My ancestors allegedly used to drink from the skulls of their vanquished. I kinda like the idea of a glass, if you can get something that looks good and then put your event logo on it.

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'It never gets easier, you just get crazier.'

It sorta depends on the race. If you are going to have a very beginner oriented race the symbolism presented by that medal can mean a lot to a large proportion of your customers. If it's a more advance race (half or so) you can spice things up with variety. Pint glasses (dont skimp on the screening of the pints... WTC pints are known for a couple of washes to wear the screen off) are great as are something that might be representative of the area. Get creative and unique and I'm sure your customers will appreciate it.

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App

Falmouth Road Race gave out coffee mugs printed with logo and year. I had a collection from year to year that was kinda nice b4 I started doing tri.

Last year I did a race that gave out a winter cap and tumbler glass both with the logo. Used both over the winter.
I use a towel I got at a race few years ago a lot. Sweat towel that I cover the bike with while on trainer.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Medals are great for those that don't have many or any, the newbies. It gets them motivated to finish. So I wonder if it isn't always the actual item but when you get it.

Frequently when I get an item other than a medal it is given out at packet pickup. That's fine for me, I have tons of stuff from many races. But for a newbie it might not seem the same as "earning' it by finishing the race.

Socks, mugs, hats are all great ideas but maybe opt to hand them out at the finish line (okay maybe a bad time for a mug) even possibly incorporating a medal ;like log on to the item?

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Ian

I had a manager that used to tell us frequently, "People work for money but they'll charge machine gun nests for medals." People really love finisher's medals.

I put on events and if I ever run out of medals, there is social media hell to pay (I was two medals short at one event). So, don't run out of medals.

On another note, I put on a marathon and half and tried a new race day check-in process. The athlete only got their bib when they checked in.

All the goodies and finisher's medals were picked up after they finished.

The athletes loved it due to no lines checking in on race morning and their prerace stress/anxiety was lowered---as was mine and the check-in folks (they aren't volunteers; everyone gets paid). The race started on time, and since they got a medal after their finish, they got the medal and a backpack at the same time.

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Fast-Finishes.com
Triathlon and Running Race Timing
Athletic Event Management

Towels of various sizes with a race logo are good ideas--I have a couple--each time I use it (full size is used for swimming and smaller ones cover the bike on trainer) it reminds me of the race so as a RD I'd think it's a good way to get return customers.

I did an ultra a couple of weeks ago with no medals. Instead they gave out handmade custom mugs to all finishers. What was really cool is the post race meal was buffalo stew. You guessed it - the container for your stew was your mug. No mug, no stew. Of course being an ultra there was plenty of craft home brew around to wash it down.

about 90-100% of the crap that i get at races ends up in the trash that night. I typically only keep the gels and LBS coupons. I would gladly give up everything but podium medals for one of the following: more timing splits, more road closures, more interesting course (not just the easiest or cheapest roads to not close), more sighting bouys, temp tattoo race numbers (i like those things), lower entry fees, drug testing, entry fee discount for skipping the swag, sizable discount coupon to another race by same race production company.

I ran a 100 mile ultramarathon that gave out big rocks to finishers. You had to wait until the awards breakfast the next morning to get the rock, but they had someone sandblast the finishers times into them over night (I'm pretty sure they pre-blasted the race logo and participant name, as they had some leftover rocks from people who DNS).

The rock seriously weighs 35lbs. And I traveled to the race. Airport security looked at me rather strangely when they hand-searched my bag after it got flagged in the x-ray.

I don't care about race medals. I throw them in a box, never to see the light of day. This rock, however, sits in the living room.

I like my medals. I like to display them and they're reminders of the hard work I've put in. I like them especially for what I consider the important ones. First Half marathon. First full marathon. First triathlon. First half-ironman. etc. So from that perspective, it's hard not providing medals because any event no matter how small could be somebody's most important event. I will say that I would still do an event if there was no medal. For local events, I most likely won't care as much because I just want to race locally.

"it's hard not providing medals because any event no matter how small could be somebody's most important event"

i agree, and i do like having a nice compact item to keep all in one spot as my reminder of the day.

