Comments on: Race Shirt Etiquette

By: Jean

Jean — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:51:15 +0000

I don’t wear race shirts before the race. However I think that runners who DNF deserve a break. They entered the race with the best of intentions to finish the course. Things happen, they get injured, or physically sick and need to drop out. They can and should wear their race shirt, with PRIDE. To suggest that runners who DNF should be embarrassed to wear their race shirt is a bit harsh.

By: D. A. Shaver

D. A. Shaver — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:37:32 +0000

I love races and things I get from races and sometimes I might put a shirt on after a race but I never wear a shirt in a race unless if from an old race. I usually decide what to wear before leaving home.
A better question my wife first asked is, would it be ok to wear a shirt if you only helped out and didn’t actually run that race? This is would be much less of an issue if it were just a 5k. What you helped with the Iron Man Triathlon in Hawaii and came home. If you wore that shirt you would have tell all of your friends no I did not run this I just helped out. Non–runners would never ask they don’t know what running t-shirts are.
At a restaurant onetime we actually had a waitress laughing at us because we drove 50 miles to run a race. This is from a person who would not drive across town to run a race. Maybe she was just jealous because my wife and I always go to races together and then wear matching t-shirts or sweatshirts out to eat after the race.

D. A. Shavers last blog post..Running Journal January 25, 2009

By: Karen

Karen — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:11:01 +0000

I agree with the etiquette issues you mention regarding the wearing of the shirt. But one point you sort of touched on but didn’t fully explore is that most serious runners wouldn’t run in the race t-shirts anyways – before or after a race. Even the wicking shirts I’ve been getting at triathlon races are still too hot for me to wear when running. My point? I think most of us relegate the shirts to household wear, gym wear or pajama wear regardless.

Now if I could only figure out the pretentious, unsaid rules of cyclists….

By: Ian

Ian — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:11:16 +0000

Well, I suppose we could send them to a homeless shelter or to needy people in 3rd World Countries, but only if we first brand the shirts with a scarlet DNF. Although I usually try not to let charitable causes get in the way of my adherence to pretentious race shirt rules. Ian's last blog post..To Slip ‘n Slide or to not to?

By: Anne

Anne — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:10:29 +0000

The freebies from the previous year were to get rid of the abundance, so if the race organizers shouldn't 'donate' them to entrants -- and they apparently shouldn't sell them for a steep discount to the general running public -- what should they do with them? If no one besides finishers are entitled, I guess donating them to a homeless shelter is out too????? Anne's last blog post..Wordless Wednesday

By: Dawn - Pink Chick

Dawn - Pink Chick — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:38:04 +0000

Funny, years ago when I first started racing I thought you were supposed to wear the shirt on race day. Then at the race I saw people with other shirts and thought boy are they silly. Little did I know I was the silly one…lol.

I’m a firm believer you only wear shirts from races you’ve done. I do however volunteer year after year for a local marathon and have a whole collection of shirts from each year. However, I have done the marathon once and the half for the event three times so I’m fine with wearing the shirts from other years. It’s my way of advertising the event to recruit runners and volunteers if asked about it.

Like a few others most of my cotton ones sit in the drawer. I wear them with jeans or shorts but very rarely to run in. The tech shirts however, I wear over and over and over. Good thing I have lots.

I teach “Learn to Run” and even my newbie runners don’t wear their shirt until after they’ve run their race. Training them how to run and also instilling all the superstitions as well…lol.

Dawn – Pink Chick’s last blog post..Extra! Extra! Read All About it!

By: Audrey

Audrey — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:16:14 +0000

Good topic! I personally choose to wait to run the race before wearing the shirt. And I would never wear a race shirt from a race I didn’t run. Same thing with the Nike Marathon’s Tiffany necklaces – I think you should only wear them if you ran the half or full marathon. But that’s just me!

And I agree with P.O.M. and Laura – most of the cotton T’s I get, I wouldn’t wear period. But I have gotten some cute technical Ts! (On a sorta related but not really topic – what’s up with the Chicago Marathon T’s being just a plain old long sleeve cotton T??? Wouldn’t you think one of the “World Major” marathons would give you a technical shirt?)

Audrey’s last blog post..Race Report: 10K on the 10th / Human Race

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:44:06 +0000

I'm with Jess... the bottom drawer of my dresser is filled with them. I really should look into one of those runner's quilty things but... I also kind of don't want to cut up my t-shirts! Laura's last blog post..22 years old and already heart attack bound

By: P.O.M.

P.O.M. — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:55:19 +0000

I hardly wear those ugly things even AFTER the race. Let's just say I have LOTS of pajama tops. P.O.M.'s last blog post..My "No Plan" Plan

By: chia

chia — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:03:32 +0000

See, I’m torn by this subject…

If you are planning on participating, and the word “finisher” is not present on the actual garment, I don’t see the harm in wearing it prior to the race.

I do, however, have a resentment towards the jerkfaces dealing out the freebie ones from last year. It’s discrediting those of us that actually did train to perform at the race.

chia’s last blog post..Official Race Report: 10K on the 10th