Nipple chafing was real at the Manitoba Marathon

Ouch

Tim Huebsch June 19, 2017

The unique finish inside Investors Group Field provided what was perhaps a well-needed distraction from one unwanted side effect of running during a soggy Winnipeg day: nipple chafe.

A couple of Manitoba Marathon participants, especially those wearing white tops, finished with blood-soaked shirts. The rainy conditions didn’t help with the body-to-shirt friction. Nipple chafe is quite common in the running community and there’s even a specific product to help fend off the nasty experience: Nip Guards. Others turn to anti-chafing balm, Vaseline or Band-Aids to avoid what is known as fissure of the nipple, or “jogger’s nipple.”

A marathon is a long way and chances are, if you experience chafing early on, the experience will get worse before it gets better. What starts out as slight discomfort can get considerably worse whether you’re doing 42.2K, 21.1K, 10K or 5K (or any distance for that matter).

One Manitoba Marathon participant told CBC Manitoba that he “noticed it quite early on and it was smaller and it was growing throughout the race and I was just like ‘what can you do?'” CBC Manitoba has additional photos of nipple-chafed runners here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVfhI4EDReD/

Yes, it's a thing: Jogger's nipple strikes at Manitoba Marathonhttps://t.co/m9gcfGU6EX pic.twitter.com/0UzgWJSjf4

— Lindsay MacKenzie, MCM, APR (candidate) (@laemackenz) June 19, 2017

Ironically, these runners sported shirts with a rather-fitting message: “better chafe than sorry.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVe6pF8lSVi/

For the first time in the event’s history, the Manitoba Marathon and its accompanying distances finished inside the Canadian Football League (CFL) stadium, home to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. As runners finish, live footage was displayed on the big screen and finishers had the chance to watch fellow participants cross the line from the grandstands.

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

Best trail running gear for spring 2024