Dover Run Club - NH Running Community

GitHub Pages Setup Instructions

GitHub Pages Setup Instructions

This document provides step-by-step instructions for deploying the Run Club website to GitHub Pages.

Prerequisites

  • Repository is already created at: https://github.com/dekay2001/dover-run-club-website
  • You have admin access to the repository

Step 1: Enable GitHub Pages

  1. Go to your repository on GitHub: https://github.com/dekay2001/dover-run-club-website
  2. Click on Settings (top menu bar)
  3. In the left sidebar, click on Pages
  4. Under Source, select the branch you want to deploy from (typically main or master)
  5. Keep the folder as / (root)
  6. Click Save

GitHub will now build and deploy your site. This may take a few minutes.

Step 2: View Your Site

Once deployed, your site will be available at:

  • Default URL: https://dekay2001.github.io/dover-run-club-website/
  • Custom domain URL (current production): https://www.doverrunclub.com/

Note: Since you already have a personal site at dekay2001.github.io, this run club site will be at the repository path shown above.

Step 3: Configure Custom Domain (Optional)

To use a custom domain (e.g., yourclub.com or www.yourclub.com):

A. Purchase and Configure Domain

  1. Purchase a domain from a domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.)

  2. Configure DNS Records with your domain registrar:

    For an apex domain (example.com):

    Type: A
Name: @
Value: 185.199.108.153
   
Type: A
Name: @
Value: 185.199.109.153
   
Type: A
Name: @
Value: 185.199.110.153
   
Type: A
Name: @
Value: 185.199.111.153

    For www subdomain (www.example.com):

    Type: CNAME
Name: www
Value: dekay2001.github.io

B. Update CNAME File

  1. Edit the CNAME file in the root of your repository
  2. Replace the commented content with your actual domain: 
    yourclub.com

    (Do not include http:// or https://)

  3. Commit and push the change

C. Configure in GitHub Settings

  1. Go to repository Settings > Pages
  2. In the Custom domain field, enter your domain (e.g., doverrunclub.com)
  3. Click Save
  4. Wait for DNS check to complete (may take up to 24-48 hours)
  5. Once DNS is verified, enable Enforce HTTPS (highly recommended)

Step 4: Verify Deployment

  1. Visit your site URL (either the default GitHub Pages URL or your custom domain)
  2. Navigate through all pages to ensure they work:
    • Home page (/)
    • Events (/events.html)
    • Pub Runs (/pub-runs.html)
    • Membership (/membership.html)
    • Sponsors (/sponsors.html)

Step 5: Automatic Builds

GitHub Pages will automatically rebuild your site whenever you push changes to the configured branch. No manual build step is required!

Troubleshooting

Site not showing up?

  • Check that GitHub Pages is enabled in Settings > Pages
  • Verify the correct branch is selected
  • Wait a few minutes for the initial build to complete

Custom domain not working?

  • Verify DNS records are correct (use dig or nslookup to check)
  • DNS propagation can take 24-48 hours
  • Ensure CNAME file contains only the domain name (no protocol or paths)
  • Check for DNS check status in Settings > Pages

NotServedByPagesError for apex domain (doverrunclub.com)?

  • This can appear even when www.doverrunclub.com is serving correctly.
  • It means the apex/root domain DNS is not pointing at GitHub Pages.
  • First, verify your configuration: Check that the CNAME file in your repo and Settings → Pages “Custom domain” field both contain the same value — either doverrunclub.com (apex) or www.doverrunclub.com (www). Apex A records are only needed if the apex domain is your configured custom domain, or if you want both apex and www to resolve via GitHub Pages.
  • To serve the apex domain, configure apex DNS (@) to GitHub Pages A records:
    • 185.199.108.153
    • 185.199.109.153
    • 185.199.110.153
    • 185.199.111.153
  • Keep www as CNAME to dekay2001.github.io.
  • If your CNAME file and GitHub Pages settings are already set to www.doverrunclub.com (www-only), adding apex A records is not required — instead, set your registrar to forward doverrunclub.com to https://www.doverrunclub.com and remove any conflicting apex records.

Build failures?

  • Check the Actions tab for build logs
  • Ensure all Jekyll syntax is correct
  • Verify Gemfile and _config.yml are properly configured

HTTPS not working?

  • HTTPS certificate provisioning can take up to 24 hours after DNS verification
  • Make sure “Enforce HTTPS” is enabled in Settings > Pages

Updating Content

To update your website:

  1. Edit the relevant files (index.md, events.md, etc.)
  2. Commit your changes
  3. Push to the configured branch
  4. GitHub Pages will automatically rebuild (takes 1-2 minutes)

Local Development

To test changes locally before pushing:

# Install dependencies
bundle install

# Run local server
bundle exec jekyll serve

# View at http://localhost:4000

Need Help?

Last updated: February 2026