The great medal conundrum... Do we want to give medals? Do we want a new medal design? Do you want medals? How much are these going to cost?
Runners and medals, we go together like a hand and a glove, everyone can remember their first medal and that feeling that you've achieved something!
Then follows the hunt for more, you want enough medals to fill that medal rack, banister, curtain pole or coat hook... But then what? I think it's safe to conclude that as your quest for a PB or athletic performance increases, so your need to earn that medal decreases.
So do we offer medals again this year and can we offer you a reasonably priced race if we do? I think for 2022 the answer is yes. The CapTEN attracts both seasoned club runners and those new to running, therefore we can't afford to not give that latter category something to mark their achievement.
A medal costs US approximately £5 after dies have been made and shipping costs have been paid for, if we have a separate die made for each race then this cost doubles, as do medals costs as we are then ordering HALF the amount (medals costs less the more you order). This gives you some insight into race entry pricing and makes you wonder why some races cost 2, 3 or 4 times as much to enter as The CapTEN or The Bosun?
In this day and age (with so many races on the calendar) you have to ask yourself, 'who do I want to support' and 'is this race value for money'?
We hope we can offer something great to the running community in what is effectively our back garden and over terrain we've been exploring since we were children.
So after a few hours with Photoshop we bring you the new medal design for 2022:
We hope you like it! Time to get them ordered...
(picture copyright Adam Slater 2021)