Race Medals that change from year to year and ones that stay the same



Although many people say they "Run for the bling" we totally understand that isn't the main reason to run, although getting a medal at the end definitely makes it more fun!

There are several races that we've done year after year and I love to see how the medals have changed over the years.

We've done the April Fools Race in Atlantic City several times and here is how these medals have changed over the years.   We'll be adding medal #4 to our collection in a little over a month.


half marathon relay medal

The Rock n Roll Virginia Beach medals are some of our favorites.  We always love the "beachy" designs.  I'm also glad that they stepped it up with the design of the lanyards. 


Although the Disney princess race medals are among our favorites, we find it a shame that they haven't changed much over the years.  I think maybe I have caught on to their method.


When my sister started running PHM the medal was a tiara for several years, it then changed to a heart shape for the 5th anniversary, and then evolved into the heart design that it is now.  I was a little disappointed in 2015 when the design was the same as 2014 design for the 10K, the half, AND the glass slipper challenge.  I was at least happy to see that even though the design was the same, the medal was silver instead of gold.  Cus really, who wants the same medal two times in a row?????

Well, those who ran PHM in 2014 will have gotten the same medal in 2016 (with a different ribbon of course).  It doesn't make me very excited to run a race to get the same medal I already have.  For this reason I am not sad that I did not run PHM this year. Hopefully the design for the medal will change next year! ( I understand the lanyard is different and the tiny engraved image has changed from year to year to reflect the theme, but essential, it' the same medal).  Sadly I think we may have to wait another 2 years until we see a change in design in the PHM medal. I'm guessing they will change the design every 5 years. What do you think?

Looks like Disney did a little better for the WDW Marathon and Half Marathon Medals.
Mickey marathon anniversary race medal

The 2014 marathon medal was actually the same as the 2015 one except there was no "cut out" behind the Mickey.

What about some other non Disney races that we've done more than once?

Big Sur- These medals are made of clay and they have stayed the same design just different colored paint on the letters.

Shamrock- The medals have changed every year and always double as a bottle opener!

Wicked - These medals change every year but are always a fun Halloween theme!


Do you share my theory on the Princess medals?


We are linking up with the gals from TOTR

43 comments:

  1. I know there are lots of reasons for running a race, but if I didn't get a medal at the end of it, I would be really disappointed.

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    1. I really wouldn't care that much about the smaller races but half marathons and full marathons I would want one for sure!

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  2. Running for the bling is definitely one of my motivations for running. If I'm going to register for a race, and its a pricey race, I expect that registration price to include a medal. If its a smaller local race then I'm okay not receiving one at the finish line, often because the local races are fundraisers for various causes. But for races like Disney and Rock 'n' Roll that have hefty price tags, I'm definitely all about the bling!

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    1. I agree, I'm totally OK with not getting a medal for a small local race.

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  3. I've got a few medals that don't change from year to year. Some I find boring others I find iconic. I agree that RnR needed to improve their lanyard. So happy they did!

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    1. I would be less motivated to run a race if the medal was exactly the same each year. That's why I'm hoping a change is coming soon to the princess medals!

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  4. That 20th anniversary Mickey medal is so amazing! Every time I look at it, I'm impressed. I'm with you on the PHM medals...come on runDisney, change them up a bit! And in all honesty, I thought the color combination this year was really ugly. I definitely like when races change up the medals! -C

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    1. I wonder if they will come up with a cool design for the 25th anniversary medal in 2018?

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  5. This is one time I'm actually happy Disney didn't change the Tink medals for this year. The 10k medal was super cute with all the fairies on the design, and I wanted that particular design on the medal this year. Others may not think like me, but this is also my first time running Tink.

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    1. You bring up a very good point Lesley! They probably don't take into account that runners will run these races every year, especially the bigger races like Disney. They probably assume people will only run it once every couple of years. I think they forget about the die hard fans that run them more often and would like some new designs!

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  6. I'm definitely a fan of medals changing each year. Though I think I would be happy with just a ribbon change if the medal was a good design to begin with. I just want something to indicate the year.

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    1. I agree that the ribbon should definitely have a date on it!

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  7. I would be really bummed getting the same medal. Especially because so many people do it every year AND its so expensive to do it - it'd be nice to have something to represent each year.
    I love doing my half marathon every year to get a new medal & compare them. Some aren't my favorites, but I still love getting a unique medal for a new year.

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  8. I'm with you. I don't really run for the bling, but I do like a unique medal. And when they're the same or very similar year in and year out, I just want to say "save your money", or better yet, just give me a discount and keep your medal! :-)

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  9. I have done a teeny, hometown tri series where all 3 medals are identical, but I didn't mind bc I paid less for 3 triathlons than I did for 1 runDisney half. I find myself annoyed that runDisney doesn't change its half meals annually & that it doesn't announce the theme of the 5/10K in advance. I would have registered for the 2014 Disneyland 5/10k races had I known the medals were Stitch themed, instead I'm just sad that I missed them. :-/

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  10. I have done a teeny, hometown tri series where all 3 medals are identical, but I didn't mind bc I paid less for 3 triathlons than I did for 1 runDisney half. I find myself annoyed that runDisney doesn't change its half meals annually & that it doesn't announce the theme of the 5/10K in advance. I would have registered for the 2014 Disneyland 5/10k races had I known the medals were Stitch themed, instead I'm just sad that I missed them. :-/

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  11. Those are some awesome looking medals!! I only learned about getting medals at runs last year... and I became a little obsessed with getting more medals... but I really think I prefer to collect the bibs!

