How to Attach a Race Bib Without Safety Pins

Safety pins have been standard at races for about a hundred years, which is not the same thing as being good. They put four holes in a shirt you probably paid for, they work loose on a windy day, and they are almost impossible to attach neatly while you are cold and nervous at 6am. Here are the alternatives, and what to know before you use one.

1. A race belt with bib loops or toggles

This is the option most experienced racers land on. The bib threads onto a thin elastic belt using loops or plastic toggles, then the whole thing sits around your waist. The number stays flat, faces forward, and comes off in one second at the finish.

How to fit it: thread the belt through the bib so the number sits centred, buckle it around your waist over your shorts and under your shirt hem, then tighten until it is snug enough that it does not rotate when you twist.

Why racers like it: no holes, it transfers between events, and you can spin the bib around to the side or back at the finish line for photos.

2. Bib clips and magnets

Small plastic clips or magnet pairs that clamp the number to your shirt.

Good: quick to fit, no holes.

Less good: magnets can let go in a crash or a crowded start, and some events specifically ask you not to use them because the number can end up unreadable for the timing cameras.

3. Bib tape

Double sided fabric tape made for race numbers.

Good: completely flat, no rattle, cheap.

Less good: single use, and it does not love sweat or rain. Fine for a cool morning 10K, risky for a humid marathon.

4. Pin it to your shorts instead of your shirt

If pins are all you have, pin the number to your shorts rather than your race top. Shorts are cheaper to put holes in and the number sits lower where it is less likely to flap into your face.

Four rules that apply whatever you use

The number must face forward and stay flat

Timing at most large events uses a chip in or behind the bib plus camera reads of the printed number. A bib that has rolled into a tube is a bib the photographers cannot match to you.

Do not fold or cut it

Folding a bib can break the timing chip strip. Cutting it down to size will usually void your result. If the number is enormous, that is deliberate, and the organisers want it that way.

Check the race rules first

Some events, particularly triathlons and championship road races, specify exactly how the number must be worn. A race belt is almost always allowed and is often required for triathlon, since you spin the number from back to front between the bike and the run.

Practise once before race morning

Fit the belt or clips at home, do a few strides in the driveway, and make sure nothing rubs. The start line queue is a bad place to discover that your belt sits exactly on a seam.

What about the finish photos

If you care about your race photos, keep the number centred and unobstructed on your front. Jackets, hydration vests and bunched shirts are the usual culprits when a runner cannot find their pictures afterwards.

What TEMPO makes for this

The PACE Race Belt has bib loops built into the front panel, so your number threads straight on with no pins and no holes. It also carries two gels on the back, sits flat on low profile webbing, and comes in six colourways from $32.

New to racing and not sure what else you need on the start line? Our race day checklist covers the lot.