Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Should finisher's medals be ditched to help the environment?

Just happened across this on facebook.... https://www.facebook.com/iconiccycling/photos/a.1515380715383296/2160670...

Basically the company that organises the Bike Oxford Bath and Chester sportives are not giving out medals any more to cut waste and instead offering a free photo. Seems like a pretty good idea to me but appears quite a few of the poential entrants aren't happy! Are these people being precious or should you expect the medal for the price of some of these sportive type events? Was going to enter Bike Oxford and just wanted some opinions before offering my support to them by entering! I do believe they're doing it with the right intentions, trust people here to offer a better counter-argument than some of the knuckle-draggers commenting on their fb page if there is one  1 

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

Add new comment

47 comments

Avatar
huntswheelers | 5 years ago
0 likes

I've only done one event which had a medal.... It was only £10 for the sportive too and I didn't do it for the medal btw....

I try and avoid paying £40 for the signposted ride with a medal ones, personally I have no interest in the "tin" badges just riding areas away from my locallity and local CC ones suit me 

But.... you pay your money and take your choice..... my number and strava is good enough for me....

Avatar
JackBuxton | 5 years ago
0 likes
  1. Make them optional
  2. Change it to a badge (no ribbon - metal is recyclable)
  3. Make the whole badge out of biodegradable/recyclable material
  4. Make those that wish to get a medal pay a surcharge that goes to paying individuals to clean up after the sportives/donate the money to an environmentally beneficial charity
  5. Save debates like these for helmets and powermeters

 

Fin

Avatar
LastBoyScout | 5 years ago
0 likes

How about a compromise - keep the medal, ditch the ribbon. The metal bit is, at least, recycleable.

One race I've done a couple of times gave out slate coasters to the finishers, which are quite nice, but probably not sustainable long term.

I've had a couple of half-decently fitting technical t-shirts from another event - 1 went to a charity shop because of the colour, the other still gets worn at home.

I'd say definitely scrap cheap cotton t-shirts, but I've found the couple of them I've acquired very comfortable to sleep in when I go camping.

I still think it's nice to have some sort of momento - I've kept all my event numbers in a drawer, but some of those are pretty stained from mud and rain on the day.

Avatar
acetracker | 5 years ago
0 likes

Having received numerous medals for running and cycling events, I would scrap them.

I now have more than I know what to do with and have recently put a load into metal recycling.

When do you look at them afterwards? - almost never

Can you use them for anything? - No

Best thing I've had after an event is a commerative mug.

You used it to go and get your Cuppa after the vent and then you take it home.

I still use one of mine when I'm having a brew and cleaning the bike. I'd use it in favour of using one of the "house" ones. It gets used and wouldn't really matter if it got broken.

Avatar
CygnusX1 | 5 years ago
1 like

Having seen a recent (Stacey Dooley?) documentary on the environmental impact of the fashion industry - cotton in particular isn't exactly environmentally friendly as a "all natural" product might lead you to believe - loads of chemicals/energy involved. 

So replacing a gong with a cr@ppy T-shirt isn't the answer.

Sew on patches isn't so bad- maybe we could sew them onto a leather or denim vest just below the "5%" or under the Hells Angels CC rockers!

Avatar
Deeferdonk | 5 years ago
0 likes

I don't do many cycling events but i have a couple of sew on patches from things i have done and these get sewn onto my carradice bag. Would rather have one of these or a casual tee shirt of the event that would get worn.

I do a few running events a year and usually end up with a cr@ppy finishers medal and an ill fitting technical tee. These go in the bin/charity bin else i'd have hundreds by now.

Avatar
mattsccm | 5 years ago
0 likes

Good idea. If that is needed to get you on the bike grow up.

Agreed its a silly little thing but if every event did it it would have a small impact. Each little step is important. To say otherwise is like saying that its ok for one person to contribute to global warming as long as others don't.

Avatar
janusz0 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Isn't a paper certificate and your .gpx record enough?

Avatar
don simon fbpe replied to janusz0 | 5 years ago
1 like

janusz0 wrote:

Isn't a paper certificate and your .gpx record enough?

Tattoo of the route, like the Nürburgring sticker I've got on the back of the Jag.

Avatar
Liam Cahill | 5 years ago
3 likes

What ever happened to tea towels? We had them all the way through Primary school with pictures of our faces (that we drew) on. Still got them, still disappointed by my penmanship. 

Avatar
don simon fbpe | 5 years ago
2 likes

Why not a tattoo? They seem pretty popular with IronMan fans and competitors, they'd sort out the (wo)men from the boys/girls in the memento collecting stakes and no wastage. Win/win if you ask me.

