After finishing a race, you're faced with a choice: what to do with the bib? Toss it in the nearest trash can? Stuff it in a shoebox and hide it in the back of a closet? Or show it off to the world? More than ever, runners are finding creative ways to use their bibs once the race is over. Consider these ideas:
- Scrapbook it.
One of the most common ways for runners to memorialize a race is to tape the bib into a scrapbook alongside race photos, wristbands, and other mementos. You might also want to record your time and place and write a short description of how the race went.
- Hang it on your wall.
Although not appropriate for all rooms, bibs can brighten the walls of a dorm, recreation room, or garage. You might even pin all of your bibs together into a chain and string it up for a party on National Running Day. Check out Pynk Fitness for step by step instructions to re-create the awesome R. U. N. letters above.
- Instagram it. Tweet it. Post a photo on Facebook or Pinterest.
No matter which social media platform you prefer, posting a post-race bib photo is a great way to let all of your friends and family know about your accomplishment.
- Make it into a quilt or bag.
Crafty runners have found ways to weave race bibs into quilts and tote bags. There are also several companies that provide this service.
- Donate it to a running store.
Some local stores accept used race bibs from their patrons to adorn their walls. If that’s the case at your hometown store, contributing a bib is a great way to show that you are a part of the running community.
No matter what you decide to do with your old race bibs, they can make for great conversation-starters. You could keep your scrapbook on the coffee table in your living room, and when your running friends flip through it over a post-long run brunch, you'll never run out of things to talk about. You're also bound to get lots of comments on your social media posts from impressed friends and family members.
Choose a Bib that Stands Out
For race directors looking to advertise annual races, it’s important to provide a bib that is worth showing off. Often, the bibs that get the most questions (or Facebook “likes”) are the bright, colorful bibs, not the bland, boring kind that consist of only a black number on a white background. Plus, adding the name of the race to the bib automatically gets the word out about your event when someone sees it on their Instagram feed or the wall of a store. Boulder Bibs offers customized racing bibs that can stand out among all the rest, no matter how your runners choose to display them.
photo on main blog page from Pynk Fitness