Stop the meaningless medals! Please donate the money at the end of the Race.

[kandui]

Another race, another meaningless medal. That piece of metal they give you in a little plastic packet with your lucky draw numbers is the last thing I think of when I enter a race. They are a waste of my money and totally meaningless. The guy sweating over 60km gets the same medal as the guy doing the 10km fun ride ( equality for all, I get it), handed to them by a disinterested volunteer as they cut your number board off your bike.

What is the point! These things cost money and as far as I am concerned, rather get a representative of the charity the ride may support and hand them a cheque for an amount the medals cost to make. Or give me a button during the oline entry process ("Medal", "Support Charity X" or "Entry discount")

I just want to ride the events because I enjoy them, what the hell do I need a medal for? It's not like I single handedly rescued 10 mountain bikers pinned down by enemy fire, with a Gu and a cable tie!

I got one this morning at Franschhoek and will get another one tomorrow morning. Medals are reserved for Places 1,2 and 3. Why should I get a medal for coming 20th or 210th! Is my achievement being recognised and rewared by the organisers? Hardly!

Tomorrow after the Rollercoaster I will refuse my medal, I don't know why I didn't think of this before! Must have been the Sheep gene which takes over at the Finish.

No more medals for me.

[Just Keep Pedaling]

Only one opinion.

 

Depending on your relative fitness some medals are meaningful just for finishing. If you really don't believe that I will wait for you at the finish line of the Freedom Challange and watch you say "no thanks" to a medal.

[Dicky DQ]

Medal, shmdal. I agree there are prolly some dudes/dudets that that want a medal. why I don't know, I took them in the beginning.........

 

My Epic medals, even my podium placings at nationals and worlds (in another sport) are somewhere in a box.

 

But they are a waste of time and money. If you want a medal, ask for one online.

[Zac.A]

If I have a bad (horrible) ride, then I won't take a medal.

I don't really care either way, It would be good for the environment if they scrapped them, but at least half of the people will complain that they want a medal for their children or some other reason...

 

An option would be good, but not everybody enters online, and what happens then?

Or if somebody says no to a medal online and then they want one at the finish...

 

Those little fabric pieces you get at some races are better, but still.

[johannrissik]

Only one opinion.

 

Depending on your relative fitness some medals are meaningful just for finishing. If you really don't believe that I will wait for you at the finish line of the Freedom Challange and watch you say "no thanks" to a medal.

 

Medal? At the end of the Freedom Challenge? uuhh NO. No medals there. Simply a very meaningful Basotho blanket.

Edited February 4, 2012 by johannrissik

[johannrissik]

Another race, another meaningless medal. That piece of metal they give you in a little plastic packet with your lucky draw numbers is the last thing I think of when I enter a race. They are a waste of my money and totally meaningless. The guy sweating over 60km gets the same medal as the guy doing the 10km fun ride ( equality for all, I get it), handed to them by a disinterested volunteer as they cut your number board off your bike.

What is the point! These things cost money and as far as I am concerned, rather get a representative of the charity the ride may support and hand them a cheque for an amount the medals cost to make. Or give me a button during the oline entry process ("Medal", "Support Charity X" or "Entry discount")

I just want to ride the events because I enjoy them, what the hell do I need a medal for? It's not like I single handedly rescued 10 mountain bikers pinned down by enemy fire, with a Gu and a cable tie!

I got one this morning at Franschhoek and will get another one tomorrow morning. Medals are reserved for Places 1,2 and 3. Why should I get a medal for coming 20th or 210th! Is my achievement being recognised and rewared by the organisers? Hardly!

Tomorrow after the Rollercoaster I will refuse my medal, I don't know why I didn't think of this before! Must have been the Sheep gene which takes over at the Finish.

No more medals for me.

 

Agree 100%.

The World Funride Champs is meant to be a charity fundraiser. Can the medal nonsense, give the money to charity.

[kandui]

"Depending on your relative fitness some medals are meaningful just for finishing"

 

What's fitness got to do with it? Focus on the "meaning" part. Show me one Fun RIde (races on the PPA calendar for instance) where a medal is handed over in a way that has "meaning". Come on, if you need a medal to prove something to yourself, then train and finish top 3 where a medal is perhaps worth something. Are you saying the personal achievement of finishing a race only means something when you get a medal, even as the person in last place? I haven't done a Freedom Challenge, but even the blanket loses it's "meaning" after a while .Perhaps the dog chows it or moths get hold of it, will I therefore never remember the experience?

The mere fact that medals are handed out in their hundreds at every weekend Ride should tell you enough.