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http://www.PatGriskusTri.com USAT Certified Race Director
2024 Races: USAT State of CT Age Group Championship/State of CT HS Champs/ CT Club Championship - Sat June 15th (Oly/Du/Sprint) Hopkins Vineyard Tri at Lake Waramaug Saturday July 13th http://www.HopkinsVineyardTri.com

I have a medal with a cut-out in it. I looks like it could be a bottle opener. Alas it does not work as one. It would not be hard to modify it to work. That would be a cool medal.

One of my favorite post race gifts was at a race on Cape Cod, the hero triathlon (http://www.herocapecod.com/index)

The race goes onto an Air Force Base and in front of a fighter jet. They managed to get photos of all of us (there and other places) and gave away the digital photos.

I thought that was great. Essentially a FB medal.

There's a lot of good stuff on here already. I second/third/fourth those saying that medals mean a LOT to some.

One thing I didn't see mentioned was custom water bottles. Specialized prints whatever you want on their Purist bottles. I'm sure other companies do too, but I really like the Purist bottles based on functionality. We got pretty good feedback from one event where we did those. We wrote the 'placing' on the tags to keep things straight. Specialized was pretty easy to work with.

Since they cost 10x as much as a medal though, we really had to get sponsor buy in. Having a local graphic design shop as a sponsor could be a good fit too unless you or other organizers have that background. Getting sponsorship worked out pretty well with some key logos and sponsor names on those bottles (among other things). You also need to order at least 200 bottles before you'll get reasonable pricing. At that point we were well under the cost of etched pint glasses. Personally, I have many pint glasses (that never wear out or see exposure outside my house) vs water bottles that get used constantly until they get lost or destroyed.

PM me if you want to know more about the process or see pics of the final product.

A good middle ground is the bottle opener medal - that way newbies get their finishers medals, and everyone gets a bottle opener.

My medals all sit in a box under my bed, but the two bottle opener ones I've got are attached to a cooler and the fridge.

There is a tri series here in Atlanta that puts on sprint & olympic distance races. At the finish, everyone is handed a water bottle with the series logo (they use the same bottles at all races) that is full of water & is pulled out of a trash can filled with ice so it is cold. Only podium folks get a medal. I see people with those water bottles all the time. They are not as nice as the Purist bottles, but they are not cheap POS bottles either. I think this is great idea for a sprint, olympic, 5k, or 10k race where giving out medals is silly (in my opinion).

Pay for the photographer upfront and include the cost of the digital prints (with your race logo clearly printed on every shot) in the race registration. People will put their images up on social media and you get advertising with a higher impact that T-shirts mugs ect. Use the rest of the money to put on a good spread of post-race food. You will please the experienced athletes with the food and the vast majority of this demographic don't care about another bottle, t-shirt, medal ect. There will group who is adamant and vocal about something to show friends and they will have the pictures.

Nice, I like that idea!

I suppose for anybody else reading, don't cheap out on the bottles. If they don't fit in a water bottle cage, have an obnoxious nozzle or leak in the slightest, they will go straight unto the recycling bin.

To RDs: This cannot be emphasized enough if you give out bottles, but it really applies to all swag. If you give out a lot of cheap swag, it makes your race seem cheap even though you gave people a lot. It's even worse if you only give out one or two cheap things. But if you give people one really nice thing, that will be so much better than a bag full of shit that will go straight to the trash or Goodwill (like 90% of my race shirts).

I have all my medals in a bag in my basement. The only ones I intend to keep are podium finishes (of which there aren't many) and the ones that have some functionality like a bottle opener or wine stopper.


Last year I got a wetsuit backpack at a local tri. Not the highest quality but I appreciated something useful instead of a medal.

I wouldn't mind getting a good quality t-shirt (the vintage kind like you mentioned) but I'm fine if I never see another Hanes/Gildan t-shirt or cheap tech shirt again.

A bike multi-tool or even some tire levers with the race logo on it would be cool. Not sure if that's cost-effective but I'd rather get just that than a bag full of stuff I won't use.

Ideally I'd prefer to get no swag bag or anything when I check in, maybe a nice t-shirt at the end of the race, medals for the podium spots, and any net savings put back into race safety and logistics. As someone else mentioned, more road closures, course marking, buoys, better transition racks, etc.

