Forums >General Running>Cotton t-shirt for marathon
Intentionally Blank
So I'm going to jog a marathon on Saturday. High about 70*F, 60% chance of rain. I'd kinda like tot wear the t-shirt from my kids' running club, but it's cotton. Is this a terrible idea? I was thinking of cutting off the sleeves and the collar. I've never run in a cotton shirt for a race this length.
I'm not going for time, but I don't want to die of heat/chafing, either.
I ran my first marathon in 1985 after getting out of the service.
I don't remember what I wore but I believe it was a cotton singlet and some kind of synthetic material for the shorts. I know we didn't have the cheap availability of the tech shirts like there is today.
Yeah, chaffing may be an issue.
Mostly harmless
I'm wondering the same thing. I ordered one of those "Boston Stands as One" shirts and I would like to wear it for a HM I have coming up in a couple weeks. I'm not sure if it is 100% cotton or if it is a synthetic blend but either way it will be a lot heavier than a tech shirt. I guess I'll use tons of body glide and hope for the best.
"It doesn’t matter how often you do it or how much you accomplish, in general, not running is a lot easier than running." - Meb Keflezighi
Even with the recent growth in marathons, I'd bet that most marathons that have ever been run have been run in cotton shirts. I ran my first marathon (95 degrees) in cotton and still do most runs in cotton shirts. Nothin rotten about cotton.
Tessa
Used to be all shirts were cotton. I still think they're cooler because they hold moisture and it cools you rather than evaporating.
If there's rain forecast, I would suggest you Bodyglide potential chafing spots including the inside of your upper arms.
For me, cotton feels better in cold weather than tech does. It's snugglier.
And which would you rather wear, something made from a fluffy flower or something made from a hunk of dead dinosaur?
hop, hop, hop...
If you do decide to wear it I would wear it for a test run before.
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Are we there, yet?
I've never had any problems with running in cotton shirts. For most of my running career that's all that was available unless you bought a nylon singlet. Being cheap, I wore what I got at races and that was cotton.
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03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
While I'll admit I've never run a marathon in one, until fairly recently I did most or all my runs in cotton tees with no trouble. In the winter a lot of my gear is still cotton or a blend (especially my stuff for -10 below and colder as I still find it warmer and cheaper). If you bodyglide potential bad areas you should be fine.
Sulphur Springs 50km-- Ancaster, ON-- May 28, 2022
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Alright, I'm in. I will bathe in Body Glide.
Walk-Jogger
The common phrase "cotton kills" exists for a good reason. Wet cotton saturates with water and has zero insulation value, and conducts heat readily away from your skin. In cool weather wet cotton is colder than bare skin due to this conduction plus evaporative cooling. The military winter survival course I took decades ago graphically demonstrated this fact by setting up three containers of water at 98 degrees in a cool room, and insulating one with wet wool, one with wet cotton, and leaving one un-insulated. After a period of time, the temperature of each contain was checked. The wet cotton was the coldest, and the wet wool was the warmest. We didn't have tech fabrics back then, but I'm sure they're much warmer than wet cotton. Wet cotton is great in hot weather, but should be avoided in cool or cold weather if hypothermia would ruin your day.
Retired & Loving It
So I'm going to jog a marathon on Saturday. High about 70*F, 60% chance of rain. I'd kinda like tot wear the t-shirt from my kids' running club, but it's cotton. Is this a terrible idea? I was thinking of cutting off the sleeves and the collar. I've never run in a cotton shirt for a race this length. I'm not going for time, but I don't want to die of heat/chafing, either.
If you wish to go old school, I say more power to you.
However, the thought of running in a sopping wet, non-wicking, cotton shirt sounds unpleasant at best--especially because you are planning to be out there for a long time.
I understand the sentiment of wanting to represent your club, but tech shirts were invented for a reason.
Whatever you decide, best of luck to you, and let us know how it goes!
Personally I won't go over 5 miles in cotton.
If you really want to do it I would suggest maybe wearing a compression shirt such as the Nike Pro Combat shirts underneath. Won't help with the heat but will definitely help with the chaffing.
We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
I'd say if you run any distance in it you won't be able to get within arms distance ever again. I'd save it for gardening if I were you.
Well, y'all, it's game time in about an hour and a half. Chilly with steady rain. I'm going with the tech shirt I wore last time. I'll save the tee for next week's 5k.
The Irreverent Reverend
Good call. Have a great race!
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