Actually, this one was won by my brother and it’s the ugliest trophy I have ever seen- it’s brass, weighs about 15 pounds, and is a column with a huge runner perched on top that looks like he is on massive doses of steroids. We call it the “Heisman” and his wife makes him keep it in the basement…
I won a Catahula Cur dog once that was pretty ugly. It was a prime in a bike race. I almost gave the dog away until someone offered me $100. Sold. As it turns out that was the biggest cash prize I ever one, not bad for a cat 2-3 mom and pop crit.
i won a 20lb bag of onions at a night time cross race. of course, i was also dressed like a christmas tree 
k
I won a 5lb chunk of coal from a race in the coal mining section of PA. A deep dish pizza pan ranks up there also.
OOhhhh, hard to beat a bag of onions.
Here are my top 3:
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A railroad tie with #2 painted on it (for 2nd place in a half marathon)
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A nerf football with a “1” stamped on it (overall winner of a 5K)
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A drill core (a cylinder of rock) from a gold mine (second place in a 4 miler)
I won a whole frozen turkey in a Turkey Trot 5K.
Sponge Bob Square Pants talking Clock – For an open ocean swim race.
a stupid mouse pad…Clemson Tri…a few years back
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that’s a damn fine prize!! it’s hip to be square 
k
I won a coconut shell ukelele with a hula girl airbrushed on it in a sprint tri. The following year’s race I won a wind chime. The year after that, I didn’t place, but they gave out Chinese Relaxation Balls. I know there’s a name for them, escapes me.
I really like the clock! I’ve never gotten anything like that although I have won a Santa Claus trophy, a hammer and a couple of bottles of champagne (the last one for New Years Day race - very much appreciated).
In the Punxsutawney* 50 (Man versus Horse versus Bike), I finished 3rd overall and third in the Mountain bike division, which was barely in front of the first horse who finished in fourth overall. My winning was a huge Genessee Light beer can trophy from the main sponsor Genessee beer company.
Here in Chattanooga at a very cool runnning race called the Chicamauga Chase I have won a trophy made from a musket shot, a very nice symbol for a race held in a Civil War Memorial park.
Herbert
Litespeed/QR
- Punxsutawney is indeed that town in Pennsylvania where that illustrious groundhog Phil keeps looking for his shadow.
A Coor’s Gold dome lamp. It looks like a dome clock, but instead of a clock there’s a bottle of Coor’s gold, yup a real bottle of Coor’s gold. The base lights up. I won it at my second triathlon ever, when I was 15. I’ve still got it.
bri
A model sailboat… Three masted jobber, about 12 inches long. Real wood. Very nice. For overall win at a sprint tri in a big sailing community in CT. Very cool. It has real cotton sails with rigging…
How about an eight-pound birdfeeder made from epoxied-together river rocks and lincoln logs, constructed by the local schoolchildren?
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Damn! That was mine too. We have a “guesss your time” turkey trot every year. Uknown course, unknown distance. I’ve done it twice and won a turkey both times by being closest to my time. One year was 8 secs and another was 4 secs.
I think my coolest was for a tri our club did last year. The proceeds went for a local sports oriented after school program. They had the kids paint pictures on tiles for awards. Mine was of a blue dude obviously drowning in the water…very cool and aprapoe.
~Matt
In the turkey trot category, I won a LIVE turkey back in like '97 for winning district ‘cross champs. I won a cucumber for an Italianfest Crit in Grand Rapids, MI. I won a basket of HOT fruit in Ontario that had been sitting out ALL day, that was a prime in the race, I also won the event, which paid like $350 cnd, the check was made out for the dollar amount, but the name wasn’t filled in. In my post race haze, I put my race number in my wallet and threw away the check. That was probably the best prize I didn’t get.
I’ll have to think of a couple others. Back in the running days of high school/college I remember winning a pair of puppy mitts, some brialliant 5km promoter thought that it would be a good idea to invite runners to bring their dogs. I didn’t have a dog and it wasn’t mandatory so I was one of about 6 who didn’t bring a pet to run with. Of course the other 400 participants just chased their dogs who were chasing each other. Bad Idea. I think I PRed the first 800 meters running from the pack o’ wolves…
-SD
I’ve only won one prize - a very ugly pink low-end clock radio. It didn’t really work even out of the box because radio reception was very bad. But it’s still the only prize I’ve won so I’m proud of it. And to be honest, I won it in the post-race bib-number lottery so maybe it doesn’t even qualify as a “prize”.
I have a Catahula and yes, he is not the most attractive dog I have ever seen, but he is by far the best dog I have ever had and I have had many. He is 10 years old and hanging in there pretty well.
My daughter won a pineapple at a tri she did last season. They gave out cool trophies also, but all she wanted was the pineapple.
Benwa balls.