This is my favorite award (coffee mug). I won 3rd place AG in a half marathon and I use the coffee mug every Sunday. I am very careful not to break it as it is a large one and has the logo and my race placement on it. Better than any medals.

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http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com

I like the medals that double as a bottle opener. They satisfy the people that like medals and the people that like beers.

That's a good point someone brought up. That your race could be someone's first therefore the medal might mean something to them. Or don't do them for short races. But what if some people only race short course. I've only done one HIM and have no plans ever doing a full, especially for a medal. But that's just me. Tough call for you RD's. Along the lines of t-shirts. I'd be happy if I never got another one. I've kept maybe 4 over the years.
I like stuff similar to CAC giving out bike number holders. If it's functional I tend to keep it.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

$5 donation to ecological charities. One year 'save the grizzlies', next year 'stop the icebergs melting', etc. Can theme the post race snacks: jerky for grizzly year, lollipops for icebergs year, etc.

I just feel bad when someone gives me a crappy string bag that is going to fall apart in a week, and filled with leaflets/muscle cramp pills/etc that are going straight in the bin.

Anytime I get good socks at a race, it makes me happy. I am currently drinking tea out of a mug that was my second place award at a race 5 years ago.
Last weekend I did a race with great swag. The shirt is Patagonia base layer. Instead of stickers, they gave magnets. Although that might go on my car, I will probably put it on my filing cabinet at work. Also, instead of finisher medals, they gave us plaques made by the local Boy Scout troop. The kids probably got badges, and they have much more character than a medal.

The Grand Columbian gave out belt buckles. I still use it and love it. Hang it on a ribbon and it is a medal if needed.

That's frigging RAD


For the OP I've seen a race that gives hand made ceramic medals to all finishers and the winners of each AG got artwork from local photogs, painters, etc and thought it pretty cool

This isn't necessarily for just finishing but I always thought this might be an interesting idea for a race. Have a random drawing afterwards based on your finish position. Maybe a gift certificate or cash? Have a hat with numbers, pull number 107 and the person that came in 107th place wins the price. Maybe more to it than I'm thinking but would make it fun for all involved and not just the top finishers.

The race bib is a lot more sentimental to me than any medal I've received, and in general I wouldn't suggest a race director invest a lot of money into the awards, but I did think that the hand carved and painted Tiki's that they give at the Coronado 10k are really cool (but I can't imagine they're cheap).

http://www.coronado10k.com/Race_Info/Awards.htm

I hadn't thought about that.

My "medals" go straight in the bin. But for someone who hasn't done a race before, or for whom the distance is a real achievement, they often mean a lot. And inspire them to do the next one.

You don't want to give out something that only has value to regular racers and doesn't symbolize enough for the 'participants'.

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'It never gets easier, you just get crazier.'

Medals are fine. But I've got a half-dozen or so beer/coffee mugs from different races. They're useful, and something that I (and other people) will actually look at and talk about. Definitely more of a conversation starter than a medal that no one (other than me) will ever see.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

Some races had give aways to the first person with a bib number that added up to a certain number. Won stuff like a box of GUs or chamois cream.

All my finisher medals, including the Roth/Ironman ones are in a plastic bag, in my bedside cabinet last time the kids had them out iirc. I guess if I confronted a burglar swinging a bag-full of medals it would be a hefty weapon; hell the Frankfurt one from last year alone weighs about 500g!

The more events you complete, the less bothered you get about them; you become blase. I still like getting them hung 'round my neck at the end of an Ironman if I've had a particularly tough day; it's symbolic I guess.

RDs often ask people what a good idea is these days, and some of the popular local races here have done branded Buffs, Arm Warmers, Number Belts etc, stuff that we can use, and it advertises their races too. The belt buckle Leadville do is good too; but here in Europe, we don't have too many chances to dress-up like cowboys =)

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29 years and counting

The race director dilemma - who are you marketing the race to? Who pays your bills? The demographic above, or the first-timer?

