Before partnering with Badges & Medals, the LA Marathon’s medal process did its job — but only just. It was built around participant appeal and brand engagement, and not much else.
“Before partnering with Badges & Medals, the focus was mainly on participant appeal and brand engagement, with less emphasis on supporting broader organisational goals.”
In other words, the medal wasn’t pulling its weight. It wasn’t connected to the event’s sustainability targets. It wasn’t being used to tell the story of the race. It was just… a medal. That’s a familiar position for a lot of event organisers. The medal gets ordered late, designed quickly, and treated as a deliverable rather than an asset.
Three things tipped the decision:
- Design that doesn’t feel templated — fresh thinking, not the same shapes repeated
- A shared focus on sustainability — materials, sourcing, and production ethics that lined up with LA’s own goals
- Competitive pricing without cutting corners on creativity
“We were drawn to Badges & Medals because of their innovative approach to product design and their shared focus on sustainability.”
For an event the size of the LA Marathon, finding a supplier who could be ambitious creatively and support broader organisational goals isn’t easy. That combination is what closed the deal.
Three things tipped the decision:
- Design that doesn’t feel templated — fresh thinking, not the same shapes repeated
- A shared focus on sustainability — materials, sourcing, and production ethics that lined up with LA’s own goals
- Competitive pricing without cutting corners on creativity
“We were drawn to Badges & Medals because of their innovative approach to product design and their shared focus on sustainability.”
For an event the size of the LA Marathon, finding a supplier who could be ambitious creatively and support broader organisational goals isn’t easy. That combination is what closed the deal.
Here’s something most race organisers don’t expect: every Badges & Medals order includes a set of professional medal marketing assets. Imagery, content, ready-to-post material built for social, email, and event marketing.
For the LA Marathon, those assets became part of the pre-race build-up:
“The marketing assets provided are consistently professional and visually engaging, helping to build excitement among runners. These assets have proven effective in driving online engagement and anticipation leading up to the event.”
This matters more than it sounds. Most events photograph their medals themselves after delivery — and lose weeks of marketing runway in the process. Getting production-ready assets with the order closes that gap completely.
The latest medal is built around three icons of Los Angeles:
- Hollywood — the cultural symbol that says “LA” anywhere in the world
- Route 66 — the historic road that ends in Santa Monica
- Palm trees — the visual shorthand for the city itself
“This latest medal stands out for its strong connection to Los Angeles, incorporating iconic imagery such as Hollywood, Route 66, and palm trees. The design captures the essence of the city, making it both visually distinctive and meaningful to participants.”
This is what meaningful medal design actually looks like. It’s not the event logo stamped onto a circle. Every element on the medal ties back to the city the runners just ran through — which is exactly why it sticks with them.
A good medal does more than mark a finish line. The LA Marathon team puts it like this:
“For runners, receiving the medal represents more than just completing the race, it symbolises their dedication, effort, and personal achievement. It serves as a lasting keepsake that commemorates their journey and connection to the event.”
A marathoner spends months training. The medal has to hold the weight of all that — visually, physically, emotionally. If it doesn’t, it ends up in a drawer. If it does, it ends up on a wall.
The clearest sign a medal is working? It earns attention before anyone’s crossed the finish line. The LA Marathon has seen:
- Stronger engagement across event marketing, especially in the weeks before race day
- Medal-specific social posts that consistently outperform other pre-race content
- Greater overall visibility for the event, with the medal becoming part of the brand
“Medal-related content consistently generates strong interest and interaction, contributing to overall excitement and visibility for the event.”
For organisers asking whether a premium medal is worth the spend, this is the answer. The medal stops being a cost line and starts being a marketing asset that works for months.
For race organisers still treating the medal as an afterthought
“The medal should not be viewed as an afterthought, it is a key part of the runner’s journey. It represents their accomplishment and becomes a tangible reminder of the effort and dedication required to reach their goal. A well-designed medal enhances the overall event experience and leaves a lasting impression.”
For anyone weighing up Badges & Medals as a supplier
“We would strongly recommend Badges & Medals. They combine creativity, quality, and reliability with a collaborative approach, making them a valuable partner for any event organiser.”
