Running Costumes

My first Half Marathon was the Disneyland Half and I wore regular running clothes. What was I thinking? Everyone around me were dressed in the most amazing outfits. From now on, when I sign up for a race I also consider the costume, it has become somewhat of an obsession of mine. It's a fun way to show some spirit while running and trust me it's addictive. I’m including this page to give ideas for your next race. Some of them I’ve made and some have been purchased. I’ve given the names so you can look at their sites and see the amazing running costumes available. 

As they say, when in Rome do as the romans. So when I signed up for the Seattle Rock n' Roll half marathon I had to run as my favorite Starbucks beverage “pumpkin spice Frappuccino”. This was probably the simplest costume to make. Just a couple of yards of fabric for the cup (dress) and a white boa for the whipped cream. I pinned a section of the boa to the neck line of my dress. I printed out the Starbucks logo and glued it to a piece of felt and pinned to the front of my dress.  For my head piece, I hot glued more of the boa to a piece of cardboard (cut in an oval shape). Painted a paper towel tube green and hot glued that in the middle of the cardboard, then hot glued the entire thing to the headband. It was super comfortable to run in and EVERYONE cheered as the Starbucks Frappuccino ran by.

This was the costume I wore for the 2022 Dopey Challenge 5K. 

 

Running in costume always adds to the race experience, both positive and negatively. The added stress of having to construct most of your outfit the morning of the race, made for a frantic beginning to my Dopey Challenge race weekend. 

 

When you decide to “go big” with your running attire, keep in mind the limitations of your costume and how you will deal with those limitations. What I’m trying to get at is POTTY BREAKS! Not happening in this outfit and it has everything to do with how I put it together. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

I luckily already had a yellow long sleeve shirt from a Minion costume I wore years ago. I also had a pair of cream colored tights that matched perfecting with the basket I used for the Dole cup. 

 

I went to Target and found a rope woven laundry basket large enough to fit around my waist. This was probably the most expensive part of the costume. I had to unwind some of the rope from the bottom of the basket for my legs to fit through. I used that rope to make a set of makeshift suspenders, to fit over my shoulders to hold the basket, or should I say the Dole cup, in place. 

 

I googled the Dole Whip logo, printed it out and laminated it. I did this in case of rain, I didn’t want the paper to disintegrate if the weather was stormy. I pined the logo to the front of the Dole cup to resemble the actual container. 

 

Now for the dole whip hat, super easy. I used a large headband that was in my “gonna use someday for a costume” drawer. I have lots of random items in this drawer, anyone who runs at Disney needs one of these drawers. I folded a piece of copy paper into a cone shape and hot glued it to the headband. Then wound white and yellow tulle around it to cover up the paper. Done! The rest of the ensemble would have to wait until race morning, since a fully constructed costume would not fit in my suitcase. 

 

I got up extra early on race day to finish up my outfit. First, I hot glued a base layer of yellow and white tulle to the top edge of the cup (woven basket). Then I just spun around and around and around and around (you get the idea) until I used up 6 spools of tulle and was securely bound to the point that I could not lift the cup over my knees to sit comfortably. This made the bus ride to the start very interesting. I wouldn’t say this outfit was the most uncomfortable one I’ve every worn, but the fact that I was not able to use the restrooms makes it a one and done for me. 

 

Needless to say, I was very happy this was only a 5K, because as soon as the race was over, I wiggled out of the Whip and proceeded to the bathroom. 

 

To see this costume on race day, check out my youtube video Click here!

For the 2025 Springtime Surprise 5K, I decided to channel the feisty, furry genius from Guardians of the Galaxy—Rocket Raccoon! Putting this costume together was a mix of Amazon hauls, crafty tweaks, and one very adorable sidekick. The best part? It was lightweight, easy to run in, and a total crowd favorite (though Baby Groot might have stolen my thunder).

The foundation of the costume started with some orange leggings and a matching top I snagged on Amazon. While the color was perfect, the leggings turned out to be a bit too sheer for my taste—definitely more cosplay than cardio-ready. So, I pivoted and ordered an orange sparkle running skirt from Sparkle Athletic, which added both coverage and flair.

