How race photo search works, and is it private?

Where event support, account eligibility, consent, age, and jurisdiction gates allow it, selfie search can return likely matches from eligible published photos. Here is what is actually happening under the hood, how it compares to the old bib-number method, and, because it is a fair question, exactly what happens to your face data afterwards.

How it works, step by step

1. Where event, account, consent, age, and jurisdiction gates allow it, you provide consent and upload one selfie on the event photo page. A clear, front-on photo works best, but missed and false matches are possible.
2. The system creates a face embedding,which is a mathematical representation of your facial geometry, not a stored picture. It does the same for the faces in the event’s race photos.
3. It compares your embedding to eligible event photos and returns likely matches from covered camera positions.
4. Your selfie image is deleted within 60 seconds of matching. A one-time search does not retain its derived face signature; consent and audit records may remain.

Why it beats searching by bib number

For decades the only way to find race photos was by bib number, which depends on a camera and a human clearly reading the number on your chest. That fails constantly: bibs get turned, folded, soaked, pinned under jackets, blocked by other runners, or simply misread. Any of those conditions can cause bib search to miss a photo. Where event, account, consent, age, and jurisdiction gates allow it, selfie search can return likely eligible matches even when your number was not legible. The wider bib-free playbook is in how to find your race photos without a bib number.

Is it private? What happens to your face data

This is the part people rightly want to understand. Face matching uses biometric data, and in the United States that is regulated in several states, including Illinois (BIPA), Texas (CUBI), and Washington (RCW 19.375). A responsible platform treats it carefully. On PodiumBase specifically:

• The selfie image is deleted within 60 seconds of matching.
• Event-page and eligible cross-event one-time searches do not retain a derived face signature; separate enrollment can retain one under active consent.
• You can opt out of face matching at any time.
• A state-aware posture governs where and how the selfie feature is offered, per the laws above.

The event-page one-time search retention schedule and your rights are on our trust & safety page and in the event-search biometric FAQ. Cross-event search and enrollment present separate disclosures before use.

How accurate is it, really?

Where event support, account eligibility, consent, age, and jurisdiction gates allow it, face matching is designed to return likely matches through the messy reality of racing: mid-stride, sweaty, sunglasses on, partially turned. It still needs a clear enough view of your face in a given frame. If your face is fully hidden, that frame may not be returned, and false positives or missed matches remain possible.

The bottom line

Where event support, account eligibility, consent, age, and jurisdiction gates allow it, selfie search can narrow a large gallery to likely eligible matches by using your face instead of relying on a readable bib. PodiumBase deletes the one-time selfie image within 60 seconds and does not retain its derived face signature. Find my race photos to check your event.