Importing Data

Purpose

Load athletes, teams, entries, results, or backup data into an existing meet using the import flows exposed in the meet dashboard.

Prerequisites

• An existing meet in 2Timer.
• A source file exported from your registration, timing, or meet-management system.
• A rough plan for bibs, teams, and event numbers before import starts.

Where Import Lives in the UI

Open your meet dashboard and choose Import…. The Import page groups every source by the job it does: roster and entries, events and schedule, results and times, or whole-meet recovery. Choose a source card there; format names are shown on the card instead of being scattered across the dashboard.

Each migrated import follows the same calm sequence: choose the source, shape or match it when needed, review what will happen, apply it, and finish on a Done step with useful next actions. Some older cleanup paths are still being moved onto that journey, and some file imports are one-time alternatives to connector-driven workflows.

Choose the Right Import Path

Use Spreadsheet when:

• you have a general spreadsheet export
• you need header mapping
• your file mixes athlete and entry columns
• you want the most flexible generic import flow

Use Hy-Tek meet file when:

• you have a Hy-Tek meet-record file (.hy3, semicolon-delimited text, or the recognised record CSV)
• you want divisions, events, athletes, teams, and entries to come from that file
• event numbers in the file are expected to drive the import

Use Hy-Tek TCL when:

• you have a fixed-width .tcl or .txt roster export
• your goal is teams and athletes only
• you do not need entries, events, or results from that file

Use 2T Backup when:

• your source is another 2Timer backup
• you want to clear and replace selected categories from that backup
• you want to import its athletes, teams, and entries without clearing existing data

Use RaceTab (RTQL) when:

• the source system is RaceTab
• you want a category-by-category import with meet settings, divisions, events, teams, athletes, and entries

Use Lynx PPL / AFL imports when:

• you are bringing roster or team data from FinishLynx files

Use Lynx LIF / LFF imports when:

• you are importing result files from FinishLynx manually
• the event numbers in the files already match events in your meet

Use RunSignUp when:

• you have a RunSignUp CSV export and want athlete data only through the import page

Use Athletic.net entry export when:

• the meet’s entries were collected on Athletic.net and you have its entries CSV export
• you want teams, athletes, events, and entries brought in together as one reviewed change

If you want live sync behavior instead of a one-time CSV import, that becomes a connector/integration workflow. See Connectors.

Spreadsheet Import

What the UI looks like

The generic spreadsheet importer is a four-step wizard:

1. File
2. Map Columns
3. Review
4. Done

What it does well

• auto-detects common delimiters
• lets you say whether the file has a header row
• auto-maps known headers when possible
• supports saved column maps for spreadsheet layouts you import repeatedly
• previews duplicates, teams, waves, and event resolution before import
• can import athletes, teams, and entries from one flexible flow

When to use it

This is the best default path for general participant spreadsheets and mixed registration exports.

Important UI-aligned notes

• If your file has no header row, you map columns manually.
• Excel imports support .xlsx workbooks. For an older .xls file, save a new .xlsx copy or export the worksheet as CSV first.
• Excel workbooks are limited to 25 MB, 100,000 rows, and 1,000,000 cells across all worksheets so the import remains responsive in the browser. For a larger workbook, save only the worksheet you need as CSV.
• If bibs or registration IDs start with zero, format those columns as Text in Excel before importing so Excel stores the leading zeroes.
• If entry-related fields are detected, the importer can enable entry import automatically.
• The preview phase computes duplicate handling, team creation, event resolution, and warnings before anything is saved.
• If the selected .csv is actually a recognised Hy-Tek I/D record stream, 2Timer opens the Hy-Tek workflow with the same file already loaded so its event-entry meaning is preserved.

Best practices

• Use this first for generic CSV, TSV, or Excel (.xlsx) files.
• Check event columns carefully if you expect entries to be created.
• Review duplicate behavior before confirming.