To replicate Rocket’s tactical armor, I found a black peplum top on Amazon that had the right shape and structure. I trimmed it down to better mimic his angular black torso panels and the strap-like design of his chest piece. For the center orange strip, I looped a simple orange ribbon down the middle—easy, quick, and surprisingly effective.

Rocket’s signature shoulder epaulets were crafted from gray felt I already had on hand. I cut them into angular shapes, then sewed them to the shoulders of the armor top to create that sci-fi soldier vibe.

No Rocket costume is complete without the ears and tail. I ordered a raccoon accessory set from Amazon, which came with both. The tail had an adjustable plastic buckle that kept it snugly in place through the entire run—no bouncing, no shifting, just comfortable fluffiness all the way.

My favorite part of the entire costume? Baby Groot, of course. He was a last-minute Amazon find after I struck out at all the local stores toy sections, and although much smaller than expected, he had a built-in speaker and actually danced. I carried him the whole race, and he definitely turned more heads than I did. Runners and spectators alike couldn’t get enough of him—I lost count of how many times I heard, “Look! It’s Baby Groot!”

This Rocket Raccoon running costume came together with mostly purchased items, a little creativity, and a lot of joy. It was breathable, fun, and perfect for a 5K. Best of all, it let me bring a little Marvel magic to the race—and gave me an excuse to carry around a dancing Groot. What more could you want?

During the pandemic I was buying every virtual race registration that had a unique race medal. I registered for so many virtual races that it took most of 2021 to finish. September of that year the temperature finally cooled down enough to gather up my drinking friends and head out for this festive 5K. 

 

Construction of this costume was similar to my Starbucks Frappuccino costume. I just needed a couple of yards of neon green fabric for the margarita glass and a white boa for the salt rim. I used the same white boa from my Starbucks costume and pinned it to the neck line of my dress. I printed out a lime slice graphic and glued it to a piece of posterboard and hot glued it to a headband. 

 

The bright green socks are compression leg sleeves from Zensah, Love them and have many different colors in my running accessories collection.  

 

This costume was lightweight and super easy to run in. The only “con” was if a good gust of wind hit me, my lime slice would slip off my head. Other than that, it was great. 

 

This was the costume I wore for the 2022 Race for the Taste 10K during the Inaugural Springtime Surprise weekend at Walt Disney World. I received so many compliments and surprising enough this running outfit was not very hard to put together and low cost because most of the items I already had. 

 

The running tank is one I’ve had for probably over 7 years and not sure why I ever bought an orange shirt, but I’m so happy I did. I bought the tulle skirt off Amazon for $25, I found some yellow felt in my craft room and sewed it on the shirt and then just pinned it to the tulle skirt for Orange bird’s tummy. 

 

I bought the arm sleeves from Sparkle Athletic years ago and was the perfect match for the wings.

 

On to the head piece, that was probably the most time consuming.  I bought a FloraCraft® SmoothFōM® Hollow Half Ball at Michael’s. Measured a large circle of orange felt, large enough to allow for a hem, then ran elastic through the bottom hemline and pulled tight enough to fit snuggly to my head. I glued on the felt eyes and constructed a yellow beak from felt and sewed that to the front. I cut thick posterboard and green felt into two leaf shapes. Glued them together and then glued them to small dowels and pushed them into the very top of the foam half ball. The foam is pretty thick, so the wooden dowels did not even reach my head. 

 

I used more thick poster board for the “hello sunshine” sign and glued the remaining wooden dowel to the back of the sign so I could carry it during the race. I got so many compliments from cast members and spectators. I hope to find another race to wear this very comfortable costume.

 

To see Orange Bird flutter through Disney race course, check out my YouTube video Click here!

This was the costume I wore for the 2022 Beat the Blerch half marathon in Carnation Washington. This really was a hit, however even though the race was in mid-September, I don’t advise wearing an all felt costume.  By mile 10, I was ready to strip it off.

