Selling a Race Bib: Are You Guilty?

Image from On The Road Again

Just like anything else, there’s a code of conduct and and ethics that go along with racing. A certain level of respect is expected from the person racing as well as the company putting on the race. Some rules are followed, while others not so much.

This brings up the act of selling or transferring your race bib. Most races do not allow you to transfer your bib to another individual. This is usually because of safety reasons. If you get hurt, they won’t be able to look you up because your bib will have someone else’s information on it.

Some races actually do allow you to transfer your bib and /or sell it. It’s all done through the company putting on the race though, so everything is monitored. I believe Marine Corps Marathon is one of the few that allows you to do this.

Selling your bib or giving it to someone else happens a lot. It is considered illegal in the Race World, but it happens way more often than you probably expect. If you get caught, there are some hefty repercussions that both individuals have to face. The NYC marathon has pretty strict regulations regarding this, as do I’m sure most bigger races.

Wearing someone else’s bib can also cause issues with the starting corrals and the overall results. Someone could win an age group award for a group they aren’t even actually part of. Or you could have people lining up in a faster corral because their bib number says that’s where they should be, but in all reality they run 1-2 minutes slower than that projected pace. These are the things that cause our racing pet peeves.

I’m always weary about this subject. I definitely would never consider it for a huge race such as New York City, or for a race that I actually cared about, i.e, one that I planned on “racing”. Call me a wuss, but I would feel guilty about it. I guess I’m a rule follower and not a rule breaker. Or maybe I would just want my official name to be attached to the race I was about to run.

How do you feel about illegally transferring your bib? Have you ever done it?

Author Bio: Stephanie works in the television industry, but is also the head editor of ireallylikefood. She is addicted to running races and writes about her training on her blog Epicurious Runner. She loves to eat, drink good beer, and travel with her husband. Find out more about Stephanie here and follow her on Twitter.