{"id":521,"date":"2026-10-09T00:13:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T16:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bursamerdiven.com\/blog\/?p=521"},"modified":"2026-10-09T00:13:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T16:13:11","slug":"are-there-collectors-of-marathon-medals-41d4-742f79","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bursamerdiven.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/09\/are-there-collectors-of-marathon-medals-41d4-742f79\/","title":{"rendered":"Are there collectors of Marathon Medals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I first started in the marathon medals supply game three years ago, I had a super basic thought: who even collects these flimsy, heavy metal bling that hangs around your neck after 26.2 miles? I mean, sure, I\u2019d hang my own half-marathon finisher on my closet door for a few months, but that was it. Boy, was I wrong. Every week now, I get DMs from runners I\u2019ve never met\u2014from a 5K rookie in Des Moines to an ultra-marathoner in Norway\u2014rambling about their \u201cmedal walls,\u201d \u201cduplicate stashes,\u201d and that one holy grail<\/em> medal they\u2019ve been chasing for years. Let\u2019s break this down, because marathon medal collecting isn\u2019t just a weird runner quirk\u2014it\u2019s a whole community, and we (as suppliers) are right in the middle of it. Marathon Medals<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First off, let\u2019s get one thing straight: this isn\u2019t the same as coin collecting or stamp collecting, and thank God for that. A lot of people think it\u2019s just \u201crunning junkies hoarding metal,\u201d but no\u2014these medals carry stories<\/em>. I\u2019ve had a regular client send me a photo of a 2019 Boston Marathon medal (pre-pandemic, when it still had the city\u2019s skyline on the front, not a \u201ccomeback\u201d design) taped next to a chemo treatment plan they kept in their jacket pocket. Another guy bought 12 of the same 2021 marathon medal\u2014said his three best friends all ran it, and each one needed one for their kid, their mom, their roommate, etc. Medals aren\u2019t just metal; they\u2019re physical proof of something you struggled through. That\u2019s why collectors care so much\u2014way more than a random sports trinket.<\/p>\n

Now, who are<\/em> these medal collectors? I\u2019ve noticed a few distinct groups in my years of supplying, and none of them fit the \u201celite runner\u201d stereotype everyone thinks of. First up: the Finisher Hoarders<\/strong>. These are people who run at least one marathon a year, and their collection is just every medal they\u2019ve ever earned. No duplicates, no fancy chase pieces\u2014just every bling that says \u201cI crossed the finish line\u201d on it. I had a woman last month order 8 medals, all different designs, for her 8 marathons in one year (she calls 2023 her \u201cYear of the Blitz\u201d). She told me she can\u2019t bear to skip one\u2014\u201ceach one marks a day I didn\u2019t want to lace up, but did anyway.\u201d That\u2019s the group that orders bulk, not for resale or trade\u2014just for their own wall.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the Event Groupies<\/strong>. These are people who only collect medals from a specific race\u2014like all<\/em> NYC Marathon medals, or every Comrades Marathon (the big ultra in South Africa) ever made. A guy in Tokyo hits me up every few months to see if I have leftover 2018 Tokyo Marathon medals (the year it had a cherry blossom on the back, his mom ran it and passed away last year). He doesn\u2019t run marathons anymore\u2014he walked his last one with her\u2014but he needs that medal to feel close to her. This group is super<\/em> specific, which means they\u2019ll pay extra for hard-to-find, no-longer-produced medals. That\u2019s a big deal for us suppliers\u2014we keep a small stock of \u201cvintage-like\u201d medals (ones we didn\u2019t sell the first year, or special limited runs) just for these people.<\/p>\n

Next, the Trade\/Resellers<\/strong>\u2014and before you side-eye them, they\u2019re a huge part of the community. These aren\u2019t the guys scalping event tickets (though I\u2019ve had to turn down requests for that, since it feels slimy). Most of them are runners who got a duplicate medal, so they\u2019ll trade it for one they don\u2019t have, or sell it to someone who\u2019s missing it. I had a teen in Florida swap a 2020 virtual marathon medal (the ones everyone got when races got canceled) for a 2019 Chicago Marathon medal that a collector in Denver needed. These resellers don\u2019t hoard for profit; they hoard to connect with other runners. I even host a little monthly Facebook group for our medal clients to trade\u2014no fees, just people helping people. And yes, they order from us too, especially when a new race is launching and they want to grab a few extras to put in the trade pile.<\/p>\n

