Race & Marathon Medals — Your Race Is in 10 Weeks. Here's the Plan.
A 500-piece finisher medal order takes 18–25 days from approved artwork to your door, plus a one-time
$80–$150 mold fee; the piece price is quoted per order within 24 hours. If your race is inside 12 weeks,
order in the next two weeks — below is the exact countdown we work from.
Your 12-week countdown
This is the calendar we run for every race order. The only steps that are out of our control are your
artwork approval and your in-hands date.
| Week before race | What happens | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| Week 12 | Confirm quantity, size, ribbon and finish. Request a quote. | You |
| Week 11 | Free digital proof on the real die shape, revised until approved. | Us |
| Week 10 | Mold cut. Deposit paid. Ship date locked in writing. | Both |
| Week 9 | Physical sample optional — ships in 48h, fee credited to the order. | Both |
| Week 8 | Mass production: casting, polishing, plating, enamel fill. | Us |
| Week 6 | QC with AQL 2.5 sampling. Defect photos reported. | Us |
| Week 5 | Ribbons attached, individual bagging, cartons labeled. | Us |
| Week 4 | Dispatch. Tracking sent. Freight in transit (3–5 days US). | Both |
| Week 3 | Delivery buffer — for reprints, customs holds or venue changes. | Both |
Inside 6 weeks? Rush is quoted per project — tell us your date. We will tell you
honestly whether your date is achievable before you pay anything.
The Race Medal Kit
One order, one freight bill, one delivery:
- Finisher medal (2.5" or 3", zinc alloy, soft enamel)
- Polyester ribbon included; dye-sublimated or woven as an add-on
- Individual poly bag, or a custom backing card
- Optional age-group / placement medals in the same die family
- Free 12-week countdown sheet you can forward to your race committee
How many medals should you order?
The number that matters is not registrations. It is finishers — plus a buffer for damage, sponsors,
volunteers and next year's promo table.
| Registered runners | Typical finishers (85%) | Order this | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | ≈ 213 | 250 | Covers no-shows and lets you sell a few as a fundraiser |
| 500 | ≈ 425 | 500 | Same tier price as 450; buffer costs about $0.90/pc extra |
| 1,000 | ≈ 850 | 900–1,000 | At 1,000 you cross into the 1000+ tier and unit price drops |
| 3,000 | ≈ 2,550 | 2,600–2,800 | Volunteer and sponsor medals come out of the same run |
Rule of thumb: for a first-year race, order 85–90% of registrations. For an established
race with predictable no-shows, 95% is safe and cheaper.
What a good race medal actually specifies
Size: 3" (75mm)
The default for marathons and half marathons. 80mm+ reads better from the finish-line camera but
adds 35–40% to the unit price. 2.5" (60mm) is the value choice for 5K and 10K.
Finish: soft enamel
Race medals get knocked together in a finish-line box all morning. Soft enamel hides scuffs better
than hard enamel and costs 15–25% less. Use hard enamel only if the medal is a premium tier item.
Ribbon: 1.5" polyester
Plain polyester, included. Dye-sublimated printing (+$0.30–$0.60/pc) puts sponsor logos and event
colors on the ribbon — usually the cheapest sponsor-visible placement in the whole race budget.
Attachment: 3-bar slider
Survives a full marathon better than a clip. Specify it if the medal is heavier than 60g, otherwise
the medal swings into the runner's chest on every stride.
Back side: don't waste it
The back is free real estate — event date, distance, charity partner, a QR code to next year's
registration. Laser engraving is quoted separately; relief in the die is free.
Packaging: bag or card
Individual poly bags are included. A printed backing card (+$0.15–$0.40) is what makes the medal
photograph well when runners post it — which is the marketing you actually want.
What 500 Medals Cost: Fixed Costs + Piece Price
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| 500 × 3" medal, soft enamel | Request quote | Request quote |
| Mold fee (one-time, 2D standard) | $80 | $150 |
| Polyester ribbons (included) | $0 | $0 |
| Dye-sublimated ribbon printing (optional) | $150 | $300 |
| Freight to a US venue (est.) | $180 | $320 |
| Order total | Request quote | Request quote |
The mold fee, ribbon printing and freight above are published numbers you can plan
around. The piece price for a 3" medal at 500 pieces is quoted per project within 24 hours — our published
rate card currently covers challenge coins at 100–299 pieces ($3.50–$4.20). Excludes duties and taxes.
Canadian destinations: add 5–8 days transit and check GST/HST at import. Next-year reorder: same medal, no
mold fee, so the $80–$150 drops off.
Race director questions
My race is in 7 weeks. Is that enough?
Yes, with a caveat. Standard production is 18–25 days plus 3–5 days transit, so
seven weeks works if you approve the digital proof within 48 hours. Under six weeks we switch to rush production, quoted per order before you commit. Under four weeks we will usually decline rather than risk your finish line.
Can you ship directly to my event venue or expo hall?
Yes. Send the venue address, the receiving window and a contact name. We ship
with the delivery appointment noted and send you photos of the labeled cartons before pickup, so you
know the count that left and can check it in at the venue.
We have sponsors — can their logos go on the medal or ribbon?
Ribbon is the best placement: dye-sublimated printing puts full-color sponsor
logos on both sides for $0.30–$0.60 per piece. On the medal itself, sponsor marks work as a small
engraved or enamel panel on the back. Logos with fine type need to be simplified to survive the mold.
Do you make age-group and placement medals to match?
Yes — gold, silver and bronze placement medals from the same die family, so the
plating and shape match the finisher medal. Ordering them in the same run avoids a second mold and a
second freight charge.
What if our date changes?
Tell us as early as possible. If production has not started, the schedule moves
with no penalty. If the mold is already cut, we pause and hold your die — the tooling cost is spent, but
everything else can wait for the new date.