Bare Hands Required

Compared across 4 organizations. Uniform & Apparel category.

Rule Text by Organization

IKMF International Kettlebell Marathon Federation

Competitors must compete with bare hands. Sports tape covering the hands or gloves of any type are not allowed for standard marathon/half marathon/games events. Exception: For Extreme Challenge events (2+ hours), tape and gymnastic grips for hand protection are allowed, but no gloves.

IKO International Kettlebell Organization

Competitors must compete with bare hands. Gloves are not permitted.

IKSFA International Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Academy

Competitors must compete with bare hands. Gloves are not permitted.

GSU Girevoy Sport Union

Competitors must compete with bare hands. Gloves are not permitted. Only chalk (magnesia / magnesium carbonate) may be applied to hands and kettlebell handles for grip.

Comparison Analysis

All organizations require bare hands — gloves are universally banned. Only chalk is permitted for grip.

Tape/wrapping

IKMF explicitly bans sports tape and gloves for standard events (but allows hand protection for extreme marathon 2h+). Others simply say "bare hands."

What All Organizations Agree On

  • All four organizations require bare hands
  • Gloves are universally banned
  • Chalk/magnesia is the only permitted grip aid
Most Lenient: IKMFAllows hand protection for extreme marathon events (2h+)

Athlete Impact: Train with bare hands and chalk only. No gloves, no tape (except in IKMF extreme marathon). Hand conditioning is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does International Kettlebell Marathon Federation (IKMF) define bare hands required?

Competitors must compete with bare hands. Sports tape covering the hands or gloves of any type are not allowed for standard marathon/half marathon/games events. Exception: For Extreme Challenge events (2+ hours), tape and gymnastic grips for hand protection are allowed, but no gloves.

How does International Kettlebell Organization (IKO) define bare hands required?

Competitors must compete with bare hands. Gloves are not permitted.

How does International Kettlebell Sport & Fitness Academy (IKSFA) define bare hands required?

Competitors must compete with bare hands. Gloves are not permitted.

How does Girevoy Sport Union (GSU) define bare hands required?

Competitors must compete with bare hands. Gloves are not permitted. Only chalk (magnesia / magnesium carbonate) may be applied to hands and kettlebell handles for grip.

See the interactive comparison on KETTLEBELL MONSTER™ for filterable views and more detail.

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