 

All the material was purchased at Joanne fabric. Two yards of brown felt for the “jar”, sewn up the sides and top, leaving holes for my arms and head. I made felt cut-outs of the bread, knife, Nutella, flower and lettering. Sewed them to a large piece of white felt and then sewed that to the brown material.

 

The head piece was modeled after my Orange Bird Costume, in fact I used the same FloraCraft® SmoothFōM® Hollow Half Ball I bought at Michael’s. Instead of orange felt, I used a large circle of white felt, large enough to allow for a hem, then ran elastic through the bottom hemline and pulled tight enough to fit snuggly to my head. From the back it looked like a shower cap, only the people in front of me understood it was the top of the Nutella Jar. It also kept the heat from escaping from my head, making a sweating mess of my hair.  

 

Lastly, the spoon. Don’t, under any circumstances, think about running 13.1 miles with a 3-pound wooden spoon. This thing felt like a 10-pound dumbbell by the end of the race. It did, however, bring the costume together and all the other runners and volunteers thought it was a hit! I found this finishing touch to my outfit at Hobby Lobby. Its real purpose is kitchen wall art, who does that anymore?

 

I know I make this sound like a “don’t do” as a running costume and that’s because I will never do it again. It was a novel idea, but nope not again. 

 

To see the whole yummy race, check out my YouTube video Click here!

To see my first Beat the Bleach in 2019 video Click here!

The Trail of Terror 10K in Athol, Idaho is the weekend closest to Halloween and everyone dresses in costume. I bought the Rosie the Riveter outfit online at Party City. The sign was made from foam core board and elastic straps. Some colored construction paper and Voila! Rosie was ready to run. The purchased piece was very comfortable to run in. The sign strapped to my back was another story. The elastic bands rubbed my skin raw under my armpits. Putting deodorant on for the next week was eye opening each morning. The Foam board smacked me on the back of the head for the entire race. When the wind hit it just right, it caused the sign to rub against my hair. So much so, not only did I cross the finish line with a headache, but also a bare spot on the back of my head where hair used to be. Good thing I won in my age division. Made all the suffering worth it! 

The Eugene Marathon is typically the week of my Birthday, and in 2013 the 5K was held on my Birthday, so of course I had to register and wear my “Birthday suit” AKA birthday cake. This outfit was made with a lot of white bedsheets, florist wire and plastic flowers. I loved running in this costumes and had to stop at one section of the race course because a group of spectators broke out in song “Happy Birthday to You”. I may be sappy, but I almost cried when they started to sing.    

The Next year for the Eugene 5K, I wanted to dress as my favorite mascot, Puddles the Duck. The hardest part was making the hat. I ended up buying a white sailor hat from Spirit of Halloween and covering it with green fabric, then hand sewing felt letters. A also bought a white tutu and orange leggings from Spirit of Halloween.  I used a long sleeved green Nike tech shirt with yellow bias tape sewn at the wrists. The Collar was made with yellow fabric and green bias tape. And then a big yellow felt “O” sewn to the front of the shirt completes the outfit.  Was I ever surprised to see Mr. Puddles himself waving me on at the finish line. Picture perfect we are!

For the 2013 Disneyland 10K I wore a Donald duck costume that was very similar to my Puddles the Duck costume. I used the same white tutu, but found yellow footless tights online. Underneath I wore white spandex shorts. Next I added a plain blue long sleeve running shirt. I glued some large white buttons to safety pins and pinned them to the shirt. It was smart to glue them to pins rather than the shirt because later they worked to hold my bib! I made a sailor collar from blue fabric and white bias tape to add the border. I made a red bow tie with some scrap red material I had. The sailor hat was a little more involved and took several tries to get it just the way I wanted. 

 2013 Disneyland half marathon I ran as my favorite UP character Russell. This costume by far was the most labor intensive. I found the yellow golf shirt at a local sporting goods store. The brown shorts I bought online. I found some orange material to make the kerchief at JoAnn fabrics. I used a yellow running cap with a handmade wilderness sticker I traced and cut out of felt.