[Capricorn]

errm, your opinion on this is pretty strong, but it's just that: an opinion.

But I'm a bit confused: what exacty are you ranting at: the organizers for handing out medals, or the folks that in a way beyond your means of grasping, find value in that little bit of plastic?

 

and for teh record, i'm of the opinion prizes should be earned.

[mtbee]

Lets get Popcorn, seen this post a few times in the past years.

[Mojoman]

I like the medals, shows me what I have achieved! However I like the 'give it to charity comment', but then it must be to a charity I support such as animal charities. I must just add that after slogging almost 7hrs in the 70km Monster last year, I dropped my medal and it broke! The quality of some of the medals is a little iffy!

Edited February 4, 2012 by Mojoman

[DJR]

I have lost interest in medals.....

 

.....until I saw how much it meant to a little guy of 5 or 6 years old at the end of a very tough 13 km Boschendal. I just knew that he suffered a lot more than I did in the 55km and he was so proud to have finished, it made me feel guilty for having become blunted to the little pleasures.

 

If you don't want the medal, just say no thank you. The next person may well treasure it for reasons you cannot even imagine.

[kandui]

There is clearly still a demand for medals, that's why they are still being handed out. This morning just got to me , another plastic pack with a piece of metal and ribbon all rolled up inside. I bet you that's how they are delivered from the supplier. At least the Epic medal was still placed over my neck , there was some sort of personal interaction with a smidgen of recognition thrown in.

If you want something to show what you have achieved, why can't they come up with something more useful than a medal? Maybe it should not be called a medal anymore, but a Finishers Token.

You get timed and your results are there for all to see and for you to refer back to whenever you like.

Guys (including me ) complain about the value for money aspect of races (Day and Stage) with regularity and the Finishers Token is one part of the cost.

It may not be a big part of the cost, but it all adds up.

[kandui]

I have lost interest in medals.....

 

.....until I saw how much it meant to a little guy of 5 or 6 years old at the end of a very tough 13 km Boschendal. I just knew that he suffered a lot more than I did in the 55km and he was so proud to have finished, it made me feel guilty for having become blunted to the little pleasures.

 

If you don't want the medal, just say no thank you. The next person may well treasure it for reasons you cannot even imagine.

 

I hear what you're saying. The medal may have more value to the short route riders, because he might not ride a lot and it makes the achievement a lot more potent for him or her.

But the guys who ride regularly don't need the medal to confirm their achievement. I ride a race because the route is otherwise not open for riding, I am training or I enjoy a particular race's route. The medal is of absolutely no consequence. At the end I am glad I did it , perhaps have a few tales to tell and can check my time against others on the internet. I am satisfied.

[Big H*]

Another race, another meaningless medal. That piece of metal they give you in a little plastic packet with your lucky draw numbers is the last thing I think of when I enter a race. They are a waste of my money and totally meaningless. The guy sweating over 60km gets the same medal as the guy doing the 10km fun ride ( equality for all, I get it), handed to them by a disinterested volunteer as they cut your number board off your bike.

What is the point! These things cost money and as far as I am concerned, rather get a representative of the charity the ride may support and hand them a cheque for an amount the medals cost to make. Or give me a button during the oline entry process ("Medal", "Support Charity X" or "Entry discount")

I just want to ride the events because I enjoy them, what the hell do I need a medal for? It's not like I single handedly rescued 10 mountain bikers pinned down by enemy fire, with a Gu and a cable tie!

I got one this morning at Franschhoek and will get another one tomorrow morning. Medals are reserved for Places 1,2 and 3. Why should I get a medal for coming 20th or 210th! Is my achievement being recognised and rewared by the organisers? Hardly!

Tomorrow after the Rollercoaster I will refuse my medal, I don't know why I didn't think of this before! Must have been the Sheep gene which takes over at the Finish.

No more medals for me.

 

I share your sentiment but will the organisers do just that or will they slip some of the munny into their own pockets.

[Minion]

I had forgotten how much medals can mean to people until someone I know got a medal for completing their first Amashova and first 94.7. She has won gold medals at SA Champs and medals at the German equivalent of provincial champs in another sport. The so-called trinkets she received for those two cycle races hold a similar value in her collection as the 'proper' medals.

 

Just because these medals have become meaningless to you, doesn't mean they won't hold great significance for someone else.

[kandui]

Your friend could have been a novice cyclist at the time and was thrilled at her achievement? The other sport you refer to she would have trained hard to win her Gold medals. I wonder what she would think of her 10th Amashova medal or 94.7? Same value?

 

You who want medals , go out and get them. From now on I will respectfully decline.