Import Template

The meet dashboard includes an Import Template section:

• Download Athlete CSV when you need a starter spreadsheet for collecting or preparing an athlete roster.
• Download Team CSV when you need a starter spreadsheet with Team Code and Team Name.

The athlete template follows the current meet setup:

• scholastic meets include First Name, Last Name, Gender, Team, and Grade
• road races include First Name, Last Name, Gender, Age, and City
• other meet types use the same athlete fields that the meet is configured to show, including team, grade, age, and city overrides

Fill in the downloaded file, then return to the dashboard and choose Spreadsheet under Import. The column headers are recognized automatically. Saved column maps in the importer are separate: they remember how recurring files from another system map into 2Timer.

A team-only spreadsheet automatically selects Teams without trying to create athlete records. Team code is the stable short identifier used across imports and timing files; team name is the full name shown to operators.

Hy-Tek Meet Import

What the UI does

This is a multi-step import flow for Hy-Tek meet-record data. It accepts .hy3, semicolon-delimited text, and the recognised comma-delimited I/D record form with its known header.

It can work with:

• divisions
• events
• athletes
• teams
• entries

Why it matters

This is much broader than the TCL importer. It is the right choice when the file represents real meet structure, not just roster data. Review reports repeated athlete records as skipped and holds contradictory identity information for your decision instead of choosing one silently.

Best practices

• Make sure event numbers in the source file match the event structure you want in 2Timer.
• Use the divisions and events review steps carefully instead of treating this as a blind roster load.
• Remember that this is different from a fixed-width .TCL file. A .csv extension alone does not make a Hy-Tek record stream a generic spreadsheet.

Hy-Tek TCL Import

What the UI does

The current Import from Hy-Tek TCL screen is a preview-and-apply roster workflow.

It:

• extracts teams
• extracts athlete rows
• shows new teams to add
• shows new athletes to create
• shows matched athletes that can be backfilled
• warns about conflicts that will be skipped

Current limitation

This path is roster-focused in v1.

It does not import:

• events
• entries
• relay lineups
• results

Best practices

• Use this for teams and athletes only.
• If your real goal is entries or meet structure, use Hy-Tek meet file instead.

2T Backup Import

What the UI does

The in-meet .2t workflow separates two operations:

• Restore clears and replaces the selected categories. Category dependencies are selected together, and id-linked categories are available only for a backup of the same meet.
• Import sends athletes, teams, and entries through the same reviewed matching and conflict rules as other roster imports. It ignores stored ids and result fields and clears nothing.

After a restore, identity concerns are shown in Data Issues instead of preventing the backup from loading. Structural damage that makes a backup unloadable is still refused.

Best practices

• Choose Restore when you mean replace, and Import when you mean add without clearing.
• Read the category selection carefully before applying.
• If you need a full meet restore from the home screen instead, see Importing a 2Timer Backup.

RaceTab (RTQL) Import

What the UI does

The RTQL importer is a category-driven preview flow.

It can import:

• meet settings from RTQL meta
• divisions
• events
• teams
• athletes
• entries

Why it is useful

This is a good bridge path when RaceTab is the source system and you want more control than a blind file load.

Best practices

• Review the summary counts before importing.
• Decide whether you really want meet settings from the file, or only structure and roster data.
• Be careful with entries/results import if the meet already has work in progress.

FinishLynx Roster Imports

Lynx PPL Athletes

This import:

• loads athlete data from a .ppl file
• previews the planned team and athlete changes before anything is saved
• imports bib, name, gender, and affiliation-style team data after review

Use it when FinishLynx is your roster source for athlete records.

Lynx PPL Teams / Lynx AFL Teams

The Lynx roster wizard accepts both PPL and AFL files. PPL can bring in athletes and teams; AFL is team-oriented. In both cases the Review step shows the planned changes before import.

Use them when your Lynx-side files are the cleanest source for team definitions.

