How many medals do I need for my event?
How many medals to order for a race: finishers plus a reserve, podium medals by category, and when a reserve beats a re-order. With worked examples.
- Author
- Medalior
- Published
- Nov 9, 2026Updated Nov 10, 2026
- Reading time
- 2 min
Order one medal for every expected finisher, plus a reserve of about 5% for late entries, and add the medals you plan to give away. For podium medals, multiply your categories by the medals per category: three in most sports, four in judo and karate, where two bronzes are awarded. The minimum order is 50 medals, counted across the whole order.
Contents
Start from finishers, not entries
Count medals the way they are handed out: each type of medal goes to a different group of people, and each group has its own source for the number. For finisher medals, last year's results are a better base than the entry list, because not everyone who enters starts, and not everyone who starts finishes. If the course, the date or the field size has changed since then, adjust that number before you add a reserve.
| Medal | Who gets one | Count from |
|---|---|---|
| Finisher medal | Everyone who crosses the line | Last year's finishers |
| Participation medal | Everyone who starts | Your start list |
| Podium medal | The top places in each category | Categories × medals per category |
How big a reserve to order
Our recommendation is a reserve of about 5% above your expected finishers. It covers late entries and race-day registrations. Medals for sponsors, partners and your own archive are not part of the reserve: count them separately and add them on top.
Order quantity
Finishers, plus a reserve, plus medals you give away
Example: a 10K with 800 expected finishers
- 800 expected finishers
- 40 in reserve (about 5%)
- 20 to give away
- 860 medals
| Part of the order | Medals |
|---|---|
| Expected finishers (from last year's results) | 800 |
| Reserve, about 5% | 40 |
| To give away: sponsors, partners, your archive | 20 |
| Order | 860 |
Podium medals by category
Podium medals are counted category by category. Every category hands out the same set, so the total is categories × medals per category. In relays where every team member gets a medal, multiply by the team size as well.
Per category
Two common podium sets
- Silver
- Gold
- Bronze
Most sports
3 per category
12 categories × 3 = 36
- Silver
- Gold
- Bronze
- Bronze
Judo and karate
4 per category: 2 bronzes
25 categories × 4 = 100
| Event | Categories × medals | Podium medals |
|---|---|---|
| Running: men and women, 6 age groups each | 12 × 3 | 36 |
| Judo or karate tournament | 25 × 4 | 100 |
| Swimming gala: individual events | 30 × 3 | 90 |
| Swimming relays, if every swimmer gets a medal | 4 × 12 (3 teams × 4) | 48 |
Several distances, one order
Finisher medals for every distance, podium sets and age-group medals all go into one order and add up towards the minimum together, so a small 5K does not have to reach it on its own. Custom wooden medals start at the same minimum order.
Gold, silver and bronze sets come from one mould: you pay for it once and split the quantities freely between the three finishes.
Reserve now or re-order later
The two options differ in minimum quantity, production time, delivery and mould cost.
If medals run short
What each option involves
Reserve in this order
- Arrives with the other medals
- Priced with the whole order
- No separate minimum
- Add more until it ships, at least 50 at a time
Re-order after delivery
- A whole new order of at least 50 medals
- Medals and ribbons produced again
- 12–15 days of production again, after approval
- Its own shipment, quoted in the offer
- No mould cost for 2 years
What to send us
A rough number is enough to ask for a quote: send your logo, the event date and an approximate quantity. Finishes, enamel colours and ribbons are on our bespoke medals page.