Training Runs in the heat; Shirtless?

I run in a sports bra. 

I have seen a lot of threads over the years with guys asking if it's OK to run shirtless and lots of mixed reviews on that. There was even a long thread on ST this year about a woman who was offended that a guy in her running group ran shirtless. I don't get this.  It's a little skin--big deal.

If I were a dude, I would ABSOLUTELY run with my shirt off because it is so, so much more comfortable.  Granted, there might be some threshold of body fitness that would make this uncomfortable, but assuming relative fitness, I would go with as little clothing as possible on hot, muggy days.

I'm in FL and run with a shirt 99% of the time, even at the beach.  Not only do I find it cooler, but I'm also mindful of getting too much sun exposure on my back and shoulders (I also wear a visor or hat all the time to keep the sun off my face).  There are times when I'll even wear a long-sleeve tech shirt to keep the sun off my arms.

Some of my tech shirts work better than others in wicking sweat away and not getting too heavy when soaked.  I've had better luck with Nike Dry-Fit gear than some of the off brand tech shirts I've gotten at races.

Mark

I've had the same done however your forearms and neck are just as susceptible as your back regarding the sun so I just "douse" myself with sunblock and run shirtless whenever the temps > 85 degrees or there's high humidity...

The OP asked about the cooling effect of a wet shirt however in my experience it's very uncomfortable as my shirt begins to stick on my shoulders/back wherever it settles when I try to adjust the shirt...

Regardless of the temp I always wear a running shirt, I've spent a lot of miles understanding the materials that work for me and the shirt styles, I now have a very set running wardrobe depending on the conditions.

I find running in the shirts keeps me cooler, it's not a decision on whether it would bother someone else or not, to be honest when I'm running I'm not sure I'd give that a second thought.  In my experience it just cools me more efficiently.

I do however experience the judgement of others running shirtless, it's one of my wife's pet peeves, she hates to see it and comments every time she does, you know, just to make sure I've noticed too :-)

What kind of flack do you get and why? Confused. 

For me it has to be 85/90+ and I wont wear a shirt, I am still a bit self conscious about my body physique.  I live in a colder climate though, so 90 degree days are not common.

My buddies and I have also been known to run shirtless when its 50F outside after a long winter.

I run and workout shirtless all the time.  Sometimes I even put a bra on 

If I'm in a humid gym or it's above 70 outside, it's just more comfortable for me.  People may honk from time to time but I really don't care what anyone thinks--when it comes to training, my clothing being comfortable is a very high priority.