer and closer to the cut-off with less and less people in the system, so reducing the problem of someone still filling in their form when the last place sells out.

My browser has crashed/frozen/the counter isn't going down

The entry system webserver checks your connection every 20 seconds by sending it a page update - you can see that happening from the countdown to update message getting reset and counting down again. It's entirely possible (more likely if you are using a mobile device) that you may experience a local connection issue at some point during the queueing process. This could be that your WiFi has dropped out, that the local 3G/4G coverage has dropped out if you are on a mobile, that your PC/laptop has decided you watching the screen isn't 'activity' and has spun down to power-save mode, etc, etc. These are things that we have no control over and are certainly not the 'website crashing'!

If the system detects that your connection has not been updated for more than 10 minutes it assumes, quite reasonably, that you have gone away and it will re-allocate the queue position. So, if the page isn't getting that 20 second countdown it's probably worth just giving the browser a 'prod' to wake it up - try switching to a different window and back again to make the browser the 'active' window.

NOTE: Both Chrome and Edge browsers actively de-prioritise background activity, and this can interfere with the status checking scripts that monitor your queue position. It is critical that you keep the queue page as your current active window (ie don't start surfing other sites in another window) as it's possible that after as little as 5 minutes Chrome and Edge (but apparently not Firefox) will stop the script running and so cause you to be ejected from the queue - when you re-open the window you'll find that you've gone to the back of the queue.

I'm on a mobile, is that OK?

We strongly recommend that you use a normal desktop class browser (Chrome/Firefox/Edge) on a desktop system simply because entry can be stressful enough without trying to do it on a screen that's too small to read clearly and has buttons and keys too small to accurately type on. You also risk the issue of your mobile device switching connection from one provider to another (or from mobile to WiFi or vice versa) and this can act as a browser reset so losing your place in the queue.

If you must use a mobile device please consider using the Results Base app which is available for iOS and for Android devices.

IMPORTANT: note that older devices or apps (typically those more than three years old) may not be using the latest security certificates and it is possible that you will experience issues because of this when you try to make the final payment.

I'm smart so I'm running multiple sessions!

Cool! But unless you are actually running these sessions on multiple devices, or at the least on multiple browsers (eg one session in Chrome and another session in Edge), the first broswer session to get an entry will reset ALL the concurrent browser sessions when you complete that entry. Running multiple tabs or windows on the same browser isn't smart...

What happens when it sells out?

The entry system processes a set number of people at a time and, as most events have a fixed limit for the number of people they allow to enter, it's inevitable that the event will sell out while someone is entering their details, but before they have paid. The message on the queue page will warn when this is likely to happen but, just like being in a restaurant and finding that the day's 'Special' has sold out after you've ordered it, it's often not possible to stop taking information before the last place goes.

If you are in the process of registering and the tickets run out there will be a message at the top of the final summary page telling you this has happened.

Queue? What queue!

Like a queue for anything, there will come a point at which there's nobody left waiting to be served! Your bank (if there are still any bricks and mortar ones!) or local Post Office will typically have a queuing system set up, but there might be nobody in it. If that's the case online then you'll simply never see the queue, you'll go straight to the entry page. If a load of people suddenly turn up then the queue may kick back in again if the numbers continue to increase past the quantity that can be processed at any one time.

What if I placed the order but didn't pay?

If your order had been processed to the point where you have the card payment page on the screen then your entry has been recorded on the system. What hasn't happened at that point is payment. If you have a problem finding your card, are using the wrong card, or need to get some more details, the system will hold your place for a while. Any unpaid orders will have an email sent to them about 15 minutes after the payment page times out. This contains instructions on how to go back and pay for the order - you do not need to go through the entry process again!

NOTE: Unpaid orders are held for a time and then cleared from the system. The MAXIMUM length of time they are held is four days BUT IF THE EVENT SELLS OUT before you make your payment then any unpaid orders are automatically cleared down and cannot then be paid for.

Events using the queue system will pretty much always be expected to sell out so make sure you have a valid payment method before you place the order...

Can I leave the queue?

Sure, of course you can! But you'll be at the back of the queue when you start the process again...