PLEASE UN-Unisex us!

[freepixie]

OK, I'm going to chime in here, sorry I am staying off the topic at hand.

In my hometown, the majority of the races are easily 80-90% male participants. It is very intimidating, and I only run the local races to get qualifying 10K times for Disney races. We have one female-centered 5K in October that brings out thousands of women, and I truly do wonder where these women are at the rest of the races- then I realize they are intimidated too!! (Plus the women's 5K is the only local race that does not have any sort of prize! They also list finishers in alphabetical order, so it would take a long time to figure out who truly won!! They want every woman to feel they have won!)

I give props to Disney and to any other organization for creating these women-centered events. If it were not for these events, I would have never gotten into the sport of running! Seriously! It makes it more accesible for everyone- you watch the youtube videos and think, hey, I could do that!! They all look so cute in their tutus!!

Now back to the main topic- I sent my email to RunDisney yesterday too! I really hope for better shirts!! My TOT-10 miler shirt is absolutely atrocious!! I only wear it when I am doing housework (mopping, cleaning the bathroom, etc.) And I agree with a PP that said that Champion obviously does not make them to fit humans!! Its so sad but so true!!!

[SAHDad]

Originally Posted by freepixie

OK, I'm going to chime in here, sorry I am staying off the topic at hand.

In my hometown, the majority of the races are easily 80-90% male participants. It is very intimidating, and I only run the local races to get qualifying 10K times for Disney races.

Your area is an aberration. According to the state of the sport report (http://www.runningusa.org/State-of-S...annual-reports), women are 57% of the national 5k finishers. (Women also are the majority of 10k and half marathon runners; men are the majority only in the marathon as a whole, and in ultras.)

I;m kind of interested into digging into the stats now - the male runners (nationally) are about 3 years older than the female runners, and I wonder if the the age disparity has been increasing over the last 4-5 years. It certainly feels as though most of the younger runners are women - I recall reading an article about a 10k and a half where there were no male runners in some of the under-40 age brackets, and it was not a women-centered race.

[freepixie]

Originally Posted by SAHDad

Your area is an aberration. According to the state of the sport report (http://www.runningusa.org/State-of-S...annual-reports), women are 57% of the national 5k finishers. (Women also are the majority of 10k and half marathon runners; men are the majority only in the marathon as a whole, and in ultras.)

I;m kind of interested into digging into the stats now - the male runners (nationally) are about 3 years older than the female runners, and I wonder if the the age disparity has been increasing over the last 4-5 years. It certainly feels as though most of the younger runners are women - I recall reading an article about a 10k and a half where there were no male runners in some of the under-40 age brackets, and it was not a women-centered race.

That is really interesting, leave it to my hometown to be the odd man out!! It wouldn't be the first time LOL!!

When I look at the local stats- the vast majority are men in their 20's, and the bulk of the women runners are in their 30's! I guess we are just a strange place, we always have and always will be!!

[SAHDad]

Originally Posted by freepixie

That is really interesting, leave it to my hometown to be the odd man out!! It wouldn't be the first time LOL!!

When I look at the local stats- the vast majority are men in their 20's, and the bulk of the women runners are in their 30's! I guess we are just a strange place, we always have and always will be!!

It's certainly possible. The problem with averages is just that - they are average. Some places will be almost entirely women runners, others mostly men.

It's also possible that there are a lot of local, small 5k and 10k races, that are mostly men, and then one or two HUGE local 5k or 10k races that are mainly women. I know that the Komen runs skew the local numbers a bit.

[Stitch_lover_Sith]

At the end of the day I think we need to tell Disney to tell Champion that they need to change the design or offer both men's and women's options. As it stands we all have multiple run Disney Champion shirts that don't get used for whatever reason. Now the $34.95 Mickey marathon tech shirt that I bought I love. Have worn it for most of my runs post marathon. Lets appeal to their bottom line, if we wear these to the gym they can make more races and more money with all our advertising.

[tiki23]

Originally Posted by JCH

Or at least a unisex shirt that isn't SO masculine. I have some unisex shirts that are fine, but the Disney ones are TERRIBLE.

They sure are! My EEC 2012 shirt is the ugliest thing I have ever seen - and I so wanted to show it off because it was my first 5K.

Originally Posted by longhorns2

I just want shirt equality.

Are you listening, Disney?

Originally Posted by Rose&Mike

tiki23--I am really sorry that your original discussion about the annoying race shirts has evolved into yet another discussion about how horrible Disney is for supporting women centered races. I am guessing you were talking about the lovely shirts from marathon weekend which ITA fit horribly. I am with you. I wish they would provide gender specific shirts that fit better.

Thank you, Rose!

Originally Posted by Stitch_lover_Sith

I think Champion has stopped using humans to make their designs. Case in point the last year for the Tower of Terror 13K shirt, short through the body, sleeves go down to my elbows and I can barley fit my kids glasses wearing head through the hole. I vote to have run disney force champion to use the designs that they actually try to sell for a profit.

^ This! ^

Originally Posted by Stitch_lover_Sith

At the end of the day I think we need to tell Disney to tell Champion that they need to change the design or offer both men's and women's options. As it stands we all have multiple run Disney Champion shirts that don't get used for whatever reason. Now the $34.95 Mickey marathon tech shirt that I bought I love. Have worn it for most of my runs post marathon. Lets appeal to their bottom line, if we wear these to the gym they can make more races and more money with all our advertising.

Exactly!

[Bookwood]

I happen to agree with both of the main points here. I think Disney needs to have women's shirts for women and all their races should be advertised for both genders. I would really feel like a second class citizen if I couldn't start in the corral I should according to my estimated finish time. I don't care how many are men/women I run for myself. I like the themes of the races so don't mind if they add pirates or a Buzz/Woody race (more guy centric?) If I would run one of those I'd try to dress the part- if most of the other runners did also. If now I'd dress the way I usually run.

