A camel race is a random name picker staged out in the desert. Every name becomes a camel with its humps and a coloured saddle blanket, standing in its own lane at the edge of the dunes. After the countdown the camels lope off over an 800-metre course, rising and dipping with the sand, with a low grunt now and then. The lead swaps back and forth until one camel reaches the finish first.
The long course makes it a good fit for a bigger moment, like the main prize draw at a fundraiser or picking a team captain. You can give each race its own title and write the winner message yourself, so the result on screen reads the way you want it to. Up to 60 camels can take part.
How to run a camel race
- Type or paste the names, one per line. Each line is one camel.
- Open the race settings and give the race a title, such as "Friday Lunch Draw".
- Write a winner message if you like, using {name}, {icon} and {n}. Then pick a race length; Long, about 35 seconds, suits the desert crossing.
- Press Start race. When the last camel arrives, the winner pop-up shows your message above the podium and the full order.
Is the camel race fair?
Yes. When you press Start, the page shuffles the names with your browser's crypto.getRandomValues, giving every finishing order the same chance. That shuffle is the result. Each camel then gets its own speed curve, with steady stretches and moments where it falls back, tuned so it crosses the line at its assigned moment.
The loping, the dunes and the overtakes are animation. Blanket colour and lane make no difference, and nothing during the race can change who wins. Your list stays in your browser and is never uploaded.
Ideas for camel races
- Run the grand prize draw at a school fair or charity event, titled with the event name.
- Pick a team captain, then race again with Remove winner on to choose a vice-captain.
- Decide which group goes first on a field trip or a camp outing.
- Switch the scenery to sunset or night for an evening event; the desert camels stay the same.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write my own winner message?
Open the race settings and type the text for the pop-up. {name} becomes the winner's name, {icon} their icon and {n} the number of racers. For example: "{icon} {name} crossed the desert first out of {n}!"
Can I change the desert scenery?
Yes. There are 12 scenery themes, including sunny day, sunset, night, snow and holiday looks. The theme only changes how the race looks. It has no effect on who wins.
Does the camel race make sound?
Yes: countdown beeps, a low grunt from the camels now and then and a fanfare at the finish. The sounds are generated in the browser and can be switched off in the race settings.
Can the same camel win twice?
Yes, since every race is a new draw. Tick Remove winner after race to take the winning name off the list before you race again.