Sportives and finisher medals

thejaguar

martyc5674 wrote: »

(Although I've never actually gotten bum cream in a goodie bag )
Marty.

I did once. To be honest it was better and more useful than most of the crap I've gotten.

Lumen

Idleater wrote: »

Each to their own but I certainly wouldn't tell someone not to bother supporting someone else's achievements, even if to them it's normal.

I'm not telling anyone not to bother. I'm just stating my opinion that it's ridiculous.

I would actually like to be clapped for finishing a marathon, as long as I didn't walk it. Maybe a half marathon. But not any kind of "mini-marathon".

I do understand that some people have overcome great personal limitations to achieve these small things. The difficulty is that you can't distinguish those people unless they're clearly labelled or properly wonky, which they rarely are.

I think maybe my problem (other than being a generally miserable crank) is that I don't like mass-participation events. For me the Evil 200 is the pinnacle of righteousness in people challenging themselves on bicycles, and not really because of the physical challenge. It's because it's small, local, personal, unashamedly vague and pointless, and requires self-reliance. And there is probably no bloody clapping.

RayCun

(pencils in Evil 200 on diary, packs hand cream, throat lozenges, and hand-made sign)

There are lots of reasons to applaud though
(Wow, you're really fast)
(I can see you're really pushing yourself)
(I can tell that you don't do this very often, but still, here you are, giving it your best shot)
(I know it hurts but you're almost done, keep it up)

I usually appreciate the shout myself, unless I'm having a very bad day, and all of the above - maybe not the first! - have applied to me at various times, so I'm happy to pass it on.

cdaly_

Plastik wrote: »

What do ye do with the medals afterwards, are they on display at home?

"Beware of the leopard"...

py

Lumen wrote: »

I'm not telling anyone not to bother. I'm just stating my opinion that it's ridiculous.

I would actually like to be clapped for finishing a marathon, as long as I didn't walk it. Maybe a half marathon. But not any kind of "mini-marathon".

I do understand that some people have overcome great personal limitations to achieve these small things. The difficulty is that you can't distinguish those people unless they're clearly labelled or properly wonky, which they rarely are.

I think maybe my problem (other than being a generally miserable crank) is that I don't like mass-participation events. For me the Evil 200 is the pinnacle of righteousness in people challenging themselves on bicycles, and not really because of the physical challenge. It's because it's small, local, personal, unashamedly vague and pointless, and requires self-reliance. And there is probably no bloody clapping.

I'd probably classify the running vs cycling events a little different. I'd put events like Wicklow 200 or Ring of Kerry as the cycling version of doing a marathon whereas I'd probably class the shorter routes on sportives similar to doing a mini marathon. The Evil 200 (and audax events) I'd put in the same class as ultra running where there's a smaller field of super fit individuals where it's about the physical/mental challenge rather than the fanfare of a marathon/sportive. That's just how I'd look at them, other people may be different.

A medal is a nice little memento and if I decide to do longer audax, I'd probably throw the extra few quid in to have a medal for each of the distances (200/300/400 etc)

Plastik

Tesco give you those blue disks - sort of like a medal?

RayCun

py wrote: »

The Evil 200 (and audax events) I'd put in the same class as ultra running where there's a smaller field of super fit individuals where it's about the physical/mental challenge rather than the fanfare of a marathon/sportive.

Getting way off topic, but longer does not equal fitter

There are plenty of overweight ultra runners, I'm sure the same is true of audax cyclists.

Lumen

RayCun wrote: »

Getting way off topic, but longer does not equal fitter

There are plenty of overweight ultra runners, I'm sure the same is true of audax cyclists.

That depends on your definition of fitness.

Audax fitness might be defined as being as fat as possible whilst being able to finish inside the time limit.

RayCun

Lumen wrote: »

That depends on your definition of fitness.

Audax fitness might be defined as being as fat as possible whilst being able to finish inside the time limit.

Feck that then, no medals for them!

koutoubia

To half qoute either myself or RobFowl from a few years back in a similar thread........
'Stuff the medals. Cocaine and Hookers at the end of a Sportive is the way forward'.

eeeee

Don't see the point of medals for non competitive events personally. Would a photo not commemorate the effort better? There are photographers everywhere!

However the more people that shout at me when I'm pursuiting the better. I credit a bit of my medal to people shouting at me whilst I was absolutely dying with half a lap to go last year (actually I died during the whole thing. It's a miracle I'm here at all :pac: ).

NamelessPhil

Now this is a medal. It would serve as rapper's bling, rather in the manner of Flavor Flav. It's pretty heavy but having ridden 1230km to get it I'm happy enough.

The Audax medals are pretty enough particularly the Randonnuer 5000. They're useful for show and tell sessions in school in an emergency.

Don't Chute!

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Now this is a medal. It would serve as rapper's bling, rather in the manner of Flavor Flav. It's pretty heavy but having ridden 1230km to get it I'm happy enough.

The Audax medals are pretty enough particularly the Randonnuer 5000. They're useful for show and tell sessions in school in an emergency.

Ah here, that's just showing off!😉

magicbastarder

jaysus, a medal for ending up back where you started.

thesimpsons

I'd have loved a medal for the first tri I ever did. huge personal achievement for me to get to finish line. loads of events later (for which I have lots of finisher medals) I'd still love to have a finishers one for that first one. All now on display in garage with various finishers certs - when I'm pissed off with training they give me a gee up

I think the supporters clapping in people and calling out their names are great help. Often (actually always) I'm dying at finish line, people are often dressed and leaving by the time I get to finish, but its great to have someone cheer you in.

OleRodrigo

Plug for the CK1000 medal. Yep, the green in the middle matches the ribbon

07Lapierre

My advise is Always take the medal!

I did the Marmotte in 2012. Suffered big time on Alp D'huez and was reduced to tears at one point! When I finished I felt/knew I could do better so I didn't take the medal.

Went back in 2013. Better prepared and felt confident only to be beaten by the extreme heat and abandon with less than 10k to go!

Went back again in 2014.. weather was perfect, my preparation was good and I finally got to finish the event feeling I gave it everything! I queued for almost a half hour but I was not leaving without a medal this time!

P.s. The medal is displayed proudly in the bottom drawer of my wardrobe!

hinault

Given the choice, I prefer a certificate compared to a medal.

eeeee

Weepsie wrote: »

Some of those sports photographers chare extortionate prices

The cost of their equipment, travel, insurance etc. Then add the processing, for longer events they'd be there all day, seems fair enough.
All that said I've never bought a photograph, but of all the things you could get to commemorate a thing if I had to choose I'd pick that.
There are fantastic photographers who give their time and images for free racing, so I guess I'm spoilt. You can't beat a good pain face!

OleRodrigo

Weepsie wrote: »

That's a nice one, shame i chickened out

It is a shame. Hope you're feeling very bad about yourself.

Wishbone Ash

Weepsie wrote: »

Some of those sports photographers chare extortionate prices

In fairness the quality can be excellent and it's nice to get a good pic from something out of the ordinary. I've got a few of me trying my best to smile while tackling the 22% section of the Cote de la Redoute with 200k in the legs during Liege Bastogne Liege.

Beasty

If they don't give me a medal, I'll get my own made - no-one will know, and it will then have a certain scarcity value;)



(did actually do this once for a vets track racing event - I did pay for everyone else's as well!)

imskilguy

I like the medals if the event was challenging. I have a good few though. I love the Paris-Roubaix medals the most