What to Do With All of Those Race Medals?

With every new race, runners add more race medals to their collection. If I hadn’t injured my foot in the beginning of the year, or injured my knee shortly afterward, I would have added three more medals to my collection. Next week, with the Rock and Roll San Diego half marathon, I would have added four medals to my collection. But, this post is not about dwelling on raced I’ve missed. It is about celebrating races I’ve completed and deciding how to store my growing collection of marathon and half marathon medals. Currently, I keep them in a little plastic shoe box in the downstairs closet. This simply, is no longer acceptable.

This is how I currently store my race medals. They are just hidden away in this plastic shoe box.

I went through my plastic shoe box filled with medals and I tried to organize it. For now, this will be as good as it gets.

I already shared with you how I store all of my race bibs: https://christinaruns.wordpress.com/2010/01/25/running-scrapbook/. I keep them in an “All the Places You Will Run” themed scrapbook along with picture, D-Tags, wristbands, and other race related trinkets I collect. Now, I need to find a way to display my medals with pride.

After looking at various marathon medal display cases and racks, I decided that I want to store them in a large shadow box, with the ribbons neatly folded behind the medals. I probably will not get around to this project soon, but I am looking forward to the end result. Below, I posted some examples of what I have in mind for my medals.

This is Lonnie J. Harris, a legacy runner for the LA Marathon. This is how he displays all of his LA Marathon medals. I love it!

This is what I will try to accomplish with all of my medals. I know a display like this will be a great addition to my home office.

How do you store your medals, bibs, and other race memorabilia?

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10 responses to “What to Do With All of Those Race Medals?”

Katie @ Health for the Whole Self | May 29, 2010 at 2:22 pm | Reply

At this point I only have one medal, although I have been wondering what to do with it. Someday I hope to have enough to make a shadow box like that!
- christinaruns | May 31, 2010 at 8:46 am | Reply
  
  I remember a time when I had just one medal too! They add up before you know it!
Sarah | May 30, 2010 at 7:29 pm | Reply

I love that idea! I don’t have enough medals to do it yet (only one), but perhaps in a couple years…

Have fun with that project!
- christinaruns | May 31, 2010 at 8:47 am | Reply
  
  Don’t worry, your medal collection will quickly grow. There are also several other ways to display your medals, including like this: http://www.gurlrun.com/gurlRUN/medalRACKS.html
Amber | May 31, 2010 at 1:40 pm | Reply

You can donate your medals for a good cause, visit http://www.medals4mettle.org

I hardly ever look at my medals and they just hang on a door knob so I will probably be donating a majority of them soon.
- christinaruns | June 1, 2010 at 9:42 am | Reply
  
  Thanks for sharing that! I looked up the organization and it is pretty neat.
Pingback: Marathon Medal Display Case « Christina Runs
herrsolera | May 18, 2011 at 3:02 pm | Reply

I bought two of these: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/hooks/wallMounted?productId=10005132&N=69019 and I’ve hung about 22 medals on them so far. They don’t look too bad and they accentuate the most recent ones you’ve done. I’m planning on buying a few more hooks to have for when I need them.
christinaruns | June 14, 2011 at 9:38 am | Reply

I got mine from here and was very pleased with the variety of dispalys to choose from and you can also customize it to your liking! It’s great to be able to see all the medals at once and not overlapping behind each other. 🙂
http://www.alliedmedaldisplays.com/
- christinaruns | June 14, 2011 at 10:05 am | Reply
  
  I like those ones! They are nice, too.