How much do custom running medals cost?
Custom running medals cost €1.90–2.90 per piece at typical race quantities. At 500 pieces expect €2.20–2.90 depending on the technique; at 1,000 pieces, €1.90–2.50. The price includes a sublimation-printed ribbon, a free 3D design and door-to-door delivery within the EU, so the per-piece figure is close to your complete medal budget. Minimum order: 100 pieces.
Zdjęcie główne wpisu: kadr reportażowy pasujący do tematu (np. medale na stole wyceny / meta biegu), NIE stock z uściskiem dłoni. Szeroki kadr, min. 1600×840 px, JPG.
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What sets the price
Every race director fills in the same spreadsheet cell at some point — the one labelled 'medals' — usually late in the evening, somewhere between the toilet rental quote and the timing company invoice. Four things decide that number, in order of impact: quantity, technique, size and finish. Quantity is the strongest lever, because the one-off costs — the mould, the design work — spread across every piece. Between 500 and 1,000 pieces the per-piece price typically drops by 10–15%.
Size and thickness are the quiet cost drivers. A 70 mm die-cast medal at 4 mm thickness contains roughly twice the metal of a 50 mm medal at 3 mm — and because international freight is billed by weight, a heavier medal costs more twice: once at the factory, once in transport. Colour enamel fills and double-sided designs add a little; choosing an antique finish over polished adds nothing.
Price by technique
Die-cast 3D carries the classic finisher weight and sculpted relief — the extra cost buys the medal people photograph and keep. Laser-cut steel skips the mould fee, which matters most on a first edition. UV-print is the budget floor for colourful artwork, and wood ships lightest of all.
| Technique | At 500 pcs | At 1,000 pcs | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Die-cast 3D | from €2.90 | from €2.50 | relief finisher medals |
| Laser-cut steel | from €2.60 | from €2.20 | silhouette designs, first editions |
| UV-print | from €2.20 | from €1.90 | full-colour artwork |
| Wood (engraved) | from €2.10 | from €1.80 | eco events, lowest freight |
Two worked budgets
A 500-finisher trail race choosing die-cast 3D: 500 × €2.90 = €1,450 delivered. A 1,000-runner city 10K on UV-print: 1,000 × €1.90 = €1,900 delivered.
Both are complete figures — design, printed ribbon, customs and door delivery are already inside. When you compare quotes, check whether those four items are included or listed as extras; that difference is often larger than the per-piece gap between suppliers.
When you order changes what you pay
With air freight, the comfortable ordering window closes 8–10 weeks before race day. Rail freight needs 14–16 weeks but is markedly cheaper per kilogram, which shows on heavy die-cast orders. Order later than 6 weeks out and express surcharges start eating the budget — the calendar is a real price lever, not an afterthought. Nobody remembers a medal that arrived three weeks early; everybody remembers the year it almost didn't arrive at all.
Three ways organisers pay less
Share one mould across distances: variants on ribbon colours or enamel fills let a 5K, 10K and half marathon run on a single mould instead of three.
Plan the repeat edition: a die-cast mould is stored free for two years, so the second year skips the mould cost entirely.
Decide freight early: if your date allows rail, lock it in at the quoting stage — switching from air to rail later usually means the window has already closed.