Now, on to a personal anecdote:
A few years ago, Leadville marathon, at the finish line we got a nice logo'd-up coffee mug. A couple months later, unannounced, everyone got a nice medal (yes, with bottle opener built-in) in the mail with a note saying they tried to do something different, creative, but got so much negative feedback afterward that they decided to order & provide medals after-the-fact.

Lot's of interesting views here...many of which I agree with. When I started racing, medals were great. Very exciting to step up on the box and get something handed to you. But they kind of just sit around as dust collectors now...I race for the thrill of competition and to better myself. Knowing how I fared vs. my competitors is really what I'm after. But I will say, the vast majority of race directors I have experience with do a great job and I know how hard they work - so kudos and thanks.

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Power Meter City
Your Power Meter Specialists

This is both a good question and a hard one.
Medals are important for some racers. But then the question will be, will you lose them if you do not have them?

When it comes to other swag it is impossible to make everybody happy. Looking back what I have used the most is coffee mugs. But then I am a Norwegian (Norway rank as one of the top nations when it comes to coffee, average 5 cups a day for adults).

What I think is the wrong way to go for triathlon is to make every race into a swag party. It irritates me when some racers are criticizing a race for lack of swag. For me the quality of the race is the most important and I am happy to only get something to drink after the race, nothing more.

That really surprises me. It seems like medals would be important at 5Ks and other races that draw a lot of beginners. Like others have said, they can be really motivating. However, the longer I race, the less important medals are. I do want some kind of souvenir, though, especially if the race is particularly tough. I would have thought the coffee mugs would be a big hit.

I'm gonna be the first to say it.

I friggin' HATE medals! Total waste of metal and money for me. I don't even care for the ones that commemorate my AG podiums. They all go in the trash or lost in a drawer, immediately.

I find the idea of giving out medals for the mere act of finishing a 5k pandering. For longer races, like half marathon, HIM, IM, etc., it's a lot more reasonable.

But you gotta do what your customers want, and if they're gonna give you hell for omitting medals, you gotta have them.

I think the actual dilemma is who really cares? Because I think the people that care about a medal, really care. The people that do not care about a medal, by definition do not care. So if you have medals, you satisfy one group and do not upset the other. If you do not have medals, you really upset one group and the other group is just Ok with it.

I'd rather they give out a 6 pack of toilet paper with their race logo on it. Memorable and creative...and useful ;)

The reason you rarely see a ton of swag at a 5k, 10k, sprint, or Oly is because no one wants to pay $100 to run 3 miles. For me, I won't pay more than $30 for a 5K & for that price, it's hard for an RD to put on a chip timed event that uses public roads & requires staff, police, setup, some kind of post race event/food/drink, etc and still have money to give everyone a medal. Like someone else alluded to, medals for short distance races are like participation trophies in 6 year old soccer leagues. I get that for some people it is an accomplishment, but do you really need a medal for a 5K?

One thing I have seen races do is offer people to pay more on top of their registration to get a medal. I think that is a perfect solution. It keeps the costs low for everyone, and lets the participation trophy crowd get their special little snowflake award for $20 extra.

I'd be fine with that, but it doesn't seem like everyone would be. The tough decision is for the RD's to consider how much they might piss someone off without them. Seems to be a number of responses here that support that theory. While you have a bag full of medals at home the person out there for the first time doesn't.
Either way, to your point on cost vs 5K, 10K, sprint Oly. Most of the sprints and olys I do are a $100+ which is why I'd be fine with no to little swag and then cut the cost.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

It seems like most people on this forum don't care for medals unless it was their first race or they placed in the event. With that in mind, is there a way to give out medals to the first timers? When the participants register for your race, they could check a box that they have never completed that distance before.

I do not know if it would be feasible to hand out the medals as they cross the finish line, but it would not be too difficult to incorporate it into the awards ceremony. I would also not charge these people more for their medal: no one wants to buy their own award. I am sure other finishers would not have a problem with only first time participants getting medals.

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Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour

I was thinking at first this would be a great idea ... but, really, how is it any different than now? Already when you cross the finish line it's entirely voluntary to get the finishers medal or not. Sure, there's a bit of "pressure" and it may be slightly awkward telling the volunteer putting it around your neck that you don't want it. But no one forces you to take it.

