PLEASE UN-Unisex us!

tiki23

Able to leap a double stroller in a single bound!
Joined
May 15, 2005
Dear runDisney;

We love DISNEY and we LOVE your races but I know many women who hate the unisex shirts.

Please, please hear our pleas, runDisney, and un-Unisex us! We would be ever so happy with a women's shirt.

Thank you for listening! :)


I sent the above email to runDisney today. If there are other woman runners who detest those shirts as much as I do, maybe you might want to send an email too. ;)
 
Here's the thing with this-- at the marathon they made a BIG hoolabaloo about how women are making up more of the entry field then men.

WHY do they keep putting us in the unisex shirts? They are so unflattering. I am sure it's cheaper to buy one style in bulk, but the bulk has shifted to women!

Could you imagine the outcry if men were told to wear women's shirts? lol Pretty sure the PHM offers unisex for the guys. It's just maddening.
 
Here's the thing with this-- at the marathon they made a BIG hoolabaloo about how women are making up more of the entry field then men.

WHY do they keep putting us in the unisex shirts? They are so unflattering. I am sure it's cheaper to buy one style in bulk, but the bulk has shifted to women!

Could you imagine the outcry if men were told to wear women's shirts? lol Pretty sure the PHM offers unisex for the guys. It's just maddening.

They used to offer only women's shirts at the Princess and changed it because of the men complaining. Serious, if men can get unisex shirts at a women's race, I want a women's shirt at a race where the majority of the participants are women! Or at least a unisex shirt that isn't SO masculine. I have so unisex shirts that are fine, but the Disney ones are TERRIBLE.
 
I don't understand why Disney does this either. At other, much smaller, marathons I have run, the women get the fitted shirts.

OTOH, take heart ladies. I predict that by 2020, pretty much all the runDisney races will be women-centered, so surely they will get rid of them by that point. ;)
 


SAHDad said:
I don't understand why Disney does this either. At other, much smaller, marathons I have run, the women get the fitted shirts.

OTOH, take heart ladies. I predict that by 2020, pretty much all the runDisney races will be women-centered, so surely they will get rid of them by that point. ;)

Lol

I know that's how you feel but I highly doubt they will happen! The shirt thing just annoys me. It can't cost that much more???
 
Men have every reason to complain. Disney has not one, but TWO women focused races. It is getting out of hand, women were complaining and preaching that men only races were unethical and wrong, but as soon as women only and women focused races came about, it's suddenly acceptable. But where is the logic in that? I get your point on race shirts, but to exclude people from a race and participation because of their gender is not fair, especially in today's world of everyone is equal. It doesn't matter who brings in more money, you don't exclude a specific group from participating. Disney says guys can enter, but then guys cannot win awards, guys cannot start where they rightfully should, guys are given some bad looks by egotistical women because it's their event. I guarantee if Disney did men only races, there would be a huge uproar.

On shirts, I agree on shirts, gender specific is not difficult. I prefer a woman cut, the shorter sleeves and my body contour fits better in them. However, guys definitely have more to gripe about here.
 
I just want shirt equality. :)

You guys aren't excluded. You just can't win. It's not the same thing.

If a bunch of dudes want to man up and push us out of corral C at princess it would be totally fine IMO

But they don't want to run a female race. Pooh on them. They are leaving themselves out not runDisney.
 


It's not they are leaving themselves out. Only in one location on Disney site for Princess does it say guys are welcome to run. Everywhere else, it says women or female race. Disney is pushing this because women spend more money. But if it were a true equal race, there would be no limitation on male awards and starting corrals. The fact that males cannot win awards alone deters them from running, and the fact it says a woman focused race. Most men will stop there and not read the one line (which is hidden in the FAQ section) that says men can participate too, with limitation and being shunned.

It's not only Disney, it's everywhere now, women's half marathon, the women 5k, are women really that insecure with themselves that they need to have events only for them. I think its more demeaning to women by saying your not as good as guys, so we created you your own little thing so you can feel good. I even see it in my town on our town's forum site, women only bike rides on weekends, and the organizer says no men, we want to promote confidence and well being in women, but it doesn't do that. Women wanted equality, now they want exclusivity. I'm sorry, but I am very strongly against gender specific events in a sport that is to be shared by everyone and anyone to enjoy and to tell someone they cannot participate, win or treated like a second class citizen because of any reason is completely unfair and uncalled for.

