Not every running event offers photos. Those that do add to the participant experience, and open up commercial, communications and marketing opportunities along the way. Photos can be paid for in different ways. At some events the runners buy them, at others the organiser or a sponsor pays, and often it's a mix. The models below differ mainly in who covers the cost and who benefits. For the event, the benefit is better content and a better experience for the runners, which is the key to many successful races.
How to choose
A few things decide which model fits:
- Number of attendees
- Appeal and importance of the event to runners
- Budget
- Who takes the risk
- What matters most to the event
- Whether a sponsor is paying for content
Here are the five models we see most often.
1. Official photographer at a major event
The organiser approves a photographer or an agency as the official partner, usually after a proposal or tender. The partner gets access, exclusivity and a place in the event's marketing. In some deals the photographer pays the organiser for those rights and keeps the sales revenue. The value of the deal depends heavily on the size and appeal of the event. Organisers often also receive a set of photos for their own marketing as part of the arrangement.
2. Free for the organiser, paid by the runners
Common at small and mid-size events. The organiser names a photographer as the official one but has a limited budget and wants to avoid risk. The photographer covers their own costs and earns by selling photos to runners. In return for official status and access, the photographer typically also provides the organiser with event photos to use in their marketing.
Sometimes it happens without any agreement at all. At public events, photographers can simply turn up, take photos and sell them. The main difficulty in this case is making runners aware of where to find and buy their photos.
3. Revenue share
The photographer sells to runners, and a share of the sales goes back to the organiser, a charity partner, or both. The split is agreed in advance. The photographer pays nothing for exclusivity but delivers quality content.
4. Photos included in the package
The organiser pays for the photography, usually a fixed fee, and every runner gets their photos free. The cost is built into the ticket price, or treated as part of the event's marketing budget.
5. Photos as part of a sponsorship package
A sponsor pays for the photography, or part of it, and in return gets visibility on the gallery, photos, downloads and/or emails. Runners get free photos, and the sponsor's brand appears on every download and share. The sponsor can also receive photos beyond the runners' own to use in their campaigns, visuals and promotions.
What every model needs
Whichever model you pick, runners only buy or share photos they can find. In running events, the most reliable way to find a photo is the bib number. That is why bib tagging underpins all five models: it turns a folder of thousands of images into something each runner can search in seconds.