I went to my local Girl Scout office and bought the brown sash. I made the badges by printing out the designs onto clear sticky-back acetate and then stuck them onto felt furniture pad stickers, then hot glued them to the sash. I even bought a Grape Soda pin online.  I bought brown argyle compression socks from ProCompression to complete the outfit. The best part of this race is running through Angel Stadium in Anaheim where all the boy scouts are cheering, they went crazy when they saw me as Russell. 

For the 2013 Seattle Hot Chocolate 5K/15K race I ran as a Tootsie Roll. This race is held in March and was not the best choice on a chilly Seattle morning. This costume was very easy to put together using just brown material, red ribbon and white ruffle ribbon. I cut out the lettering from white felt and sewed them onto the outfit. I pinned the costume to my white running bra and that was it! During the race, people would call out to me and ask to have their photo taken with me, kind of fun!

For the 2013 Seattle Rock n Roll half marathon I ran as my favorite Super Hero – Wonder Women. I wore a plain red racer back running shirt with a handmade Wonder Woman logo that I just traced and cut out of felt. I made the cape out of sparkle material and attached it to the shirt with snaps. The skirt was purchased at the Spirit of Halloween store, I just added a yard of gold rope from JoAnn fabrics for the lasso. 

Running in the little Bavarian town of Leavenworth Washington during Oktoberfest for the Leavenworth half marathon means only one thing….. running in a barmaid costume, complete with beer purse. The first year I designed my own (photo above) and the second year I purchased the beautiful costume at the right from iglowrunning. Both outfits were easy to run in and received tons of cheers from spectators on the sideline – many who were already indulging in Oktoberfest festivities (if you know what I mean).

I love it when I can convince my friends to run in costume with me. For the Pumpkin pacer 5K, we ran as Rock, Paper, Scissors. The rock was made by stuffing Poly-Fil polyester fiberfill into two pillows made with grey fabric.  I used colored poster board glued to long dowel rods for the scissors. The Paper was made with white poster board and I used a ruler to draw the lines. I cut out black paper circles to look like holes. We came in second place in the costume contest!  

I really miss the races in Disneyland, they are much easier for this PNW gal to fly too. For the 2014 Disneyland Dumbo Double dare half marathon I ran as Dumbo the elephant. The hardest part of this outfit was making the headband. But with a little felt, a hot glue gun and a lot of patience I was able to get this cute hat and ears to look pretty good. I used red sparkle material and yellow bias tape to make the collar. I found the grey racer back running shirt online and bought the grey skirt from Sparkle Athletic. I hope to wear this costume again if they ever start up the California races.  **UPDATE, I wore this cute Dumbo when they brought the races back in January 2024**

I was training so much the runDisney 2018 Dopey Challenge that I did not have any spare time to make four running costumes. So I purchased these gorgeous outfits from iGlowRunning. 

If you have never purchased from her before, I encourage you to give it a try. Her outfits are probably the best made and most comfortable I have ever run in. I did add visors purchased from Sparkle Athletic to the Disgust, Anna and Dopey costumes. I also found a ghost host headband online for the Haunted mansion outfit.

Another fabulous outfit from iglowrunning was this Ariel costume I wore for the 2018 Castaway Cay 5K. I ran this during our Disney cruise vacation. Because…. doesn’t everyone run on their vacations?!?!?!

On Thanksgiving day every year my son and I run the Turkey Trot 5K race. In 2018 I decided to dress up as a Pilgrim. I loved the way my costume turned out and it was super simple. Black tutu from Spirit of Halloween, black running capri pants and a black long sleeve shirt. I used white fabric for the collar and sleeve cuffs. 

My favorite Christmas show is National Lampoons Christmas vacation. For the 2018 Jingle Bell 5K, my friends and I dressed up as the whole family. I was Aunt Bethany. I bought the coat and dress at Goodwill and used plaid material for the hat. And yes I did the whole race carrying her famous green lime Jell-O mold, I used Cheerios rather than cat food. Just in case we got hungry on the race course. If you want to see the whole Griswold gang, check out my youtube video Click here!