Favorite Marathon Medal?

[kps7795]

I have only earned one runDisney Marathon medal, so I don't personally have a collection to compare it to. However, I love the 25th Anniversary medal and regret not having had the courage to attempt a marathon four years earlier. I'm curious about your opinions about the 29 marathon medals and which is your favorite.

 

[GreatLakes]

I was trying to find a good site with all of them displayed but couldn't. I know for a while they were very similar. Just poking around the web I'd have to say the 2018 is probably my favorite.


Of all the Disney Medals my favorite is the inaugural Wine & Dine. Simple but elegant.

 

[kps7795]

I was trying to find a good site with all of them displayed but couldn't. I know for a while they were very similar. Just poking around the web I'd have to say the 2018 is probably my favorite.

Of all the Disney Medals my favorite is the inaugural Wine & Dine. Simple but elegant.

It's not great, but apparently runDisney put a video on YouTube showing each of the medals leading up to the 25th Anniversary medal.

 

[fatmanatee]

I don't have a particularly good answer aside from "the one I did", which was... this year. And to be fair it's a really good one, I'd have it near or at the top of my list either way. I really like the 2018 medal though.

To expand on this, the 2016 Light Side half is right up there with the marathon medal I've gotten as one of my faves out of all of my race medals, wouldn't be opposed if they brought back a variation for a future SW race.

 

[sunshine girl]

I LOVE the old Disney marathon medals with ears. Those ear medals are iconic. The last one was 2017... 2018 was kind of an ear medal, but gold-glitter-coated-all-star-sports-font-gaudy which is not my taste.

That being said, I love the 2013 20th anniversary medal. Classy. I think 2013 was overall the best designed medal they've done. It's got classic Mickey icons, the words "Walt Disney World" and "Marathon" are prominent, it's detailed but legible, and it just looks quality.

I hope they bring back the "ear medal" style for the upcoming 30th anniversary medal! Or something with as much classic style and quality as the 20th anniversary medal.

 

[Blondie58]

My favorite is my ear medal from the 5th Disney Marathon. Why? That was my first Disney marathon and I was a young, lean, running machine. Now my marathons include a lot more speed walking, aches, pains and longer days recovering. However, I am always glad to be on the road. Can't wait until the 26th Air Force Marathon at Wright Patterson this September.

 

[GuinnessRunner]

I think my favorite is the 15th Anniversary medal (2008). Was my first marathon, which definately contributes to my love, but just love the way it looks in the era before spinning medal became the rage.

 

[jmasgat]

I'm also going with the 20th. Its a double spinner, and I like the Black and White/Color Mickie. Plus, I like the red strap with the 4 parks.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

I didn’t know they used to do ear medals. That seems like a given and I wonder why they changed.
I love this year’s medal. The whole aesthetic of the 50th is so pretty to me.

 

[luv2cheer92]

2018 by far!! That whole set was gorgeous! That full Dopey set will be very hard to top.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

So of the 3 marathon medals I have earned, my favorite is 2022 because of the whole aesthetic of the Disney World 50th anniversary carrying forward to all the medals. When I factor in the nature of the mental health toll the pandemic took on me, that makes it extra special.

However, my all time favorite runDisney medal remains the 2017 Kessel Run medal. The Millennium Falcon on a medal was a dream of mine to begin with and then the sacrifices that I had to make to be in a position to earn that medal made it even more special. That was the process that began to break down some of my mental barriers about ever attempting the marathon.

 

[ZellyB]

20th anniversary medal. It's a great medal and it was my first marathon, so easy choice for me.

 

[The Expert]

The 2020 marathon medal means the most to me, being my first full and finishing in such brutal conditions. But like @Sleepless Knight the Kessel Run is my all time favorite from rD. It is what motivated me to start running. After my fluke Princess 5K in 2016 "just to try this rD thing" I wanted a real metal medal and went down the rabbit hole. The moment I saw that Millennium Falcon medal, I knew I had to earn it. I had no idea how I would EVER train and do TWO half marathons (DL races were still going at the time), but I just knew I had to do it. And here I am about to sign up for my second Dopey!

 

[Keith Tyger]

My favorite race week and medals to date were from 2016 when DW and I completed our first Full then ended the trip with a cruise to earn the Castaway Cay Challenge medal!

 

[Keith Tyger]

My favorite race week and medals to date were from 2016 when DW and I completed our first Full then ended the trip with a cruise to earn the Castaway Cay Challenge medal!
Sorry for the double post!

 

[BigEeyore]

2013 20th anniversary marathon medal - it was my first marathon, and the double spinner with the Walt quotes surrounding Mickey is fantastic.

 

[knhellesky]

2020 for me…

- it’s my first runDisney event
- My first Dopey (maybe my only one?)
- it’s a double number
- and the medals are cool

 

[Barca33Runner]

Add me to the 20th Anniversary medal from 2013. Also, serendipitously, my first Marathon. It’s class all the way and, while they’ve become commonplace and questionably value-added since, the perfect execution of a spinner.

ETA: Also responsible for my unrealistic expectations for all succeeding medals.

 

[Ariel484]

here are mine, L-R

1. 20th anniversary medal from 2013. As @Barca33Runner said, I now have very high expectations for 2023 due to this medal. Love the double spinner, especially the black & white Mickey side, and the quotes.

2. 2017 is a close second. I love the sort of retro look of this one.

3. 2015. I like the different-colored ribbon and the hidden Mickey cutout in the background. Bummer that the color is chipping a bit.

4. 2012 is from my first marathon and it’s my least favorite. I really loved those (to me) iconic marathon medals that were a Mickey head shape from earlier marathons, so I was disappointed that this one wasn’t like that. Part of why I loved the 2017 medal so much.

 

[Livelovedance]

Great question! I’ve only run one marathon as well, so of course the one I earned is my favorite (2022 WDW Marathon). I do like it’s look though, and the tie in to the 50th anniversary celebration.

My first runDisney weekend was the 2018 Princess Half Marathon weekend. I did the 5K and the 10K. Never even considered the half because I’d never run more than a 10K before. I loved the half marathon medal when I saw it in person! I’m not even a fan of Snow White but the medal and shirt were beautiful!