I was all warm and fuzzy over Chicago marathon weekend, so proud of my hometown race, the supportive fans, beautiful city, etc. Imagine my shock when I heard Chi-town’s marathon medal is a piece of crap.
I’ve seen it but only in pics rather than in real life so I can’t vouch for or dispel these rumors. Here’s a pic:
Photo courtesy of applecrumbles.com
It looks ok to me but there’s been grumbling about how lightweight it is and the fact that there’s no writing on the ribbon.
So my question is: what makes a great marathon medal?
I was over the moon with my first marathon medal from the sizzling hot and cancelled Chicago ’07. But I had nothing to compare it to. There’s writing on the ribbon though…
Honestly, I never cared for this one. Maybe because the race was hot again and it sucked the life out of me? See that schmutz under the number one in the first 10? That’s dried banana. Adds character, no?
Do you like when the medal is always the same? Like Boston?
I’ve never heard a negative peep about the Boston Marathon medal.
My least favorite marathon medal would have to be this one:
No offense to the Columbus Marathon which is very well done, I just never cared for it. To be fair, at the time I felt I ran that race pretty poorly so I may be projecting some of my dissatisfaction onto the medal if that makes any sense. But I do think the sponsor name/logo is too prominent and the triangle shape…does nothing for me.
Hands down, my favorite is from the Marine Corps Marathon. It’s fabulous in every way, including the ceremony at the finish line where you receive it from a Marine. Swoon.
With some marathons costing $$$, I suspect runners have come to expect bling commensurate with their investment. Alas this isn’t always the case. Some of the best marathons I’ve done (with the best swag) have been smaller ones.
What is your favorite race medal? Least favorite? Have you ever run a race just for the bling?
Not having seen the Chicago medal close up this year either the fact that the ribbon is plain would mean that they were cutting costs on it. Maybe so they wouldn’t run out like last year? 😉
I like Wisconsins medals. Different but nice not cheesy at all. lol. RnR races are heavy which is nice but cheesy cheap ribbons.
The Disney races out do themselves with their medals imo and I think they should for the $$$. I got to see one and they are HUGE. Just amazing.
I agree spend some $$ on design and style of the medal esp if you are charging close to $200 for a marathon!!
I know I am the exception here, but I don’t pay the least bit of attention to the medals. In fact, there are plenty where I just bypass the medal people (pretty sure I did this with my B & A marathon last spring). I don’t know–just not on my priority list when it comes to a race–I’d much rather have a well put on race with no medal/no shirt, than a crappy one with an expensive entry fee and great swag.
Yeah, I think we’re all getting spoiled in the bling department. LOL But I agree that in today’s day and age, you either do the medal right or not at all… especially if your race has a big $ tag! I can’t complain, most of my medals are gorgeous… although there are a few duds in there that were cheap races. Little Rock Marathon is always a creative and shining example of a race medal!
Have you seen the medals from the Flying Pig in Cincinnati? It’s my absolute favorite (scroll to the bottom of this link): http://bit.ly/15qtOLx
I loved this post. Thanks for the topic!
I’m racing the states and have found that my favorite medals represent the city or state. The Austin Half Marathon medal is shaped representing the state capital. The Montana Half Marathon medal is shaped like the state of Montana (love, love, love).
But, there’s nothing like your first race medal. MIne was Eugene, with a pic of Hayward Field on it. How can you not love your first?
This is such a terrific topic! I have been getting more and more obsessed with my collection of medals so I loved hearing your thoughts on this. I’m at the point where I am selecting future races based on which ones offer nice medals. =D I have to agree with Michel that I really like the Wisconsin medals for being unique and quirky. I personally do not like when races offer the same medal year after year. Sadly my least favorite medal is the one I just got from Prairie State – it’s basically just a square with lettering on it, no design or pictures. Boring! Also – I couldn’t agree with you more on how the RnR race medals are cool, but the ribbons are incredibly plain. Weird how that happens, yes?
I think my 2012 Columbus Marathon medal is probably my favorite because I still feel warm and fuzzy about the race. How can’t you when it’s the first time you do a 26.2?
I don’t get overly excited about race medals. I keep them and hang them up but in a room where I rarely go. They are nice to have but I won’t knock a race for what they give me. Heck, the Hood to Coast medal is one of the most underwhelming ever given the scope of the race/experience! Honestly, I’d rather see some of the smaller races ditch the medal and focus on race amenities – ie food for my belly.
My favorite medal–it’s hard to pick one! But I guess would have to be WDW half marathon. A giant Donald Duck plus nice ribbon.
My least favorite is easy–the North Shore Half Marathon 2011. Let me just say I don’t run a race for the bling. It was a good race, my half PR, but when you advertise as “the best goody bag”, you better back it up! The medal was ugly and chintzy. The shirt was bad too–ugly, giant, man shirt.
Wendy I just had to go check: I’ve got that chintzy medal and man shirt! So tired of the men’s shirts. The shirt was better this year for the NS half but I still thought the medal was meh.
