Can't find your photos? Here's what it means

In short

You searched with a selfie or your bib number and got nothing. Two things could be going on:

1. Most likely: there are no photos of you in this album (yet). Photographers can't capture every single participant, and many keep uploading for days after the event.
2. Less often: your photos are there, but the search didn't catch them. Our recognition is genuinely good - but no AI is perfect. A face that's tiny in the frame, half-covered by sunglasses, or turned away can slip through. So can a bib that's folded, covered by a jacket, or out of frame.

The good news: there's a clear checklist to tell which case is yours. If you haven't searched yet, start with How to find your photos.

1. Try the other search

If you searched by bib number, try a selfie - your face often appears in shots where your number isn't visible (finish-line hugs, side angles, candids).

If you searched by selfie, try your bib number - bibs get matched in photos where your face is small or turned away.

If you searched by clothing color, switch to a selfie or bib number - these are far more reliable. Color search (Beta) is only a rough approximation: it groups photos by the dominant color of clothing, so it routinely misses shots and includes wrong ones. Use it as a quick first pass, never as proof your photos aren't there.

One search missing you doesn't mean another will.

Found one photo of you or a friend? Open it and use Find someone's photos, then pick the face: we show every photo in the album where that person appears, including shots a selfie search missed.

2. Give the search its best shot

For selfie search:

• Use a recent, well-lit photo, facing the camera - like a passport photo, but happier.
• Just you in the frame.
• No sunglasses, no hat, no mask. If you wore sunglasses during the event, still use a clear selfie without them - we match the parts of your face that are visible.
• Avoid heavy filters.

For bib search:

• Type the number exactly as it was printed, letters included (e.g. A1024).
• Double-check against your race confirmation or your bib itself - it's surprisingly easy to mix up a digit from memory.

3. Browse all the photos

Searching is a shortcut, not a guarantee. The only way to be 100% sure is to look through the album yourself - clear the filters and browse everything, especially around the times and places you passed (start, finish, big landmarks).

If the album shows Browse by section cards, open the section that matches where you were (Swim, Bike, Finish line...) and you'll only scroll through those photos.

It happens: people find a great photo of themselves where they're facing away from the camera, mid-crowd, or where the bib is hidden - photos no search could have matched to them.

Albums that only show your photos

Some photographers turn off browsing. If the album says "This gallery only shows the photos that match you. Take a selfie to see yours.", there is no full gallery to look through and bib search isn't available: the selfie is the only way in. In that case:

• Try again with a clear, well-lit selfie facing the camera, following the tips above.
• If you still don't show up, reach out to the photographer. They can look for you in their photos.

4. Come back later

Photographers often upload in batches - sometimes the same evening, sometimes during the following week. If the event just ended, check again in a day or two. Also check whether the event has other albums from other photographers; you may be in someone else's coverage.

To avoid checking by hand, open the event page and tap Get notified (you need to be signed in). We'll email you when a new album is published in that event.

Still nothing?

Then the most likely answer is that no photographer caught you this time - it happens to everyone at big events, and it's nobody's fault. If you think something else is wrong (for example, friends can see photos of you that your search doesn't return), reach out to the photographer or contact us and we'll take a look.