Running in costume comes with a huge set of challenges that you need to work out early in the design phase.
1. Can you run in it?
Yes, you have a brilliant idea, can you actually run while wearing your costume? So you have to hop on a treadmill go for a run.
2. Will it hold up to sweat?
This is an extension of question #1. You will be sweating. Probably a lot. So when you road test your costume you have to run past the point of sweating and see if the costume stays together.
3. Train
Running in costume isn’t for the novice runner. If you can barely run a half-marathon in optimal conditions, wearing optimal clothing, then adding a wig, armor or long sleeves will be horrible. So train a bit harder. Basically, if you want to run in costume, you should actually focus on the running part.
4. Packing
You are most likely getting in a plane. Will your costume fit in your carry on? If it doesn’t, and you have to check your bag, do you want to run the risk of the airline losing it? I’d recommend keeping your costume in a
5. Carrying Stuff
Where are you putting your phone, keys, wallet and nutrition? Can your FlipBelt fit under your costume?
6. Bib
Know where your bib is going to go on your costume without the numbers being covered. Let’s face it… it’s all about the photos. So make sure the photo pass people can see your bib number so your photos can get tagged. If you know where you plan on placing your bib, it might save you some detail work on your costume.