I am always just grateful to get a medal, at all. I think they are fun. I do like some better than others, but I don’t get upset about the “bad” ones. Someone I knew was SO pissed about the Chicago 10-10-10 medal and how big the sponsor name was. I was just excited to get a medal for my first marathon!
I don’t do races specifically for the medals, but I know a few people who do! Or only want to do races if they have medals.
Hmm, I have a few favorite medals! I don’t mind if there isn’t writing on the ribbon, though I do like when there is. I think if the medal looks cheap and the race was expensive then that is a pretty big annoyance.
I have to give Miami kudos they do a kick ass medal every single year
I just ran the Chicago Marathon, and didn’t think twice when I got my medal. I was just SO happy to have finished and to get my medal to commemorate it! Who cares what it looks like or if the ribbon has writing on it; to me, it’s simply a symbol to hang up, of the months training & sweat & tears I put into it. So whatever it looks like, it is going to be glorious to me. 🙂
My opinion of the medal is in direct proportion to how I did in the race, I have to admit. I love my Chicago medal, and I love my medal from the Detroit Half last year (the latter is a cool medal no matter what). For the races where I did just OK or badly, I’m kind of with Miss Zippy.
My favorite medal is actually from my Mountain Goat 10 mile race I do every year. It’s basic, just a round medal with the logo on it, on a plain red, white and blue ribbon, but why I like it is because not everyone gets a medal in this race. There are bronze, silver and gold medals which all correlate to your finish time. It took me 5 years to earn my first one! So it will always be my favorite.
My favorite race medals so far have been from the NODM half. They are amazing and different each year. Plus the race shirts are long sleeve with thumbholes and the fabric is so soft!
I’m one of those people who has never understood the medal thing. Maybe because back in my major racing days, you only received a medal if you placed (overall or in your age group). I don’t think I ever got a medal in a race that I didn’t place in the top 3 – even the really big races didn’t give finishers medals.
I’m generally quite indifferent to medals, too, and don’t even need one to feel like I accomplished something. On the other hand, if you’re paying a lot of money for a race, I can see why people expect something nice!
No race medals for me. 🙁 Honestly though, I don’t know where I’d put something like that. But I suppose if I had some I’d change my mind about that real quick.
I haven’t actually hated any medal that I’ve received. I think it’s because I see the medal as a representation of achievement not a piece of sculpture. I’ve got some pretty ordinary-looking medals that I really value highly because of what it cost me to get them.
I have so many medals I love. I always like VCM. I liked Big Lake Half Marathon a lot. I liked Cherry Blossom Ten Miler a lot. I love my triathlon medals and feel such pride over those. I blogged about favorite medals once – copying someone. I’ll have to do it again as there are so many more now. I do think weight matters and writing on the ribbon is nice but not essential. I loved my medal from Shipyard Old Port Half and that was my hottest race by far. I earned that medal.
I’m not a blingwhore. I really only like getting a medal if I win it. I’ve never run a race for the finishers’ medal. But I do like that Boston medal and like the idea of the design remaining the same year to year.
My favorite medal? It’s not a running medal and it’s a tie…my 1990 Head of the Charles medal (first year we won it) and my 1991 Head of the Schyulkill medal (they only award one medal per event so the team has to decide who is going to get it). They are weighty, pretty and classy and have no ribbon. You just hold them in your hand and admire them before you put them away in the box.
I am pretty indifferent to medals. I just gave away 20 half marathon medals to Medal for Meddle and had fun writing recaps for the recipients.
The North Country Half medal is pretty awesome. I saved that one.
I do keep all of my marathon medals. In a drawer! NYC has had some good ones. I also like Boston for tradition and simplicity.
My absolute favorites are the Disney Halfs, cuz they’re Donald Duck’s head. But this year for the Air Force, while running to my family after getting my medal, the medal was so heavy it ripped the ribbon and fell off! Luckily, they gave me a new one and I got 2! I’m going to hang the one that fell off on the tree as a Christmas ornament!
Tink if I could do only one Disney race, it would be that half. LOVE the Donald medal!
To be honest, as long as the race has the year and name on it, I am happy. It is more for me to reflect back and remember the race. No one cares to look at my medals. I like to see they are there, but I don’t think it matters. A good medal to me is one that reminds me of the name of the race and when I ran it so when I open my closet I can see it there hanging.
I disliked the Disney medal because mine just had little hooks on the bottom so they could just change the year every race. Kinda lame and lazy.
I get pretty sweet medals out here in Thailand. They love their bling, even for 10k’s.
I don’t have many medals to my name, which is something I hope to rectify soon:) However, I’ve always thought the Disney medals looked pretty fun!
There’s a race out there that gives away spurs. I’m not a cowboy type, but thought it’d be cool to get that. There’s also a buckle out there for me somewhere, just gotta get my knee where my mind is! My favorite bling is probable the Hershey Half as it was my first half. Plus having it chocolate shaped is pretty darn cool. My favorite overall race finisher “bling” though is a running jacket from a 50k I did a couple years ago.