A bib is an athlete’s number worn on their shirt when they compete. It is typically composed of fabric or paper with a number, timing chip, and occasionally the athlete’s name or age group. The bib assists in identifying athletes, timing them, and coordinating the event.
You typically have bibs on your front in triathlon, riding, and long-distance racing. The bib is either pinned onto your attire or on a race belt. During triathlons, you may have the bib on for just the run component and then switch them over for riding. Some events use colored bibs for age groups, relay teams, or elite athletes. Athletes will sometimes retain bibs as remnants of an event. Numbers on bibs in large events also correlate with wave starts or seeding, which dictates when you start and how fast.
