Custom Triathlon medal produced by MedalOrigin

Custom Triathlon Medals for the Ultimate Multi-Sport Finish

A triathlon medal represents three disciplines in one finish — swim, bike, run. We design medals that tell that story: interlocking swim-bike-run elements, a multi-piece medal that separates into three, or a spinning centre that rotates through the three icons. Zinc alloy die-casting holds the intricate detail a triathlete's achievement deserves. Compare every race medal type in our collection.

Triathlons range from sprint to Olympic to full long-course. We size and tier accordingly — a 64–76mm sprint medal up to a 102mm+ long-course flagship — and build the family from one design language so your race series stays recognizable.

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15+

Years making race medals

30,000+

Medals produced per day

50+

Countries shipped

Why Triathlon Medals From the Factory Floor

Triathletes train across three sports for one medal — so the award has to earn its place on the mantle. We specialize in the formats that make triathlon medals distinctive: multi-piece interlocking designs, spinning centres, and detailed 3D discipline icons. See the race medals overview or explore spinning-centre medals for the rotating option.

Most triathlon medals run 64–102mm with soft or hard enamel, often with a two-tone plating that separates the swim-bike-run elements visually. Multi-piece and spinner builds add cost but create the keepsake triathletes photograph and share.

Quick Specs — Technical Reference

Specification	Standard	Options / Upgrade
Material	Zinc alloy (Zamak 3/5/7)	Brass for premium weight
Size	64–102mm by course	102mm+ for long-course flagship
3D relief	0.4–3mm discipline icons	Deep relief for emblem foreground
Special builds	Multi-piece interlocking; spinner	Adds 30–50% per-unit
Enamel	Soft or hard enamel, Pantone	Glitter / glow for night events
Finisher data	Laser name + time	CSV from timing company
MOQ	100 per design	Steps at 300 / 1,000
Production	7–15 days after sample	Rush available

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.

Three Disciplines, One Medal

The defining triathlon design challenge is representing swim, bike, and run. We do it with detailed 3D icons, a two-tone plating that visually separates the disciplines, or a layout that reads as a journey from water to road to finish line.

Multi-Piece Interlocking Medals

A triathlon is the natural fit for a medal that separates into three pieces — one per discipline — that reassemble into the full emblem. Each piece is a standalone medal with its own ribbon; collected across a race series they build a complete image. This drives series registration and repeat entries.

Spinning Centre Element

A spinner that rotates through swim-bike-run icons is a signature triathlon feature. The precision rivet post gives smooth, durable rotation. It adds roughly 30–50% per unit for the second mold piece and hand assembly, but creates a medal triathletes remember.

Course Tiers in One Family

Sprint, Olympic, and long-course medals share a design family with different sizes and platings. Each is its own mold at its own 100-piece minimum. Fix the shape on the first order and later distances become low-cost amendments on the same tool.

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

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

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
Sprint	64–76mm	Nickel or gold	860–900mm × 20–25mm	Entry-tier award
Olympic / standard	76–89mm	Gold	860–900mm × 25mm	Standard finisher
Long course (70.3/140.6)	102mm+	Antique gold, deep relief	900mm × 30mm	Flagship heft
Kids tri	44–51mm	Nickel or painted	800mm × 20mm	Child-safe
Relay team	64–76mm	Mixed per leg	Shared design	One family across legs

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 — 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.

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

Design Detail

Explore related medals & guides

Race Medals Overview All 15 race types we make Spinning Medals Rotating-centre builds Long-Distance Triathlon 70.3 / 140.6 awards Sports Medals Tournament and league awards Medal Design Guide Multi-piece planning Medal Materials Guide Zinc, brass, iron Bulk Custom Medals Volume pricing

Triathlon Medal FAQ — Answers From the Factory Floor

Can you make a triathlon medal with three interlocking pieces?

Yes. Multi-piece interlocking medals — one per discipline that reassemble into a complete emblem — are a signature triathlon build. Each piece has its own ribbon, and collecting them across a series drives repeat entries. Each piece is its own mold at its own 100-piece minimum.

Do you offer a spinning triathlon medal?

Yes. A spinner centre that rotates through swim-bike-run icons uses a precision rivet post for smooth, durable rotation. It adds roughly 30–50% per unit for the second mold piece and hand assembly, but it is the feature triathletes photograph most.

What size for sprint vs long-course?

Sprint 64–76mm, Olympic/standard 76–89mm, long-course 102mm+. Longer courses justify a larger, heavier flagship medal with deeper relief. All share a design family for series cohesion.

Can each medal show the athlete's name and time?

Yes. We import the timing file and laser-engrave name, bib, and finish time on each medal, with a 5–10 piece proof run included before full production.

What plating works best for a triathlon emblem?

Two-tone plating — gold body with nickel (silver) discipline highlights, or silver body with rose-gold elements — makes the swim-bike-run separation pop. Standard gold, nickel, and antique finishes also work.

How long does production take?

7–15 days after sample approval. Multi-piece and spinner builds add assembly time but stay within that window. Rush options with in-stock molds can hit 7 days.

Start Your Triathlon 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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