Wait, there\u2019s also the Sentimental Collectors<\/strong>\u2014the group that surprised me the most. These people don\u2019t even run marathons themselves. A few months ago, a teacher from Ohio ordered 10 marathon medals for her classroom\u2019s \u201cperseverance wall.\u201d She told me her students love hearing stories of runners who overcame injuries, and the medals are a tangible way to show that effort matters, even if you never lace up shoes. Another client ordered 5 medals for a breast cancer fundraiser\u2014each medal goes to a survivor who walks a \u201cvirtual marathon\u201d in their town, and they order duplicates from us because each survivor wants their own, plus an extra to display at the local hospital. That\u2019s when it hit me: marathon medals aren\u2019t just for runners.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about why we<\/em> as suppliers need to care about this, not just make and ship metal. When I first started, I just cranked out standard medals\u2014round, engraved with \u201cMarathon Finisher,\u201d a generic finish line on the front. But then I started getting notes from collectors: \u201cCan you make the 2025 medal have more of the state\u2019s national park on it?\u201d or \u201cI need extra medals for a race where 100 people signed up, but some people\u2019s got dents, so can I get two spares.\u201d So we shifted. Now, we offer limited-edition runs<\/em>\u2014like a medal for a small-town marathon that only makes 500, not 5,000, because those are the ones collectors go crazy for. We also keep a backup stock of every medal we make, because someone will<\/em> reach out six months later needing a duplicate\u2014maybe they lost theirs, maybe a friend\u2019s broke, maybe they just want a second.<\/p>\n

I even had a moment last year that made me realize how deep this collector thing goes. A woman from Canada ordered three of the same 2022 Vancouver Marathon medal. I asked her why\u2014she said she\u2019d run the race with her two sons, who were 12 and 15 at the time. The next year, one had outgrown his medal (wait, no, she explained\u2014he\u2019d dropped out half a mile from the finish with a knee injury, so he didn\u2019t get a medal. She wanted to give him one for his 16th birthday, to show him effort counts even if you don\u2019t cross first, and the third was for her to frame with his race bib. That\u2019s the stuff that makes the late nights designing medals worth it\u2014when you\u2019re not just shipping metal, you\u2019re helping people hold onto moments.<\/p>\n

But wait, are there downsides? Yeah, of course. Some collectors get too<\/em> obsessed. I had a guy email me last month asking if I could \u201cmodify\u201d a 2017 Boston Marathon medal to look like the 2024 version\u2014said he wanted the \u201cnewer, better design\u201d for his collection. I had to tell him no, that\u2019d be unethical (and probably impossible, since each race\u2019s medals are trademarked). Another person tried to order 50 of the same limited-edition medal to resell on eBay for twice the price\u2014we turned that down too, because it\u2019s not about profit for us, it\u2019s about supporting the community. Collecting should be about joy and connection, not a side hustle.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing: when I talk to other race directors, a lot of them still think medals are just a \u201cnice add-on\u201d to a race. But the collector community? That\u2019s a huge reason people come back. If a marathon has a cool, unique medal, runners will travel across the country (or even the world) to get it, just to add to their wall. I\u2019ve had a runner tell me he planned his entire summer around three marathons because<\/em> their medals were the ones he\u2019d been hunting for. That\u2019s not just race marketing\u2014that\u2019s people building something meaningful around a piece of metal we help make.<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re reading this and you\u2019re a medal collector\u2014whether you\u2019ve got a whole wall full, one random one from your first 5K, or you\u2019re just thinking about starting\u2014hit me up. If you\u2019re a race director who\u2019s looking to make medals that runners will actually<\/em> fight over (in a good way), or you need bulk medals for a big race, I\u2019m here. We\u2019re not just a medal supplier\u2014we\u2019re part of the story, too. Whether you need one duplicate medal to replace the one you dropped at the race, or you want 200 limited-edition medals for a new marathon, we can hook you up. No weird hoops, no hidden fees\u2014just people who get why a tiny piece of metal means so much.<\/p>\n

Wait, before I wrap up, let\u2019s debunk one more myth: not all collectors are super serious. I\u2019ve got a coworker who collects marathon medals because<\/em> her niece runs marathons\u2014every time her niece hits a finish line, she sends her a little note and a photo of the medal, and she\u2019s built a collection of 12 so far, each one tied to a story she\u2019s heard. It\u2019s not about having the rarest medal or the biggest collection\u2014it\u2019s about what that medal stands for. That\u2019s the heart of this whole thing, right?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So yeah, marathon medal collectors aren\u2019t a niche\u2014they\u2019re a huge, vibrant community, and we\u2019re honored to work with them every single day. If you\u2019re looking to get your hands on a medal for your collection, or you\u2019re a race organizer who wants to create a medal runners will talk about for years, reach out. Let\u2019s chat about what you need, and maybe even make something that\u2019ll end up on someone\u2019s wall (or in their heart) for a long time.<\/p>\n

Marathon Medals<\/a> References<\/p>\n