I enjoy nothing more than scrolling through race photos of me and other muddy racers. Not always easy to do once the bib has gone missing under a cargo net or washed off in the lake. The safety pin has been used for many years but we are all getting more and more annoyed with the damage to our precious tops!

In addition, 9 times out of 10 I’ve lost mine a few obstacles in, tearing my Muddy Race top in the process! Enough is enough, there must be other solutions besides the ‘dubious safety pin’ to keep my all important bib in place. I’ve heard good things about X Racewear gear so decided to put this along with other methods to the test.

The Marker Pen

Tested: Wolf Run and Tough Mudder

Pros:

1. Cheap
2. Doesn’t take up room in kitbag
3. Some events provide for free
4. Auto matching software can pick up the number

Cons:

1. Auto number doesn’t work every time
2. Washes off during race or doesn’t come off at all
3. Help is needed from fellow racer
4. Doesn’t help to retain your bib

Conclusion

As the auto matching software doesn’t always find it, makes it kind of pointless other than looking badass. A good add-on if you like that look (and your boss understands why you still have a number on your forehead Monday morning).

X Racewear Top

Tested: X-Runner Water Wipeout and a 10K Road Race

Pros:

1. Comfortable
2. Effective for road races

Cons:

1. Quite expensive
2. Not great for water or obstacle heavy events
3. Can’t wear a Muddy Race t-shirt
4. May require carrying event or running clips

Conclusion:

I found that the bib would bunch up during swims, making it a bit pointless for obstacle course racing. Unlike the X Racewear shorts I didn’t test the top with event clips, this may have worked better, however you still can’t wear a Muddy Race Top. Overall the top is good for road racers, or anyone that really doesn’t get on with the shorts.

Event Clips

Tested: Tough Mudder, Mens Health Survival of the fittest, Zombie Run and a 10K Road race

Pros:

1. Cheap
2. Fairly effective
3. Versatile
4. Lightweight
5. No injuries (unlike the dreaded safety pin)

Cons:

1. Sharp object in kitbag
2. Quality of bib is a factor
3. Clip can become faulty or bib torn if not handled with care

Conclusion:

There seems to be varying success when speaking to others, personally I found that as long as you followed instructions (poke holes in the race number bib) before using the clips, they worked fairly well. I experimented with having the number low, middle and high on my front, which I guess comes down to personal choice. I liked it higher, unfortunately that covers the Muddy Race logo on my top.

The success of Event Clips was often down to the quality of the bib supplied, working better with high quality Ty-vex than it did with gloss paper or sticky bibs (where I would leave the backing on). Sometimes I’d rip a clip out or rip half of the bib off as my thumb would catch in the bib. I only ever lost one clip where I had no idea where it went.

In summary this product is great on a budget and versatile with Muddy Race tops etc. Personally I’d suggest buying 2/3 packs so that you have enough spares!

X Racewear Shorts And Event Clips

Tested: Winter Ram Run and X Runner and Winter Warrior

Pros:

1. Highly effective
2. Can wear MuddyRace top
3. Comfortable

Cons:

1. Bib can get muddier as lower down the body
2. You need privacy to fit bib
3. May require event or running clips

Conclusion

The X Racewear Shorts can be a little inconvenient as to secure the bib it requires you to get partially undressed which means nipping off to the toilets before the race begins.

It’s up to you if you want to use with or without event clips as the bib is fairly secure within the mesh Velcro pocket. If road running I wouldn’t feel the need to use the event clips. At both Ram Run and Winter Warrior I tackled a decent amount of obstacles and water but was very impressed with the X Racewear Shorts. I lost one clip on a crawl but it didn’t affect performance.

So What’s The Best Option?

The shorts are the best solution overall. They aren’t cheap but are good quality; mud doesn’t stick to them, they wash well and have the standard mid back zip up pocket. I personally went for the longer camouflage design but there are some shorter green ones too. Good luck and let us know what works well for you!

To browse the X Racewear men and women’s range visit Obstacle Kit/X Racewear range

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