Medical Coordinator Chris Troyanos warns that one of the most dangerous mistakes he sees on race days is unauthorized bib transfers, a trend he’s seen increase in recent years. Giving a bib number away may seem harmless, but it is forbidden by race rules for safety measures. The medical team treats between 100 to 150 runners during the race – and part of their duty is ensuring that emergency contacts are notified if a runner is receiving treatment or moved from a tent to the hospital.
Troyanos explains, “For family members who cannot find their loved ones there is a tremendous amount of anxiety.” The medical team seeks to relieve that anxiety through the family relations tent, dedicated solely to communicating the runner’s whereabouts when they are being medically evaluated. The problem? “If an individual gets a bib number transferred from another runner then the emergency contact info doesn’t change.”
This results in alarming an emergency contact who may not be aware their loved one’s bib was transferred. In addition, if a runner is unconscious or in a medical state after running with a false bib, the team may not be able to determine their true identity. Running unregistered also poses the risk of there being no associated emergency contact in the database to get in touch with. Troyanos sums the issue up: “The danger is passing on erroneous information that’s not fair to a number of people.”
A similar problem occurs when underage runners are separated from their families during the race and find themselves in need of medical care. “There is not much we can do without parental permission,” Troyanos says. “From my standpoint, underage athletes should stay with family as much as possible.”
In these situations, the medical team’s top priority is to treat the runner while minimizing family anxiety. Troyanos has access to the database of all runners and their emergency contacts, but if the runner is underage or has a false bib, it becomes a tough call.
In the waiver documentation, all runners must sign an agreement that their bib is non-transferrable. If a runner is seen covering or altering their running number, selling it or giving it away, they will be disqualified and rejected from the next ASICS Falmouth Road Race. The penalty for transferring bibs is firm to ensure that the utmost precautions are taken with every runner’s safety and that the medical team can do their job best.
“We have a very good safety net of 250 volunteers, 10 dedicated ambulances from Boston, several tents and active communication,” says Troyanos. The large medical team on race day is there to keep everyone safe by following the rules of the race, and “Do not transfer the bib is number one.”
By Olivia dePunte