Women only races are hurting this sport, its encouraging nothing but more gender specific races. I agree, by 2020, Disney will have more than 50% of their races geared toward women only. It does nothing for confidence, you want that, you compete with the best of both genders, you allow anyone to participate and enjoy the event without any limitations. If Disney wants to limit men to corral C or back (was B before, but men still kept winning) and give them no shot at awards, cut their registration fees since they don't get all the benefits.

Also, I don't want to push anyone out of any corral, I want to be placed by runners of my own capabilities and not have to weave around because I'm a <1:50 male stuck in a <2:45 corral. Just cause I'm a guy means my ability and right to start where I belong doesn't come to fruition and get ostracized with all other fast males to weave through the women to keep our pace. That does nothing but make for a dangerous course and discouraging to the women getting passed by male after male that was incorrectly placed.
 
I still just want a female cut shirt. :)

You may think its demeaning but ill say more women are off the couch thanks to rundisney and other female focused events. Im one of them. bi never would have considered running a half if it wasn't for the princess. Since then I've branched out- to non female events even! I think that is more important than anything else going on in this thread is supporting movement and interest in the sport in general. (Even over my shirt gripe)

We aren't all in it to win. I don't think 95% of the guys are either. So you saying they read they can't win a prize and stop reading there is silly.

Yes- there are uber competitive women who do not want to run princess or Tink. But they still have Donald, marathon, wine and dine and tower of terror and now DDD. To suggest that Disney is going to change all races to women focused is exaggeration. To the extreme.

One on each coast made sense in a way. I think They need to add an additional race or three at DL if we want to talk about being fair. But that's another issue.

Don't lose focus that the we have a very real health epidemic going on in our country. Anything that fosters improving a persons health shouldn't be ripped apart. Gender neutral issue.

Is it about money? I'm sure it is. I'd never suggest disney isn't about the bottom line.
 
My point is not on the theme, but the way its handled and advertised. It's great women are off the couch but the men are still there. It could have been a race open to everyone, award everyone with same theme. That's my point, why does it have reward women only and be advertised as women only with a small print men can run too.
 
Danhockey04 said:
My point is not on the theme, but the way its handled and advertised. It's great women are off the couch but the men are still there. It could have been a race open to everyone, award everyone with same theme. That's my point, why does it have reward women only and be advertised as women only with a small print men can run too.

Simply put- many women would not attempt this if it wasn't couched and marketed in pink and tutus. Experienced runners are intimidating- no matter the sex! Yall scared the beejeesus out of me! still do!

This is a way to soften that blow. I love the weekend with my girlfriends!

I don't care who wins or who cant win because that's looking at potentially 30 women in the PHM elite corral. Out of 23000. Who cares? That's just not the important aspect here.

I do think its important that men are included. I understand why they start in C though it doesn't stop them from finishing in A times (Sean Astin started in C and finished 30 sec behind my A corral friend he wasn't hampered by starting a couple corrals back).

we all say run your own race right? Corral shouldn't matter. If it does, don't run Tink or princess. You have many other choices at rundisney. But I'm glad you go choose to run Dan. Especially since you seem to have fun with it!
 
Put your money where your fingers are...

As long as Disney keeps selling out these races in record time for ever rising amounts of $$$ they have no incentive to provide better shirts or a better experience....
 
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. :goodvibes
 
Up until 2008 the unisex shirts fit well. Then Champion changed the cut of their "unisex" no sex in my opinion shirt. With the new cut I heard both men and women complaining. Mine doesn't fit either. No the reason I don't think a women's only cut would fix this, got one at Tinkerbell in 2012 that doesn't fit either. 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.
 
I don't care if there are women's centered races or men's centered. If there was a Disney men's centered and women had to start back I wouldn't whine like many I'm sure would. I would still go and enjoy the race, I'm only in competition with myself!

But YES please have gender specific tech shirts, my goodness. It's not hard, you know how many women sign up and men, order accordingly. They have the funds. I've done cheaper races with medals and gender specific shirts.
 
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.) :rotfl: And I agree with a PP that said that Champion obviously does not make them to fit humans!! :lmao: Its so sad but so true!!!
 
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-Sport-Road-Race-Trends?returnTo=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.
 
Your area is an aberration. According to the state of the sport report (http://www.runningusa.org/State-of-Sport-Road-Race-Trends?returnTo=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 :rolleyes2 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!!
 
That is really interesting, leave it to my hometown to be the odd man out!! It wouldn't be the first time :rolleyes2 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.
 
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.
 

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