Avatar
Kapelmuur | 5 years ago
0 likes

I had dozens of medals from distance running events I did for about 20 years from the early 1980s, they have all been binned except my London Marathon medal and a nice ceramic bell I got for finishing in the top 100 (out of 3,500 starters) in a 10k in Stoke on Trent.

The medals seemed nice when I started competing but as they piled up I came to the realisation that a gong just for finishing was pointless.

The medals from my handful of cycling sportive have gone in the first bin I found after the finish. I keep my number as a souvenir though.

Avatar
peted76 | 5 years ago
3 likes

It would be a fine idea for people to collect 'stamps' within their own personal cycling passport. Like a brevet card or sticker album, but one which never gets 'filled' up unless you run out of pages. 

 

Avatar
Saintlymark | 5 years ago
1 like

It’s an interesting concept, but I’d be interested to really know the environmental impact of finishers medals. I don’t think there is any harm in doing this, but is a medal any more impactful than the photograph? Some tangible reward for finishing is an important part of the sportive process for some (many?) 

Avatar
EddyBerckx | 5 years ago
2 likes

Personally I couldn't care less about getting an utterly meaningless medal...would be different if it was for getting podium at a race or for some epic distance or for something out of the ordinary.

 

Events like London to Brighton where lots of mostly non (lycra clad) cyclists ride for them a big distance is different - it means something...for a club rider or someone who rides regularly do you really need a medal once you've done your first 60/100 etc? Is it an achievement to ride at 15mph for a few hours? For those where it is then yeah, I get it'd be nice to have a medal but my point it I dont think it is an achievement for many people, it's just about collecting something which'll end up in a  box in the shed.

 

Hasn't stopped me telling my little one I've won ride london twice, so despite the above I do find some value in them  10

 

One final thing - there are people in my club who go crazy for a medal - they literally will not go to some events unless they are sure they'll get one...which I find pathetic but I'm sure other people have this attitude too and it may impact the events organisers...

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to EddyBerckx | 5 years ago
2 likes

StoopidUserName wrote:

One final thing - there are people in my club who go crazy for a medal - they literally will not go to some events unless they are sure they'll get one...which I find pathetic but I'm sure other people have this attitude too and it may impact the events organisers...

 

I suppose it's like collecting visa stamps in your passport, or something.  Or like someone I knew who used to collect the ticket stubs of every gig he ever went to.

 

  Probably, unless you are completely immune to such OCD-tendencies, once you start down that route it doesn't feel 'official' unless you have that defined acknowledgement that you've done it.  I remember thinking like that about Youth Hostel stamps when I was (much) younger.

 

I don't believe it makes a signifiant difference to 'the environment' though, compared to all the other impacts of a big organised event.  But organizers are free to decide it's not worth the bother and/or it's a bit silly.

Avatar
EddyBerckx replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 5 years ago
1 like
FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

StoopidUserName wrote:

One final thing - there are people in my club who go crazy for a medal - they literally will not go to some events unless they are sure they'll get one...which I find pathetic but I'm sure other people have this attitude too and it may impact the events organisers...

 

I suppose it's like collecting visa stamps in your passport, or something.  Or like someone I knew who used to collect the ticket stubs of every gig he ever went to.

 

  Probably, unless you are completely immune to such OCD-tendencies, once you start down that route it doesn't feel 'official' unless you have that defined acknowledgement that you've done it.  I remember thinking like that about Youth Hostel stamps when I was (much) younger.

 

I don't believe it makes a signifiant difference to 'the environment' though, compared to all the other impacts of a big organised event.  But organizers are free to decide it's not worth the bother and/or it's a bit silly.

Yep fair points, they can be a useful reminder of events you've done

Avatar
Organon replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 5 years ago
2 likes

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

StoopidUserName wrote:

One final thing - there are people in my club who go crazy for a medal - they literally will not go to some events unless they are sure they'll get one...which I find pathetic but I'm sure other people have this attitude too and it may impact the events organisers...

I suppose it's like collecting visa stamps in your passport, or something.  Or like someone I knew who used to collect the ticket stubs of every gig he ever went to.

Isn't a rider number a much better momento? Easier to store and doesn't suggest you have 'won' something. I've got a file of these, but not kept all the medals.

Avatar
Awavey replied to EddyBerckx | 5 years ago
2 likes
StoopidUserName wrote:

...for a club rider or someone who rides regularly do you really need a medal once you've done your first 60/100 etc? Is it an achievement to ride at 15mph for a few

But if you are a club rider regularly riding those distances,and see it as no achievement riding at those speeds for extended periods,why would you pay £30-40 to ride those sportives anyway ? Go do an audax or a club ride instead

It's not OCD for me at least,even if apparently keeping gig tickets as mementos makes it sound like you are some crazy hoarder,heck I've still got my swimming certificates from primary school and a medal from a 5 mile fun run I did when I was barely in my teens,still got my cycling proficiency certificate too :p

But if organisers are charging more than £25 quid for a sportive, and it's a distance I don't regularly ride, I want a medal for it, else i might just as well copy the route and do it by myself later at no cost.

