I got 'only' two medals: the one from a run I gave my son to play with. The fiisher medall of my first IM this summer hags in my room.

But I have may T-Shirt. I use them in free time and some very nice one also for work. The most ugly are used to clean my bike.

Felix

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http://www.weilenmann.ch.vu

I pretty much never wear the T-shirts but I usually keep them for a while, but I can't remember the last time I wore one. It has been a long time. The medals, especially Ironman ones, I give away to people who heled me prepare for the race. That is huge motivation to finish- to give the medal to someone who helped out, and there is always that person or people. I think it is bad luck to keep Ironman finisher medals. The only one I kept was my 1986 Hawaii one. I did keep my medals from some of the adventure races I've done. Somehow I don't think another person would understand what you have to go through to get those.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

LeDude,

T-Shirt costs are variable depending on number ordered, sizes ordered, quality of shirt, # of colors, etc. but a short sleeve white quality shirt with 3 colors on front and one color on back will start out around $5 per shirt. Less if you are at a really big race with 1,000 plus participants. Finishers medals are about half that.

Race Fees are rising not because of t-shirts or medals but because of increased demand which is not being met with increased supply. IOW, many more triathletes and not many more new races. Simple economics. The optional t-shirt medal idea would only save you a few dollars.

On another note: How would most of you feel about getting socks or hats instead of t-shirts? Or do most still want the shirt?

Jeremey

Here's my firsthand experience with people's views on T-shirts, etc.

A couple of years ago I began helping organize a local tri that had been dropped by it's original organizing group. Since we were so short of money, we handed out water bottles instead of T-shirts. People were NOT happy. They squawked big time. My dad and wife helped with the race-day registration, and they took a lot of heat from athletes who REALLY wanted a shirt. Personally, I've found far more use from the water bottle. In fact, it might be the best freebie I've gotten from a race. Hopefully other people who got one appreciated them more later, like I did (I raced too).

Anyway, if you don't hand out shirts, be prepared to take some heat. But on the other hand, most triathletes have plenty of shirts already.

Just my 2 cents.

-- Big EE

I like the shirts cuz I use them as an undershirt for my hockey games and when I'm done I can wipe my blades down with them. I got a black long sleeve that is perfect for that.

Maybe a good idea would be to give out a lycra shirt to train with, (running or cycling) that way the race gets advertised for the next year and the sponsors get more advertising, maybe they would be willing to give a dollar or two for that. If there was a series of races put on by the same people (which I know happens a lot) maybe a shirt for the first race, shorts for the next race, socks for the next etc...

Yes, I'm probably dreaming of cheap clothing but it's just a suggestion.

jaretj

(This message sent with 100% recycled kilobytes!!!)

I've come to expect a t-shirt from races. Some I wear, some I don't. It depends on the quality. Races that are really well run usually give out a t-shirt plus something else. A few examples:

I got a dri-release t-shirt from one tri. Thought that was good.

I got a running jacket with removable sleeves (converted to a vest) from a ten mile running race.



But if I had to choose between a medal or a t-shrit, I'd take the medal. I love the medals, even for a five miler.

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___________________________
And the road gets rocky along the way
But if it gets too smooth, it's time to call it a day
-Kinks

I put on a trail run and t-shirt costs are significant. I paid $5.50 for long sleeve white t-shirts with 3 color printing. Custom award medals ran another $3.95 each. Of course you can't compare the fees of a run to a tri. I can't charge more than $20 for a 10K trail run while sprint tris are going for $70+ and most olys are $100 or more. I think that traffic control (police overtime) and facility charges are more significant costs for a triathlon.
BTW: If you want to do a really fun & tough 10K trail run, check out The Pumpkin Run at www.gmrevents.com. I could use the entry fees. :-)
Gary McMurtrey
Race Director
GMR Events

info@gmrevents.com
www.gmrevents.com

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Gary Mc
Did I mention I did Kona

Dan...

T shirts average around $5.00. The fancier the product, the higher the cost from there.

The " finisher" medals, at least the generics, can be had for a buck or less in most cases. Custom versions go up based on design and #'s.

Its kinda funny how people react and respond to shirts. I switched over from t shirts featuring what I thought were strange looking renditions of seahorses when I took over a tri and the first year offered singlet style tanks with a simple design. You should have heard some of 'em howl like there was a full moon. Then again just as many others thought they were cool and they are spotted regularly at lots of events. Go figure. Can't please everyone all of the time.

On the what to do with them idea....we have a woman in Michigan who, for a nominal fee, takes your event shirts and turns them into a quilt. Its a cool concept and they are well made. I'll get contact info to you if you are interested. As for the finisher medals you are unsure about... just for a hoot, I punched two holes in one of them and looped a treble hook on one end...threw it in the lake ane came up with a 2 lb largemouth. I think I'm going to start a new tackle company.

Train hard...race well

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Train hard...race well.
www.jimmishler.com
"Jim, I happen to agree with you" DougStern

I haven't been to a race that gave finisher's medals yet. But all the awards hardware gets piled up in a desk drawer along with old race numbers. (labeled with date, distance, and time on the back) The only one that is visible and somewhat useful is the beer mug from Pelican Point this year, which collects change in my bedroom. Yeah, I've heard the Bob Mina finisher's coffee mug rant, but at least the mugs can actually be used for something.

T-shirts. I tend to wear the ones from the Walton/Okaloosa/Santa Rosa county quite often during the summer when we go down to the beach for fun, dinner, etc. I live in a tourista area, and it's an attempt to send out a messase that says "Hi, I'm a local. Treat me well, and I'll keep coming back to your business again and again, even during November and December when there are no tourists down here buying your fish sandwishes and shiny trinkets."

