COMING SOONFor race directors & race photo companies

Race bib number recognition softwareEvery finisher's best photo, on their phone before they leave the finish area.

FilterPixel keeps the best frame of every runner's burst. Coming soon: runners find their photos by bib number and buy them while they still have their medal on. Or a sponsor pays, and every finisher gets them free.

Pilot a race See how it works

Burst culling runs on DeepCull today. Bib matching, runner checkout and sponsor-paid photos are coming soon, and run alongside your photographers.

Quick answer

What is bib number recognition software?

Bib number recognition software reads the race number on each runner's bib and tags every photo to that runner, so runners search a race's photos by bib number instead of scrolling a gallery. Race photography software builds on it to deliver or sell those photos with the race's and sponsors' branding. FilterPixel adds the step most tools skip: keeping only the best frame of every runner's burst, so runners see their best photos first.

SelectKeep the best frame of every runner's burst.
MatchLink photos to a bib number, not a face.
DeliverSell on the runner's phone, or let a sponsor pay.

How it works

How race photos reach runners before they leave.

Runner silhouetted on a road during a race — 01 · SHOOT

Your photographers shoot.

On the course, at the finish line and in the medal area, with the cameras they use today.

Best frame of every runner.

Blur, closed eyes and near-duplicates dropped, with one consistent edit. Live today.

Riverside Half241714 photos matchedIllustrative

03 · MATCH

Matched by bib number.

Adults can opt into selfie matching. Kids' races use bib numbers only. Coming soon.

On the runner's phone.

Runners buy before they leave, or a sponsor pays and they download free. Coming soon.

Why FilterPixel

Tagging finds every photo. FilterPixel finds the best one.

Live today

Built for bursts of thousands of runners

DeepCull's sports model scores every frame, keeps the best of each burst and drops blur, closed eyes and near-duplicates, up to 10,000 photos per event.

Coming soon

Sponsor-paid photos, free for every finisher

Participant crossing a muddy obstacle in a mud run

Coming soon

Bib numbers first. Faces only with consent.

Privacy

Can race photos use facial recognition?

Only with notice and consent. The GDPR treats biometric data used to identify a person as special-category data, usually needing explicit consent, and Texas' biometric identifier law requires notice and consent before a record of face geometry is captured for a commercial purpose. That's why FilterPixel matches by bib number by default, offers selfie matching only to adults who opt in, and uses bib numbers alone at kids' races. Check with your own counsel for each event.

Compare

Where FilterPixel fits in race photo tagging software.

Job	Full-service race photo companies	Bib tagging and sharing platforms	Face-matching photo apps	FilterPixel
Best frame of each runner	Varies	Not the focus	Not the focus	Picked automatically · live today
Find photos by bib number	Common	Core	Some add number recognition	Bib number by default · coming soon
Face matching	Some, with consent	Varies, some use none	Core	Opt-in adults only · never at kids' races
Photographers on the course	Supplied by them	Bring your own	Bring your own	Bring your own or your photo company
Sponsor-branded free photos	Offered by some	Sponsor watermarks on some	Varies	Sponsor-paid packages · coming soon
When runners see photos	Varies by provider	Once uploaded and tagged	Once uploaded	In the finish area · coming soon

Full-service race photo companies include MarathonFoto, FinisherPix and Sportograf. Bib tagging and sharing platforms include RunSignup, Race Roster, Pic2Go, FlashFrame and 9Pic BibTrack. Face-matching photo apps include Waldo. Features vary by vendor and plan, so check each vendor's current documentation.

Who it's for

For races where every finisher wants the photo today.

Marathons and half marathons

Thousands of runners through one finish line, all reaching for their phones.

Triathlons

Wetsuits, goggles and helmets hide faces, so numbers do the matching.

Trail and obstacle races

Mud, forest light and remote photo points, where bursts need sorting most.

Race photo companies

Your photographers and contracts. FilterPixel sorts the frames and speeds up delivery.

What a race pilot includes

Burst cullingBest frame of every runner. Live today.
One consistent editThe same look across every photographer. Live today.
Bib-number matchingRunners search by the number on their bib.
Opt-in selfie matchingAdults only, consent first. Never at kids' races.
Runner storeWatermarked previews and checkout on the phone.
Sponsor-paid packagesA sponsor pays and finishers download free.
Race and sponsor brandingLogos and frames on every photo.
Race reportPhotos delivered, shares and sponsor impressions.

Photographing junior leagues? See youth sports photography software, or read the sports photo culling guide.

Pilot

Pilot FilterPixel at one race.

We run alongside your photographers at one event and report what changed.

Finishers who found their photos by bib number
Photos bought, or downloaded under a sponsor package
Shares and sponsor logo impressions

Works with your photographersBib numbers by defaultNo app for runnersTerms agreed in writing

FAQ

Bib number recognition and race photography FAQ

Software that reads the numbers on runners' bibs in race photos and tags each photo to that bib, so runners can find their photos by number. FilterPixel pairs it with burst culling, so each runner sees their best frames first. Bib matching is coming soon; burst culling is live today.

It depends on the job. Full-service race photo companies supply photographers, bib tagging platforms match photos to runners, and FilterPixel keeps the best frame of each runner and gets it to their phone. Many races combine more than one.

Bib matching is coming soon. Runners enter their bib number or scan a QR code at the finish, then see the photos matched to that bib in their phone's browser. There is no app to install.

Recognition needs a readable number, and jackets, race belts and folded bibs can hide it. Adults can opt into selfie matching to find the rest. At kids' races there is no face matching, so unmatched photos stay in the event gallery.

It can be, with the right notice and consent. The GDPR treats biometric data used to identify people as special-category data, and Texas' biometric identifier law requires notice and consent before face geometry is captured for a commercial purpose. That's why bib matching is the default and selfie matching is opt-in for adults only.

That is coming soon as a sponsor package. A sponsor covers the photos, every finisher downloads theirs free, and the sponsor's logo or frame appears on each photo. Terms are agreed in writing before the race.

No. Your photographers or race photo company keep shooting. FilterPixel sorts the frames, keeps the best of each runner and, once bib matching arrives, handles matching and delivery.

The sports model in DeepCull gives every frame six scores, each with a reason, and keeps the best frame of every burst. Blur, closed eyes and near-duplicates are dropped, for up to 10,000 photos per event. This part is live today.

That is coming soon. Photographers upload as they shoot, frames are culled and matched to bibs, and runners see watermarked previews on their phone while they are still at the race.

Yes. Where wetsuits, helmets or mud hide faces, bib numbers do the matching, and burst culling handles the difficult light of forest and early-morning courses.

Not yet. Integrations with timing and registration platforms are not built. For a first event, a participant list with bib numbers is enough.

Yes. Logos, sponsor frames and watermarks can be added to every photo, as FilterPixel already does for live event photo delivery at conferences.

Pilot terms are agreed in writing before the race, whether runners buy their photos or a sponsor pays for them.

Updated 16 September 2026