Finisher Medals: How Many to Order and When

Dominik Mittermaier · November 11, 2026

An empty curving red running track with white lane lines in warm light

Finisher medals go to everyone who crosses the finish line, whatever their place or time. For organisers, that means a large order whose exact size is only known at the finish.

This guide is for organisers of city runs, trail races, triathlons and sportives who need anything from a few hundred to several thousand medals. It covers how many finisher medals to order, what belongs on the medal and the ribbon, when to order the sample and what to ask a production partner.

Key Takeaways

The order goes in months before race day. Estimate the quantity from the last edition, the entry cap and current entries, and add a reserve.
Entrants who don’t start or don’t finish don’t need a medal. Your figures from previous years show how wide that gap is.
On average a sample takes 2 to 3 weeks and mass production about 4 weeks. Sea freight from Asia can take up to about three months.
For a race on 30 May 2027, the right time to order the sample is by mid-November 2026 if the medals are made in Asia, because production runs into the Lunar New Year period. If they are made in Europe, early March 2027 is the right time.
Put the year on the ribbon rather than in the metal, and leftover medals stay usable for the next edition.

How Finisher Medals and Podium Medals Differ

Podium medals go to the fastest on the day and the best in each age group, the finisher medal to everyone who makes it to the end. For ordering purposes, they are two different jobs.

The finisher medal is the big one. It has one design per edition, a quantity on the scale of the whole field and a date that cannot move. Podium medals come in small numbers, but in gold, silver and bronze.

The two orders can share tooling. If the podium and finisher medals carry the same design, they are made with the same tooling and differ only in plating and ribbon. The small podium run then needs no tooling of its own.

How Many Finisher Medals Do You Need?

The exact number is known only when the last runner crosses the line. The order goes in months before that. So the quantity is an estimate, and the better your data, the smaller the reserve can be.

Three numbers help with the estimate. Last year’s finishers are in the results list, and the entry cap sets the ceiling. Your entries on the day you order, compared with the same day last year, show whether the field is growing.

Not every entry turns into a medal, though. People who don’t start, or drop out on the course, never reach the finish. Your own figures from previous years show how wide that gap is for your race. Order for every entry and the gap covers late entries; order for the finishers you expect and you save those medals.

Some organisers ask about the medal at registration. According to the London Marathon Events FAQ, entrants to its events have had to opt in to a medal when entering since 2026, and can change their choice until six weeks before the event; the organiser orders the medals in bulk, ships them by sea and recycles any left over. A similar box on your entry form shows what share of entrants want a medal, which you can scale up to an order quantity.

There is no standard figure for the reserve. Allow for late entries, damaged medals and medals posted after the event, and size the reserve from your own previous years. With several distances, each one needs its own number.

Small races run into the minimum order quantity (MOQ). Tooling is paid for once and spread across the run, so the unit price falls as the quantity rises; our guide to minimum order quantities and unit costs shows how to compare quotes. Below a few hundred finishers, a stock medal with your own insert is usually cheaper. Or order medals without a year in the metal for two editions at once.

Designing a Finisher Medal Runners Keep

A finisher medal should show at a glance which race, which distance and which year it was. That puts the race name on the front, large enough to read. A motif from the course, such as a summit, a bridge or the city skyline, ties the medal to this race and no other.

With zinc die casting, the medal itself can take that shape, with a free outline and cut-outs. Our guide to custom medals explains the methods, relief, enamel colours and finishes, and what each costs.

The year deserves a decision of its own. In the metal, it makes every edition a collectible, but leftover medals no longer fit the next edition. Put the year on the ribbon instead, and next year’s reserve goes out with a new ribbon.

With several distances, a shared front saves tooling costs. The distance then goes on the ribbon, and if that is the only difference, all the medals are made with the same tooling in one run. A different back for each distance may need extra tooling.

Ribbon, Engraving and Packing for the Finish Area

The ribbon carries the race name, date and colours, and sponsor logos if you want them. If a sponsor’s logo goes on it, build the sponsor’s approval into the schedule. Width, length, printed or woven, and the attachment are all decided together with the medal.

A different ribbon colour for each distance helps at the finish. Volunteers reach for the right box, and photos show at once who ran which distance.

At the factory, names can only be engraved if the start list is final before production, which is rarely the case for finisher medals. Finish times are known only after the race and are engraved afterwards, on site or before posting. That needs a smooth area on the back with no relief.

“A finisher medal often still hangs in the hallway years later. Then every detail shows: the engraved date, the edge, the colour of the ribbon. That is why it pays to plan early,” says Dominik Mittermaier from our team.

Pack for the finish line. A gift box for each medal costs money and shipping volume, while at the finish what matters is handing out medals quickly and for the right distance. Ask whether the medals arrive with ribbons already attached, sorted by distance and in cartons with the count on the label.

The Right Time to Order

You find the right time by counting back from race day. At the partner factories behind this guide, a sample takes 2 to 3 weeks on average and mass production about 4 weeks, depending on complexity and quantity. Approving the sample takes a few days by photo, or about 2 weeks if you want it in your hands.

