TRANSFERRING RACE NUMBERS - Morning all, seeing as we have a lot of new members it's probably a good time to give a quick reminder about the rules in terms of giving or getting a race number from someone else for a race. UK Athletics have very clear rules when it comes to transferring a race number to another person - it is only allowed if the race organisers allow it and it is done through their formal processes for transferring a number to another person. Unless it is done this way you are not allowed to transfer a number to or from another person.

The reasoning behind this is to ensure there is no confusion or difficulties with results afterwards. If someone takes your number and races in your name the result is logged as you. If that person is particularly faster or slower it skews your recorded times. It can also have a significant impact on competition results. In some races it has been found that a man has run under a woman's number and come in the top three of the women's results meaning someone else has wrongly been denied a prize. This also holds true for the Merseyside Grand Prix races where an external body logs the results and works out placings for the overall standings. The results must be fair and accurate.
UK Athletics rules are also firm in terms of sanctions if this is found to have occured for both the individual runner and the club they run for. This could include the runner and the club being disqualified from a competition if other clubs were to complain.
Thanks for your understanding on this and if in doubt always check with the organisers of a race over what to do.