Wearing the race day t-shirt at the race... Cool or uncool?

STrooper

Mostly, no. I agree that if it's a charity/cause race (e.g., ovarian cancer), I have worn it. Although I get the thing about not having earned it, it usually has more to do with it not being washed nor trained in.

GiddyupTim

What are some of you people talking about?
I have never not gotten the T-shirt in the race packet I have picked up BEFORE the race.
Somebody said they get cotton shirts? I cannot remember ever getting a cotton shirt. They are always the wicking nylon, or whatever it is.
All that said: Yeah, it is DORKY!
People around here (Northern California) tend to wear the shirts. I would guess half of the people in every race with a shirt wear that shirt in the race. But, c'mon people! I paid for the race. Why do I have to be a billboard too? You want advertising, pay me.
This is a holdover of the feelings I have for all logo shirts. Nike, for example, charges me a premium for their shirts; why then should I have to wear one that tries to make their huge logo a status symbol? I don't like it. Seems they are making me a chump.
Course, after a race, if the shirt is a good one and it fits well, I will wear it. Sometimes that prompts a connection with someone you run into, and leads to a conversation, and that is okay.

litsy3

@GiddyupTim some of us are in the UK, where I think many races are a LOT cheaper to enter than in the US. Most races I do don't have t-shirts or medals at all!

taeliesyn

I don't care if it's a participation shirt, or finishers. I won't wear the shirt until post race. If it's a participation I'll wear it regardless of outcome (except DNS) if it's a finishers, I won't wear it unless I finish.

Vladimirnapkin

General consensus around here is that you don't wear the race shirt during the race unless you are a newbie. Also, they seldom fit well!

apullum

I don't wear it til I've earned it. Also, I don't want to run in a shirt I haven't trained in.

katharmonic

I saw quite a few wearing the shirt in the HM/marathon here over the weekend. I was surprised how many. I think one reason was that it was a long sleeved tech shirt and the weather was kind of chilly to start, so maybe people decided to just put on the race shirt.

RunRachelleRun

I see more than half of the people wearing the race shirts up here in most races. I don't think they could all be newbies.

The majority of the races I participate in are inexpensive and don't give any shirt or bling (but we do get bananas, Nuun, coffee, and Kind bars at the finish), but for the ones that do, they've always been given out at the expo or package pick-up beforehand. I've only received a medal at the finish line.

When I started, I always wore the gear given before the race until I read in Runner's World that this was a newbie move. Before this, I actually thought you were supposed to wear the item, as a way for officials to identify that you were allowed to race lol

juliet3455

I don't/won't wear a race shirt until I have earned it and tried it walking around the yard/house and on small runs.

I once had an Long Sleeve event shirt which had these Fluorescent in-lays across the back of the shoulders ( Y shaped ), on the arms and down the side of the body. It seemed like a great idea for night time visibility.
It was a horrible shirt as the extra seams just aggravated the body. You might have noticed I said " It was " - that shirt ended up in the trash. I couldn't even give it to charity in good conscious. Any of the participants who put that shirt on for the event had a Pained expression on their faces by the 2 km mark.

JustSomeEm

mistyh10 wrote: »

To those that say they have never gotten a shirt before a race.... Out of curiosity where do you live? I have raced 5K, 10K (and now half marathon recently) in Alaska and Virginia in the US and have always gotten a shirt before the race when I picked up my race bib. I'm just curious if it's a regional thing.

I'm in MD, and the larger races nearly always have shirts, but smaller ones don't always. I ran a 10K not too long ago and no shirt was given... though we did get race medals.

JustSomeEm

Also - I don't wear the shirt until I've completed the race. I DNF'd a half once. I have the shirt from it, but haven't worn it... I think I have some sort of mental block. LOL!

dewd2

I would have no problem wearing a shirt from a DNF race. But for my spring DNS race I didn't even bother picking up the package. I figured I wouldn't wear the shirt anyway.

lporter229

I generally put my shirt on after the race if I am hanging around for post race festivities, usually over top of my race tank to keep me warm.

Elise4270

If it's an awesome *kitten* shirt, I will wear that sucker to race in. I have a half in March that I may not make but will be collecting that shirt and wearing it without DNS written on it
My last half had shirts with packet pick up and then finisher shirts and finisher medals. Sweet swag!

Y'all are so funny! Send me all the race shirts you won't wear!

BasicGreatGuy

It shouldn't matter what other people may think about something as stupid as whether or not someone runs in the race t-shirt. If you want to wear it, feel free. Life is meant to be lived and experienced in a meaningful and fun way, not lead by and or dictated by such trivial things as this, in my opinion.

Naija82

Most of the races I've done I've only gotten a T-shirt at the end of the race but a couple of races (Royal Parks Half in the UK) I have gotten a T-shirt beforehand and I have worn these on race day, don't consider myself a newbie, not sure what the big deal is to be honest!

Also I have volunteered at a few races where I've taken home left over finisher t-shirts, as far as I'm concerned it's an extra T-shirt that I can use to run.

silverfiend

All the races I have entered have given a shirt in the pre-race packet along with the time-chip bib. Yes, I see many people wearing the shirt in the race and I never gave it a second thought. I don't wear it in the race because I already have my clothes picked out (and I'm wearing them) and the race shirt is an unknown. Some cotton blends can be much rougher and being unwashed it could be a lot rougher than it would be normally. I prefer proven, known items when I race.

rrcoffey

I don't, mainly because, 5K fun-run or half-marathon, I don't wear anything new on race day. I see plenty of people that do, though, and I can't say that I've thought much or made any judgements (i.e. dorky or not) about it.

Races around here (MA/NH) give them out with packet pick up.

99clmsntgr

Pretty sure Droz sums it up the best...



(FWIW, I wear the shirt that has my coach's logo when I race or my Clemson sleeveless tee)

Gouldy_locks

I ran a local 5k that was to raise money for a lady w cancer and we all wore the t-shirt for that... but other than that... not cool. You can't wear it until you earn it! Total newbie move!!