This Group Is Making It a Little Less Scary to Run in Your Sports Bra

Join them for a run later this month.

Oiselle

Photo courtesy of Oiselle

For women, going for a run comes with a unique set of challenges.

From rampant catcalling to body image insecurities, running can be an emotionally loaded sport for female athletes, even under the best of circumstances—which explains why many women would sooner hang up their racing shoes than strip down to a sports bra during a workout.

A group of intrepid female runners, led by blogger Kelly Roberts and apparel brand Oiselle, are working to change that. On June 24—dubbed National Sports Bra Squad Day—they’re calling on women all over the country to band together, shed their shirts, and run in sports bras.

“It’s about getting girls, specifically, to realize that there’s no cookie-cutter shape of what you should look like,” says Jenna Deutsch, one of the organizers of the Boston run. “Strong women can be a size two or a size 14. It doesn’t matter.”

It took organizer Roberts—who’s behind the blog Run, Selfie, Repeat—years to feel comfortable running in a sports bra, and Deutsch says many of her friends feel the same way. The new campaign is meant to “give women the push to finally say, ‘This is stupid. I don’t need to cover up in a shirt. Everybody else is doing it,'” Deutsch says.

In Boston, runners will meet in the Public Garden on the morning of June 24, ditch their tops, and go for a three-mile walk or run along the Charles River. All genders and all athletic abilities are welcome, and nobody will be forced to run shirtless. Instructor Jenna Hill will also teach a yoga class at 10 a.m., for those not interested in running or walking.

The goal is to get at least 100 runners to participate, but Deutsch says a group of any size will send a powerful message.

“If there are five of us,” she says, “that’s great.”

Free, 6/24, 9 a.m. Meet at the George Washington Statue in the Boston Public Garden. Find more information at eventbrite.com.