I read an interesting article today in Runners World Magazine about the message on the shirts people wear for races. In the few races which I have taken part in, I always find this to be one of the more fun and fascinating parts of the race. Of course, when you are chugging along behind several people for several miles, there are not a whole of other things to do, but read their shirts. There were some great quotes in the article about why you SHOULD wear a shirt that says something on it. Here are a few of the shirts that the author has seen in the races:

“I’m slow, I know..Get over it”

“I run like a girl. Try to keep up”

“On the seventh day God did an easy three”

“Will run for beer”

“In my dreams I’m a Kenyan”

He listed his favorite as being seen in one of the 45 marathons (gulp) he had run –

“This seemed like a good idea three months ago”.

Probably my favorite that I have seen while running a race was at the Cleveland Marathon. A group of people in front of me had bright colored shirts that read “Bucket List” at the top and a box that said “26.2” with a check mark inside it. At the bottom it had the date – May 17, 2009.

I really like what he had to say about the motivation to wear shirts with a message:

When you are one of the 35,000 participants in a race, do yourself a favor and shout something out on your shirt. Make sure everyone on the sidelines knows why they’re cheering. If you’re running to make the world a better place, let them know. If you’re running to make yourself a better person, let them know. Let’s tell the world who we are, what we believe, and why it matters.

After all, for most of us, the real reason we race isn’t because we hope to land on the podium or claim an age-group award. We race to challenge ourselves, or in memory of a loved one, or for a charity, or for any number of personal and special reasons. All of those reasons (and all of those runners) deserve a moment to shine.

-John Bingham – Runners World Magazine

So with 3 short weeks to go before the Spirit of Columbus Half-Marathon, I am on the lookout for a t-shirt. I have 3 of them in mind currently but have yet to decide on one for sure. Given that it is August 30th, I am guessing it will be nice and toasty so comfort and heat will be an issue to keep in mind. If you’ve got a message or an idea for a t-shirt, drop me a comment or an email. I’m pretty open to suggestions.

On the journey……