etiquette

[Robyn]

So what's the etiquette on wearing a race t-shirt if you didn't run the race but volunteered?

[ShoppinShannon]

I say, if you contributed to the race....hey, go for it.

 

[Sandy]

I agree.  I sponsor a couple of races every year and they send me the t-shirt as a thank you.  I wear them proudly and when asked about the race I tell people that I sponsored.  Go for it.

[sweetsue]

I agree, if you volunteer you should wear your shirt proudly as you helped support the run.

Susan

[Paul]

Wear that T shirt with pride, because without volunteers there would be no race. I'm more than happy to tell anyone who ask's why Lynn has a bright orange PEC/Mizuno T shirt. Simple no volunteers no race.

[The Moose]

Shouldn't even be a question.  Volunteers definitely get to wear the shirt.

[Jane]

I must be mellowing in my old age or something, because I don't even care anymore if people wear the shirt when they didn't do the race.  You know, if you pay for the shirt and for some reason you can't do the race, well, what does it hurt if you wear it anyhow??  A shirt is just that -- a shirt.  People wear Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey shirts, but I know they don't play for the Maple Leafs.  If I see someone wearing a shirt for a run and I am interested, I will ask them about it.  If they lie and say they did the run when they didn't, then that is wrong.  But if they say, "I couldn't do the run for whatever reason," or "the shirt didn't fit someone so they gave it to me," then I don't have a problem with that.  If they volunteered at the event, then of course they should say, "No I didn't run it, I made it possible for a whole bunch of other people to run it."  The main reason why I would want to know if someone ran the run for the t-shirt that they are sporting is so I can ask them what it was like. 

Interesting note -- the bag that we receive for the Run for the Toad - it is called the "Registration Gift."  All you have to do is register to get it.  You don't actually have to do the race.  You get the medal for finishing the race.

[sweetsue]

Well put Jane

Susan

[The Moose]

Hmmm,
I have 2 shirts I won't wear, not because I didn't run the race, but because I didn't finish (I lie, I wear one of them as my official "painting shirt").  I like that runners don't wear shirts for races they didn't run.  Makes it feel like a club or fraternity.  Besides, I feel guilty for wearing them...
Guess I'm kind of strange, but every time I look at that Around the Bay shirt hanging in my closet I get a little disgusted with myself, and train a little harder the next time out.  I know that 2 DNF's in 18 years isn't bad, but the shirts remind me of why I quit.  To wear them would take some of their power away, and let me forget the lessons I learned those days.
Nope, shirts from unfinished races should not be worn, unless you were a volunteer.
As for the Leaf shirts, those people are emulating heroes, not pretending to be them.  Running shirts are more like...more like hockey players not touching the Stanley Cup unless you've won it.  It's bad luck.  Heck, I've touched the Stanley Cup, but then, I know I'll never win it (unless there's another strike and, oh, who am I kidding, I'll never win it).  So, I guess, non runners can do what they want with race shirts, but we runners need to be respectful of those non-sense myths and stories.  No finish, no shirt.  Otherwise, it's bad luck for you.



Mike

[Jane]

I guess different people do feel differently about this.  But you really wouldn't wear a shirt from a race that you had to quit??  I don't know the circumstances of your DNFs Moose, but sometimes it takes more character to admit defeat and DNF than it does to actually finish the race.  I don't think that makes you any less worthy of wearing the race shirt.  And I can't see why you would be disgusted or punish yourself for not finishing.  Maybe it was because you didn't properly train for the event.  But sometimes it is just bad luck, like you get up on race day and don't feel 100% but still go out and attempt the race, but have to quit for medical reasons.  I know of this happening to people and it really is not their fault.  That being said, I haven't DNF'd, so haven't had to worry about it.  Watch me DNF on a 5K tomorrow now.     Maybe I, myself, wouldn't wear the shirt in that case.  But I don't think I would worry too much about someone else who did. 

Sometimes a family emergency comes up and you end up not being able to compete.  Or you injure yourself after you register and rather than do more damage to yourself you opt to sit out on the race.  But rather than waste the shirt, why not wear it?  Or at least save it till the next year and do the race, and then wear both shirts. 

I still figure, on the longer races they give out medals so that is what you get for finishing.  On shorter races like 5K and 10K you only get the shirt.  If you end up not doing the race, at least by wearing the shirt, you may be advertising for the organizers and they may get more competitors in the future years from it.  I guess I am just not superstitious because I never really thought about it being bad luck to wear shirts from races that you never got to do or didn't finish. 

