If you enter a running event, you often get a race kit which includes your race bib and a shirt. Picking up the kit is an exciting event which heralds the upcoming event itself, steeped in nervous anticipation. And then you run the race. And you get your medal to recognise your achievement. But do you care about all the physical things you acquire before and after your race?
There are some interesting threads on the internet regarding medals and what they mean (if anything) to people and what people do with them. Some runners display them proudly while others throw them in a drawer and wonder what the heck to do with them.
Opinions range from almost religious views about the spiritual meaning of the well-earned medal to utter disdain for the waste of material those hunks of kitschy metal represent.
While I do have a lot of “stuff,” what I’ve kept has to speak to me, and have meaning beyond the item itself. I have a lot of family-related things, like ID tags from fire chief conventions with my grandfather’s name on them. These things are basically worthless from a monetary point of view, but to me they are items that embody the person that owned them, and provide a sense of continuity in life, from one generation to another. They are physical representations of people and their accomplishments.
I have felt the same way about my running medals. They are on display and to me they are tangible symbols of me having overcome the physical and mental challenges of long-distance running.
I respect those pieces of metal and what they represent to me; at a basic level they represent the respect I have found in myself through running.
While my medals are displayed, they are not visible to others. They are there for me alone. They aren’t meant for showing others what I have accomplished. But that’s just me. If you want to show your medals off, go for it – you deserve to be recognized!
There is a recent phenomenon where you can opt not to get a medal and instead have the money donated to charity when you register for a race. This is such a great idea, especially for those that don’t care about the medals. Run your race and benefit others! I really appreciate those people that decide to put the cost of the medal towards a charity, but I will still always take the medal.
Having said all this, I recently came across an organisation that deserves all the medals it can get: Medals for Mettle (https://www.medals4mettle.org/). They state that Medals for Mettle …”receives medals donated by endurance athletes, and then awards them to encourage courageous children and adults fighting serious illnesses like cancer. The medal symbolizes the donor’s acknowledgment of the mettle (courage, bravery, resilience, spirit) exhibited by the recipient.”
While I go through a lot to complete a race, it’s nothing compared to what some other people go through, and any courage I show myself through racing pales when compared to the courage of kids and adults going through serious medical challenges.
Like all good runners we need to constantly re-evaluate and adapt.
When I look at my medals now, I am still super proud of myself. Maybe, though, there is something even better that I can do with them. Maybe the feeling I have of great achievement in completing a race can be transferred to someone going through a much harder time.
I’ll still take the medal. Maybe, though, the feeling of encouragement I get from completing a race is just the beginning of that feeling’s journey!