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

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mistyh10
mistyh10 Posts: 42 Member
in Social Groups
What's your opinion?
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  • MNLittleFinn
    MNLittleFinn Posts: 4,271 Member
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    I don't, mainly because it's a new shirt, and even if it's from a proven brand, I only wear stuff I've worn on training runs already.
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
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    I've seen people wearing the race shirt on race day, after the race, as a clean dry shirt to change into. I only see new runners wearing the race shirt in the actual race. It's kind of traditional around here to wear the race shirt from the previous weekend to a Tuesday evening group run or practice.

    It's also a cliche that anyone wearing the race shirt in the actual race is a newbie runner. I've done it . . . but not since the first year I was running.
  • mistyh10
    mistyh10 Posts: 42 Member
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    I don't wear them during races but I saw a post just now where alot of people were wearing them for a local race so I was just curious what the general consensus was and if I was being a snob by not wearing it. Glad I am not alone in my thinking :)
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Indeed. You haven't completed the race until after you've crossed the line, so not really the done thing. That said, all the races I do the shirts are at the finish line with the bling.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    Only after I've finished. As a clean dry shirt to change into after the race, that's fine. I'd grant an exception to the Santa Shirt. ;-)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I've not done a race that's given you the t-shirt before, so no
  • litsy3
    litsy3 Posts: 783 Member
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    I run for a club so I wear my club colours. The one exception where I live is the Chariots of Fire beach race where everyone dresses in white like in the movie. You can pre-order a special charity 'chariots' white t-shirt to do it in if you want.
  • mistyh10
    mistyh10 Posts: 42 Member
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    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.
  • Wendy98
    Wendy98 Posts: 72 Member
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    Locally, I wear my team/club shirt (although sometimes I do my own thing). Bigger, destination races I am know what I will be wearing before I leave my house (and with a backup if the weather takes a total dive in the other direction). I love to wear my freebie shirt the following week. I see lots of people wearing the race shirts in some races and would never judge. As long as it is weather appropriate, feel free to wear it!
  • litsy3
    litsy3 Posts: 783 Member
    edited October 2016
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    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.

    In the UK if races have a finisher t-shirt you get it after you cross the finish line. Many races don't have a shirt at all (which I prefer because they are usually giant-sized, even the 'small' ones). But races are generally a fair bit cheaper than in the US.

    ETA: for races (usually big, more 'corporate' mass-participation ones) where the shirt is optional if you pay extra, you usually get those in advance and they fit better because they are more expensive and you can pre-order the right size. I've never bought one.
  • mom3over40
    mom3over40 Posts: 253 Member
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    I ran a few 5Ks and 2 half marathons. I think it may depend on the cause. There was one race that I saw 95% of participants wore either the race shirts of the year or the previous years. I think it was a way to show support. For 5Ks, there are definitely more people wearing the race shirts. And for HM (or longer distance, I suppose), there are very few people wear the race shirts because, I think, the "nothing new on race day" teaching is magnified by the distance. If you don't feel comfortable in the shirt, it is a lot more bearable for 5k than 21k.
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
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    No, although that's mostly because they're usually a standard cotton t-shirt, and I never run in a standard cotton t-shirt.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    mom3over40 wrote: »
    ... or the previous years.

    I don't see an issue with last years, as it's clear that it's been completed. That said the one I'm sitting in my hotel room in this evening is cotton and I wouldn't run in it, but the two years I've run the same event since I've got tech tees.

    Practical issue is that when I'm in a race I've generally got a race vest on, so tend not to wear tees with print overlay as it'll aggravate.


  • litsy3
    litsy3 Posts: 783 Member
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    I often take the massive finisher's tech tees to races to warm up in; that way if I dump my t-shirt in a tree or under the car while I'm doing the race, I don't mind too much if I can't find it later.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,493 Member
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    Here are the rules* for race t-shirt etiquette:

    http://www.psychowyco.com/id74.html

    * - it's all in good fun, obviously there are no rules. Wear whatever you'd like, when you like.

    Around here most races which include shirts give them out during packet pickup. They are participation shirts, not finisher shirts, so wear them whenever you want. I have two shirts for races I never ran in (DNS) which I still wear. One was for a 25k trail race, the other for a 5k road race. In both cases injury prevented me from running. I paid for the races and I like the shirts so I'm going to wear them.

    Generally I don't wear the shirts the day of the race because I've already picked out my clothes and set them aside before I get the shirt. If it's a race I've run before, I'd wear the previous years shirt as long as it fits and feels good. For my last 5k I did this even though the shirt was all cotton.

  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    I'll admit I've done it once. Got stuck in traffic, didn't get checked in till 2 minutes before the gun. Threw the shirt on, lined up, finished 2nd in my AG. Won some socks :)
  • litsy3
    litsy3 Posts: 783 Member
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    scorpio516 wrote: »
    I'll admit I've done it once. Got stuck in traffic, didn't get checked in till 2 minutes before the gun. Threw the shirt on, lined up, finished 2nd in my AG. Won some socks :)

    If only you'd had the socks in advance, you could have worn them too. ;)
  • SKME2013
    SKME2013 Posts: 704 Member
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    If it is a charity race than yes otherwise no. I prefer to wear something that I am used to and with new shirts you never know.

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