Signs & Large Format Print
What runners actually want to find in the pack
After years of making materials for races and events, one pattern is clear: runners remember a pack for one or two things they go on to use. The rest ends up in the bin before they have left the car park.
The basics, without which the pack makes no sense:
- the race bib with safety pins or holes for magnets,
- a bag that holds everything (and later carries shoes or shopping),
- information on the course, bag drop and timings – ideally one sheet, not a brochure.
Items that add value to the pack:
- a T-shirt with the event logo – the reason runners mention most often for coming back next year,
- a water bottle or mug – practical, stays in the home for a long time, a good place for a sponsor's logo,
- a neck tube or headband – useful in autumn and winter,
- a lanyard or wristband for events with controlled access to certain zones.
What usually does not work: five leaflets from five sponsors, pens in a running pack, giveaways with no link to sport. One decent item beats a handful of trinkets.
Prices of race pack items
| Item | Indicative price | At a quantity of |
|---|---|---|
| A5 race bib, synthetic paper | approx. €0.35 | 500 pcs |
| Cotton bag with 1-colour print | from approx. €2.10 | 100 pcs |
| A4 print on a T-shirt (print only) | approx. €1.90–3.30 | from 100 / 20–49 pcs |
| 750 ml bottle with 1-colour print | from approx. €3.05 | 100 pcs |
| 300 ml travel mug with print | from approx. €7 | 100 pcs |
| Print on a cap | approx. €2.60 | from 25 pcs |
| DL folded leaflet, 4/4 | approx. €0.10 | 1000 pcs |
Working from these rates:
- basic pack – bib (€0.35) + printed bag (€2.10) + information leaflet (approx. €0.10) = approx. €2.60 net,
- standard pack – the same + T-shirt print at 100+ pcs (€1.90) + bottle (€3.05) = approx. €7.60 net plus the T-shirt,
- extended pack – standard + travel mug (€7) = approx. €14.60 net plus the T-shirt.
The T-shirt itself is priced by model (cotton, technical, women's, children's). Printed lanyards, wristbands and neck tubes can be priced instantly in the configurator at printstrap.com.
Sponsor items – how to fit them in sensibly
A sponsor who provides money or prizes usually wants something in the pack. That is fair, but it pays to steer it rather than accept whatever they bring.
What we advise organisers:
- Instead of separate leaflets from every sponsor – one shared leaflet, or the back of the race bib with sponsor vouchers. Less waste paper, and the sponsor knows the runner has seen it.
- The sponsor's logo on something that stays: a bottle, a bag, a neck tube. Sponsors pay more willingly for that kind of exposure than for a leaflet.
- Product samples (gels, bars, cosmetics) – yes, if they suit the sport. We can produce printed bars and sweets to order.
- Set a weight and size limit in advance, so the pack fits in the bag and can be handed out at race HQ in seconds.
How to link sponsors with event materials more broadly is covered in our guide how a club can earn from sponsors.
Packing and handing out race packs – logistics
The most common problem is not the contents, it is volunteers at race HQ hunting for a size M T-shirt in three boxes. A proven routine:
- Sizes in the entry form. Without them you are ordering T-shirts blind. Add 5–10% extra in the most popular sizes.
- The start list as one table – number, first name, surname, distance, T-shirt size.
- Each pack assigned to a number. A bag labelled with number and size is handed out in seconds.
- Sorted by number in boxes marked with ranges (1–100, 101–200…).
- A separate box for race-day entries – packs without a named bib.
We can assemble the packs in-house: folding and bagging a T-shirt is approx. €0.15 net per piece, labelling from the list approx. €0.10 net per piece. The complete pack is quoted from your brief; details on the race packs for runs and competitions page.
- 24 hexpress printing (UV inks need no drying)
- approx. 3 daysstandard lead time
- up to 14 dayslarge and custom projects with installation
Plus courier delivery. Tell us your date — we plan production around it.
When to order
Race bibs take approx. 3 working days to print, but a pack is several different products (T-shirts, prints, bottles, bags) and each has its own lead time. A safe timeline:
- 6 weeks before – decide on contents and budget, collect sponsor logos as vectors,
- 4–5 weeks before – order printed merchandise and T-shirts (sizes estimated from entries so far),
- 7–10 days before – close the named list, print the bibs,
- 2–3 days before – pack assembly and delivery to race HQ.
Bibs themselves (material, personalisation, list timeline) are covered in more detail in our guide race bib numbers.