Adding photos to race results: one link from finish time to photos

When does a participant care most about their photos? The moment they look up their result. They've just seen their time, they're proud or relieved, and the next thing they want is a picture of the finish. If the results page has a link to the photos right there, they click it. If it doesn't, many never go looking. This page is for race organisers and timing teams: how to put photos alongside results, using Photohawk Studio as the example.

Why results and photos belong together

Results pages are the most visited pages after most events. Participants check their time, their position and their friends', often several times. Putting the gallery link there:

• reaches nearly everyone, not only people who open a separate photos email;
• catches people at the right moment, when they're thinking about the race;
• cuts the questions about where the photos are.

The simple, reliable setup: one link and a bib search

Every results system can show a link. The most reliable setup is:

1. A "Photos" link on the results page, beside each result or once at the top.
2. It goes to the event's gallery.
3. The participant searches by bib, which they can read from the result in front of them.

On Photohawk, bib numbers are read from the photos after upload, so the gallery is searchable by bib without anyone tagging photos. Participants whose numbers were hidden can use selfie search or browse the finish collection near their finish time, which they also have from the results. Our article on bib number search explains when bib search works best.

Finish times make browsing easy

Results give every participant an exact finish time. If the photographers' clocks were synced to the race clock, the finish collection is in effect sorted by finish time. A participant whose number was covered can open the finish collection near their time and find themselves in a few screens. Ask your photographer to sync their clocks to the timing system before the start.

Where to put the link

• The results page: beside each result or as a clear button at the top.
• The results email: near the top, not below the sponsor logos. "Your photos are ready" is the line people look for.
• The timing app, if participants use one to track results.
• Text messages, if you send finish times by SMS: one short line with the link.
• Your social posts announcing results.

Use the same link and the same wording everywhere.

Repeat it at each moment people think about the event. Our page on organiser marketing that gets photos seen covers timing and wording in more detail.

Timing the link with the gallery

Results are often published within minutes of the finish; photos used to take days. That gap is closing. With previews first, on every plan, Photohawk's web uploader puts light previews online before the originals, so a gallery can be searchable while the event is still running. As a guide, a 10,000-photo gallery can be live in about 8 minutes on a 20 Mbps upload. See how fast event photos can go online.

If the photos aren't online when results go out, say when they will be, and send the link as soon as they are. "Photos will be online this evening" is better than nothing.

For timing companies

If you time events for many organisers, a photos link is a simple extra that makes your results more useful. Agree with each event's photographer:

• the gallery link, ahead of race day if possible;
• clocks synced to the race clock;
• when the gallery will be live.

There's no integration to build: it's a link, and participants search by the bib from their result.

Privacy and results

Results already publish names, numbers and times. Photos with face search add biometric data, which needs its own notice. Tell participants before the event that photos will be taken and can be searched by face, and how to opt out. Our GDPR checklist for organisers lists what to cover.

A results-and-photos checklist

• Gallery link agreed with the photographer before race day.
• Photographers' clocks synced to the race clock.
• "Photos" link on the results page and in the results email.
• Same link and wording in the app, texts and social posts.
• If photos are later than results, a time given and a follow-up sent.

Photographers can create a free Studio account and share a gallery link with the timing team before the event.