I am not running Boston 2014. But I'm tempted to buy this shirt, for two reasons: 1) it's a special year and I was there last year. 2) I like the shirt.
Would you wear any of the Boston 2014 merchandise even though you were not running it? What would you think of someone else who does? Is it like false pretense?
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
1 of my friends ran Boston last year and also bought 2 sacred jackets (1 for him and 1 for his non-runner wife) . I thought it was kind of silly for his wife but that's me. Years ago when I just watched it from bars I still bought bootleg Boston t-shirts. Buy the shirt or whatever you want . It isn't like you need to play 20 questions with anyone.
uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI
I can see both sides of it. Yes, like anyone, I buy shirts if I like them. Is this a race shirt? If it is the race shirt, I would not wear it, but that's just me. False pretense? Maybe, maybe not. Yes it's a vague answer but to wear the shirt or not is your choice. (I am usually a very black or white type of guy. Sorry for being so "grey").
Hip Redux
I have Boston 2013 gear and I didn't run. I wanted to support Marathon Sports on Bolyston and bought it in the weeks after the marathon. If anyone has a problem with it, they can go fly a kite.
The only Boston stuff I own, is the jackets I received from volunteering all the years I've done it. This year, I am going to be there whether I volunteer or decide to run/walk it, so I will be purchasing and wearing something that is Boston related. I could care less what people think of what I choose to wear. Hell people see my volunteer jacket and think I've run it.
Running is my mental-Ctrl-Alt-Del.
You will get a race tech shirt when you pick up your # which is included. My first DNS shirt I only wore at night in the beginning. After a while I said screw it , and still wear it today.
Uffda
I would definitely wear it. It's sort of like wearing a baseball jersey for your favorite team while you're playing baseball, or heck, just being out on the town.
- Andrew
Well of course anyone can wear whatever the hell they want. But I don't think I would, due to the implication. Even though your average non-runner does not realize it's a faux pas to wear the shirt for a race you haven't done. However I think if you have ever run it (or participated as volunteer), it's probably (more) OK to wear the shirt for any year. And in any case if they are selling the stuff on the open market (unlike for your average local-yokel race), I guess anyone can and will get them. So maybe it's different for Boston, and more like wearing a shirt for a pro sports team.
Dave
Well, who's the lowlife who saw my post and hurried up to snatch up the last small size they had left? I guess my dilemma has been settled for me.
Hilary, I think you have all the rights to wear whatever you want from Boston. :-)
And you too, Oski. You tell'em, woman!
Mike, the term "sacred jacket" made me laugh. lol I agree that it's kind of weird for a non-runner to want to wear a Boston jacket. But I guess it's a way for that lady to show pride in her DH's Boston marathon...
For what it's worth, my first BQ was in May 2010. A few months later, I randomly came across a Boston 2010 running tank in black on ebay. I bought it for cheap. It's super comfy and I wear it often, in training and at races. Because it's all black, no one notices the Boston logo and I was never asked if I ran the marathon that year. I never feel bad when I wear it. But this year is a more special year and the color is so bright, I thought it would attract questions. I guess it's for the best that they ran out of my size...
But I did see that they have some nice 3/4 tights as well...
10-11 years ago I did what many find unthinkable, ordered a pair of 2002 Boston Marathon shorts even though I never entered that race. My reasoning was to inspire me on my quest to qualify / run the 2007 Boston Marathon when I turned 50 YO. It had been 7 years since I'd last BQ / run Boston and there was no guarantee I'd reach my goal, seeing my last marathon in 2000 was over 5 hours. But since I'd given myself a number of years to chip away at it I was willing to try.
Those 1st two years, which were the most challenging mentally and physically, I wore those shorts every day I trained. All I had to do was look down to remind myself why I was out there. If anyone asked I would have been happy to explain - no one did. I guess it made it a little easier seeing I'd already qualified for Boston three times and run it twice. Not to mention a 3:05 marathon that didn't qualify me due to the strick [2:50] standard back in the day. So it wasn't like I was major poser. I pretty much engulfed myself in everything Boston back then while hoping my foot would some day heal so I could begin the training required vs the maintainence miles I'd been limited. The shorts, like me, are a bit faded from wear but they're still functional.
It would depend on the individual, what I'd think. In your case I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought. Does everyone that wears a professional team jersey play sports? 1st impressions would suggest not.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
I would wear it if I had run it a different year, yes. But if I hadn't ever run it, I probably wouldn't. To me wearing the shirt is saying - I ran this race (or volunteered at it). So I would feel like I was misrepresenting myself if I wore it without running it.
There's a lot of Boston Marathon gear available for purchase - and it's really nice quality. I love my tee, but I don't see the same one for 2014 though.
http://www.adidas.com/us/boston-marathon/_/N-1z13ulu
Lily -where did you see that tee?
Such a cool story, Moth! thanks for sharing, it was inspiring.
onemile, you make sense. I think it's how I secretly felt about it, but I was wondering what other people would think.
Oski, it's from runningwarehouse.
The merchandise on the Adidas site is selling quick, if anyone is interested. And it's already selling on Ebay (for more, of course).
Huh, I can't find it on their website! I'm a dummy.
If this was a regular ol' Boston Marathon year, then I think the situation might be different. But the marathon took on a much larger meaning last year that I really don't think "poser" plays a factor here. There was SO MUCH Boston gear out and about last year after the marathon around here.
And, no one has ever asked if I've run Boston when I wear the visor or shirt. Probably in the same way people don't ask if I play baseball when I wear my Sox hat. Maybe it would be different if it were the jacket, I dunno.