Stick, run, peel: the temporary tattoo how-to

In short Clean dry skin, a damp cloth for about thirty seconds, dry without rubbing, a photo with your bib on race day, then a little oil and soap in the evening.

Step zero: get your tattoos

You've known how you'll receive them from the start: it's written in the offer, before you even commit. Two possibilities.

• Posted to your home. They arrive by post at the address in "My details". Check it before the campaign deadline, and open the envelope as soon as it arrives, not the night before the race.
• Collected by you. The brand gave an address and opening hours in the offer. Put them in your diary: pickup day is a bit like your active recovery session.

Nothing arrived, or a tattoo is folded, scratched or soaked? Write to Leg Up from your account, with the "My tattoos" reason. As early as possible: on Saturday evening, options get scarce.

Until the big day, keep them flat and dry, away from the radiator and the leaky bottle at the bottom of your bag.

Sensitive skin? Test first

The inks comply with European regulations, but every skin has its own character. If yours is sensitive or you've reacted to a temporary tattoo before, do a test on a small area a few days before the race. Redness, itching, burning: don't apply it, and write to Leg Up.

Obviously, don't sacrifice your race-day tattoo for the test. If you have nothing to test with, ask Leg Up before playing guinea pig.

Applying it, step by step

The right moment: race morning, at home, in peace. The start corral is not a tattoo parlour, and your corral neighbours have other worries.

First, prepare the skin:

• clean and dry: a bit of soap, rinse, dry well;
• no cream, oil or anti-chafing balm on that spot: the tattoo won't stick to greasy skin;
• not on a very hairy area, where it sticks badly (nobody's asking you to shave: it's about grip, not looks);
• not on irritated, cut or sunburnt skin. And if you shave, do it the night before rather than that morning.

Next, place it where it will be seen: that's the whole point. The zone is set by the campaign (right calf, forearm…), so reread the offer if in doubt. A few classic traps:

• calf: not under a compression sleeve or a long sock;
• forearm: not under your watch;
• shoulder: not under your hydration pack strap, and check your kit doesn't cover it;
• forehead: not under your cap or headband. A rented forehead that's covered is a billboard with a sheet over it.

Finally, apply it:

1. Cut around the design.
2. Remove the clear protective film.
3. Place it printed side down on the skin, nice and flat. Check which way up it is: the brand may find an upside-down logo in the photos less funny than you do.
4. Press a damp cloth on it for about thirty seconds, without moving.
5. Peel the paper off gently, starting from a corner. If it resists, dampen it again and wait a little.
6. Let it dry without rubbing. A few minutes, just long enough to lace your shoes.

Sunscreen: around the tattoo, and not on it until it's dry.

During the race

The tattoo survives the race and the sweat. A few enemies to watch:

• aid-station water: the sponge is for your neck, not for scrubbing your calf;
• friction: shorts seams, straps, sleeves, thigh against thigh if you rented a thigh;
• your own fingers: even if nerves are itching in the corral, don't scratch it.

That's all. For the rest, you run. Still the most important part.

The proof photo

It's what triggers your payment. It must be taken on race day: the photo's date is checked. You then have up to 7 days after the race to send it from your account.

What the brand needs to see:

• the tattoo, sharp and whole, not blurred or cut off;
• your bib in the frame, number readable.

Both in the same photo, then. Bib on your stomach, tattoo on your calf: you need some distance. Ask a friend, a finisher next to you between two stretches, or unpin your bib and hold it next to the tattoo.

For a photo that passes first time:

• light, from the front rather than backlit, and no flash making the bib shine;
• before the shower, ideally;
• several photos rather than one: if your proof is refused, you have 5 days to send another, and it must also date from race day;
• send the original, not a screenshot or a photo sent through a messaging app, which can lose its date;
• accepted formats: JPEG, PNG or WebP, 15 MB max. HEIC, the default on some phones, is refused: choose the most compatible format in your camera settings, or export your photo as JPEG.

The brand then has 5 days to validate. Without an answer, your proof is validated automatically. If it's refused, you can send another photo or appeal to Leg Up, who decides.

Removing it, in the evening

First the photo, then the selfie with the medal, and only then the make-up removal.

A little oil or alcohol on a cotton pad, leave it a few seconds, rub gently, then soap and warm water. Nothing left. If your skin is sensitive, prefer oil. No nails, no scrubbing sponge: your calf just ran a race, it deserves some gentleness.

If you rented your forehead, do it that same evening. It's the spot photographers see most, and the hardest to hide at the office on Monday.

The safety reminder, short but serious

• Leg Up only offers temporary tattoos, with inks that comply with European regulations.
• Never apply a tattoo to damaged skin: wounds, irritation, eczema, sunburn. And not around the eyes or mouth.
• Redness, itching, burning or swelling: remove it immediately (oil, then soap), don't reapply it, and ask a pharmacist or doctor for advice. Let Leg Up know too.

No campaign is worth a skin reaction. Your calf still has many races ahead of it.

Every mile counts. Now every calf too.