GeoRace launches GPS park race app with free global event

Ottawa entrepreneur Mathieu Blake has launched GeoRace, a location-based outdoor challenge app for iPhone, Apple Watch and Android that turns parks into GPS races. The launch includes a free three-day event, Catch the Bad Guy, in cities worldwide as the app pushes fitness, outdoor play and community competition.

Why it matters: - GeoRace aims to turn ordinary parks and outdoor spaces into structured games that combine walking, fitness, exploration and competition. - The app could make it easier for families, friends, schools and community groups to use local parks for active events. - The launch includes a free multi-city race, giving new users a low-cost way to try the app.

What happened: - GeoRace is now available on iPhone, Apple Watch and Android. - Ottawa entrepreneur Mathieu Blake created the location-based outdoor challenge app. - GeoRace is promoting its launch with Catch the Bad Guy, a free GPS outdoor challenge running Tuesday, October 27 through Thursday, October 29, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. - In Ottawa, Catch the Bad Guy is taking place at Major's Hill Park. - Participating cities include Toronto, Vancouver, New York, Boston, Miami and San Francisco. - Event details are available here.

The details: - Players can find public, community and recommended races on a map or enter a private race code from a friend. - Creators can place checkpoints on a map, add challenges and publish races publicly, privately with a shareable code, or as a route others can copy to their own location. - A live GPS map shows every checkpoint, and each checkpoint unlocks when a player is within 10 metres. - Players can complete checkpoints in any order, which makes route choice part of the strategy. - Checkpoint challenges include check-ins, true-or-false, multiple-choice and missing-letter or text-answer questions. - GeoRace offers three race formats: Race for Time, Race for Points and Race for Completion. - In Race for Time, the lowest time wins and each wrong answer adds a one-minute penalty. - In Race for Points, the player with the most correct answers wins. - In Race for Completion, finishing unlocks achievements and badges. - Players earn ranking points for completing races, reaching the podium and creating races other people enjoy. - Apple Watch users can follow checkpoints and track progress from their wrist. - GeoRace is free to download on the App Store and Google Play, with optional in-app purchases that include Race Credits for Premium Races and optional memberships. - The app is available in English and French. - Upcoming events include Halloween Family Trivia from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 and Cartoon Craze from Nov. 5 to 8. - The app is available at GeoRace, with downloads on the App Store and Google Play.

Between the lines: - GeoRace is entering a crowded fitness and gaming space by focusing on local, real-world movement instead of screen-only play. - The free launch event lowers the barrier to trial and could help the app build a community before paid features matter. - The multi-language rollout suggests GeoRace is targeting both local and broader audiences from the start.

What's next: - GeoRace will continue with themed events after launch, starting with Halloween Family Trivia and then Cartoon Craze. - The company is likely to use event-driven races to keep users engaged and encourage repeat play. - More cities and race types could become part of the platform as the user base grows.

The bottom line: - GeoRace is betting that parks can double as game boards, and that GPS races can make outdoor time more social, competitive and repeatable.