Have you ever ever signed up for a race and thought: however do I really want one other race shirt? With occasion prices climbing and sustainability changing into a much bigger precedence, extra races are rethinking the normal mannequin. As a substitute of robotically handing out T-shirts and medals that usually find yourself forgotten in a drawer, many occasions now supply a “no swag” or “bare-bones” entry—letting runners skip the extras, generally for a decrease registration price. For many who race for the expertise reasonably than the freebies, it’s a welcome change.
The inexperienced bib possibility
Some Canadian marathons, just like the Calgary Marathon and the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, have leaned into this concept with their Inexperienced Bib program, permitting runners to forgo the same old finisher gear. Whereas it’s primarily a sustainability initiative, some races providing comparable choices do cross financial savings alongside to runners. At massive occasions, race swag is a significant expense—between sourcing, printing and transport—so skipping it will probably imply a lower-cost bib. Whereas the marathons talked about are targeted on decreasing waste, their choices replicate a broader development of letting runners pay just for the race expertise itself.
Path races have been doing this for years
On the path aspect, race director Gary Robbins has lengthy been a proponent of minimalist racing. His Coast Mountain Path Collection in B.C. retains entry prices decrease by reducing out pointless perks. Lots of his occasions skip medals and extra swag altogether, specializing in the expertise reasonably than the extras. Path runners have embraced this no-frills method for years, and now, it’s making its approach into street races. With extra runners prioritizing affordability and sustainability, the times of necessary race swag may be numbered.
#medalMonday or #nomedalMonday?
Some runners, particularly these new to racing, treasure these medals and proudly show them as symbols of their achievements. When it comes right down to it, it actually solely issues what your precedence is: should you worth the expertise and a decrease price over the normal race perks, choosing a no-swag possibility may very well be an ideal selection. For others, the medal and T-shirt are a cherished a part of the race day reminiscence. In the end, it’s all about selecting what makes your race expertise most significant.