From the starting line to the finishing stretch, here are 5 tips for making your signage stand out, whether you’re hosting a marathon, a 5k, a triathlon, or a fun run.

Marathons, fun runs, 5Ks, triathlons— warmer weather signals the beginning of peak racing season, and tons of runners, walkers, and cyclists are dusting off the winter cobwebs and hitting the pavement. If you’re organizing a marathon or race this spring, whether you’re a business, non-profit, community group, or anything in between, you’ll need to perfect your signage to ensure your event goes off without a hitch.

From starting off right to finishing the last few strides strong, here are five ways to make your marathon signage stand out.

Perfect the Color Scheme

While it’s nice to make your sign look good, you also want to make sure it’s as easy to read as possible. By utilizing a high color contrast, you can increase the legibility of your sign. That way, whether runners or bicyclists are up-close-and-personal or a few hundred yards down the street, they’ll still be able to read the text clearly.

Fine-Tune the Fonts

Since people will be in the midst of a race when they read most of your signage, your font should be as clear as possible. Pick something bold that stands out from its surroundings, so participants don’t have to strain to see where they need to go next.

Keep it Simple

There’s a time and a place for intricately designed signs, but a marathon likely isn’t one of them. You don’t want to generate any confusion about where the race starts, where to go next, and where it ends. This isn’t to say you need to make the signs black and white, but try to keep them as bright and clear as possible and avoid overly busy designs.

Location, Location, Location

Typically, the race route will be planned out in advance, so you won’t need to decide where to put the starting and finishing signs — but you should give some thought to how you’ll position any directional signs along the way, as well as how you’d like to display them. Do you want A-frame sides along the street? Standard stake signs to post in the grass? Think about your race route, the best options for visibility, and your budget. If you need a little help deciding, we’d be more than happy to offer our professional opinion.

Incorporate Your Brand

If you’re sponsoring the race, then you should make sure you leave your mark somehow. While you don’t have to put your logo on every directional sign, consider adding some flair to the starting and finishing signs. You may also want to create a custom banner to hang on the registration table.

Ready, Set, Go

At Jack Rabbit Signs, we’ve been helping people design signs, banners, graphics and more for over 25 years. Whether you need help crafting your marathon materials or have another need for professional sign creation, we’d be more than happy to help. For more information, feel free to give us a call at 919-571-1185, or visit us in Raleigh, NC at 6025 Glenwood Ave # B.