Search Race Photos by Name: Upload a Participant List
Families and friends often want to search race photos by name, not by the number on a vest. If the gallery only accepts a bib, they bounce. Upload a bib-to-name list so the same photos become searchable by participant name.
TL;DR: Name search is a BibTrack add-on, not a reverse-image people search. Upload a CSV that maps bib numbers to names. Families can then search race photos by name while the same photos stay searchable by bib and selfie.
Why people search race photos by name
Bib search works when the runner still has the number, or when a friend photographed the vest. It fails for the next most common visitor: a parent, partner, or teammate who knows the name and not the bib. If the gallery only asks for a number, they leave.
Organisers often assume “everyone knows their bib.” Registration emails get deleted. Relays share one number across a team. Kids’ races are searched by a parent. The query is search race photos by name or find marathon photos by name. The product job is to accept a participant list so that search hits the same photos BibTrack already tagged.
This is not a people-finder. Generic “search photos by name” results are Google Photos albums, Apple People, and reverse-face lookup. Name search here is a race gallery feature: name in, photos of that bib out.
How name search works
Name search is a BibTrack add-on. It cannot run without bib search, because the name does not live on the photo. The name lives on a mapping file that says bib 482 is Priya Shah. When someone types Priya, the gallery resolves the bib and returns the photos tagged to 482.
Upload the list
A CSV maps bib numbers to participant names from registration or the timing partner.
Search by name
The public gallery accepts a name. Fuzzy matching helps when spelling is close but not exact.
Same photo set
Results are the bib-tagged photos, not a second index. Bib, name, and selfie can all reach the same images.
How to turn name search on
- Create an endurance event with Bib Search enabled. Name search is offered after the event exists, not as a standalone toggle at create time.
- Open Photos → Configuration. Under Bib Search, enable Name Search.
- Upload a bib-to-name CSV. Keep columns consistent: one bib per row, one display name, no mixed encodings.
- Save the configuration. Name search only applies after you save.
- Process photos so bibs exist on images. A name with no tagged bib returns nothing.
If bib detection missed shots, fix those with manual bib tagging before you expect name search to be complete. Name lookup cannot find a photo that was never tagged to that bib.
What belongs in the participant list
- Use the public name. The name on the start list is usually better than a legal name nobody will type.
- One row per bib. Relays and teams need a rule: search the team name, the runner names, or both. Do not silently map four people to one bib unless that is the intended result.
- Match the bib format. If BibTrack stores
A482, the CSV should not store482unless your detection strips the letter. - Ask the timer first. Timing exports already have bib and name. That is faster than retyping registration.
Name search is for the official event gallery, not for finding a stranger on the internet. Keep the mapping inside the event. If the gallery is private, name search still respects that access.
Name, bib, selfie, and sponsor search
| Visitor knows | Search to offer | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| The bib number | Bib search | BibTrack plus processed photos |
| The runner’s name | Name search | Bib search plus a bib-to-name CSV |
| A face, not a number | FaceFind | Selfie search enabled before processing |
| A brand or zone | Context search | Keyword-to-tag mapping under Bib Search |
For a marathon, all four can be on at once. For a school sports day without bibs, skip name search and use selfie search. Do not turn on name search without a list. An empty mapping just produces empty results.
FAQ
Can I enable name search without bib search?
No. Name search resolves a name to a bib, then returns photos tagged to that bib. Enable Bib Search, upload the CSV, then save.
Does name search work if the bib was never detected?
No. Fix detection or tag the photo by hand. The name mapping cannot attach to a photo that has no bib.
Is this the same as searching Google Photos by a person’s name?
No. Those products name faces in a private library or search the open web. This is an event gallery lookup from a start list you upload.
Where do I get the CSV?
Registration or the timing partner. Export bib and name, check the bib format matches detection, then upload in Configuration.
Next steps
If families keep asking how to find marathon photos by name, the missing piece is usually the participant list, not another search box. Enable Name Search under BibTrack, upload the mapping, and keep FaceFind on for people who have neither name nor bib. Book a demo to wire this into an upcoming race.