But I will get all social media on your ass if it' s that cheap thin stuff :-)

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RayGovett
Hughson CA
Be Prepared-- Strike Swiftly -- Who Dares Wins- Without warning-"it will be hard. I can do it"

It's different because instead of every runner paying $40-50 for a 5K and getting a medal or swag they don't want, they pay $30 and get what they really want, a chip timed race. Nothing more, nothing less. If you want a medal, shirt, hoodie, etc, you pay extra for it. You pick that up either at number pickup, or at a table after the race. You don't have someone placing medals on people who paid for them at the finish.

Like I said, I have seen it work at some races here. It may not work for every race, but it's something worth trying. My bet is that you will get more people sign up with lower registration fees and you can make the swag hounds happy by making it available for purchase.

It never occurred to me to refuse the medal after finishing. I don't see how it changes anything though. The RD has presumably ordered enough medals for everyone. Shouldn't really matter whether its me or them recycling the thing.

I only bike race now. Not having to deal with (or pay for) finisher medals is one of the perks.

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All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. ~Gandalf

I do a small local race and they give out gifts instead of medals. I hit the age group podium last month and had a choice between some tire levers and a basic bike light. They were probably less expensive than a medal/trophy and I will get more use out of them.

I was donating almoat all shirts. Then I got strange looks at packet pick up when I said I didn't want it. Now I realize I was doing it wrong. The shirt I get that I don't want can be used as throw away clothing at the start of that or some other race. I've started holding some things back from good will just to suit this purpose: shirts, a blanket. Best with long sleeved shirts which are less commonly given as race shirts, but you get the idea.

The medals just sit in a bag under my dresser, most awaiting donation, others wait for a display project i'll never complete.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

What you are describing are age group awards. Only the top 3 in each AG would get the choice between the tire levers and bike light. With medals, we are talking about something every finisher gets regardless of placing.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Mugs, shirts, socks - all of this is either useless crap, that I usually don't take with me, or in case of technical finishers shirts, just chuck into my home bin for training stiff. At least a medal doesn't take much space. Make it look nice and finisher's mother, children, whoever might find happiness and some pride in them. Don't give me a tumbler or a tire lever - I don't need that garbage. I need these trinkets even less, than a useless but a compact medal.

Medals cost good money, so if you do them try not to make it something that goes into a shoebox or sock droor. At my half marathon I give a big 5" medal with a bottle opener at the top, and the ribbon actually has velcro connecting it so you can remove it easily (this year we are looking into a lanyard with clip). On the back is a big fridge magnet.

In my town, the only medal friends, family, etc. see after the race is my medal sticking on their fridge or bbq... whatever your freebies are, make sure they get noticed by more than just your finisher!

My alternative to medals - invest in free race photos. Pay the photogs a per head cost and just give them away. Sponsored or not, it's worth it. One year we had 1,500 participants, and 36,000 downloaded photos. I worked out the per-download cost, and for what I paid for the service it was about $0.06 per photo... in other words, roughly the cost of a drink cup someone tosses off to the side. Those cups, while necessary, don't act as profile pictures on someone's social media account, so to this day I feel photos are the best ROI you can invest in for marketing.

Making it magnetic is a great idea. Most of my finisher medals are just in a heap in my spare bedroom, but once in a while I do a race that gives out magnets. They all go on my filing cabinet in my office at work where they actually get seen.

2015 Columbia Triathlon
Most all the athletes loved this medal.



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I would like to see something like a golf/polo shirt with the event as the logo so I can wear it and advertise more for the sport, etc... Can't wear t shirts to the office, and in my opinion medals are for little kids, I throw all mine away or give them to some little kid at the race.

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"For those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't understand, no explanation is possible."

I know this is an old thread but why dont you find a way to display your finisher medals?

They make a nice collection and memories of the years that you spent racing. Shows your kids that success isn't built over night.

It's not a simple question for me to answer, but I'll try to explain why I choose not to display my medals without pretending that you're my therapist!

