BACK OF BIB DESIGN

Design rationale, field justification, and England Athletics aligned references

Document purpose

This report records the reasoning behind the design of the medical information area printed on the reverse of race bibs. It is intended to support queries from stakeholders (including officials, medical providers, venues, and participants) about:

• Why we request certain information on the bib

• Why we no longer request other information previously included (for example, address)

• How the design supports immediate medical response and aligns with licensing standards

• How the design applies GDPR principles such as data minimisation and purpose limitation

Primary safety objective

The back of bib template is designed to provide immediately accessible, high value information to first aiders and medical teams if a participant becomes unwell, collapses, or is unable to communicate.

This is particularly important because:

• Phones may be locked, out of battery, or separated from the runner

• A participant may be unconscious or confused

• Emergency contact details and critical medical notes can materially reduce time to appropriate care

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Governing body references (quoted)

UK Athletics licence standards (used for UKA licensed road events, including England Athletics licensing routes)

The UKA licence standards for road and multi-terrain events state:

• “A Medical Information Template will be printed on the reverse of the runner’s race bib to gather emergency contact details, medication and/or any medical information.”

• “Event Organisers will request all competitors to complete the template.”

Cross country licence standards include equivalent wording:

• “A Medical Information Template may be printed on the reverse of the runner’s bib to gather emergency contact details, medication and/or any medical conditions.” UK Athletics

These statements support the principle that the reverse of bibs is an appropriate place to request emergency contact details and key medical information.

England Athletics statement on number swapping risk

England Athletics warn that swapping or obtaining numbers through unofficial channels can lead to disqualification:

• “Some runners buy entries through unofficial channels or simply swap numbers and end up with a non-transferable number, which can lead to disqualification …” England Athletics

This supports including a short “no bib swapping” instruction on the bib for safety and integrity.

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GDPR and welfare principles applied

The bib back is designed to reflect recognised data protection principles:

• Data minimisation: collect only what is needed for the purpose

• Purpose limitation: collect it for emergency response, not general administration

• Practical completion: fields must be quick and easy to complete, or completion rates fall

• Reduced exposure: bibs can be photographed, lost, or discarded, so avoid unnecessary personal identifiers

This approach also aligns with welfare expectations that event organisers take reasonable steps to support participant safety while not collecting unnecessary personal data.

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In this section, we considered the following elements for each field:

1. medical usefulness in an emergency

2. operational value

3. GDPR risk

4. completion impact

5. recommendation.

1. Runner name

Medical value: Moderate. Helps responders confirm identity when speaking to the casualty, spectators, or event staff, and supports contacting the correct next of kin.

Operational value: Useful for matching bib to entry list if bibs are not personalised on the front.

GDPR risk: Low to moderate. A name alone is personal data, but generally lower risk than address or full date of birth.

Completion impact: Low. Easy and quick to write.

Recommendation: Include (required).

Rationale: High usability with low burden and supports emergency response without collecting excessive data.

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2. Emergency contact name

Medical value: High. Allows staff to confirm the relationship and reduce errors when contacting family or support.

Operational value: High in any incident management process.

GDPR risk: Moderate (third party personal data), but proportionate for emergency response.

Completion impact: Low.

Recommendation: Include (required).

EA aligned basis: UKA licence standards explicitly refer to gathering “emergency contact details” on the reverse of the bib.

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3. Emergency contact telephone number

Medical value: Very high. Enables rapid contact where urgent decisions or safeguarding actions are needed.

Operational value: Very high.

GDPR risk: Moderate (personal data), but clearly proportionate for the emergency purpose.

Completion impact: Low.

Recommendation: Include (required).

EA aligned basis: UKA licence standards explicitly support gathering “emergency contact details”.

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4. Medical conditions

Medical value: Very high. Examples include diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, cardiac conditions, severe anaphylaxis history.

Operational value: High. Helps medics prioritise and treat appropriately.

GDPR risk: High (special category health data). Mitigated by: it is voluntarily provided, minimal, and intended for emergency use only.

Completion impact: Low to moderate. Some participants may leave blank.

Recommendation: Include (optional, strongly encouraged).

EA aligned basis: UKA standards refer to gathering “any medical information” or “any medical conditions” on the reverse of the bib.

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5. Allergies

Medical value: Very high, particularly for medication allergies and severe food allergies.