I stopped doing the Marathon weekend because I felt my 3 hour finish time (half marathon) was being looked down upon and heard several people talking about how only "real runners" (I was doing a run 8 walk 2 interval at the time, and yes I make sure I don't slow to walk in front of other when I slow down) should be allowed to do it. It also got just too big and wasn't fun anymore. So after 5 years of Marathon weekends I switched to Princess because of the feel of the race. (I'm not a Princess person at all.)
It was way for fun and encouraging to be at the Princess Half Marathon than it was Marathon weekend. (sorry I guess I kind of got off on my own rant here)

I hope Disney get it and makes all the races as inviting for all of us (entries and shirts.)

[SAHDad]

Originally Posted by Bookwood

I happen to agree with both of the main points here. I think Disney needs to have women's shirts for women and all their races should be advertised for both genders. I would really feel like a second class citizen if I couldn't start in the corral I should according to my estimated finish time. I don't care how many are men/women I run for myself. I like the themes of the races so don't mind if they add pirates or a Buzz/Woody race (more guy centric?) If I would run one of those I'd try to dress the part- if most of the other runners did also. If now I'd dress the way I usually run.

I stopped doing the Marathon weekend because I felt my 3 hour finish time (half marathon) was being looked down upon and heard several people talking about how only "real runners" (I was doing a run 8 walk 2 interval at the time, and yes I make sure I don't slow to walk in front of other when I slow down) should be allowed to do it. It also got just too big and wasn't fun anymore. So after 5 years of Marathon weekends I switched to Princess because of the feel of the race. (I'm not a Princess person at all.)
It was way for fun and encouraging to be at the Princess Half Marathon than it was Marathon weekend. (sorry I guess I kind of got off on my own rant here)

I hope Disney get it and makes all the races as inviting for all of us (entries and shirts.)

That's really sad that people were looking down on you and your finish time. You had a bib and got an official time, right? Therefore you are a runner. Sheesh, people. It's not as though the course gets shorter or easier for the people that are out there longer - it anything, it is harder.

[ataylorrdh]

Originally Posted by SAHDad

That's really sad that people were looking down on you and your finish time. You had a bib and got an official time, right? Therefore you are a runner. Sheesh, people. It's not as though the course gets shorter or easier for the people that are out there longer - it anything, it is harder.

Amen! It's about endurance. I have a friend that runs 40% faster than me, I light heartedly tell her I would like to see her run a LONG as I do. Lol!

[KippWade]

Slightly off topic, but I hate that it's a long sleeved shirt.

I very rarely wear long sleeves, as they really bother me.

Indianapolis Monumental - Held in cold Indy in November has a short sleeve shirt... Disney World, held in nice warm Florida (most of the time) has a long sleeve shirt. Ugh... go figure.

[StarGirl11]

Originally Posted by Bookwood

I happen to agree with both of the main points here. I think Disney needs to have women's shirts for women and all their races should be advertised for both genders. I would really feel like a second class citizen if I couldn't start in the corral I should according to my estimated finish time. I don't care how many are men/women I run for myself. I like the themes of the races so don't mind if they add pirates or a Buzz/Woody race (more guy centric?) If I would run one of those I'd try to dress the part- if most of the other runners did also. If now I'd dress the way I usually run.

I stopped doing the Marathon weekend because I felt my 3 hour finish time (half marathon) was being looked down upon and heard several people talking about how only "real runners" (I was doing a run 8 walk 2 interval at the time, and yes I make sure I don't slow to walk in front of other when I slow down) should be allowed to do it. It also got just too big and wasn't fun anymore. So after 5 years of Marathon weekends I switched to Princess because of the feel of the race. (I'm not a Princess person at all.)
It was way for fun and encouraging to be at the Princess Half Marathon than it was Marathon weekend. (sorry I guess I kind of got off on my own rant here)

I hope Disney get it and makes all the races as inviting for all of us (entries and shirts.)

Sorry to hear about the others comments. When I first started running back in 2011 I had a few comments from friends and family along the same line. I about snapped at them after doing the San Francisco Marathon just having got fed up with the 'What was your finishing time?' questions. After becoming a runner (something I had never imagined in a 100 years I would do) I just wanted them to back off and realize its more about finishing than the stupid time. Took a few races but they did back off eventually.

People like the ones you mentioned are ignorant and stupid. And I am going to guess most who make those style of comments aren't runners themselves or have never at least attempted the full distance. Those who are runners are just plain stupid and jerks though.

More on topic. I would prefer just to have a unisex and a female option. The way my body type is female cut shirts aren't very comfortable (part of the reason why buying Tink and Princess expo stuff is a pain). So I don't want to be thrown in with female cut shirts just because I'm a girl. Who knows maybe when I'm thinner after the surgery I will be more willing to wear girl cut shirts but right now they aren't extremely comfortable for me. Give us options is what I say.

[tiki23]

Originally Posted by StarGirl11

Give us options is what I say.

That's what we want!

[Terapin]

I agree - give us the choice! I have written to Run Disney on this and have not gotten a response. I've written to RD a few times on different things actually, and never get a response.

[tiki23]

I'm the OP.

This was runDisney's reply to my email:

Hi Alice,

Thanks for your feedback. I will pass this message along to the entire
runDisney team and specifically the department in charge of ordering
event shirts.

Thanks,
runDisney

So maybe there is hope!

[Ariel484]

Originally Posted by tiki23

I'm the OP.

This was runDisney's reply to my email:

Hi Alice,

Thanks for your feedback. I will pass this message along to the entire
runDisney team and specifically the department in charge of ordering
event shirts.

Thanks,
runDisney

So maybe there is hope!

Great! Which email address did you use?