I've done races with T-shirts optional, but IIRC it never saved more than $5 off the entry fee. Jeremey is right I think, shirts and medals aren't adding much.

I give my medals to my little boys, who wear them for a few minutes, then cut the ribbons off and turn them into buried treasure in the sandbox.. I did keep the medal from my first AG placing, though.

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"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview

I think t-shirts and medals are great. My brother does high school running and tri's on when possible.

During the year whenever he receives a medal it is hung around our lamp shade at the house. At the end of the year we take the ribbons off the medals and then place the medals in a frame along with a picture and date the frame. This way he will have a nice collage of medals when he is married and grown that he can show his kids all his athletic accomplishments. In regards to the t-shirts, he wears the ones he likes for a while, the ones he does not like we get right away. We cut out the important part of the shirt such date event and logo and are in the process of making a double sided king size quilt. This will be given to him as a graduation gift. The borders are his school colors.

We know right now that it is not the most important thing to him but once he is married and has children he will treasure the quilt and framed medals.

I'd think increasing costs of liability insurance have far more to do with it than supply and demand.

I'd take the socks....

Actually this has nothing to do with it. USAT covers all insurance costs to a RD at a minimal cost. You can sanction a race for $250 and you get $150 of that back if you get your results to USAT within two weeks.

Insurance is a big deal though. Without it there would be far fewer races and USAT does a wonderful job of making it available to anyone who puts on a race. But this is getting into a whole different post.

Jeremey

I only have one finisher's medal. I always though the idea was silly unless it was a really long race.

My award medals are in the garage, along with the nice plaques I get for a placing. I usually put them up with the race number that corresponds. The T-shirts are nice if you forgot your change of clothes after the race. I occasionally wear my T-shirts, but they otherwise are given away for charity or used to clean my bike with (yes- I use old race shirts as well as discarded underpants to clean my bike with).

As far as the schwag one should get for doing the race, I think singlets or windbreakers would be nice, myself. But, knowing how expensive a race is to put on, I know that a T-shirt comes at considerable cost, and nicer stuff costs even more. I am just happy if a race director puts on a nice, well-organised race. Schwag is just a bonus.

halloween is coming up. I get strange looks when trying to trick or treat so I'm putting all my medals in a bag and trading them for some kid's candy!

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I love the medals and the t-shirts. I will never be a podium finisher, heck I won't ever be a MOP'er. That stuff is my award and looking back at it is my reward. I look at each one and remember something about each race that makes me smile. I hope to have a grand collection one day...and they will be priceless to me.

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The Cuban Comet
(Comets are unbelievably slow over Cuba)

I've only been doing triathlons and running for 3 years. In that time I must have 50+ t-shirts. I would prefer to have a choice on whether I want a t-shirt and pay accordingly. Very few races let people opt out. I've only received finishers medals at long races and it's not that big of a deal. I hang them around the neck of a trophy I got for another sport. I won my AG twice and those medals are a little more special. If I won all the time they would go in a drawer with all the NASTAR medals from skiing.

I have saved All of my race t-shirts over an 8 year triathlon/duathlon career. I too wear only the quality ones. My loving wife did one of the greatest acts of love ever. Last year she took a bunch of them and made a quilt out of them . It looks sooo cool I could not believe it when I saw it. Her rational is that when I am old and gray and not able to race any longer I can use it to wrap up with at the old folks home and tell stories about how great I used to be:)

I like the medals, shirts and awards - for no other reason that its my memory of the event (might explain why I don't usually buy race photos - the memories are reflected in the hardware.)

Since I have been road races since 1984 and triathlons since 1985, the collection has gotten so big that I have to pick just my favorites to keep in my dresser drawer - the others are stored in a couple boxes in the garage. One day I will have a quilt made....hell, I probably have enough to do the quilt, a few sheets, two pillowcases and a throw rug :) The only reason I haven't done the quilt yet is I am waiting for that ever elusive Hawaii Ironman shirt to put smack dab in the middle. I have all my Boston Marathon shirts, all my Escape shirts (dating as far back as '85), all my Ironman shirts, half-IM, centuries, etc. But I can't put them together yet until I have that center shirt.

The rest of the stuff, medals, ribbons, race posters, banners, mugs, race swim caps, some race numbers (the rest are in a file), autographs, pins, patches, bottles of wine, placques, etc. I hang in my garage. I only keep one race-related item in the living part of my home: a plaque with a finishing photo of each of my Ironmans.

I like the hardware and expect a shirt (although only about 1/3 are really nice looking - while another 1/3 are downright ugly) since that's the way its been for the last 20 years for me. But "finishers" stuff I only really like if its an event that personally challenges me - an Ironman, a tough century, etc.

My $0.02.

Alan

I like t-shirts more than finisher's medals. I wear the ones I like (usually about 50% of them) and when the pile 'o shirts gets too big, my daughter pulls out 24 and makes me a quilt.

So far, she's made me three and they are the greatest.

It's sometimes hard to give up a favorite shirt to go into a quilt, but when I'm warm and comfy it's worth it. She does make them for "friends" for a very reasonable price, so if anybody's interested.......

Medals, finisher's or award, pretty much go in a drawer or maybe on the bookcase if they're really special. It was a turning point for me when I realized I had enough displayed hardware to require judicious weeding of some of the less impressive items.

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It's a little like wrestling a gorilla.........you don't stop when you're tired.........you stop when the gorilla is tired.