A Little Compton Road Race Shirt, 25 Years Later (An LC Tradition, One T-Shirt at a Time)

Before designer brands, there was Little Compton Road Race status

One of my favorite pieces of Little Compton memorabilia is a well-worn Little Compton Road Race t-shirt from the year 2000. Every summer, the race unveils a new shirt design, and every runner who crosses the finish line earns one. More than just a souvenir, these shirts become a snapshot of a particular year in town history.

The 2000 shirt features the words "Little Compton Road Race Summer 2000" in a playful, wavy font. Above the lettering is a drawing of the Sakonnet Lighthouse rendered in the same flowing style, giving the design a distinctly coastal feel. On the back, time has faded most of the print, but I can still make out the names of that year's title sponsors: Humphrey's Building Supply and Cox Communications.

After more than two decades of use, the shirt has certainly seen better days. It has a few holes, plenty of wear, and has long since been retired from regular rotation. These days, it serves as my go-to shirt for painting projects and yard work. But despite its condition, it's still one of my favorites.

What makes it special isn't the design or the fabric—it's what it represents. Every scuff, stain, and faded letter tells a story. And while anyone can walk into a designer store and buy an expensive shirt, there's only one way to get a Little Compton Road Race shirt from the year 2000: you had to run the race. More than 25 years later, I'm still proud to wear it.

You couldn't buy this shirt—you had to earn it

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