What do you do with your race bibs? Do you save them, display them, or just toss them?
This question occurred to me after seeing Tom Bourne’s fridge photo (above) that he posted on Facebook last week.
For years, I kept every single one — meticulously recording the race name, date, my time and place on the back — and then filing them (It can’t surprise you that I would be so anal as to file them by year, and in chronological order, right?) But, in recent years I’ve started to toss many of my bibs because….well, in 15 years, I don’t think I’ve ever looked at my old bibs (unless I was searching for a PR…and now it’s easier to just look at the results online).
Here is what other area runners had to say:
I put the race and time information on them and use my refrigerator as an expensive bulletin board. I figure I can post 2 years worth. Helps deter me on those late night munchy runs to the refrigerator. —Tom Bourne
I keep them in a binder, and I write the date/race/time and place on them. — Ginny Sackett
I have only saved one…from the Knock Out Parkinson’s 5k…September 18, 2010 — my P.R.! —Rana Evanoff
They usually end up in places such as under the seats of my vehicle, in a drawer of my office desk, in a envelope that gets lost, the garbage, I use some of them as page dividers for the running magazines I read and some get lost in my gym bag. I think that’s about it. I do take care of my marathon bibs and endurance run bibs, those have meaning, going that distance, only so many can achieve. I hope that many more will! I’m thinking of purchasing a bibfolio. — Dan Smith
I stick them in my burgundy Erie Marathon bag. —Pat Krott
I save meaningful ones like my first 5k, my first 10k and my favorite races. I write always write my times on them, too. — Karen Groshek
I save every one….I have a whole wall in my rec room covered with race bibs dating back more than 20 years, and another stack that would cover two more walls. I write the race and my time on each one. Ah…the memories…. — Tom Toale
I throw every one away
OCD you know! Tom, You are truly inspiring. —Barb Armour
I hang them in my laundry room after I write the date and result on them. — Beth McLaughlin
They have to be pretty special to keep. Generic bibs are definitely tossed. — Jan Comi
I save all marathon bibs, other special out of town race bibs and sometimes I save the bibs for local races that I placed in my age group. I note all pertinent information on the back of the bibs. They are just kept in a folder and not displayed anywhere. — Karen Manganaro
I keep the big races, my first half, my first marathon and any big race that may also come with race photos. My intention was to frame them all with the pictures, but I haven’t seemed to get that far yet, so I do keep the big ones in hopes that one day I will get around to it. — Amy Cronk
I save all of them but they are not in display – they are in a drawer somewhere
I used to save bibs from big races — New York City Marathon, Boston, etc. — but I no longer save any, and have, with my older age discovered I have no idea where the ones I saved are anymore anyway. My kids and grandkids will find them someday when I`m long gone and they are looking for good stuff for their own use — LOL! — Rick Armstrong
Saved two from the OC50K. They are taped up in my rolltop desk where I can see them daily so I can get psyched to do another in Oct. — Linda Young
I received one of those runners’ bib wall holders for a Christmas gift. — John Guerriero
I have them all. I write the date, race name and my times on the back. I also note any other interesting information (if I ran with someone) and then I stuff them in my cedar chest. — Rhonda Berlin
Most of my race bibs are in a HUGE scrapbook with pictures, results, etc. I could probably fill another with the last year or so of my races before moving down here to Florida. Now that I’m not running much, it’s neat to flip through the memories! — Sarah Rose
Need more ideas? Here are 21 Uses for Your Old Race Bibs AND…check out the Running on the Wall etsy shop.
Next Question: What is your favorite out-of-town race??????
