Running Shirts – time for another clothing shift.
Folding my running shirts this morning, the thought suddenly occurred to me. I have probably have enough running T-Shirts to last the rest of my life. No I am not expecting to die any time soon. At least I hope not.
No, I am talking about the trend of every running race, Tri, Du, etc to give their participants a running shirt printed end to end with the sponsor names and the race name.
Not long ago, the regular old cotton T-shirt was the standard. In fact, the cotton T-shirt has probably been the standard since the beginning of "running". I suspect even the Greeks gave a running shirt in the runner's goodie bag. I know I have several hundred neatly folded shirts that might see the light of day once every couple years.
Why the shift?
My guess is somewhere through the last few years the material for making running shirts has gotten cheaper and race directors had an epiphany. Their race T-Shirt were being taken home and being stored in a lock vault never to be seen again.
This doesn't do much for getting the name of the race and the sponsors out in the public eye by using the runners as walking billboards.
I have no idea who the first race director to make this leap was. But when this leap was made, runners began moving, changing where they stored their shirts.
My running shirts are kept in a nice neat stack that until a few years probably consisted of half dozen shirts. Now, the stack of these shirts is nearly two feet tall.
With this shift it left me pondering the question, what are running stores now doing with all their running T-shirts.
With my more than ample supply, I have not been in the market for a running T in a good long while.
My guess, they are sub-marketing their shirts to race directors now.
Still this leaves me extra large number of both Cotton T-shirts and Running Shirts.
This is when a 2nd thought occurred to me of which is my limit for the day. Is there the potential for another clothing shift? Could I get race directors to start giving running shorts instead of shirts? I could use a few extra shorts. A size medium works for me. Race Directors please take head. I know the shirts might be easy but right now, I need shorts. LOL.
Just a thought from the Cool Down Runner
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