Race Swag: What do runners really want?

We've all had race swag registrations, right? You know, the race where you sign up because they've got the best stuff included in the registration fee. Some races have been getting more creative lately, so what is the best race swag out there these days?

ING NYC Marathon gives a snack, a long sleeve tech shirt, a bandeau, a magnet for your fridge to record your time, a marathon guide and a bib...$250 well spent?

I found some good use for my bandeau, it's PERFECT for cold weather running!

Still haven't decided whether or not to put my Philly Marathon time on my 2012 magnet. It's a GREAT conversation piece and a continual reminder of my greatest racing day!

First of all, we all know what we DON'T want. We all have too many strappy bags and cotton t-shirts. As I said in my Glow Run 5k recap, we declined the strappy bags they were offering because we always throw them away! (Our nieces/nephews have decided they're done getting strappy bag gifts from us!!!)

Philly Marathon gave me a long sleeve tech shirt and a strappy bag...I kept it because it has a zipper in the front. So it's somewhat different.

So, what is the best race swag?

Themed or local swag often have creative choices:

Beach race: My favorite was a beach towel from the Hamptons Half Marathon FOUR YEARS AGO! That bad boy is PERFECT for lap swimming and hasn't faded a bit in four years!!!

It's a thin towel so it dries fast!!!

Alaskan Race: A North Face flask was the finisher's swag! My friend Heather figured it was a hint at how to survive winter in  Alaska!

Some Race Series are known for their amazing race swag:

Zooma Race Series:

Melissa got some awesome swag in Texas including a yoga mat! 

Lisa got this swag from Zooma Annapolis, which also included a finisher's necklace!

How about you? Do you click "register" when you see some fab swag? What do you do with your strappy bags? What's the best race swag you've gotten? TELL ME ABOUT IT!