Winning the Swag Marathon

Admit it. You're not running for health, or enjoyment, or camaraderie. You're running so you can brag about it.

Wait, that's not you. That's me. And while that's a bit of an exaggeration, I admit there's an element of truth to it. I love wearing shirts from the various races I've run, and I'm probably not the only runner that enjoys swag, all the "giveaways" that come with your race registration.

I've got some good stuff over the years. My gray long-sleeve tech shirt from the 2010 Philly Half is very cool, and my the Asics sleeveless I got at the Druid Hills 10K this year has been a useful running shirt.

But one race's swag stands out amongst them all: The Yuengling Shamrock Marathon. Excluding any souvenirs, thus counting only the items included in my registration fee, I received:

• 1 long sleeve technical shirt
• 1 long-sleeve cotton finisher's shirt
• 1 finisher's hat (Yes, I think the hat is ugly, but I love it anyway. I have 100 baseball caps, but this is the only one I had to run 26.2 miles to get.)
  
• Finisher's medal that can be used as a bottle opener

Well, the good folks at J&A Racing have outdone themselves. This year, in honor of the race's 40th anniversary, all 13.1 and 26.2 finishers will receive their race shirt, finisher's hat, medal, and this:

(This sweatshirt replaces the white finishers' shirt at the bottom of my picture.
That's a nice upgrade, in my opinion.)

I'm a little critical of my own performance at the Shamrock Marathon (although not half as critical as I'm going to be after I limp through Philly in a few weeks!), but I have nothing but good things to say about the event itself.

Great post-race party. Fun location. Nice expo. Unbeatable swag. And it looks like they found a way to make it even better!