Do You Expect to Get A Finisher Medal?

Though you do bring up a good point; I do feel they do mark actual accomplishment. Maybe somewhere between participation and actual trophy?

Psychology research would tell us that different people are motivated by different things, and some people are motivated by the physical award that justifies their effort. I also think that the value and expectation changes with experience. I ran for fun with my brother and sister, who were cross-country runners, when I was a kid but after several years of not running it took extreme tenacity to get out there and get in shape to run my first adult race (a ten-miler), one of those chain-restaurant-style races where they’re focused on appealing to as many people as possible with piles of cheap Chinese swag, lots of motivational posters at mile markers, and big Made-in-China stained-glass finisher medals. But at that time, on that day, that was what I needed – I was super proud of that medal and loved the race experience.

I say all that because now, several years of racing later, I seek out the cheapest races that I know will be accurately measured and I don’t give a damn about finisher medals. I’d rather have an honest, challenging course, good support, and an interesting field of like-minded racers than some cheap imported crap medal. But before I get judgmental about it, I try to remember how much that first medal meant to me, and how it helped me to solidify some new-at-the-time habits into my adult life.

Now I keep all my finisher medals in a drawer, except my Boston Marathon finisher medal, which alone hangs with my age-group place medals because, like those place medals, it denotes a specific level of achievement. I also keep the finisher medal from the race where I first qualified for Boston in a more dignified spot than the box in the drawer.

It is ok not to have finisher medal for distance less than half marathon. Very small % of people can do / willing to do a half marathon and beyond. They should be rewarded for accomplishing what more than 90% has not even attempted.

I do like getting finishers medals, they are a physical reminder of the accomplishment. Typically the age group and overall winners get something different, so it’s not like it is equivalent.

I feel that finisher medals are different than participation trophies and have written about it here – http://hamptonrunner.com/2014/08/19/stickers-magnets-and-finisher-medals-hell-yeah/

As far as distance goes, in some ways, I feel like 13.1 and up is a good start to awarding medals… But, that being said, I have to backtrack and think that it’s all relative.

I still have my first 5K finisher medal hanging in my office. It has a special place to me as it was my first race ever completed. And, every race can be a reflection of effort. for example, many times, I find a 5K hurts more than a half marathon because I race them. Some people will prefer to stay with shorter distances.

I think you’re not emphasising the key word- FINISHER medal. You’re damn right I want something to hang on the wall; something to remind me that I CAN and will finish a race, be it good or bad. I want something to wear proudly as a head out to dinner with the family to celebrate. I won’t ever win my age group, but I’ve done more than people who haven’t entered the event. I think they’re really important. Some I adore, they were great races or PBs, others simply show that I am resilient. Please include race medals.

I love finisher medals. And each one is more than a “thanks for participating” trophy. They all represent nights I skipped spending with friends, mornings I didn’t sleep in, and weekends I was away from my husband. They are a tangible, visible reminder that I set a goal and reached it. And most importantly, they are inspiration to chase the next goal.

If it’s a full marathon or full iron, my answer is yes. I’ve paid you a race fee that is three times greater than it was when I started the sport (for marathon). To me, the medal is a part of the experience, and the registration fee easily coves the cost.

Damn right I want a finisher medal. I didn’t train to get out there to compete with the elite runners. I came out here to compete against MYSELF, so finishing IS winning

I think that for the longer races (half and full marathon), I expect a finisher’s medal because it actually IS an accomplishment to finish them. OK, if I walked the whole thing and got a medal for a four-hour half, it would be empty. But when I push really hard and still come in eighteenth in my division, I still expect recognition. And how about those folks who at whatever age are just working their way up to excellence? I think a finisher medal, far from being recognition for a competitively mediocre performance, might be the kind of reward for effort that motivates improvement. And for elder runners who seek to prove their stamina, it could be a nice validation that they can still hang in there.

Last year, at 44 years old, I completed my first Spartan Race, in Las Vegas. Getting a finisher’s medal felt great–almost as great as it felt just to finish the race. Part of the reason that medal meant so much was because for me, that race marked a point in my life when I began to take fitness seriously again. As a kid, I loved running and I was fast. I worked out, ran cross-country, mountain biked, skied, etc. Through high school and up until eight or so years after college, I took fitness very seriously. Then, I got married, had a few kids and began to take my fitness for granted. Exercise became one of those things I’d get to eventually.

