Blog about Bling

The presentation of medals at the finish line of the Marine Corps Marathon has been considered by runners to be the most humbling and memorable moment of the entire experience. After crossing the finish line, runners receive deserving recognition from a member of the United States Marine Corps in the shadow of the US Marine Corps War Memorial. The verbal exchange is often mutually complimentary with the Marine congratulating the runner and the runner showing appreciation for the Marine’s service to our country. For an awesome moment like this, only an awesome medal will do. Runners have been thrilled to receive the Eagle, Globe and Anchor medal in various stunning and breath-taking forms over the years. The 2016 medal featured a hidden hinge allowing for the Globe portion of the medal to open and reveal a 3-D rendering of the flag raising at Mt. Suribachi. The design philosophies for MCM medal art also apply to the many other MCM-organized events that present bling at the finish.

The medals are designed to reflect each event’s theme and reinforce the connection to the Marine Corps. Each medal represents an individual motivation, a personal challenge, a significant accomplishment. They are all distributed in recognition of a single mission accomplished or just one stop on a much longer journey. Produced by Always Advancing, medals will be presented to finishers at the Marine Corps 17.75K, Historic Half, Semper 5ive, Devil Dog Double, Quantico Tri, Quantico 12K, MCM, MCM10K and MCM Kids Run.

Upcoming events will feature (without revealing the incredible designs) a medal that recalls the forest-based course at the Marine Corps 17.75K and a graphic nod to the 10^th anniversary on the Historic Half medal. Participants in the Devil Dog Double will earn three medals in one day by completing both, the Historic Half and Semper 5ive.

A multi-event commitment will be acknowledged with the Distinguished Participant medal. Runners who participate in a Historic Half Weekend event plus Run Amuck in June, the Quantico Tri or Quantico 12K in August, and the Turkey Trot 10K in November will earn this distinction and highly coveted medal. In 2016, there were 164 Distinguished Participants.

Runners proudly wear these medals when departing the finish and then find an appropriate way to showcase the well deserved bling to evoke memories and encourage the sharing of tales from the road. The MCM even has a partnership with Sporthooks to produce custom MCM medal display racks for an impressive presentation of running accomplishments.

Thanks for visiting this archived blog. The content and details are specific only for the event year highlighted in this article. For current information, please visit the event page within the MCM website.