Custom Half Marathon Medals for the 13.1-Mile Milestone

The half marathon is the most popular race distance in the world — accessible enough for first-timers, challenging enough to mean something. Your medal should reflect that balance: substantial enough to feel earned, light enough to wear comfortably at the post-race party. We build half marathon medals in 76–89mm zinc alloy with the course detail that makes your event recognizable. Browse the complete race medals range for shorter and longer distances.

Half marathons almost always run alongside a 5K or full marathon. We design the whole family from one shape language so your 5K, half, and full medals look like they belong to the same event series — different sizes and platings, same DNA.

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Custom Half Marathon medal produced by MedalOrigin

Why Half Marathon Medals From the Factory Floor

A half marathon finisher medal is the sweet spot of the race world — bigger and more detailed than a 5K, lighter and more affordable than a full. We help race directors land the right size, plating, and ribbon so the award feels premium without blowing the budget. See the full race medals range or start in the design guide.

Most half marathon medals run 76–89mm in nickel (silver) or gold plating, 2.5–3mm thick, with soft enamel in race colors. Add laser-engraved finisher names and times and the medal becomes a personal keepsake rather than a generic award.

Design Detail

Product Samples

What Makes the Medal Worth Training For

After 15 years producing medals for races from 200-runner local events to 40,000-runner city majors, these are the factors that separate the medals runners keep from the ones that end up in a drawer.

The Right Size for 13.1

Half marathon medals sit between the 5K and the full. We recommend 76–89mm — large enough for a clear 3D course map, light enough to wear all day. Pair it with a 44–64mm 5K and an 89–102mm full so the family reads as a set across distances.

Course Relief That Identifies Your Race

Zinc die-casting captures the bridge, river, or skyline that defines your half marathon course in 0.4–2mm relief. Runners trace the route with their fingers — the medal becomes a tactile map of the morning. Renderings are delivered in 24 hours so you approve before tooling.

Personalized Finisher Data

Import your timing file and laser-engrave each medal with name, bib, and finish time. The laser exposes bright zinc beneath the plating for permanent contrast. This is the single most-requested upgrade for half marathon directors and the feature runners photograph most.

Ribbon & Reorder Continuity

Standard 860–900mm × 25mm ribbon in full color is included. Woven and sublimated upgrades add a premium feel. Mold, enamel formulas, and ribbon files are archived so next year's half marathon medal matches this year's exactly — only the date changes.

Quick Specs — Technical Reference

Specification	Standard	Options / Upgrade
Material	Zinc alloy (Zamak 3/5/7), 6.7 g/cm³	Brass for weight; iron for budget
Size	76–89mm (3–3.5 in) standard	64mm for paired 10K; 102mm for majors
Thickness	2.5–3mm standard	3–4mm for a heavier feel
3D relief	0.4–2mm course detail	Skyline/bridge foregrounds up to 2mm
Enamel	Soft enamel, Pantone matched	Hard enamel, glitter, glow options
Finisher data	Laser name + time engraving	CSV import; QR photo links
MOQ	100 per design	Steps at 300 / 1,000 / 5,000
Production	7–15 days after sample	Rush 7 days available

Size & Quantity Planning by Distance

A practical starting point for sizing medals and ribbons by distance. We fine-tune sizes and quantities in your free design.

Race distance	Recommended size	Typical plating	Ribbon	Quantity tip
5K / 10K paired	44–64mm	Bronze or nickel	860–900mm × 20mm	Smaller sibling in the family
Half marathon	76–89mm	Nickel or gold	860–900mm × 25mm	Standard finisher award
Full marathon paired	89–102mm	Gold	860–900mm × 25–30mm	Tier size to reward distance
Kids fun-run add-on	44–51mm	Nickel or painted	800mm × 20mm	Child-safe length
Major half series	102mm+	Antique gold	900mm × 30mm	Premium heft for flagship

Customization Options — Features That Make Your Medal Unforgettable

Spinning Center Element

A compass, gear, or race logo that rotates 360 degrees independently from the outer medal body. The spinner uses a precision rivet post for smooth, durable rotation — popular for races with a journey or navigation theme. Adds roughly 30–50% per-unit cost due to the second mold piece and assembly labor.