Operational value: High.

GDPR risk: High (health data), but proportionate for emergency response.

Completion impact: Low.

Recommendation: Include (optional, strongly encouraged).

EA aligned basis: Falls under “medical information” / “medical conditions” described in licence standards.

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6. Medication

Medical value: High. Can inform treatment decisions and avoid harmful interactions.

Operational value: Moderate to high.

GDPR risk: High (health data), but proportionate for emergency response and limited in scope.

Completion impact: Moderate. Some runners may be unsure what to write.

Recommendation: Include (optional, encouraged).

EA aligned basis: Licence standards explicitly include “medication”.

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7. Date of birth

Medical value: Low to moderate. Age can sometimes be clinically relevant, but responders typically assess approximate age, and most care pathways do not require exact DOB at first contact.

Operational value: Moderate for identity confirmation in certain incidents, particularly if multiple people share a similar name, or where entry lists are large.

GDPR risk: Moderate to high. Full DOB increases identifiability, especially if combined with name and event context.

Completion impact: Moderate. Adds friction and is sometimes skipped.

Recommendation: Include as optional only, or omit entirely depending on event profile.

Reasoning for optional:

• Can help confirm identity in some scenarios

• Not essential for the core UKA licence standard purpose (emergency contact and medical notes)

Reasoning against:

• Increases personal data exposure on an item that can be photographed or lost

• Can reduce completion rate of the more important medical fields if the form feels too long

Current proposed position: Name required, DOB optional, address not collected.

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8. Home address

Medical value: Very low. In almost all race day medical scenarios, address is not required for immediate treatment or emergency contact.

Operational value: Low. Address is already held in the entry system where relevant.

GDPR risk: High. The address materially increases privacy risk if the bib is lost, photographed, or posted online.

Completion impact: High negative impact. Many participants will not complete an address on a bib, particularly in wet conditions or if they are rushed.

Recommendation: Do not include.

Reasoning: Address is a high risk, low benefit field that can reduce completion of the important information and increase GDPR exposure.

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9. GP name, surgery, NHS number (occasionally requested by some organisers)

Medical value: Usually low on race day and rarely used at point of care.

GDPR risk: High, and the data is often inaccurate or unavailable.

Completion impact: High negative impact.

Recommendation: Do not include.

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10. Bib swapping statement (front or back)

Including a short instruction discouraging swaps supports safety and results integrity. England Athletics have publicly warned about disqualification risk linked to swapping or unofficial transfers. England Athletics

Recommended short wording (back of bib):“This race number is personal to you. Do not transfer or swap.”

Keep it factual, safety focused, and brief.

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11. Removing the timing chip

The instruction “Do not remove foam timing chip” is included because the timing chip is a small foam backed disposable microchip attached to the rear of the race bib. Some participants may not recognise it as part of the timing system and may attempt to remove it in error.

Removal of the chip will prevent the runner from being accurately recorded at the start, finish or intermediate timing points, leading to missing or incorrect results. The instruction is therefore included to ensure reliable timing and fair results for all participants.

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12. Please recycle your bib

We have also added a recycling symbol to our race bibs to encourage participants to recycle them with their normal household recycling once the event has finished. Race bibs are typically made from recyclable synthetic paper, and placing a clear recycling prompt helps reduce unnecessary waste. This small addition supports more environmentally responsible events and makes it easier for runners to dispose of their bibs correctly after the race.

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13. Results QR Code
    

Each race bib also includes a QR code that links directly to the live results page on our website. This allows runners, supporters, and officials to access results quickly without needing to search online or rely on announcements. It also reduces the need for printed results and helps participants follow progress during and immediately after the event.

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Final recommended template text (print proof)

BACK OF BIB

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Summary of decisions

• We include: runner name, emergency contact name and number, medical conditions, allergies, medication because UKA licence standards support gathering these details on the reverse of the bib for completion by the runner.

• We exclude: address because it provides minimal emergency value, increases GDPR exposure, and discourages completion.

• We include: DOB as optional where beneficial for identity confirmation, but not required for the core emergency function.

• We include a short no bib swapping statement supported by England Athletics warning content about swapping leading to disqualification risk. England Athletics

• We include a short do not remove timing chip statement to avoid unintentional timing errors.

If you have any questions regarding bib design, please email: info@sublimetiming.com