Philly’s ODDyssey Half Marathon Takes On Self Magazine’s Tutu-Shaming
Even this guy’s cool with running in a tutu, SELF! // Photo: txking / Shutterstock.com
You all voiced some pretty strong feelings yesterday when we shared the now-viral brouhaha over the tutu-shaming in SELF Magazine’s April issue. To recap: They ran a few snarky remarks about runners who don tutus during races, and the Internet pretty much exploded.
Judging by the comments on our Facebook page, most Be Well Philly readers agreed: The blow was low and uncalled for, and also, who the heck cares what other people wear when they run, thankyouverymuch?
The folks over at Philly’s ODDyssey Half Marathon were apparently particularly peeved: “We here at the ODDyssey were very upset by the piece. We encourage runners to run in costume and every year 35% of our runners do,” race director Carl Ewald wrote on the race’s blog today. “Whether it is your cup of tea or not, the atmosphere it creates is one of fun and celebration, because that is what running, and life, is supposed to be about.”
To drive the message home, the ODDyssey is taking action—and invites you to take action, too. Here’s what they propose:
1. Tutu Raffle
We are raffling off a tutu, donated by Chestnut Hill fitness wear shop, Indigo Schuy, at our booth at the Love Run Expo this weekend, March 28-29, 2014. So, 100% of all proceeds will be donated to Girls on the Run – the charity Monika supports. We will be selling raffle tickets for $1 at our booth, so come check it out. Through this, we hope to show solidarity with Monika, raise money for charity and send someone home with a rocking tutu!
2. #notetoSelf Campaign
We want to show Self what it really means to be a runner and spread solidarity and support for the cause. Therefore, we are asking you to post pictures of yourself in a tutu or costume with the hashtag #notetoSelf and follow it up with a positive statement about why you love to run. Be sure to tag us! We will even raffle off a free entry to the ODDyssey Half Marathon to one of you so you can rock your style here in Philly.
3. A Challenge
By now the folks at Self Magazine have admitted that they made a mistake. As a way to show their support, we challenge them to run a race themselves. We hope that they can participate in a race and will be inspired by the other runners around them, tutu or not.
Read the full post over here.
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