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What a race bib gives away: check your race photos before you post

A race bib in a photo can point to a runner's name and result. Use this quick check for race bib photos, backgrounds and locations before you share.

By 3 min read

Privacy: What a race bib gives away: check your race photos before you post

Race bib photos can reveal more than you expect: the number often links to a public result, and some bibs print a first name. Before you post, check the bib, the faces around it and the location tags. This guide gives you a one-minute check, so you can share the day without handing strangers a way to find your runner.

What does a race bib reveal?#

A bib carries a number that matches one entry in the race results. Many events publish those results online, with the runner's name, finish time and sometimes age group. So a clear photo of a bib plus the race name lets anyone look the runner up.

Some bibs also print a first name, so spectators can shout it. That is lovely on the course, but it is one more detail in a public photo. If you are not sure what your runner's bib shows, ask them before you post.

What else is in a race photo?#

The bib is only one clue. Look at the whole picture:

  • Other people, including children and runners who did not agree to be online.
  • The place, since a start or finish area can point to a home town.
  • The location data, because phones often save GPS in the file. Our guide to GPS in photos explains what is stored and how to remove it, and the Exif page shows how that data works.
  • The route, if you share a watch or app map as well. See how to share your running route safely.

A one-minute check before you post race bib photos#

Run through this list every time:

  1. Ask your runner. Some people love a public post, and some do not.
  2. Look at the bib. Crop it, cover it or choose another frame if the number and name are clear.
  3. Look behind them. Skip photos with other people's children unless you have asked.
  4. Remove the location. Apple explains how to manage location metadata in photos, and Google covers location in Google Photos.
  5. Check the caption. Leave out the street, the hotel and the time you left home.

Should you share the start and finish of a route?#

Be careful with both ends. Runners often start and finish near home, and a route map makes that obvious. Strava lets you hide those ends with privacy zones, and the same idea works anywhere you share a map.

How does a private story help?#

A public post spreads fast and is hard to take back. A private story gives you more control. RaceTale keeps every story private by default, and the link is unlisted, so only the people you send it to can open it. You can revoke the link or delete the story and its files whenever you like.

For public pictures, RaceTale strips the GPS data, and the owner can hide the first and last 200 m of the route. Friends are told before they upload that the runner will see their photos and may publish them, and they can delete their own uploads.

Race stories are private by default, in 13 seconds.

Frequently asked questions#

Is it safe to post a photo of a race bib?#

It is usually low risk, but it is not zero. The number can lead to a public result with a name, so crop the bib or ask the runner first.

Can someone find me from my bib number?#

If the race publishes its results online, yes, a number can lead to a name and a time. Check the event's results page to see what it shows.

Should I blur the faces of other runners?#

If strangers are clearly recognisable, especially children, crop them out or choose another photo. It takes a few seconds.

Do photos from my phone include my location?#

Often they do. Phones can save GPS data in the file, so remove it before you post, or share through a private link instead.

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