A custom medal is often the only physical memento a participant walks away with, whether it's a five-year-old finishing their first school cross country or an adult crossing the line at a community fun run. Getting the order right, from size and finish to ribbon and, above all, timing, makes the difference between a smooth prizegiving and a stressful scramble the week before the event. This guide covers everything a club, school or event organiser needs to know before placing an order. 

Who Typically Orders Custom Medals 

• Sports clubs: season-end presentations, junior grading awards, most improved and top scorer trophies 
• Schools: sports day, cross country, swimming sports, academic and cultural awards 
• Fun runs and community events: finisher medals for all participants, plus placegetter medals 
• Corporate challenges and charity events: participation medals that double as branded keepsakes 

Choosing a Medal Size and Shape 

Standard medal diameters run from around 38mm (a compact option common for junior sports and school awards) up to 70mm or more for feature events like marathons and major fun runs, where a larger medal reflects the scale of the achievement. Beyond the standard round shape, custom die-struck medals can be produced in a shape tied to the event, such as a running figure, a regional outline, or a club emblem, which adds cost but creates a genuinely memorable keepsake for a flagship annual event. 

Medal Finishes 

• Gold, silver and bronze: the traditional three-tier finish for placegetters, either as plating over base metal or, for budget orders, a painted metallic finish. 
• Antique finishes: an aged, textured look (antique gold, silver or bronze) that gives a more premium, traditional feel and hides small handling marks better than a bright polished finish. 
• Enamel colour fill: soft or hard enamel infills bring club colours and detailed logos to life on the medal face, and are the standard choice when a club crest or event logo needs to be clearly reproduced rather than just engraved in outline. 

Ribbon Colours, Widths and Placement 

Ribbon is more than a way to wear the medal. It's a branding surface in its own right and can be printed with the club or event name along its length. Standard ribbon widths are 22mm and 25mm; wider ribbons suit larger medals proportionally. Colour is typically matched to club colours or event branding, and for multi-category events (for example, different distances in a fun run), colour-coding ribbons by category is a simple way to visually distinguish finishers at a glance. 

Design and Branding Options 

Most suppliers offer two production routes: 

• Stock medals with a custom centre insert: a pre-made medal body with your club or event logo printed on an insert disc at the centre. This is the fastest and most budget-friendly option, well suited to school sports days and season-end presentations. 
• Fully custom die-struck medals: the entire medal shape and detail is custom-tooled to your design, at a higher cost and longer lead time, but it's the right choice for a flagship annual event where a distinctive, on-brand medal is part of the event's identity and return-participant appeal. 

How Many Medals to Order 

This depends on your event format: 

• Placegetter model: order gold, silver and bronze sets per age group or category, plus a small buffer for ties or on-the-day category changes. 
• Participation model (common for fun runs and school events): order for full expected attendance plus a 5–10% buffer for late entries and no-show reallocation. Participation medals are increasingly the default for community fun runs, where finishing is the achievement being recognised. 
• Club season awards: count committee- or coach-nominated award categories plus MVP-style special awards, and confirm the final list before ordering, since these are usually low-volume, named-category orders rather than bulk stock. 

Ordering Timeline for Events 

Custom medals, especially fully die-struck designs, need meaningful production lead time. This is the single biggest planning mistake event organisers make. As a general guide: 

• Stock medals with a custom insert: allow 2–3 weeks from artwork approval 
• Fully custom die-struck medals: allow 4–6 weeks or more, since tooling has to be produced before medals can be struck 
• Always confirm participant numbers before finalising your order, as a mid-event top-up order rarely arrives in time 

For events with a fixed date that can't move, order early and build in buffer time for artwork approval, since revisions to a die-struck design take longer to turn around than a printed insert. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What size medal is standard for a fun run? 

Fun runs commonly use medals in the 50–70mm range, with larger sizes reserved for flagship marathon-distance events. School and junior sports events typically use smaller, 38–45mm medals. 

How far in advance should we order medals for an event? 

For stock medals with a custom insert, 2–3 weeks is usually enough. For fully custom die-struck medals, allow 4–6 weeks or more to account for tooling and artwork approval. 

What's the difference between a stock medal and a custom die-struck medal? 

A stock medal uses a pre-made medal body with your logo added on a printed centre insert, making it faster and cheaper. A die-struck medal is entirely custom-shaped and detailed to your design, which costs more and takes longer but produces a more distinctive result. 

Should every participant get a medal, or just the placegetters? 

This depends on your event's goals. Community fun runs increasingly give every finisher a medal to recognise participation, while competitive club and school events often reserve medals for placegetters and special award categories. 

Plan Your Medal Order With Confidence 

Whether you're ordering a small batch of season-end club awards or several hundred finisher medals for a fun run, our team can help you choose the right size, finish and ribbon, and keep your order on track for your event date. 

Browse custom medals at dynamicgift.co.nz/lapel-pins-medals-coins or call 0800 177 666 for a free quote.