A finishers medal for a sprint... ???? (Page 2)

I didn't get one for my first tri last Sunday. I didn't expect to get one either. the t-shirt is fine with me. I know I finished. I know how hard I worked. my satifaction comes from within not a medal.
That being said I don't think there is anything wrong with a finisher's medal for a sprint. Afterall the participants paid for them with their race fees.

The very concept is of a 'finisher's medal' is kinda hokey though isn't it?!  Am I proud of mine?  Well, just take a look at my avatar.   So I think they should give finisher's medals for all triathlons and here is why:

1.  Compared to the entry fee, they are really cheap.  Smaller races might have to go with a very generic medal so they use the same lot order and over several years.

2.  Tee-shirts rot and end up as rags to wash your car.  The harware last forever.

3.  You can write your finish times on the back and have a permanant record of finish times, place, etc.

4.  To many beginners, it's a sprint is as big as an accomplishment as ironman to many of us.

5.  It would provide good publicity for our sport.  People will see the medals hanging in your office or gym locker or garage and ask about them.  Bada-bing, potential new triathlete.

I got a finisher's medal for a 1/2 marathon last year.  I wrote my finish time on the medal and hung it along with all my other medals.  I did this race several years ago....but I can't even tell you what year, yet alone what my finsih time was.  OK, I guess this is more of #3.

~Mike

Yeah I guess you can...but then why give our medals for any race?!  The numbers are nice...but they don't hang as nicely as medals.  :-)

~Mike

*whispers*  Even though Wildflower in California was much much harder, I cherished and carried around the NYC medal for a week because that race was a race I really feared.  I feared the intensity of a NYC race and being team-less and going it on my own.  It was the first race I signed up for alone.

So yes, I cherished that medal. It meant something. Not because the race was super hard (I had done harder) but because I had conquered a fear.

Plus the NYC Tri medals, as previously mentioned, are nice.

I am all for the medals.

dbw27

My medals are my most cherished race crap.  I hate the t-shirts, actually, I have no use for them.  I have a tupperware full of them and have only wanted to wear one or two from my many (too many) races.

Although I do agree with the concept that for a sprint or more "mainstream" race, I'd rather have a $5 cheaper registration fee. 

It's funny how finishing a half-marathon feels more medal worthy, when it takes me an hour longer to do an Oly.  For that I want a medal!  I am going to mention this to future RDs.  I have no OLY medals, but one sprint medal.  The rest are from Iron Girl (they are obnoxious) and running event.

My least favorite medal is the one actually earned for 2nd place in a relay division.  It was a du, and the freakin' medal has a little triathlon symbol on it!  It's from the worst race organization in our state, so I am not surprised, but seriously?

Gotta agree with you on the Y believing everyone deserves a medal - We didn't keep score in the kids soccer league for the two years we were in the Y league - but everyone got a trophy at the end of the season!

I also have to agree with Karen - they should hand out medals at the my first tri's  - but not at every sprint or even every oly - maybe at the biggest oly races like NYC or Chicago or somthing, but not at the run of the mill summer weekend oly's...

I think they'd save more money if they didn't give out t-shirts than if they didn't give out medals.

Edited by MacMadame 2009-08-01 12:00 AM