$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.