Shirts for races you didn't do...

No.  I might wear it as a layer in cooler weather, but never on top.

I feel race finisher shirts are the same as medals.  I certainly wouldn't put up any medals that I didn't earn.

its a shirt, you volunteered (your time for the race prize). wear the shirt

I would wear it (if I liked it) as long as it wasn't a finisher shirt.  And if it was a finisher shirt I still might wear it around the house.  Heck, I wear a shirt from Kona 2008 that I wasn't at, I just found it for cheap at a store when vacationing in Kona in 2009.

Exactly. I don't understand people's issues and fixations over a freakin' shirt.  I'd wear a shirt that stated "2014 Ironman World Champion" if I had one.  If someone asked if I was Sebastian Kienle I'd say "Nein!"

I have a special rule that I'll agree to wear the shirt if I made a monkey for the race that year. So the answer is YES!

Besides the fact karma and superstition are not actually real things.  There's cause and there's effect.  Period.

You shouldn't feel bad about wearing it, especially since you spent your time and effort making an award for the race.

That being said, I am a bit superstitious and normally don't wear a race shirt until after the race and never in the actual race itself.  The only exception is when I've participated in some charity or fund-raising group and wear the team shirt in the race.

I do about one race a month during the year and accumulate more race shirts than I know what to do with.  I keep my favorites and donate the others to Goodwill periodically along with my retired running shoes.

Mark

It's a shirt.  I'd wear it.  I wear a NYC Marathon shirt that my sister gave me.  She raced and finished, not me.  Shirt was too big for her.  Fits me well and is a nice ls tech shirt.  If people ask me about the race, I tell them where the shirt came from.  No big deal.

I certainly would! Please send it to me!

My criterion for wearing something: it's comfortable.

Totally depends on the thread count.

Actually, I have so many shirts from races that I only keep the ones to which I have a sentimental attachment.  That conveniently will usually include finishing and having a great time there (so I haven't really considered this point much).  Otherwise, there are too too too too many of them in my drawer, and I often prefer to wear technical shirts that are usually waaaaaay more comfortable than your average race tee.

As a hockey player, I get superstition (don't ask about my socks from a long ago championship season!), but I guess I never saw this that way.  How many people wear jerseys from pro sports teams and such? 

In this case, you definitely did something FOR the race, so I think you're good to go.  But if YOU don't see it that way, then be comfortable (in the shirt or not wearing it).  Life's too short to not feel good when you can...

Matt

I used to be on the "didn't race, don't wear the shirt" crowd, but nowadays, who really cares? Would I think less of someone for wearing a shirt or promoting a race they did not do? NO

Only issue I would have is if they said they ran the race, but really did not. Don't lie about it!  It sounds like a cool story to tell about how you got the shirt anyways!

I'd wear it if I liked it. I hardly ever wear race t-shirts because I don't really like baggy t-shirts, but I don't really get them any more anyway. Would you wear a souvenir t-shirt from some place you hadn't visited? A t-shirt with some brand name on it that you didn't repesent? Who really cares. It's just a shirt. Also, someone gave you that shirt as a gift. They must have thought you would wear it.

With one exception, I used to care, no longer though.  I have shirts from races I didn't do, given to me by friends that did the race, etc.

The exception is I wouldn't wear a shirt that said "Finisher" on it if I didn't do the race