Find Race Photos by Bib Number: How Bib Search Works

RaceCapture · Guides

You know your bib number. It was pinned to your shirt for two hours and it is probably still on your kitchen counter. On RaceCapture, that number is enough to find your race photos. Type it in and you get a personal gallery of every photo where your bib is readable. No selfie needed, no scrolling through thousands of thumbnails.

Hosting an event? Here is how to host your event photos with facial recognition and bib search, so every athlete finds their shots either way.

How to find race photos by bib number

Open your event's page on RaceCapture. Every event is listed on the galleries page, newest first. Tap Find My Photos, enter your email, then type your bib number. The search button changes to "Search by bib", and one tap builds your gallery. The link is shown on screen and emailed to you, so you can come back to it later.

That is the whole process. There is no account to create and searching is free.

How bib number search works

When a media team uploads photos to a RaceCapture event, we scan each one for race numbers. Every number we can read is stored with that photo. When you search by bib, we look up your number and put every photo that carries it into your gallery.

The scan also reads the frames of video clips, so a bib search can find videos of you as well as photos. Galleries hold photos and videos together, and both show up in the same personal gallery.

Leading zeros do not matter, and neither do capitals: a bib printed as 0512 is found by typing 512.

When bib search misses a photo

A bib search can only find a number it can read. These are the usual reasons a photo of you does not show up:

• The bib is folded, wrinkled or partly covered by an arm, a jacket or a hydration vest.
• You are turned sideways or shot from behind, so the number faces away from the camera.
• You are small in the frame, far back in a crowd shot.
• The event did not use printed bibs. Some gym competitions and fitness races do not.

Bib number plus selfie: the most complete search

Bib search and selfie search fail in opposite places. A bib catches the photos where your face is hidden behind sunglasses, a helmet or a grimace. A selfie catches the photos where the bib is folded, covered or out of frame.

So use both. Type your bib, then add one clear selfie when the page asks. Our recognition system matches your face across every photo and video from the event, and the results join the bib matches in one gallery. If you have both, that is the search that finds the most.

Racing with a partner? The duo search needs a selfie from each of you, so it does not run on bib numbers alone. Our full guide to finding your race photos with a selfie covers that part.

Your gallery keeps updating

Media teams often upload in batches, sometimes over several days. You do not need to search again. Your gallery keeps updating as the media team uploads, and we email you when new matches land.

On free events, if a photo of you was missed, open All Photos in your gallery, find it and tap the plus on it to add it to your photos. On paid events you can add up to five photos that way.

Searching several events at once

Raced more than once this season? Find photos of me checks every RaceCapture gallery in a date range against one selfie. It is the quickest way to collect a season of photos without remembering every event's name.

Questions about bib search

Can I find my race photos without a selfie?

Yes. On a RaceCapture event page, enter your email and your bib number, and tap Search by bib. You get a gallery of every photo where your number is readable. Adding a selfie finds more, but it is optional.

I forgot my bib number. Can I still search?

Yes. The selfie search does not need a bib number. Upload one clear photo of your face and we match it against every photo and video from the event. Your race results page from the organizer also lists your bib if you want to add it.

Does bib search cost anything?

No. Searching is always free. Many events are free to download. On paid events you see every photo of you first, with a watermark, and only pay if you want to keep them. Our FAQ covers purchases and privacy.

Find your photos now

Pick your event on the galleries page, type your bib number and see every photo and video of you in one gallery. If you photograph or organize events, bib and selfie search come with every RaceCapture plan, including the free one.