Running shirtless in a triathlon (rules & recommendations)

Triathlon is often seen as an expensive sport. Especially if you are new to the sport, you don’t know yet if it is worth spending money on lots of equipment for your first races. Even buying a tri suit can be expensive for a first race. Therefore, it is quite common to wonder: can I run shirtless in a triathlon?

As a general rule, it is possible to run shirtless during a triathlon held in the US. Indeed, USAT does allow to run shirtless contrary to World Triathlon (ex ITU). However, running shirtless is not allowed during Ironman events, US included. In other countries, the WT rules often apply.

Even if racing shirtless is allowed, some rules still apply regarding nudity. So let’s dig in more details into the rules.

Do you have to wear a shirt during a triathlon?

You don’t need to wear a shirt in a triathlon organized by USAT in the United States. In other countries, you may need to cover your top, but it does not necessarily need to be a shirt. Any piece of equipment that covers the torso, such as a tri suit, will do.

Let’s look at what the different triathlon organizations state.

According to World Triathlon (ex ITU)

Wearing a top, whether a shirt or another equipment, is compulsory by the World Triathlon rules:

5. CYCLING CONDUCT:
5.1. General Rules:
a.) An athlete is not permitted to:
…
(ii) Cycle with a bare torso;

6. RUNNING CONDUCT:
6.1. General Rules:
a.) The athletes will:
…
(iv) Not run with a bare torso;

Extract from the ITU competition rules chapter 5 and 6.

Not complying with these rules may lead to disqualification.

In the United States, however, most competitions are organized by USAT. In such a case, the World Triathlon rules are overwritten by the ones from USAT.

No shirts allowed: does it mean I have to wear a tri suit?

It is never compulsory to wear a triathlon suit. If being shirtless during the run and bike leg is forbidden, you can still compete with a tri short. In other words, you can start shirtless during the swim and just put a shirt on in the first transition.

In fact, competing with tri shorts and a technical shirt is a great way to optimize your transitions if you don’t own a tri suit. For sprint races, you can even consider running in a speedo and a shirt. On such distances, a padded short may not be necessary and may slow you down during the run leg.

Also, if you ever wondered if you can run using a cycling jersey, here is the answer.

Can you change clothes during a triathlon?

Hopefully, you can change clothes during a triathlon. Not everyone has the money to own a tri suit. During an event, you will notice several people getting changed after the swim. On long-distance triathlons, such as Ironmans, they sometimes provide changing tents for transitions.

There are some rules to follow when getting changed since nudity is forbidden. In triathlon that means you cannot show private parts. So no genitals or boobs allowed. If there are no change tents, that means you will need to change under a towel.

Since changing under a towel is not always practical, I recommend using a changing robe, such as this one. It’s fast to put on and won’t fall off like a towel. It is really worth the investment and can avoid getting disqualified. For instance, you can use them when training like after open water swims to change in front of your car…

What gear I recommend for your triathlon

First, it is always best to come prepared for different scenarios. Indeed, even if there are rules given by national federations, they can change from one year to another. Moreover, they are always prone to interpretation, even by race officials.

You have probably read or heard people mentioning “no nipple rule”, “covered sternum rule”, “not unzipping your tri suit rule”, etc. These are points not specifically mentioned by the governing bodies and are susceptible to local referees’ interpretation. In shorts, it is always best to come with something to cover your top and to ask a referee. You can therefore adapt and compete without worrying. This is far better than being disqualified because of a disagreement about the rules.