Bottle Opener Function

A stainless steel opener insert riveted into the medal body — our most popular add-on for race medals. The post-race celebration accessory built right into the award. Insert style is more durable than integrated edge style and keeps the medal's aesthetic integrity.

Multi-Piece Interlocking

Two or three separate medals that fit together to form one larger image — ideal for race series spanning multiple events or a challenge combining different distances. Each piece is a standalone medal with its own ribbon. When assembled they reveal a complete design that drives series registration.

LED Illumination

A flashing LED embedded behind translucent enamel makes your race logo or skyline glow — unforgettable at evening award ceremonies and popular for night runs. The CR2032 battery is integrated and replaceable. Requires minimum 5–6mm medal thickness; tested for 48+ hours of continuous illumination.

Dual-Plating Two-Tone

Gold body with nickel (silver) skyline highlights, or silver body with rose gold landmark elements. Masking during plating allows two metallic finishes on one medal. Small per-unit surcharge, large perceptual payoff for medals with distinct foreground and background elements.

Custom Packaging

Beyond the standard poly bag: velvet pouches in your race colors, gift boxes with custom-cut foam inserts, acrylic display cases for age-group winners, or custom-printed card backing with race branding. Each option is quoted separately based on quantity.

Finish & Packaging

Half Marathon medal finish detail — Half Marathon medal — 3D die-cast relief, Pantone enamel and plating detail

Factory-Direct — What That Actually Means for Your Race

No Middleman Markup

Every medal goes from our Huizhou factory directly to your race — no distributor, no promotional-products middleman, no awards shop marking it up 2–3 times. Your per-unit price reflects actual manufacturing cost plus reasonable margin, which is why race directors who order 500+ medals annually switch to us and stay.

Consistent Year-Over-Year Quality

Your mold, Pantone enamel formulations, ribbon design files, and plating specifications are all archived. When you reorder next year, we retrieve everything — same detail, same color accuracy, same ribbon feel, same weight in hand. Race directors ordering 5+ consecutive years confirm batch-to-batch consistency is why they stay.

Never Missed a Race Date — 15 Years, Zero Late Deliveries

Mold making, die-casting, polishing, plating, enamel filling, laser engraving, ribbon production, assembly, QC, packaging — all 12 steps happen under our roof. In 15 years we have never missed a client's race date. We build buffer into every schedule; your medals arrive before packet pickup. Guaranteed.

Die-cast vs stamped vs acrylic medals

Three production routes, three very different finisher medals. Here is how they compare.

Feature	Die-Cast (Zinc)	Stamped (Brass/Iron)	Acrylic
Process	Molten zinc injected into a steel mold at 385°C	Sheet metal struck between dies	Laser-cut and printed sheet
3D relief	Deep sculptural relief, from 0.4mm minimum detail	Shallow raised or recessed, flat overall	Flat, print only — no relief
Detail	Highest — skylines, portraits, fine texture	Moderate — line logos and text	Graphic print, no dimension
Weight & feel	Hefty and premium	Lighter	Lightweight
Best for	Marquee finisher medals	Budget or basic medals	Lightweight, colorful events
Relative cost	Higher	Lower	Lower

Factory-direct medals — by the numbers

15+

Years making race medals

30,000+

Medals produced per day

50+

Countries shipped

100

MOQ per design

385°C

Zinc die-casting

Electroplating steps

Certifications: ISO 9001, BSCI, Sedex, Reach, RoHS, Disney-approved supplier.

Medal Order Planning Matrix — Quantity, Mold & Lead Time by Event Size

Every race distance is its own production run — its own mold, its own 100-piece minimum, its own plating schedule. This is how a race director plans the whole event family without paying for tooling twice.

