Custom Race Medals: What to Plan for a 5K, 10K or Marathon
Finisher medals are usually the last thing a race director orders and the first thing runners photograph. Four decisions carry most of the weight: how many to order, what size suits your distance, how wide the neck ribbon should be, and whether the design is tied to one year or built to be reused. This guide works through each one from the organiser's side of the table — including the quantity mistake that catches most first-time events.
Quick Answer
- Typical 5K medal
- 2 inch, on a 1 or 1.5 inch neck ribbon
- Typical marathon medal
- 3 inch, on a 2 inch neck ribbon
- How many
- Registrations, not expected finishers — see below
- Minimum order
- 25 pieces per design
- Setup fees
- None — no mould or setup charge
- Artwork
- Uploaded on the product page; free digital proof follows
- Multi-year design
- Leave the year off the die and put it on the ribbon
- Order timing
- Work backwards from race day, then add buffer
Start with the quantity, not the design
The design is the fun part, but quantity is the decision that costs money when it goes wrong. Two rules save most events from trouble.
Order against registrations, not finishers
It is tempting to order for the number of people you expect to cross the line. Do not. Runners who register and do not start still frequently collect their medal at packet pickup, volunteers ask for one, sponsors want a few, and you will want some for photographs and for next year's marketing.
The mistake that hurts: running out on race day. There is no way to produce more that afternoon, and the runners who miss out are the ones who will remember it. Ordering a modest overage costs far less than the alternative.
A workable starting point: take your registration cap, add roughly ten percent, then round up to the next tidy number. If registration is still open when you order, order against the cap rather than against today's count.
Per-piece cost falls as quantity rises
Custom medals are priced per piece and the unit cost drops as the run gets larger, so the gap between ordering 200 and 250 is usually smaller than organisers expect. Configure both quantities on the product page and compare before you decide — the price updates as you change the number, so you can see the actual difference rather than guess at it.
Match the size to the distance
Runners have expectations about medal size that track the effort involved. A 3 inch medal at a fun run feels excessive; a 2 inch medal at the end of a marathon feels like a letdown.
| Distance | Common industry range | Closest size here | Ribbon | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fun run, kids' race, colour run | 50–60 mm | 2 inch (51 mm) | 1 inch | Light enough for younger runners, and the budget stretches across a big field |
| 5K | 60–65 mm | 2.5 inch (64 mm) | 1 or 1.5 inch | Sits right in the common range. Drop to 2 inch only if the field is large and the budget is tight |
| 10K | 60–70 mm | 2.5 inch (64 mm) | 1.5 inch | Enough face for a route graphic or a landmark alongside your logo |
| Half marathon | 70–85 mm | 3 inch (76 mm) | 1.5 or 2 inch | Runners expect visible weight at this distance |
| Marathon, ultra, triathlon | 80–100 mm | 3 inch (76 mm) | 2 inch | The headline medal, and the size that carries 3D sculpted detail properly |
A note on the marathon row. Full-marathon medals commonly run 80–100 mm, which is above the 3 inch (76 mm) size offered here. If your event needs a physically larger finisher medal than that, say so by email before you order rather than after — it is the one specification the online configurator cannot stretch.
If you run several distances on the same day, one approach is a single die with different ribbon colours per distance. It keeps the artwork cost down and still gives each group something distinct. Remember that the 25-piece minimum applies per design, not per ribbon colour.
Ribbon choices that matter at a finish line
Three loop types are offered, and for races the choice is more practical than decorative:
- Wide sewn loop — holds a broad ribbon flat and stops the medal twisting as runners walk through the chute. The usual choice for 2 inch ribbons.
- Free-moving wide loop — the ribbon runs through freely so the medal settles on its own. Good when medals are being placed over hundreds of heads quickly.
- Round loop — simplest and lowest cost, and a sensible match for a 1 inch ribbon on a smaller medal.
One thing worth checking early: if you plan to print the event name along the ribbon, say so before you finalise the medal size. Printed ribbon text needs width to stay legible, and it is easier to size the medal around the ribbon than the other way round.