FinishLynx Result Imports

Lynx LIF Results

This importer:

• loads a .lif file
• matches the file header event number to an existing event
• previews which result rows will be added, updated, left unchanged, removed, or held for review
• imports running-event results only after you approve that Review step
• can also save heat wind metadata when present in the file header

Important:

• the event number in the file must match an existing event
• this is a manual file import path, not the same thing as connector auto-watch behavior

Lynx LFF Results

This importer:

• loads a .lff file
• matches the event number to an existing field event
• previews which field-result rows will be added, updated, left unchanged, removed, or held for review
• imports field-event best marks only after you approve that Review step

Important:

• the target must be a field discipline
• this is for result import, not field setup

For both LIF and LFF, 2Timer rechecks the reviewed plan when you press Import. If the meet or source result state changed, nothing is saved; review the refreshed plan and apply again. Rows that cannot be matched safely land in Import Review, and the Done step links there when follow-up is needed.

FinishLynx Schedule Import

Use Lynx EVT Schedule when a .evt file should bring event structure, teams, athletes, and entries into the meet. The wizard keeps event matching explicit, then shows the complete planned change on Review before writing it. Confirm that every source event is matched to the intended meet event or deliberately set to create a new event.

For the broader shared-folder workflow, see FinishLynx for Track and Field and Connectors.

RunSignUp Import

What the UI does today

The RunSignUp roster wizard (Import page → Roster & entries) is a CSV-based import flow.

It:

• asks for a RunSignUp CSV export
• previews athlete count and bib coverage
• imports athlete-oriented fields such as name, bib, gender, race group, DOB, contact info, and registration ID

Important distinction

This page is a file import flow.

If you want a live or repeatable integration workflow, that belongs in the RunSignUp connector/integration setup, not this page alone.

Athletic.net Import

What the UI does today

The Athletic.net entry export wizard (Import page → Roster & entries) is a file import flow.

It:

• asks for the entries CSV exported from your Athletic.net meet
• shows what it found — teams, athletes, events, divisions, and entries — before anything is saved
• matches athletes by their Athletic.net ID first, then by name and team, and shows what will be created, updated, or left unchanged
• creates any divisions and events the entries need and imports the entries as one reviewed change

Nothing is saved until you press Import, and the import refuses and re-checks if the meet changed while you were reviewing.

RaceTab (RTQL) vs CSV vs Hy-Tek

Use this quick rule:

• choose CSV for generic spreadsheets and flexible mapping
• choose Hy-Tek meet file for Hy-Tek meet-data import with structure
• choose Hy-Tek TCL for roster-only import from fixed-width TCL
• choose RTQL for RaceTab exports with category-level control

Importing Teams and Athletes from CSV

Use the generic CSV importer for team and athlete spreadsheets. It supports column mapping, previews new and existing records, and reports identity conflicts before import. You can import teams, athletes, and entries together or select only the record types you need.

Use the source-specific importers for RunSignUp, Lynx, Hy-Tek, or RaceTab files when you want their format-aware matching and meet-structure handling.

Recommended Import Order

When starting from external data, a safe general order is:

1. import or create meet structure first when needed
2. import teams if they are a meaningful source of truth
3. import athletes
4. import entries
5. import results only after the meet structure is stable

If your source file already bundles structure plus entries cleanly, such as a Hy-Tek meet file or RTQL, use that broader path instead of splitting the work manually.

Common Problems

Verification Checklist

• The chosen import path matches the actual file type and goal.
• Event numbers are correct before importing entries or Lynx results.
• Teams and athlete identifiers are reviewed before scoring workflows.
• Review counts and sample rows look reasonable before clicking import.
• Results imports are used only after the meet structure is stable.

Related Pages

• Getting Started
• Importing a 2Timer Backup
• Connectors
• Athletes and Entries
• Teams and Leagues
• FinishLynx for Track and Field
• Repair and Recovery
• Purging Results and Resetting State

Metadata

• Last Updated: 2026-08-30
• Document Version: 0.8
• Status: Active