Event size	Typical quantity	Molds needed	Unit-price tier	Production window
Local 5K / fun run	100–300 finishers	1 mold (one distance)	Base tier at 100; steps down at 300	7–15 days after sample approval
Half marathon + 5K	300–1,500 finishers	2 molds (one per distance)	300–1,000 tier per design	7–15 days, two runs sequenced
Full marathon	1,000–5,000 finishers	1–2 molds (finisher + age-group)	1,000–5,000 tier	10–15 days; parallel laser stations
Ultra / championship series	500–2,000 across distances	2–4 molds (distance family)	1,000+ tier per design	12–15 days; schedule by distance
Multi-city race series	2,000–10,000 total	Shared shape family, one mold per city	5,000+ tier	Staggered 2–4 weeks by city

Defect Library — Symptom, Cause, Prevention

The faults worth knowing before you approve a sample are the ones that appear in the metal, not in the artwork.

Symptom	Likely cause	How it is prevented
Flow lines on the face	Cavity not polished enough, low machine pressure, or shot fired too fast	Mold polishing schedule and pressure set per part; first-off inspection after casting
Porosity / pinholes	Mold not venting properly	Vent channels cut and checked before the run; samples inspected under magnification
Short fill at sharp corners	Pressure too low for that section	Gate and pressure tuned at sampling; corners radiused at the artwork stage
Plating blisters	Parts not cleaned before the bath, or sealing oil baked before fully dry	Cleaning and full-dry check before plating; tunnel-oven schedule fixed at 100°C / 40 min
Enamel colour bleeding	Fill area below the minimum (0.3 mm soft / 0.5 mm hard)	Artwork thickened at the proof stage; Pantone matched before production
Ribbon print misregistration	Artwork not set up with bleed and fold allowance	Print file checked against the 4-fold construction before the run

Explore related medals & guides

Race Medals Overview All 15 race types we make Marathon Medals Full 26.2-mile finisher awards 5K / 10K Medals Fun-run and short-distance awards Medal Design Guide Shape, size and relief planning Medal Ribbons Lengths, printing, upgrades Race Medal Complete Guide Plan a full order Bulk Custom Medals Volume pricing

Half Marathon Medal FAQ — Answers From the Factory Floor

What size medal is best for a half marathon?

76–89mm (3–3.5 inches) is the standard. It is large enough for clear 3D course detail but light enough to wear comfortably. If you run a paired 5K, make that 44–64mm and the full marathon 89–102mm so the family reads as a set.

How much do half marathon medals cost?

Pricing is tiered by quantity — base at 100 pieces, stepping down at 300, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000. We quote per design with a line-item breakdown; the mold is a one-time cost and reorders use the same tool at a lower unit price.

Can we add finisher names and times?

Yes. Send the timing company's Excel or CSV file and we laser-engrave each medal individually with name, bib, and finish time. A 5–10 piece proof run is included before full production.

Can the half and full marathon share a design?

Yes — and we recommend it. One shape language, different sizes and platings per distance. Each distance is its own mold at its own 100-piece minimum, but the family stays cohesive and reorders are cheaper.

What ribbon do you recommend?

Standard adult ribbon is 860–900mm × 25mm, heat-transfer printed in full color, included in the quote. Upgrade to woven for texture or sublimated for photographic graphics. Children's add-ons use an 800mm × 20mm length.

When should we order?

8 weeks before race day gives comfortable buffer: 24h design, 7–10 days sample, committee review, 7–15 days production, 5–10 days shipping. Rush options using in-stock molds can complete in about 3 weeks.

Start Your Half Marathon Medals Project

Tell us about your event — the distance, the location, and how many finishers you expect. We will create a free custom design with 3D renderings and a detailed line-item quote within 24 hours. No obligation.

Prefer to browse first? Explore medal materials, see our 12-step manufacturing process, or review our design guide.

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Related Medal Types

For a complete distance family, see our marathon medals and 5K/10K medals. The same Zamak base also supports enamel medals and spinning-centre medals for series branding.