[SNOWRUNNER]

The volunteers are the essential heartbeat of the event, we are the dogs, and they are the bunny!!!..they most definitely should wear the shirt, i personally wont wear a shirt that i didn't run the race event, but that`s a different issue....like it`s been said before....no volunteers...no race...David.

[The Moose]

Jane,
I think it might be a programming glitch for me, but my two DNF's were both medical.  First one was leading a 10k on a sore ankle, and  tore something, made me very angry with myself that I couldn't finish a race I was sure I could win (18 years ago I was faster).  Second was pneumonia (the same strain that put my wife in the hospital for 5 days), made it about 21km and my body completely shut down on me, even my good leg wasn't working right.  In both instances I knew I had felt worse, but was betrayed by my frail body.  Yup, it's ridiculous, but I still consider both failures.
Maybe I don't wear the shirts so no one will ask about the races.
It may take more character to admit defeat, but I'm programmed not to quit.  I know there were times when I should have, but those days stay with me as a reminder that I can overcome just about anything, those days give me strength on days that aren't as bad, but are still bad.  I try not to remember quitting on days I don't feel like carrying on, and when I do remember, I remember how bad it felt to quit, not how smart I was to prevent further injury.
Maybe it's some macho bad of honour, but I believe that every time you quit, quitting gets easier.  If you want to run at the front, you've got to push the person beside you until they want to quit, many races are not decided in training, but in desire.  Damon summed it up one day when I asked him how he felt before the race.
"I didn't feel very good today, but I knew I could stay with him.  I just asked myself, "how bad do you want to win this thing.""  Turns out he wanted to win pretty bad.  He won.

So back to the shirts, I guess it's part of my mental training.  Teaching myself desire to win.

And still, volunteers get to wear the shirt, because there can be no bad memories of the event, no embarrassing stories, no reason to hang your head in shame, or recall a traumatic injury.  No bad luck.

Mike

[Robyn]

I never felt comfortable wearing a t-shirt that I didn't work for.  I might have paid for it, but I didn't work for it.  There have been races I've signed up for, and for whatever reason didn't participate in.  If it's nearby, I'll pick up the t-shirt, try to do something to help out the event like volunteer at a water station and watch the other runners I know finish the race.  Then I normally just give the t-shirt to a charity that collects clothes.  In my "black and white" thinking process, I don't feel it's okay to wear a race t-shirt if I didn't run the race.  According to this forum, it's okay to wear it if I volunteered for the run.  Hmmm. 

Moose, I agree with your comments about hockey jerseys and the Stanley Cup.  I have two Matt Stajan replica jerseys (#41 and #14) that I wear occasionally because I know I'll never earn the right to wear a real one.  In my wildest dreams, I know the closest I'll ever get to being a member of the Maple Leafs is to sit in the stands and cheer for them, so your logic in wearing such a jersey makes sense to me. 

I guess it really just boils down to what a person is comfortable wearing.  Thanks for all the great comments, gang.  It was interesting to see all the point of views.

[Jane]

Interesting comments.  Moose and Robyn, I can see why you don't want to wear the shirt.  I totally understand it.  But I would not think any less of you Moose if you wore a shirt for a race that you didn't complete because you had to stop due to pneumonia. 

Robyn, I think if you stay and help at the race, then you are entitled to wear the shirt - definitely.  And it is a great idea.  If it ever happens that I can't run a race I have registered for, I hope I will have this option.  You definitely deserve to wear the shirt, Robyn.

I think everyone has different perspectives.  I'm not at the front with the winners, but I still feel that I have won when I complete the race.  I know that I am more competitive than I admit, but I'm not out there to run to compete on the same scale as you guys.  And I don't think I have ever had a race where I was mad or frustrated with myself at the end.  Even the Run for the Toad when I had IT problems and had to walk the last part.  That's life.  I was happy that I was able to continue walking, and didn't have to quit, even though it really hurt, and still managed to get the medal at the end. 

Too bad you weren't at Sydenham today -- if you want to be pushed -- they are FAST runners in that area!!! 

[The Moose]

Yup, definately faster to the east.  You want to feel fast, go west, Peterborough has much slower competitors on average.

Sorry I couldn't be there today, working on earning that Stanley Cup shot...

Mike