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Broad Street Runners Donate Warm-Up Gear To Charity

By Mike Dougherty

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Thousands of participants in Sunday's Broad Street Run stripped down to their shorts and t-shirts right before the race, leaving behind their jackets and sweats for volunteers to collect and give to charity (see related story).

The temperature was about 50 degrees at the start of the race, ideal running weather, but it's tough for runners to stay loose while they're standing around in shorts and tank tops. Many wear layers to warm up, but when it's go-time, they just cast those items aside.

Photos: 2013 Broad Street Run

"One of the groups comes around and they take it to a shelter or where ever it is to clean up the clothing and they give it to people who need it," says Kathy Waddington, a volunteer who helps collect and bag everything up.

Some of what's left is pretty ratty, but there is a lot of quality merchandise, too.

"Sweat pants, t-shirts, nice running shirts," Waddington explains. "You see it all. Actually some of it's in really good shape and should be able to help some people out."

She says some of the runners know what they discard is getting donated to the less fortunate, so they purposely wear something nice to give away.

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