How to print race bibs
Print two large race bibs on an A4 sheet, number them from any start, and pin them where the race told runners to put them.
A race bib is a number the timers, the photographers, and the marshals can see. Decoration that covers the number is a problem you will hear about at the finish.
The race bib generator prints two large bibs on each A4 sheet. Add the race name, a distance or wave, an optional logo, and either a list of runners or a blank numbered run.
Size and paper
Each bib is about half an A4 page, with a dashed cut line between the pair. Print at 100% scale and turn headers and footers off, or the numbers shrink and the cut line moves. Preview on ordinary paper before you buy card or a waterproof sheet. The template does not pick a material for rain or for a timing chip.
Numbers
- Choose the first number. Bib 1 and bib 101 are both fine. Say the range in the race instructions so runners know what they were given.
- Upload a CSV if you want names on the bibs. Each name takes the next number. A column named name or runner name is read as the name. Without a header, the first column is the name.
- Or leave names off and print a quantity of numbered bibs, up to 500 in one batch.
- Keep the list of who received which number. The tool does not talk to a timing system, and a second download will happily reuse the same numbers if you start at the same place.
Where the bib goes
Use the instruction your race already published. If you are writing that instruction, the usual line is: pin the bib on the front of the shirt, not folded, with the whole number visible. Four pins, one at each corner, keep it from flapping. Some races want the bib on the shorts or on a belt. That sentence belongs in your race notes, and it beats a general article.
Safety pins, magnets, and belts are separate purchases. A timing chip, if you use one, comes from the timing company and has its own placement. A printed number from this page will not be read by a mat.
For a race that also takes entries online, collect the runner list in a Lineup Day event, export the names, and print the bibs from that list. Check-in on the day can still be the QR on their phone, with the bib number written in your records.
Good to know
What size is the race bib?
Two bibs fill one A4 sheet, one above the other. Print at 100% scale. This is a paper layout, not a specialist race-bib material.
Can I print bibs without runner names?
Yes. Set a starting number and a quantity, up to 500. Leave the name list empty.
Where should a runner pin the bib?
Follow that race’s instructions. When a race does not specify, the usual request is the front of the shirt, flat, with the whole number visible.