Avatar
EddyBerckx replied to Awavey | 5 years ago
0 likes
Awavey wrote:
StoopidUserName wrote:

...for a club rider or someone who rides regularly do you really need a medal once you've done your first 60/100 etc? Is it an achievement to ride at 15mph for a few

But if you are a club rider regularly riding those distances,and see it as no achievement riding at those speeds for extended periods,why would you pay £30-40 to ride those sportives anyway ? Go do an audax or a club ride instead

It's not OCD for me at least,even if apparently keeping gig tickets as mementos makes it sound like you are some crazy hoarder,heck I've still got my swimming certificates from primary school and a medal from a 5 mile fun run I did when I was barely in my teens,still got my cycling proficiency certificate too :p

But if organisers are charging more than £25 quid for a sportive, and it's a distance I don't regularly ride, I want a medal for it, else i might just as well copy the route and do it by myself later at no cost.

Yeah another good counterpoint. Maybe I was being too harsh

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to Awavey | 5 years ago
0 likes

Awavey wrote:

I've still got my swimming certificates from primary school and a medal from a 5 mile fun run I did when I was barely in my teens

 

By random chance I have the medal I got for being in the second-placed team in a school football championship many decades ago.  (Number of teams participating in the contest?  Two).

 

Awavey wrote:

,still got my cycling proficiency certificate too :p

Best hang on to that, it might yet be made compulsory for road cycling.

 

 

Avatar
tommyraleigh | 5 years ago
0 likes

Wow thanks for responses everyone, now I just don't know! Like I said like to think they've got best of intentions, but end of the day medals don't actually matter that much to me and agree with andyp that a bit of cake and a drink at the end is just fine. Though I appreciate others like the memento. Maybe it should be a tick box, at the end you got a marqee to collect medals from and everyone else moves along? Assuming everyone is honest about it mght be a better way. And I agree promoting greener transport to the events and cutting back on plastic bottles will prob help more than cutting out medals. I"ve entered Bike Oxford though, will make for some interesting mid-ride discussion anyway!

Avatar
kil0ran | 5 years ago
1 like

Still use the Powerade bottle I got on my first sportive. Only medals I've kept are RideLondon - I'm on a bit of a declutter/avoid consumption drive at the moment. Systematically sending back catalogues and junk mail, and cutting back where possible on packaging and other useless stuff. Last few sportives I've done I've refused the freebies unless they're gels/cake/other consumables

Avatar
andyp | 5 years ago
3 likes

Cup of tea and a piece of cake will do me. No need for a crap medal and the rest of the tat given out. Wait, perhaps Audax is the way to go...

Avatar
PRSboy | 5 years ago
1 like

Muttley finishing a sportive...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qkSe4YM7EY

 

 

Avatar
srchar | 5 years ago
0 likes

I've kept a handful (5, I think) of sportive medals, where I've particularly enjoyed the ride and/or it was distinctly memorable for some reason.  Would I care if I'd never been given one?  No.  Particularly if it was for "Bike Oxford"</sportive_snobbery>

Avatar
rjfrussell | 5 years ago
0 likes
Avatar
don simon fbpe | 5 years ago
4 likes

Having seen some of the professional event photographs, I'm not sure that a) they're worth £4-6 or b) that I'd call it an adequate memento.

I'm sure there are other ways to maximise their profits cut their costs be more environmentally friendly.

Avatar
Awavey | 5 years ago
1 like

Ive done a mix of both events with and without medals, and I know personally at least I dont get anywhere near the same satisfaction or sense of achievement at the without medal events as I do at the ones where I get a medal. without a medal it  just feels like a long bike ride which I dont have to pay anyone to do in reality.

Certainly swapping for a photo is not comparable reward as I struggle to appreciate photos of me at the best of times, when Im a worn out mess covered in however many hours of dust,grime,mud or sweat that Ive just been through, it would go straight in the bin.

the eco angle is just an excuse imo

Avatar
Brown dog | 5 years ago
5 likes

Sounds like a cost cutting exercise or bad planning, I you have 1000 entry’s you only need 1000 medals , some may not be claimed for DNF but it’s must be a small percentage going for recycling.

Getting rid of all advertising junk in you race pack would be a better way of reducing waste 

 

 

Pages

Latest Comments