Design it for one year or for five
Putting the year on the face of the medal makes it a keepsake for that specific race. It also means new artwork every year. If your event runs annually and the budget is tight, there is a middle path:
- Keep the year off the struck medal and print it on the ribbon instead — ribbons are the cheaper element to change.
- Or leave a small recessed panel on the back that can carry the year, so only that part of the artwork changes.
- Or commit to a dated design and treat leftover stock as deliberate: some events sell prior-year medals to collectors or hand them to volunteers.
Whichever route you take, keep the event name and distance readable at arm's length. Finish-line photographs are where most people will actually see your medal, and small text disappears in them.
What to put on the medal
Space is limited, so decide the hierarchy before you brief the artwork:
| Element | Where it usually goes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Event name | Front, largest text | The one thing that must read in a photo |
| Distance | Front, near the name | Runners sort medals by this |
| Year | Front or ribbon | Ribbon if you want to reuse the die |
| City or landmark | Front, as a graphic | Silhouettes reproduce better than fine skylines |
| Title sponsor | Front, smaller | Agree the size with them before proof stage |
| Supporting sponsors | Back | A row on the back keeps the face clean |
| Finisher wording | Back | "Finisher", a date, or a short line of thanks |
Front and back artwork are configured separately, so the back is real space rather than an afterthought. Sponsors who are told they will appear on the back of every finisher medal usually find that easier to value than a logo squeezed onto the front.
Ordering around a fixed race date
A race date does not move, which makes medals different from most custom orders. Work backwards rather than forwards.
Production starts only after you approve the digital proof, so the proof stage sits on your side of the clock, not the supplier's. If your committee needs a week to agree on artwork, that week is part of your timeline. Check the production and shipping estimates shown on the product page, add your own approval time, then add buffer on top — customs, weather and courier delays are outside everyone's control.
Practical advice: aim to have medals in hand well before packet pickup rather than before race day. Pickup is usually two or three days earlier, and that is your real deadline.
Before you order
- Quantity based on your registration cap plus overage, not expected finishers
- Medal size and ribbon width agreed for each distance you are running
- Event name and distance sized to read in a finish-line photo
- Year placement decided — struck into the medal, or printed on the ribbon
- Sponsor logos collected as vector files, with placements agreed
- Back artwork planned, not left blank by default
- Timeline worked backwards from packet pickup, with buffer added
- One person named as the approver, so the proof does not sit waiting on a committee
Frequently asked questions
How many race medals should I order?
Base it on registrations rather than expected finishers, and add roughly ten percent for volunteers, sponsors, photographs and no-shows who still collect. Running out on race day cannot be fixed afterwards.
What size medal is right for a 5K?
Two inch is the common choice and 2.5 inch is a noticeable step up. Save 3 inch for half marathon distance and above, where runners expect the extra weight.
Can I use one design across several distances?
Yes — a single die with different ribbon colours per distance is a common way to keep artwork costs down. The 25-piece minimum applies per design, so this also helps smaller distance categories reach the minimum.
Should the year be on the medal?
It depends on whether you want a keepsake or a reusable die. Putting the year on the ribbon instead lets you keep the same medal artwork for several editions and change only the cheaper element.
How far ahead should I order?
Work backwards from packet pickup rather than race day, and remember that production begins only after you approve the proof. Your own approval time and any buffer for shipping delays belong in the plan alongside the estimates listed on the product page.
Is there a setup or mould fee for a new race design?
No. There are no mould or setup fees, so a first-year event pays for medals rather than for tooling.
If you are still weighing style, finish and packaging options, the complete medal design guide covers each choice in order. For getting sponsor and event logos onto the die cleanly, see how to put your logo on a custom medal.
Plan your race medals
Configure size, ribbon and finish online and watch your price update as you change the quantity. Upload your artwork, order from 25 pieces, and approve a free digital proof before anything is produced.
Start Customizing