Translucent epoxy fills
The stained-glass look — see-through colored epoxy that lets light pass through the casting. The fastest-growing finish request we see, especially for sunrise and coastal race themes. Adds $0.35 per medal.
IDEA BOOK — UPDATED 2026
Race medal design ideas
The concepts finishers photograph, hang up, and talk about — by trend and by distance.
WHAT'S WORKING NOW
Six design trends worth stealing
Collected from the races we've designed for — mix and match any of them.
Skyline & landmark cutouts
Your city silhouette or course landmark cut clean through the metal. Still the most-photographed medal style a decade after it appeared. Adds $0.25 per medal.
Spinner centers
A rotating center disc — mile marker, mascot, or swim-bike-run icons. Adds $0.50 per medal and is the feature finishers demo for everyone at brunch.
Glow-in-the-dark accents
Charged enamel that glows after dark. A natural fit for twilight 5Ks, night relays, and any race with "moon," "glow," or "midnight" in the name. Adds $0.30 per medal.
Course-map backs
The route, elevation profile, or T1/T2 markers engraved on the reverse. Costs nothing on most of our lines and turns the medal into a souvenir of the exact miles run.
Interlocking series sets
Medals that snap together across a race series or build a scene year over year. The single best design trick for driving repeat registration.
BY DISTANCE
The right idea for your race
Each distance has its own winning move. Tap through for the full idea list, specs, and pricing.
THE SPEC SHEET
What we can make
The options behind every idea on this page — most medals land at 3–3.5 inches, and every size is priced by the longest dimension. Mix freely; anything beyond the standard spec is itemized in your quote.
Sizes
Every size is priced by the medal’s longest dimension — most races land in the 3–3.5 inch sweet spot.
- 1.5" (38.1 mm)
- 2" (50.8 mm)
- 2.25" (57.2 mm)
- 2.5" (63.5 mm)
- 3" (76.2 mm)popular
- 3.5" (88.9 mm)popular
- 4" (101.6 mm)
- 4.5" (114.3 mm)
- 5" (127 mm)
Thickness
Standard is 2.5 mm — already heavier than most stock medals. Each step up adds real weight-in-hand and is itemized in your quote.
- 2.5 mmstandard
- 3.0 mm
- 3.5 mm
- 4.0 mm
Ribbon attachment
The tab that joins ribbon to medal is cast into the die — pick whichever suits the artwork.
- Cast loop tabclassic
- Wide through-slot
- Hidden recessed slot
- Jump ring & hoop
Ribbon types
A stock neck ribbon is included with every medal; sublimation prints your course art and sponsors edge to edge.
- Stock solidincluded
- Stock stripedincluded
- Full-color sublimatedpopular
- Double-sided print
- Custom widths
Enamel & fills
Plating-only relief reads premium on its own — color is optional, never required.
- No enamel (plating only)
- Soft enamelstandard
- Hard enamel (polished flat)
- Glitter enamel
- Glow-in-the-dark
- Translucent epoxy
Surface textures
Texture plays against plating — polished faces over sandblasted recesses is the look that photographs best.
- Polished
- Sandblasted
- Brushed metal
- Matte dye
Build types
If the die can cast it, we can make it — these are the builds we ship every month.
- Classic relief
- 3D sculpted relief
- Shape & skyline cutouts
- Spinner centerspopular
- Bottle-opener backs
- Hinged & multi-plate
- Interlocking series sets
Design questions, answered
What makes a race medal design photogenic?
High contrast and depth. Deep 3D relief, a plating finish that catches light, and one bold focal element photograph far better than many small details. Finishers post the photo — design for it.
How many enamel colors should a medal use?
Two to four reads cleanest and casts sharpest. Each color adds cost, and past four the design usually gets busier, not better. Plating contrast (gold against matte black, dual-plating) often does the work of an extra color for free.
Can we borrow ideas from another race’s medal?
Inspiration yes, copying no. Send photos of medals you love and we’ll tell you which elements — a spinner, a cutout, a ribbon treatment — we can adapt into something that belongs to your race.
What belongs on the back of the medal?
The back is free real estate: course maps, event dates, finisher mottos, sponsor logos, or a blank engraving panel for name-and-time personalization at the expo. Leaving the year off the face keeps leftovers usable next season.
Bring an idea. Or borrow one of these.
Send your favorite concept with your race details and get a 3D rendering within 48 hours.