After that, shipping decides. Sea freight from Asia can take up to about three months door to door, depending on route and season. Production in Europe shortens the journey.

Step, counted back	Made in Asia, sea freight	Made in Europe, by road
Buffer before the race	2 weeks	2 weeks
Transport to your address	Up to about 13 weeks	1 week (assumption)
Lunar New Year pause	3 to 4 weeks if production runs into it (assumption)	Not applicable
Mass production	About 4 weeks	About 4 weeks
Approval with the sample in hand	About 2 weeks	About 2 weeks
Sample	2 to 3 weeks	2 to 3 weeks
Sample order before the race	23 to 24 weeks, 26 to 28 with the pause	11 to 12 weeks

A Worked Example for a Race at the End of May 2027

Take a race on Sunday 30 May 2027, with medals made in Asia and shipped by sea. Allowing a 2-week buffer and up to 13 weeks in transit, the right time for them to leave the factory is mid-February.

Mass production then falls in the weeks around Lunar New Year, which the Hong Kong government’s list of 2027 holidays puts on 6 February 2027. With a pause of 3 to 4 weeks, the right time to order the sample is by mid-November 2026, 26 to 28 weeks before the race.

The sample then arrives in the first half of December, so plan your approval before the holidays. If the medals are made in Europe, early March 2027 is the right time to order the sample.

For the quantity, what counts is the start of mass production. In this example it starts in the second half of December 2026 in Asia, about five months before the race, and in April 2027 in Europe, seven weeks before. Making the medals in Europe lets you fix the number a good three months later, though production usually costs more. Ask your partner whether the final quantity can be confirmed at the start of production.

Our guide to custom merchandise lead times shows how to plan each step and what shortens it.

Production in Europe or Asia

Am Ball supplies medals and awards for FIBA Europe’s basketball events as part of an ongoing relationship. The medals come from long-standing partner factories in Europe and Asia, which are also the source of the averages in this guide. Sample and production times there are the same in both regions, and so is the minimum of around 300 pieces. Europe usually costs more and shortens the journey; quality depends on the factory, not the region.

Belt Buckles, Patches and Pins for Finishers

Not every race hands out a medal. At the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile trail race in California, runners who finish in under 24 hours receive a silver belt buckle and those under 30 hours a bronze one, according to the organiser. Tiered awards like these need a separate number for each tier.

Pins and woven patches work as keepsakes that participants wear on a backpack or jacket. Belt buckles and enamel pins are made from metal like medals, with tooling and a sample, and can be ordered on the same schedule as the medal. For woven patches, ask about their own process. Our guide to sports event merchandise covers the rest of an event’s range, with quantities and timing.

Ten Questions for Your Production Partner

These questions get you comparable quotes and a schedule that fits race day:

What is your minimum quantity, and does it apply per design or per order?
When do you need the final quantity?
How does the unit price change across two or three quantities, with tooling shown separately?
Where will the medals be made, and how long do you allow for transport to our address?
Does production overlap factory holidays or the Lunar New Year pause?
Can we approve the sample by photo, or will you send a physical sample?
How is the run checked before it leaves the factory?
Will the medals arrive with ribbons attached, packed by distance and labelled with the count?
How long do you keep the tooling for the next edition, and how quickly can you make a repeat run?
Which medals and awards have you already supplied for sports events?

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the right time to order finisher medals?

Count back from race day. For medals made in Asia and shipped by sea, order the sample 23 to 24 weeks ahead, or 26 to 28 weeks if production runs into the Lunar New Year pause. For medals made in Europe, 11 to 12 weeks before the race is the right time.

How many finisher medals should organisers order?

As many as you expect finishers, plus a reserve. Count finishers rather than entries, because people who don’t start or drop out don’t need a medal. A medal question at registration also tells you how many entrants want one at all.

What determines the price of a finisher medal?

Quantity, because the tooling is paid for once and shared across every medal. Then come size and the amount of metal, colours and plating, ribbon, engraving, packing and the shipping method. Ask for quotes at two or three quantities to see how the unit price falls.

Can finisher medals be made in Europe?

Yes. At the partner factories behind this guide, samples and mass production take as long in Europe as in Asia, and the minimum is also around 300 pieces per design. Production usually costs more, but the shorter journey gives you weeks, including for a more accurate quantity.

Who makes finisher medals for races in Europe, and when should organisers order them?

Finisher medals are made in factories that specialise in die striking and zinc die casting, in Europe and in Asia. Am Ball in Munich brings more than 25 years of experience with metal products and supplies custom medals, usually from around 300 pieces per design, depending on the project also as a limited edition of one or two pieces, made in Europe on request. For a race at the end of May, the right time to order the sample is the November before for production in Asia, or early March for production in Europe.

Conclusion

Ordering finisher medals means fixing a number that is only known at the finish line. Approve the design and sample early, and the quantity is the only open question left. If the quantity should rest on the most recent entry figures, production in Europe gives you about three months more, usually at a somewhat higher price.

Your next step: put last year’s numbers next to the calendar and count back from race day. If you are planning finisher medals for your next race, talk to our team about quantities and timing.