A year and a half ago, my wife began entering 5k and 10k races with a female coworker. She invited me to run with her but I made excuses that I had bad knees, due to a cycling accident, and couldn’t run. Eventually though, I got out of my chair and got running. 15 years off is a long time to take off. I hadn’t gained a lot of weight, maybe 15 pounds, but cardiovascularly speaking, I was a mess. That first mile was tough. We began running more together. 3 miles, then 6 and eventually 12 before that first Spartan Race. Crossing that finish line and receiving that medal was amazing. And no medal since has felt quite as good. Personally, I don’t need a medal every race. Maybe something a little extra to mark the big milestones. Each person has a race in them that deserves a medal, to commemorate whatever big push it took to get them there.

Reading David Allison’s post regarding marathon times, I had a pang of jealousy to hear that at 45 he can finish a 10k in 33 minutes. Wow. That is just incredible. I just ran a 50:10 10k this weekend. I wonder how much faster I’d be if I hadn’t taken 15 years off. lol When my wife and I finish our first half-marathon next May, finishing will be wonderful. Getting our medals will make the accomplishment a little extra special.

Although I don’t expect a medal for anything under a half, I treasure each one that I have, 1 full, 27 half’s so far, and many 5 and 10k’s. I’ll never win a race, although I’ve managed to pull off a few AG awards. Some races were fast, and some weren’t, but it took a lot of training to get where I am, which is, at best, is “mediocre middle aged woman” speed. The point is, it’s a Finisher’s medal, and it takes a lot to finish a race, no matter what your speed. My (our) medal wall is something that we both enjoy, as it reminds us of all of the miles of training it took to complete those races, and the memories that went with each one. Running a half marathon, or a marathon, is something that only a small percentage of the population has done, and I enjoy my reminders hanging proudly on the wall.

Thanks for writing this, David. As you know events are competing for paying participants who increasingly expect a medal. The trend is toward medals even for the shorter distances.
For me personally, i wish there could be a plaque or maybe a framed photo or some other reward that is more distinct from the medals that are won by competitors. This goes for kids too. I accept my medal and hand it to my 7-year old child through the fence at the finish and she keeps it with other shiny playthings.
As a (ahem) mature runner, the journey has always been the destination for me. I can say that i’ve done my best at the end and if that gets me an AG award it’s great it means i’ve given my competitors the challenge they deserve, but it also means the best of my group either didn’t make it or had a bad day. I don’t hope for that but it’s a RACE.

I have a drawer full of medals and that is where they will be including my Boston events. Most are for marathons and half marathons. I laugh reading reviews on marathonguide.com of runners complaining about the medals. Personally I would rather have just something I could use like a shirt or hat and a discounted entry price. I have run ultras that have more unique participation awards than a medal that gets buried in my sock drawer!

I think the football player isn’t comparing apples to apples. From peewee on up, the winning team in any sporting competition gets a trophy. Even if, viewed objectively, they aren’t very good. And in a team sport like football, you have a 50-50 shot at winning. Those are really good odds. I’ll guess the NFLer racked up lots of those as a kid.

In a foot race your chances aren’t nearly as favorable. Sometimes 20,000 to 1. Every level of runner from the peewee to the Olympic medalist is competing in the same race. That’s why many races have age-graded awards, to level the playing field, and age-graded results. For newer runners in longer races, the medal is affirmation. For others, they’re milestones.

And a medal is small compared to how much effort a runner generally has to put in to prepare (and let’s be honest here) to lose.

Finisher medals ARE more than just participation awards. That’s basically what the race shirts have become. Remember when those were only for finishers? I doubt if many of you out there do.

I agree about handing back the participation trophy for children. I think it’s important for children to learn what they’re good at so they can eventually make good life choices. It doesn’t hurt to know that you’re not the best at something. It does hurt not to know the things you can be competitive in.

I think as a well rounded adult though taking part in an event. Getting to the event and finishing it is an investment. We deserve a little recognition. I like commemorative tshirts better than medals though.

I like getting finisher medals as physical proof that I actually put in the effort. To me they’re more of a mark of pride than any of the participation trophies that I received as a child. It’s a willing commitment that I made and having a tangible award to help me remember those efforts means more to me than casually remember “oh, I ran a 5k in thirty minutes. Good for me”.

