Free · No sign-up · Drawn before it rollsMarble Race Name Picker
Paste names, press Start, and a random marble race picks the winner — on a phone or a projector.
Add at least two names to race.
0 horses
One per line. Duplicates are fine — each line is its own numbered marble.
The finishing order is drawn by a cryptographic shuffle before the gate lifts.
First across the line wins. Copy, download or print the full order, or remove winners and race again.
What this marble race name picker does
It is a random name picker dressed up as a marble race. Every name you type becomes a numbered marble in its own channel of the run. Press Start and the full finishing order is drawn by a cryptographic shuffle, then the marbles roll to the chequered line and play out that order. The winner is first across, and the whole finishing order is listed underneath ready to copy, print or download.
Why it is not a physics simulation
Marble races got popular because they look like pure chance — but a real one is decided by collisions and track geometry, and those are not evenly weighted. Lane position matters, and the marble that gets a clean run early tends to keep it. That is fine for entertainment and wrong for a draw somebody has to accept.
So this one settles the order first, with crypto.getRandomValues driving a Fisher-Yates shuffle, before a single frame is drawn. The roll you watch is a replay of a decision already made. Nothing about the animation — frame rate, lane, name length, screen size — can feed back into who wins.
Who uses it
How to run a marble race
- Paste your names, one per line. Duplicates are fine — each line becomes its own numbered marble.
- Choose the run length and how many winners you need, then press Start race.
- Put it on the big screen with the fullscreen button so the whole room watches the same draw.
- Keep the result — copy, download or print the full order, or remove the winners and race the rest again.
Same draw, other runners: the horse race name picker, a duck race, or a car race.
Questions
Is the marble race really random?
Yes. Pressing Start draws the complete finishing order with a cryptographic shuffle (crypto.getRandomValues driving a Fisher-Yates shuffle) before the first frame is rendered. The race replays that draw, so frame rate, lane position, name length and screen size cannot change who wins.
How many marbles can I race?
Between 2 and 50 names. Above 24 the run splits into two columns so every marble stays readable on a projector.
Is this a physics simulation?
No, and deliberately not. A real marble run is decided by collisions, which look fair but are not evenly weighted — a marble in a particular lane can be quietly advantaged. Here the order is drawn first and the roll simply shows it, so every name has exactly the same chance.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. No account, no email, no app. Your list stays in your own browser and is never uploaded.
Can I pick more than one winner?
Yes. Set Winners to the number of prizes and the finishing order highlights exactly that many marbles, in order.