Readers, do you enjoy road racing but feel that shorts and singlets are just too…restricting? If so, you should meet Pete Williams.

Pete is a triathlete and journalist who last year, in his words, “launched a business organizing clothing-optional runs in Florida.”

“Such races are not new, of course,” says Pete, “but I teamed with training group friends who also put on triathlons here in the Tampa Bay area, bringing professional race management to a category usually loosely run by the nudist clubs themselves.”

Which is important when it comes to clothing-optional races. You don’t want folks out there just running around willy-nilly.

Their first event, last October’s Bare Dare 5-K, attracted a field of 200 runners from 13 states and Canada; Pete expects 300 or more at the same race this fall. If you’re looking for a spring event, Pete’s outfit is hosting Streak the Cove 5-K on May 22, also at a Florida resort.

Wanting to get to the bottom of this, I stripped to my socks, sat on a towel, and sent Pete a few questions via e-mail. Here's an edited version of what he had to say.

RW Daily: Clothing-optional races: Why?

Pete Williams: I’ve helped other race organizers in the Tampa Bay area with various triathlons and 5-Ks. I’ve also been a member of area nudist resorts and, in fact, have broadcast my “Fitness Buff Radio Show” from nudist resorts. Usually these races have been loosely run by the resorts themselves. I thought if someone could bring some marketing and professional race management to these races, we could really boost the numbers and create major events.

Is a “clothing-optional” race different from a “nude race”?

Actually, there’s not much distinction. There’s much debate in the nudist industry about the use of “nudist” versus “clothing-optional,” but for the purposes of this race it’s clothing-optional. Some women are more comfortable wearing sports bras. Some people wear normal shirts and shorts, but 80 percent go fully nude, aside from shoes, sunglasses and perhaps hats. Oh, and definitely sunscreen.

You've said that women make up such a high percentage of your entrants. Any idea why?

Women tend to be more adventurous and more likely to dare other girlfriends to do a race like this. We had instances of two or three women signing up together, a few mother-daughter entries. Women tend to control family budgets and when couples registered, it often was the woman doing the registering. Part of it is no doubt due to the boom in women’s running overall.

In your experience, do naked runners tend to be faster or slower than average?

If you’re asking if people run faster nude, that’s true, at least anecdotally. If you’re asking if our field is faster or slower than average, I’d say it’s slightly faster. Our initial race attracted some prominent runners and triathletes in the area. The winning men’s time was 16:15 and the first female finished in just under 19 minutes.

What are some factors a race director must consider for a clothing-optional race that he wouldn’t have to worry about in planning a “normal” event?

Photography is a no-no at nudist resorts. People do a good job policing themselves. One of the big rules at nudist resorts is to always sit on a towel when nude. And unlike other races, we don’t have to worry about race numbers.

It looks like so far you’ve only done 5-K’s. Any plans for clothing-optional races of longer distances?

We pride ourselves on one-loop courses. If we can find a large enough nudist venue, we’d be open to a longer distance.

If you could have any two current elite runners, one male and one female, participate in your next clothing-optional event, who would they be?

We’re thrilled to get prominent elite athletes already, though we don’t post results. We’ve found that most runners have no problem with having their names posted online as participants of a clothing-optional run on race sites that list finishing times. But some people object for any number of reasons: privacy, job concerns, or just not wanting to deal with grief from friends not brave enough to race themselves. Rather than sort this out, we opt not to post results online.

Article from RWDaily.com

Connect with other travelers and hear what they have to say at the World Exotic Travel Club.