Ever since I started running nine years ago, it has always been a personal endeavor. I have gone running with others, but I can probably count on both hands the number of times that I've done that. Running has been very therapeutic for me, and I race (running or tri) very infrequently. It's only recently that have I learned about the psychological concept of EMDR, and it has helped explain why my mental health has benefited so much from running. Long way of saying that I don't display my medals in large part because I don't generally want to talk about my running with anyone. Combine that with a warped sense of humility, and it leads to my medals sitting in a box.

As for kids, it's also a long story but they are the reason I ventured into triathlons (from solely running) in the first place. We chose to adopt older kids from foster care (teen and pre-teen when they moved in), and there are a slew of non-traditional family dynamics at play in our house. Perhaps there will be a day when I feel that it might be beneficial for them to routinely see my medals hanging somewhere, but for now I'm content with them seeing my bike trainer always set up in the basement and watching me come back home sweaty after a run.

I do enjoy riding with others but since all of medals come from either running or triathlons, displaying anything related to cycling is a non-issue at this point!

Probably a lot more than you wanted to know!

I have not done a 5k in almost 4 years (since I started Triathlons), but all the races I did you got a shirt (sometimes nice sometime horrible), and the only medals given out were to the AG top three. Never ran a 5k where everyone got a medal.


May be more useful to hand out before the race :-p

It is not cool or unique per say, but all of us who do a lot of triathlons have drawers full of short-sleeve race shirts. What we don't have enough of are shorts or long-sleeve shirts. Or socks. Not that it usually comes down to a decision between the giveaways and also I don't think your causal triathlete would look at it the same way as someone who has done a few, but if I was deciding between two nice races that both fit my schedule and one had finisher short sleeve shirts and one had shorts, I would definitely choose the one with the shorts and the other benefit for the race is that there is zero competition for what is in that racer's drawer of clothes and they would wear those shorts with the race logo on every week on runs.

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2018 Races: IM Santa Rosa, Vineman Monte Rio, Lake Tahoe 70.3

That was something I found pretty cool about the old Beach2Battleship race. They gave out Finisher Sleep Pants (a medal also, but pants was a cool touch).

I look for events with medals. I don't (yet) display them, but I still like to think I am being awarded something that will last. the nice thing about medals is that they are not large and can be easily stored. Although I do like the unique and large medals over the cheap, generic ones (generic ones are a turn off and will keep me from entering that event).

A good quality T-shirt also, although I know I will wear these and over time they will be gone. Tech tees are definitely preferred. I want to be able to show off my accomplishments with these (more than the medals)

Mugs/glasses are nice, but I find that the printing/etching seems to fade away, or they break easily.

For race directors, this is actually not that trivial to implement.

1. Medals have to be ordered quite a long time before the race date.
2. As a race director, do you allow participants to sign up for the $20 medal option at any time, including race morning?
3. How do you handle people who get to the finish line then complain loudly that they didn't see the option to purchase the $20 medal. Note that this is a VERY busy time of the race and you really don't want additional issues...
   

It's funny that you replied to my post from 2016 on this. Last year I got more involved in the race organizing space & while I thought I knew a lot about what it took to put a race on, I quickly realized that it can be a thousand times more difficult than people realize. I now look at things like medals, shirts, and retail merchandise a lot differently. People who complain that a race sold out of a specific hat or jacket at the expo have no idea what it takes to plan for sales. Similarly, those medals don't just appear on a couple day's notice.

So yeah, if people want to buy a medal that is not included, you need a cutoff, and you need a method to distribute them away from the finish line where someone may flip their shit when they see someone else with a fancy medal for doing the same race they did. The race I was speaking about is the Peachtree Road Race 10K in Atlanta. You actually pick your medal up at the expo when you get your race bib. It's not so much a finisher medal as it is a commemorative trinket.

Yeah, I noticed just after I posted my response that the thread had been resurrected from 2016.

Short course series that i do only does medals for age group podiums which is how i think it should be. Instead of throwing countless medals in the garbage i only have a couple and they mean something to me.

Who would actually throw their medals in the garbage?

Recycle I understand, give to a spectator I understand, stick in a shoe box under the bed I understand, display at home/office I understand, but throwing away I don't understand?

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My race site: https://racesandplaces.wixsite.com/racesandplaces