WHAT MAKES A GREAT T-SHIRT?

NE OF THE things that distinguish an age-group triathlete from more sedOentary Canadians is the joy of a finish line. Unless you have laced on a pair of running shoes, done the training and run down that finishers’ chute, you will never know just how good it feels. And even though you may cross the finish line with “Bambi” legs, chaffed nipples and blistered feet, that rapturous moment more than compensates for all the discomfort that preceded it, be it 15 minutes or 15 hours. And then, of course, there is the post-finish-line bonanza, the place to go if you want to see and smell masses of endorphin-drenched athletes munching stale bagels and holding onto their finisher’s shirt as if it were the Shroud of Turin. Race shirts seem to still be a big deal.

What Makes a Great Shirt?

Canadian triathletes seem to agree on many of the factors that make a race shirt a “keeper” and one relegated to chain-cleaning duty. The most important factor of what makes a shirt great is beyond the control of the T-shirt designer or the race director. That factor is the emotional impact the race made on the athlete. Perhaps the shirt was from a race the person did very well in, or it was their first triathlon. Or maybe it was from a race in a very exotic location, Escape from Alcatraz, for example. The second factor making a great race shirt is its uniqueness or coolness factor. At this very moment, there are 20,000 triathletes wearing pretty much the same Ironman race finisher’s shirt, whether they did the race in Taiwan, Texas or Tulsa. But there is only one person wearing an Airdrie Gopher Gallup T-shirt. Local race T-shirts hold a mystique that ones from a massive event lack. A T-shirt’s esthetics also play a role in its survival in an athlete’s closet. Does the garment look attractive and well-designed, or does it resemble the product of a graphic designer who hasn’t had his/her coffee yet and is using Windows 95-era screen beans? Of course, the beauty of a race shirt is mercilessly subjective. Trevor Soll is the owner and race director for Multisports Canada. He remembers that some of the race shirts that he designed were called by some athletes “a great design” and by others the “worst shirt ever.”

The wearability or functionality of a race T-shirt sits lower on the list of priorities for triathletes but it’s still important. If it’s not a technical fabric, does it pair well with board shorts, jeans or Speedos? If it is a technical fabric, just how comfortable is the material? Some race directors seem to source synthetic fabrics more suited to removing rust from a ’69 Biscayne than something you’d choose to wear on a long run. With so many superior synthetic fabrics now available, our days of wearing something smelly and scratchy just because it is “sweat-wicking” are as dead as the Discman.

What is the Future of the Race Shirt?

With the combination of the “less-stuff, more happiness” movement and the great reset provided by COVID-19, many race directors and owners are rethinking their T-shirt policy. Adam Kourakis, with Ontario’s Somersault Race Series, reports his recent participant survey revealed 70 per cent of his racers did not want a lower quality “free” shirt.

Armed with that knowledge, Somersault scrapped the “free shirts” and instead lowered the cost of the race entry fee. They also hired a designer to produce a one-of-a-kind article that is as stylish as it is comfortable. Athletes were then given the option of adding on the shirt when they registered for Somersault events. The fact that these shirts come from Mexico instead of China lowers the carbon footprint, since they don’t have to cross the Pacific Ocean, then across the second-largest country on Earth. A similar policy is being implemented in the Run Ottawa events, according to Ian Fraser. With these major organizations trailblazing, it will be interesting to see how many other organizations follow suit.

And what of the mighty M-Dot? Well, according to Ironman Canada race director Susie Ernsting, there certainly will be T-shirts for all who cross the finish line in 2022. Ernsting, who is trying hard to put her stamp on the event as the new race director, and the first since the race’s relocation to its spiritual home in Penticton, admits previous years’ shirts lacked local inspiration. Ernsting promises you’ll be wearing a locally inspired design that will make you the envy of every athlete in your local triathlon club while doing those long runs, or during those post-race discussions at Starbucks.

With racing returning to the lives of Canadian triathletes, it seems race shirts will remain part of the experience, and your closet will probably see even more of them. There’s hope, however, the shirts of the future will feel better, look better and be better for the planet than those that preceded them.

Kevin Heinz is a regular contributor to Triathlon Magazine Canada.