If you are looking to buy race bibs for your upcoming event, one of the options you are likely considering is whether to get custom race bibs. But what are custom race bibs? 

Custom race bibs are bis that you can completely design, from the colours, layout, fonts, logos, and more. Custom race bibs allow you to create something unique for your event. 

When creating anything custom, the price might be slightly elevated but read on to find out why this small amount might be the best investment you make in your event. 

Custom race bibs for timing 

Before you begin thinking about the design of your race bibs, it’s important to remember that the main reason for a race bib is to provide accurate timing for your racers. Therefore, the timing component of your bibs must work perfectly. Electronic timing chips in Tyvec bibs offer a precise, comfortable, and secure solution. Find out more in our recent article on race bib materials and race chips.

Create a unique, exciting event

When you really think about it, a marathon run on a treadmill in your local gym is the same as running the New York marathon. But the driving reason to run the New York marathon is the experience created by the event. Part of this experience is the brand created for the race, and the emotional connection runners will have with the event. Receiving a place to run at such an event becomes a badge of honour – a race bib becomes not just a way to time your race but something to be proud of. 

If you can create an event, and race bibs that are unique, modern, and exciting, keep your runners engaged before the event happens. It makes them feel part of a wider community during the event, and it will make them feel nostalgic post-event. 

Participant support and crowd engagement 

Custom-printed race bibs allow event organisers to increase the viewer’s enjoyment of an event. For example, you can print racers’ names or motivational phrases on a race bib. Then, when the racer moves around the track, supporters in the crowd can cheer on that participant by name. This cleverly brings the viewer into the event, making them part of the atmosphere and success of the day.

By making the event something people want to view and support, you have opened up the race’s appeal to more than just those racing and their supporters. Your successful race bib branding can also spread to other promotional materials for your audience – drinks, food, mascots, and more. You can get creative with your branding and race bibs. 

Custom bibs for inclusivity

With larger events, you may want racers to start at different times. For example, in some marathon races, professional attendees will start 10 minutes before the rest of the crowd. Another example is with children’s races, where you might have different age categories starting at different times. 

You can use custom-printed race bibs to organise this easily. The preferred method for large-scale events is to provide different waves of starters with different coloured bibs, so red starts at 10 am, orange at 10.10, and so on. A system like this is easy to coordinate for organisers, allowing race marshals to move participants to the right starting points. It also helps participants to find one another and provides reassurance that they are in the correct place.

If you can use the branding of your race bibs to coordinate your racers and make them feel secure, it will elevate the strength of your race brand. 

Custom race bibs for souvenirs

As discussed in our other blogs, racers often keep and frame their race bibs. However, this is only likely if the bib is aesthetically pleasing. When designing custom race bibs, if you can create something that a racer will connect with and feel emotionally attached to, that race bib will likely become a souvenir. 

Things to think about are: 

• Participants names
• A motivational phrase – participants’ choice
• Geographic or local ties – landmarks, logos, etc
• Event logo 

Of course – always remember that the race number needs to be visible!

By creating an emotional connection between your event branding and your participants, the life span of your race bibs is likely to be lengthened. And it is also more likely that those participants will talk about your event, promote it to others, and return to participate again next year!

Ways we can help

At The Race Bib Co. we regularly work with organisers planning sporting events of all sizes. We are always happy to assist in anyway we can. Get in touch today by emailing hello@theracebibco.com.au 

You can find out more about our company here.