Am I the only man who still runs shirtless in races?
Today at the local Independence Day 5K I was cheering the kids run when a boy yelled to me while running, “why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” I replied, “because it’s cooler” and he said something about being naked. I’ve heard multiple kids in recent years ask their parents when they encountered me on local trails, “why isn’t that man wearing a shirt?”
Until the past decade or so I never heard that.
I think I may have been the only participant in the 5K field of seven hundred that started the race without a shirt and it was a humid morning with temps in the low 70s.
Is it becoming taboo for a man to run shirtless in a race or even on a training run? FYI, I’m 5-6, 134 pounds with neatly trimmed chest hair (and shaved back) so I don’t think my bare chest should be offensive to the eyes.
I know the tech shirts help with cooling and may help prevent sunburn, but to me there are few things in the running life more enjoyable that running shirtless on a summer day.
I will fight for the freedom to continue to let my chest hair blow in the wind!
Am I the only man who still runs shirtless in races?
I don’t know why but I never run shirtless in races (usually a singlet) although I probably run shirtless 10-11 months of the year for just ahead it every run. Btw, I’ve never had anyone comment about my shirtless running - good or bad. It’s very common around here (The Woodlands).
I also like running with my skin out, except when I am not at race weight and have moobs. Damn it, but I do like hoppy ales.
I do it in training pretty often in the vain hope of evening out my cyclist tan. But I will admit that I never see it in organized races (but then I am in the UK).
More high schools are prohibiting kids from training without a shirt, perhaps because they don’t want girls wearing sports bras and causing people to get agitated. So maybe that’s the root of it, who knows.
People race w/o shirts all the time here near Buffalo, NY, but we let it hang out I guess. I don’t personally but I don’t care if others do
I’m with you. Did a sprint tri last weekend and I so wanted to go shirtless but felt like I’d be the only one. Turns out I would have been. I don’t get it. Second place age group by a handful of seconds. Wondered if I went without the shirt if I could have caught him.
Nothing wrong with it around here. I used to run shirtless all the time in the summer, but I have found that the new tech shirts keep me cooler. Combination of keeping the sun off my skin and helping with evaporative cooling.
I’m with you. Did a sprint tri last weekend and I so wanted to go shirtless but felt like I’d be the only one. Turns out I would have been. I don’t get it. Second place age group by a handful of seconds. Wondered if I went without the shirt if I could have caught him.
I’m with you. Did a sprint tri last weekend and I so wanted to go shirtless but felt like I’d be the only one. Turns out I would have been. I don’t get it. Second place age group by a handful of seconds. Wondered if I went without the shirt if I could have caught him.
Most triathlons have a “no bare torso” rule.
Is this new. Outside of Ironman/ITU races I don’t seem to remember any rule about wearing a shirt, however wearing a shirt is going to be faster on the bike so I do, otherwise I wouldn’t.
Today at the local Independence Day 5K I was cheering the kids run when a boy yelled to me while running, “why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” I replied, “because it’s cooler” and he said something about being naked.
He’ll be one of the boys who won’t use a urinal when he goes to the restroom at school. (He’ll have to go into a stall and lock the door behind him.)
And he won’t change his clothes in a locker room. (Again, into a stall and lock the door.)
I’m with you. Did a sprint tri last weekend and I so wanted to go shirtless but felt like I’d be the only one. Turns out I would have been. I don’t get it. Second place age group by a handful of seconds. Wondered if I went without the shirt if I could have caught him.
Most triathlons have a “no bare torso” rule.
Is this new. Outside of Ironman/ITU races I don’t seem to remember any rule about wearing a shirt, however wearing a shirt is going to be faster on the bike so I do, otherwise I wouldn’t.
I dunno, but it seems to be common at the local races here. Although I’m sure I could find an exception if I looked for one.
It did occur to me that the changing demographics of running races could be having an influence. There were more women in the field than men in the 5K I did today. Back in the '70s when I learned to love running shirtless, races were dominated by skinny young men who felt comfortable running shirtless.
I think it’s a shame that HS girls can’t just wear sports bras in training sessions. I don’t have a problem requiring singlets for all in HS races.
USAT doesn’t have a no bare torso rule, as has been discussed here previously multiple times. That is IM.
Today at the local Independence Day 5K I was cheering the kids run when a boy yelled to me while running, “why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” I replied, “because it’s cooler” and he said something about being naked.
He’ll be one of the boys who won’t use a urinal when he goes to the restroom at school. (He’ll have to go into a stall and lock the door behind him.)
And he won’t change his clothes in a locker room. (Again, into a stall and lock the door.)
Some kids are pretty prudish these days.
I’m wondering if the parents are promoting this prudish behavior or it is peer pressure. Likely a combination.
I’m with you. Did a sprint tri last weekend and I so wanted to go shirtless but felt like I’d be the only one. Turns out I would have been. I don’t get it. Second place age group by a handful of seconds. Wondered if I went without the shirt if I could have caught him.
Most triathlons have a “no bare torso” rule.
Is this new. Outside of Ironman/ITU races I don’t seem to remember any rule about wearing a shirt, however wearing a shirt is going to be faster on the bike so I do, otherwise I wouldn’t.
I dunno, but it seems to be common at the local races here. Although I’m sure I could find an exception if I looked for one.
Because I like to “know” that what I’m posting is true, I just looked up some local race rules. I’d say in the few I checked (that weren’t ITU or IM branded), it’s a 50/50 split on the “no bare torso” rule.
I’m with you. Did a sprint tri last weekend and I so wanted to go shirtless but felt like I’d be the only one. Turns out I would have been. I don’t get it. Second place age group by a handful of seconds. Wondered if I went without the shirt if I could have caught him.
Today at the local Independence Day 5K I was cheering the kids run when a boy yelled to me while running, “why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” I replied, “because it’s cooler” and he said something about being naked.
He’ll be one of the boys who won’t use a urinal when he goes to the restroom at school. (He’ll have to go into a stall and lock the door behind him.)
And he won’t change his clothes in a locker room. (Again, into a stall and lock the door.)
Some kids are pretty prudish these days.
I’m wondering if the parents are promoting this prudish behavior or it is peer pressure. Likely a combination.
Worse, it could be a PC thing. Girls have to wear a shirt. Guys have to wear a shirt. Some say guys can’t spread their legs and must cross their legs when seated too.
I’m with you. Shirtless in a sprint, maybe an Oly, if the rules allow.