    Awesome medal collection!

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  12. I've received the same medal for the ABB 5K in Houston two years in a row, and their extra medal for running both the 5K and either the half or full marathon is practically the same. A little disappointing, but I don't run these races for the medals. Now Disney? That is such a big race, and so expensive, that I'd be disappointed to get the same medal year after year.

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  13. I would like a medal that's different each year. Especially if it's a race that I run often!

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  14. Ragnar Relay does the same thing!!!!! Sort of. They change their medal design 1x year but I used to run 3-4 different Ragnar relays in the same year and HATED bringing home another one of the same exact medal. Especially when the design is a super boring one, and now I have 4 of the same exact one. Blah.

    Lesson: don't run more than 1 Ragnar in the same calendar year.

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    1. Oh yea that would be annoying. They probably don't thing people will run more than one a year. Shame on them for not knowing their target audience better..lol

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  15. There are some races that are so iconic, that I am glad they don't change the medals too much from year to year. Those ones don't need too and most runners wouldn't want them too. Just having the year changed or logo on it is fine enough.
    I have a marathon I have run 6 times and I love they never change the design, its a beautiful medal and it's been the same for like 30 years.
    But some of the themed races, I totally see why they would want to change them, most of those that enter them, enter to add to their collections so changing it from year to year would likely bring back some of the same crowd just to add a new piece, well maybe that is my guess, I haven't run too many races like that to know for sure :).

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    1. I totally understand keeping the "classics" the same. Kind of like the one for the Boston Marathon!

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  16. I do share your theory! :) I like changing it up at least a little bit each year. Rock N Roll NOLA is another race series I've done each year and I really like how their designs have changed over the years.

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  17. Fun medals! I run the Baltimore running festival almost every year and they change them up slightly each time. Its interesting how they rotate the design of the princess half medals!

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  18. You have a ton of bling!!! I've only done 2 Halfs and I have no idea where the medals are. Doh. They weren't ass cool as the Disney ones though!

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  19. I really really want a Disney medal ! The first Disney race here in France is September and I am away for a wedding that weekend. Boo. I will have to wait until 2017....

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  20. I've run some races back-to-back, but they don't have finisher's medals, go figure! I'm very much on the fence as to whether I'll be doing RnR Virginia Beach this year....the medals are so nice! And one of these days I gotta do the April Fools' Half!

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  21. I would hate to run a repeat race only to get the same medal again, that would not be cool! Fun to see how some of yours have evolved!

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  22. I think it is just amazing you have all these Disney medals to compare too! You would think Disney would change up the PHM medals from year to year, you certainly pay enough for it! Off topic, What is your favorite resort to stay at in Disney?

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    1. For a race weekend, I love staying at the Contemporary. I just sent you an email explaining why!

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  23. Ugh, I would definitely be disappointed to get the exact same medal again. I'm really surprised Disney does that. You'd think such a big company would be able to create a new medal. Oh well, I still love Disney and racing there is definitely on my bucket list!

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  24. I gotta say, I'm not going to miss the SAME medal next year if I skip princess. lol I wish they mixed them up more often than every 5 years.

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  25. I do covet the Disney medal because I haven't done one yet! My favorite medal is the Ragnar medal and my first tri medal. Always fun to collect more bling

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  26. Interesting. I don't run big races ore than once so I had no idea.

    My Florida races are tempting as repeaters but I do live in NY.

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  27. I do wish disney would mix it up more than just every 5 years. however i do appreciate that the 5th anniversary medals are completely different (minus the TInkerbell half one for May which is a bit weird)

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  28. I cannot wait for that Big Sur ceramic medallion! Cannot. Wait. Did I say I can't wait?

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  29. Yeah, I think it's a little lame to not change the medal design at all from year to year, especially when the prices of the races are so high and keep on climbing.

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  30. Shame that those Disney Princess medals are all so alike. It would be nice it they spiced it up and did a different princess every year.

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  31. I don't run a lot of the same races over and over, but with the ones I do, I want a different medal each time. It gets boring otherwise.

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  32. I understand local/smaller races using a similar medal from year to year, but I don't think Disney should. RnR does such a good job with medal design and I feel like Disney should follow suit. They have a ton of characters and stories to pull from and the races are expensive enough to justify getting something special and unique each time.

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  33. I have three identical Disneyland Half medals and it was a huge disappointment the second AND third times. I stopped running it, but was super bummed when it changed a lot last year and was so pretty. I'm hoping it'll be different still this year and not go back to the design I already have. I think your theory is mostly right with the changes being every five years. Although the change for Tink this year is mostly just in color; not a full redesign. I definitely prefer medals changing, especially for longer distance and bigger races (and Disney certainly has the means to design and vary their medals).

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  34. I love that April Fools medal...too bad I'm so far from Atlantic City...plus who doesn't love a medal for a 5k race!! They are few and far between!!!

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