PB Medals??

Testosterscone

Not one usually to talk about "the bling" but saw talk of a UK race trying to reward people dedicated to improving themselves in the form of a separate medal for those who achieve a PB.

Personally I think its a step in the right direction.

Djoucer

No. Just no.

The PB is the reward.

Imagine the folks in the 80s looking for medals for PBs. They'd be laughed out of it.

Ridiculous dumbing down of the sport.

Testosterscone

Djoucer wrote: »

No. Just no.

The PB is the reward.

Imagine the folks in the 80s looking for medals for PBs. They'd be laughed out of it.

Ridiculous dumbing down of the sport.

It's a race which already offers finishing medals like the majority of races these days. I think the sport has been well past this point for a while and I am all for any attempts which look to improve standards. We live in a generation of self praise and recognition and I don't think that will change anytime soon so any way races can try to implement change for the better should probably be applauded.

ThisRegard

Testosterscone wrote: »

We live in a generation of self praise and recognition

And there's no need to encourage it further.

Annie get your Run

I wonder how they'd monitor it, how do you show you got a PB? I think if races did this instead of handing out medals for everyone at the end then the medal would mean something, you'd have earned it rather than just getting one for finishing. I understand where Djoucer is coming from but L is right, the world has changed and better this than the current way it's done?

ger664

That would totally defeat the point of a race.

pass the runner in front of you and not let the f**ker behind pass you

jamule

ThisRegard wrote: »

And there's no need to encourage it further.

There's the correct answer, its gone far enough.

Zebra3

The social media attention seekers generation outdoing themselves.

Murph_D

Why is the medal any worse than the T-shirt? Personally I’d rather have an option to pay a lower fee and not have to buy either of them (most of the time), but they are just souvenirs. No one thinks they’ve actually won anything. Whether they think they’ve achieved anything notable is another question, but it’s separate from the medal. The idea of a PB medal feels a little condescending to me.

average_runner

Murph_D wrote: »

Why is the medal any worse than the T-shirt? Personally I’d rather have an option to pay a lower fee and not have to buy either of them (most of the time), but they are just souvenirs. No one thinks they’ve actually won anything. Whether they think they’ve achieved anything notable is another question, but it’s separate from the medal. The idea of a PB medal feels a little condescending to me.

A t-shirt can be used for training and doesn't having a stigma of a medal. A medal is something you win.

Murph_D

average_runner wrote: »

A t-shirt can be used for training and doesn't having a stigma of a medal. A medal is something you win.

And also something that commemorates. Even Olympians get participation medals. There are also religious medals - Miraculous, St. Christopher, etc. - that symbolise, eh, affiliation, I suppose. Why get knickers in twist over just one aspect of what a medal 'means'?

ThebitterLemon

Murph_D wrote: »

And also something that commemorates. Even Olympians get participation medals. There are also religious medals - Miraculous, St. Christopher, etc. - that symbolise, eh, affiliation, I suppose. Why get knickers in twist over just one aspect of what a medal 'means'?

Not into medals at all, I leave them behind the majority of the time. I'll take one of those religious medals if I ever go sub 3 though

Don't mind the t shirts as if I can get one that fits me I always get use out of them but if it's optional at an incremental price I pass.

TbL

Chivito550

Murph_D wrote: »

And also something that commemorates. Even Olympians get participation medals. There are also religious medals - Miraculous, St. Christopher, etc. - that symbolise, eh, affiliation, I suppose. Why get knickers in twist over just one aspect of what a medal 'means'?

I got a participation medal from the Olympics too. All media and volunteers did. Nuts. Lovely medal though.

Chartsengrafs

Murph_D wrote: »

Why get knickers in twist over just one aspect of what a medal 'means'?

The thing is, in athletics, medals only really have two main ‘meanings’ or typical uses. Medals are traditionally given out either for participation, which people can agree or disagree with, or for achieving a certain standard relative to other participants, ie a podium place. Whatever one thinks about participation medals, a pb medal could be seen to cheapen the latter.

average_runner

Murph_D wrote: »

And also something that commemorates. Even Olympians get participation medals. There are also religious medals - Miraculous, St. Christopher, etc. - that symbolise, eh, affiliation, I suppose. Why get knickers in twist over just one aspect of what a medal 'means'?

You ask me what the difference was and I gave my opinion.

Personally all my participating medals are in a bin or attic including new York marathon. They don't mean anything to me but I use the top loads.

ThePiedPiper

Frankfurt Marathon do a PB baseball cap.. I've never worn it, but the mrs does, and every time I see it, I feel a little bit of pride at what I achieved that day 3 years ago. Dumbing down or whatever, you don't have to accept it, but its a nice momento if you care about it.

All of you who supposedly don't care about medals, why accept them? And why keep them? You must think you're going to appreciate it at some point in your life maybe? Otherwise it would actually be thrown in the bin along with the random rubbish, drinks bottles and bananas given out at the end of a race.

Itziger

ThePiedPiper wrote: »

Frankfurt Marathon do a PB baseball cap.. I've never worn it, but the mrs does, and every time I see it, I feel a little bit of pride at what I achieved that day 3 years ago. Dumbing down or whatever, you don't have to accept it, but its a nice momento if you care about it.

All of you who supposedly don't care about medals, why accept them? And why keep them? You must think you're going to appreciate it at some point in your life maybe? Otherwise it would actually be thrown in the bin along with the random rubbish, drinks bottles and bananas given out at the end of a race.

For the Grandkids, innit?

Personally, I'd like to see 'em getting rid of medals but probably not going to happen at this stage.

As for Frankfurt, don't get me started. "This is your day" Eh, no it wasn't. Unless they were referring to cramping just after halfway and bleeding time in the last 20 k.

T shirts I use everyday practically so I need a good few of them. The horrible scratchy types should be burned though.

hot buttered scones

ThebitterLemon wrote:

Not into medals at all, I leave them behind the majority of the time. I'll take one of those religious medals if I ever go sub 3 though

Put one in each shoe beforehand. Might bring you luck!

As for medals for PBs - sounds like a marketing gimmick to me.
I've no problem with medals for participation, but I don't expect them and I don't run for them. In saying that, I do like them as souvenirs for things like marathons. Each to there own I suppose. I do like a nice t shirt though. The Nike ones you get in the Dungarvan 10 are the best training tops I have!

IvoryTower

Nike training tops at a race? now we're heading in the right direction!

Supercell

I'm looking forward to getting a Waterford hat

Murph_D

Supercell wrote: »

I'm looking forward to getting a Waterford hat

Worth the price of entry alone. Still my favorite race souvenir.

RuMan

Liked the socks Trim gave at one race.

HigginsJ

average_runner wrote: »

A t-shirt can be used for training and doesn't having a stigma of a medal. A medal is something you win.

I have got great wear in training out of all my race t-shirts, saves a few bob.

Supercell

On the other hand, my two girls appreciate a medal or two :pac:

ThisRegard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pflSPiNcO74

average_runner

A few years I did the Dun Laoighre 10k and they were giving medals out at the end. The guy gave me one but I asked for another as my two kids were there and I said I give it to them, to be a good Dad!!!

So got back to my kids who were 3 and 5 at the time and they were confused why I had medals considering I didn't win, they handed the medals back to me:(