I still carry around the award from my first race because it reminds me of how much I can accomplish when I really want to.

In short, to me the medal is not just about participation, its a symbol of accomplishment.

I look for 5k’s that have a finisher medal as a sign of an accomplishment. I was diagnosed 6 years ago with a brain condition that affects my balance and coordination and causes pain because of spinal cord and brain stem compression. I have never been “athletic,” but running a full 5k without walking at all was a goal that made me feel more “normal.” I signed up for my first 5k at 52 years old. You never know who is running next to you because not all disabilities are visible. Finisher medals may not mean much to the more athletic or competitive runners, but to some of us they are enough to keep us motivated to be the healthiest version of ourselves that we can be.

I just completed my first race… a half marathon… on my 50th birthday. Having been non-athletic all my life… and not graced with physical prowess… I had heart failure as as an infant child… and as an adult lost 100 lb, survived cancer… i had no expectation of being the first, second or third over the finish line. For me… WINNING was dragging my formerly morbidly obese azz over the finish line despite severe back and knee arthritis before they swept me off the course for being too slow on the actual date of my 50 th birthday. It was a huge race… over 50,000 participants. I worked my butt off for 24 weeks keeping to my training schedule, spending vacation days running around Vancouver BC, Alaska, and Seattle… and around a tiny little deck on a ship where everyone came to smoke. For 24 weeks I did what felt like was impossible. Despite the pain and agony from a knee the doctors wants to replace.

I made it across the finish line. Probably one of the last 50 people to do so. BUT I MADE IT. I worked as hard as a naturally gifted runner.

I EARNED that freaking finishers medal. It wasn’t a participation trophy. Don’t want yours? Throw it out or don’t take one. Mine will always be a memento that I DID THE DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. That I worked my butt off for 24 weeks and because I did… with no hope or thought of any win besides crossing the finish line… believe I could run for 13.1 miles and had the courage to go out there and not be ashamed of being the slowest person on the field, to not worry about the loose skin from weight loss flopping around prominantly on my body stop me, to just bear the agonizing joint pain… and to just DO IT. To be able to identify as an ATHLETE who participated for the joy of doing it rather than coming in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.

I wasn’t given it… I worked my butt off for it.

Medals make it for me. I tend to avoid marathons without medals. (Though im running out of choices). I live in Japan and medals are just now getting more common. (They are going through a runner renaissance so new events are just exploding and i love it).

But, by the end of this year I will have 43 medals. They all means a lot to me. Some more than others. KIX marathon medal was my first 5 hour limit race and I wasnt sure If I could do it. I finished in about 4 hours and thats when I realized I can do most events. It was a good moment. Hokkaido marathon was the same 5 hour limit and was a reconfirmation of my ability to finish that quickly.

Now, I run to improve my speed and to prove to myself I can. Ive run 6 in 6 weeks (Times improving every week) and am doing 5/5. The medals give me the ambition to keep doing more and more events. My first 100km was done to push myself. (Interestingly after my first 100km all I have to do is sit down for like 15-30 minutes and I have no leg pain on RACE day).

But, medals are big to me. (Eventually Ill do the races with no medals in Japan when I run out of races with medals. After this year ill have 8 races with medals left and like 37 without medals).

Like some others have said. The shirts are basically the participation award now. Finisher medals are for those who can do it. They are EARNED. If you cant finish you just get a DNF and sometimes a towel. (Btw I dont want more shirts. I have SOOOO MANY SHIRTSSSSSS).

I do think at times you don’t deserve a medal, and at times you do deserve a medal. I think if the event or achievement is small you should not get a medal, but if the event or achievement is big or super big you should get a medal. Lets stay it was a 1 mile jog or run no you should not get a medal, but lets stay you won a sports tournament or championship, I think you should get a gold or sports medal! as long as the championship or tournament was pretty big! or if its a big 5k or 7k run you should get a medal.

also I think participation medals are not good! you overall should not get a medal in less you work really hard, win a big tournament, championship, or contest!! if that happens then you should for sure get a medal because you have earned it/ deserved it!

but overall yes at times I do like finishers medals. And at times I don’t like it. It just depends on how hard and how big the event or achievement is.