This question is really for Race Directors and those that have helped with Body Marking at long-distance events:
I assume that different ink companies produce slightly different inks, and likely none are designed specifically for application to bodies headed for a long swim followed by a full day of biking and running.
Have you found some brands or types of markers that seem to function better when body marking for a long distance tri? (or are there some that you have discovered to avoid?)
i have noticed the skinny “sharpie” markers seem to stay on. I mark myself for races sometimes and that’s what i use. They have lasted with no issues for Full distance races, including the '08 deluge of IMLP
i don’t remember what marker it was, but one race had a non sharpie marker that is still on the inside of my wetsuit and stained into a pair of shorts (they put the number on the front of your thigh)
the temp tattoos that some races have gone to work GREAT… so great in fact that you will remove flesh trying to get them off a week later.
A race last weekend used stamps with real ink, and that stayed on for days without issue. I didn’t use sunscreen so that may change how well it works, but saw lots of numbers the next day that looked like the wearer tried to scrub it off. Sharpies always smear away to nothing almost immediately for me.
WHY in the world would you want your body-marked numbers to last longer than necessary? Their functionality ends in the swim and only if you are not wearing a wetsuit because the racers obviously don’t wear race belts (with pinned numbers) during the swim. So after the swim, I frankly see no reason to even have those numbers on arms and legs during the bike because the bike and helmet already has race numbers stuck on them. On the run portion the number tag is pinned to the jersey or belt and that should be more than sufficient.
Now if you want those numbers to still be on your skin the next few days as you walk around in the gym … then heck that’s a different story.
valid point! i hate it when i forget to scrub the age off the back of my calf (out of sight out of mind) and someone says something about my age on the Tuesday night ride. Doht!
i’ve often wondered why numbers aren’t put on the back of your hands since that’s really all that shows in a wetsuit swim anyways. (i have seen this, but that was 5 years ago at a small race and it only happened once)
If you’re looking for something that’s going to last throughout the race, then the tattoos (tritats) are the way to go. I used them for the first time at the san diego itu race, and it took me about an hour using every cleaning product i could find in the house (and a lot of goggling for suggestions) to even get to the point where i could go to work on monday in short sleeves. I was less concerned about my calf since you couldn’t see the number, and i’m pretty sure i could still see part of the number for at least a week. And that’s with about 5 swimming sessions and showering at least twice a day.
So if you’re concerned about them lasting, tattoos work. But from the athlete’s perspective, i’d rather just have a sharpie the lasts day and is easy to remove. Unless you want everyone to ask you what’s on your arm so you can talk about your race.
I had a race last Sunday, it was a road race actually, but the organizers insisted on marking a race number on our calf. Their reasons were valid because it was a four lap TT, and they wanted to mark our times as we crossed the Start / Finish each time. The only way for them to spot us as we passed was by the number on our calves. I totally forgot about it until two days later when I was at the gym and some guy was staring at my calf. I thought he was just appreciating the nice pears on my fine shaped gastrochnemius, until he said “What does 5039 mean?”
WHY in the world would you want your body-marked numbers to last longer than necessary? Their functionality ends in the swim and only if you are not wearing a wetsuit because the racers obviously don’t wear race belts (with pinned numbers) during the swim. So after the swim, I frankly see no reason to even have those numbers on arms and legs during the bike because the bike and helmet already has race numbers stuck on them. On the run portion the number tag is pinned to the jersey or belt and that should be more than sufficient.
Now if you want those numbers to still be on your skin the next few days as you walk around in the gym … then heck that’s a different story.
.
I do like the age on the calf on the run though. Good info to know if the guy that just passed me is in my age group or not.
WHY in the world would you want your body-marked numbers to last longer than necessary? Their functionality ends in the swim and only if you are not wearing a wetsuit because the racers obviously don’t wear race belts (with pinned numbers) during the swim. So after the swim, I frankly see no reason to even have those numbers on arms and legs during the bike because the bike and helmet already has race numbers stuck on them. On the run portion the number tag is pinned to the jersey or belt and that should be more than sufficient.
Now if you want those numbers to still be on your skin the next few days as you walk around in the gym … then heck that’s a different story.
.
I do like the age on the calf on the run though. Good info to know if the guy that just passed me is in my age group or not.
Yes, I love to see the age on the calfs. Especially when I run buy them and get to say now you are not going to let an old guy like me beat you? :o)
Yes, I love to see the age on the calfs. Especially when I run buy them and get to say now you are not going to let an old guy like me beat you? :o)
Yeah I put in my most epic run after being passed by a guy I thought was in my age group. The last half mile I dropped the hammer on the guy… only to find out his age was smudged so he was really 22, not 32. Complete waste of energy as it’s not like either of us were competing for the overall win.
Yes, I love to see the age on the calfs. Especially when I run buy them and get to say now you are not going to let an old guy like me beat you? :o)
Yeah I put in my most epic run after being passed by a guy I thought was in my age group. The last half mile I dropped the hammer on the guy… only to find out his age was smudged so he was really 22, not 32. Complete waste of energy as it’s not like either of us were competing for the overall win.
Depends on what you are racing for. My carrot for racing is USAT ranking points. I could care less about AG stuff since there are so few in my AG to race against anymore. Every second that you can cut off your race time improves your USAT ranking. When I passed who I thought was the last guy in my AG at Wildflower at mile 2, I could have just backed off and coasted in. But, I kept my run at red line, ended up passing a lot more folks, and had the best race/run time of my life. It also got me the best ranking points I have every had. So, did you really do a complete waste of energy? Did you not do training that maybe in a future race that last half mile of speed might get you a AG win?
Balls to the wall until you cross the finish line.
as a ‘well-formed’ 23 year old. she is correct, and i am humbled every race.
I wish that an age stamp on the calf was mandatory for any woman between the ages of 16 and 30 (not just at races. EVERYWHERE). I hate when I see a cute girl at the mall and can’t tell if she is waaayyy to young for the thoughts I am having.
This question is really for Race Directors and those that have helped with Body Marking at long-distance events:
I assume that different ink companies produce slightly different inks, and likely none are designed specifically for application to bodies headed for a long swim followed by a full day of biking and running.
Have you found some brands or types of markers that seem to function better when body marking for a long distance tri? (or are there some that you have discovered to avoid?)
Thanks, Tim.
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Do you know the ONLY real reason for body marking? There is but one…
For the photogs to sell images. That is all, it. When it comes to the play by play your body really needs no marks. You have your bib number on (or get a penalty that your chip will report), you have a number on your bike (or get a penalty that the marshal will be sure you get)…as an RD and after doing the research - selling photos is it.
