Hosting a 5k can be quite an undertaking. From hiring the timing company to finding volunteers to hand out water and staff the race, organizing a 5k can take a great deal of time and effort. The 5k host needs to be on top of the smallest details such as race signage, race registration, organizing volunteers, collaborating with a good cause for the donation of proceeds, and managing the trophies and awards. It can be quite overwhelming but with good planning and staying organized, you can pull off the best 5k of the year without trouble. When you are ready, this article will provide some helpful tips to picking out trophies for the award ceremony of the 5k that you are hosting. Trophy Specialists are also a great resource to help you in planning the award ceremony.
 |
| credit |
- Budget. Before you set out to find the perfect set of trophies to award participants at your 5k, you will want to establish a budget. Are you funding the race off of a zero-based budget? Are you getting sponsorships from local or national companies to help you fund your race? Knowing how much funding you have to spend on trophies, t-shirts and other goodies can help you plan for a great race.
- Medals vs. standing trophies. Conduct research and find out what will fit within your budget. If you do not have a large budget, consider awarding medals instead. Some races even award all runners who participated in the event with a race medal. This is a nice touch if you have the budget for it.
- How many do you need? Consider how many medals you will need. Some places will give you a discount if you order in bulk. Will you host the race again? Perhaps make the decision to leave off the date so that if you have extras you can use them for the next event.
- What types of awards will you be having? Consider what types of awards you will have. Are you going to give out gift certificates or cash prizes in addition to medals or trophies? Perhaps you are getting donations from local businesses to give away a gift basket to race participants. Be creative and do your best to include as many people as possible.
- Trophies related to age group. Before purchasing your trophies, consider the age group of the participants. If you are going to have a kids fun run, you may want to get a smaller trophy that is more the child’s size.
- Awards for race finishers. When finishing a race, it is always nice to receive an award or a certificate of completion. This shows that the runner was successful in completing the race and makes the participant feel good about their accomplishment.
- Awards for fundraising efforts. While handing out awards for race participants is a great idea, be sure to consider giving out awards to those who fundraised for the event as well.
- Trophies with engraving. If you have a decent budget, consider having the trophy engraved with the event information on it for a nice touch.
- Weight and details. When selecting a trophy you will want to pay attention to the weight of it and the type of material that it is made out of. If you are having a race in a big city or a location where participants will have to travel a distance with their trophy, you will want to choose one that is lightweight and not bulky.
- Size matters. Giving a large trophy to the first place finisher is a nice touch but you don’t have to go huge. A large medal is always nice to have but most of the time those that are running a 5k are doing so to support a good cause and do not care so much for a huge trophy. However, if you have the budget, size matters and bigger is always appreciated.
Tags
Sports