- D

That happens when a shirt has fallen down to “yard work” or even “oil change fodder” – but never quite gets completely destroyed.

It may have some light stains, and even some small holes, but one day you look at it (often when the anniversary of the race is coming up) and realize the shirt is from 10, or even 15+ years in the past.

So you pull it out of the balled up wad in the corner of the drawer and try it on to see if it still fits… and it does!

Obviously now you have to wear it to the race. It’s recognized by a few of the older runners in the crowd, who give it knowing nods of acknowledgement as you pass by them in your pre-race warmup and at the postrace party.

Even though the shirt by no means looks new and can’t be a “revered symbol”, it will often now be classified as an “esteemed trophy”.

I call this a “reincarnated shirt”

kestrou

P.S. – This also applies to concert shirts!

The Disney Marathon and Nipmuck trail marathon medals are the best I have. Disney is a high quality, big ole Mickey Mouse head medal. Very nice (Half marathoners get Donald Duck. If you do the half and full back to back, you get each plus a “Goofy” medal). The Nipmuck Trail marathon just gives you a birch log with some trail marker paint on it. Classic.

I always imagined that my children would find my old medals in some attic bin someday. They’d reminisce about their dad, perhaps tell stroies… then judiciously toss/recycle/sell them.

- D

Oh sure, all of us occasionally dig out our shiny bling and do that pose in the mirror like Mark Spitz with all his gold from the Munich Olympics, complete with the Evel Knieval looking star-spangled speedo. Really, I’m sure everyone else does that. There’s no way I’m the only one…

So don’t finisher’s medals all just end up hanging off of a closet door knob somewhere on their long march to a garage sale bin? What is the alternative, to one day be buried wearing them? Maybe we could all mail them to someone and they could be smelted into one massive statue to adorn the national mall in D.C. A salute to all of the running past presidents who ran, Carter, both Bushes, & Clinton (did I miss any), and future ones to come.

You forgot the last category – soggy lump at the bottom of the laundrey basket. Most of my shirts pass through this category.

I can see it now. I’m 80, and my grandson surveys the quilt keeping me warm. “Grandpa, 20 of these shirts are the same!” I’ll reply, “My boy, those are the Irmo Dam Run t-shirts. They used the same design my whole life… just changed the year. I have two whole Dam Run exclusive quilts in the closet.”

- Dean

And if you don’t have a grandmother around anymore(or your grandmother is still around but likes to drink instead of sew) you can even send off all of your old T-Shirts to some place that advertises in the back of Runners World and they will assemble the quilt for you. Most likely some front for a sweatshop in the 3rd world, or perhaps deep in the heart of Amish country in the case of quilts, but still a bargain for you & me !!

I have visions of race directors in haz-mat suits and tongs tossing unwanted shirts into the fiery furnace.

And yes, the Nipmuck Trail Marathon Tie-Dye is “Esteemed trophy.” Really, it’s a classic. You should get one.

- D