Bibs

[PhilJ]

I have been thinking abit about bibs, sad I know. At major events we have to wear them, JK/British etc. But why? What purpose to do they serve the competitor/the start team/the commentary team?
If you think of every bit of info that could be on the bib:
Bib number - of no use
Name - You should know that!
Course No. - You only have one to remember anyway, write it on ur hand
Start time - You only have one to remember anyway, write it on ur hand
SI/Emit number - Will this help the start team?
Which start (Far/Red/Elite etc) - There are normally course/age class signs on the way to the start, so you know you are heading to the correct one.

So from a competitor view it serves no real purpose, and is also an added faff to get the bib usually from enquiries or pre-start on a big bit of string.

For the start team - they usually just call out names and wait for a "Yea", I could be wearing anyones bib, and to check bib v si card v name is to time consuming in 1 minute call up intervals.

For commentary - long gone are the days of spotters with binoculars trying to see bib numbers, there are radio control units in the field now.

Do we like them cos we "look" like elites on the telly?

Take the JK, the elites had 3 (4 incl relay) bibs to wear, one for each individual day - why?

For multi days (Lakes/CROESO/S6D) I do like a bib as everything is printed for the entire week so it makes the competitor experience better, but for single days - what's the point.

In the olden days we used to have the sponsors printed on them but that seems to have gone (nothing on the JK ones), speaking about the JK ones in particular they were of no use as the did not have your start time nor course number, probably the only bit of info of any use anyway.

We all gripe about cost, so getting rid of bibs/pins/printing may save £1.00 of an entry fee per person?

Bibs for relays are good and they only have a number on them, which is all you need.

Any thoughts?

[NeilC]

I like it when the bibs have names on - a great way of matching names to faces. In relays it helps to know if the person running with you is in the same class or not. Even for a single day I prefer to write start time / which start / which course etc on my bib not my hand. They give the event a more professional feel.

[madmike]

Still very useful for commentators when there are lots of people in the finish lane at big events! Even with radio controls and prewarning we still used binos/the naked eye at WMOC this year to confirm identities by race number!

and I agree with Neil on professional feel too!

[alder]

It's the bit you fill in yourself - medical & contact info - though the contact info isn't of much help when the person is "out there somewhere" without a mobile..

[EddieH]

They were so important on day 3 of the jK that you were not allowed to start without one, yet most people had them buried beneath their cagoules

[Homer]

Back-up timing. Particularly for EMIT.

[PhilJ]

Not being an EMIT expert how can your bib help as a backup to your time?

Does anyone know what they are made of these days, they used to be made of Tyvek, a waterproof material. Is Tyvek environmentally recyclable, how many bibs have ended up in land fill, plus pins? Waste of paper?

[andy]

Not being an EMIT expert how can your bib help as a backup to your time?

camera at finish line as double check of time, not strictly necessary to have a bib but makes identification less of a hassle.

[Tatty]

Good at multi day events as you can check your start time etc. However some people at the JK didn't do this and were late for their starts every day

[PhilJ]

The start times were not printed on the bibs at the JK, you were supposed to write them on after picking up the bib, not sure what that achieved though as many people didn't.

Happy for bibs at relays and multi days (WMOC), just not convinced at non multi days. Having a bib on does not make the event run any smoother nor make me run any faster. Not sure it makes the event look any more professional by wearing a bit of paper on your chest/leg, just more admin.

If we are talking about making O look more professional then that is a different question, answers on many postcards as to how O can be more professional, I suppose we need to define what we mean by "Professional" first.

[andy]

Bibs are a tiny part of 'professional' because you can put a sponsor logo on it, like at the 6 days in the past.

Event photographer + bibs with big logo = great opportunity

e.g. http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/Easy ... mSizeId=64

[DJM]

Bibs provide the best way of confirming that the right people are in the -1 min box at events where there is a timed start. At WMOC for example, there is always a Start official in the last box ticking off bib numbers against his list for each minute.

Bib numbers provide the only sure way of identifying runners who go OOB - especially relevant in some Sprint races.

[Mrs H]

I think bibs are good for urban events but only if they have URBAN ORIENTEERING written big as they show the public there is an orienteering race going on and (they may also be required for bona fide access to private premises) some very succinct web info should also be shown and the people wearing them should be dressed in an attractively athletic style remembering they are now moving adverts for the sport.

[MIE]

The bib, with number and sponsors logo(s), not only gives a "professional" look
it gives "joe public" the "look, it's a race" feel as they see the numbers etc. This is
particularly true of urban races where the competitors are more in contact with
the public. Even with non-urban orienteering the numbers will give the public
the "look, it's a race" impression more than seeing random runners progressing
through the forest. (And we want people to have the impression that orienteering
is a race, not just a random wander around with a map in hand as I did on Sunday )

[Duncan]

Having to produce, collect and pin on a bib is faff enough. Having to fill in your medical and contact details on the back is more faff. Why do you need medical and contact details in this way at the JK and British, but you don't need them in other events?