Happy Friday!!!
I’m linking up again with the DC Trifecta ladies Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney for their weekly Friday Five. This week’s theme: Race Swag. Awww yeah!!!!
I want to say I’m all about the swag but I’m not lol! I just like a good race and if they give a medal or shirt, extra bonus. That being said, I’ve run some races with some pretty sweet swag and I’ll share them with you today 🙂
1. Hot Chocolate 15k
This is an expensive race, not gonna lie, but you’re paying for a great race and great swag. I’ve had a blast the past two years I’ve run the race and have actually used the jackets they’ve given. Often times, we get a shirt and it becomes lost in the dark corners of our closets, but the jackets the Hot Chocolate race gives out are of good quality and stylish–you want to use it. Plus, it’s cool being out and about and seeing someone else wearing it. I always give and get a smile when I see people with their jackets on 🙂
In addition to the jacket, you get a cup of hot chocolate and treats AND a medal!
Post race meal
Unfortunately, it’s not edible.
2. Aravaipa Trail Race
I love trail running and if you want to run a trail race, you have to do an Araivaipa one. For this swag, you get a shirt (again, another one you can actually use) and a beer cup. No medal, but I do use that cup pretty often 😀
For overall winners, you still don’t get a medal. You get a more unique award that differs each race. This is the hardware from badass Run EMZ who placed 1st female overall in a 100 miler (yeah, you read that right):
Check her insta.
3. Flying Pig Marathon & 1/2 Marathon
This was seriously THE funnest race I’ve run. It didn’t produce my fastest time at all but it was the fastest in that time was a-flying!
The swag for this race lives up to the hype of the race itself. Each year it’s something different and this year I got hooked up with a one shoulder bag pack–very functional and useful, a race shirt (that is very stylish and wearable), a poster of the race, and a finisher’s medal.
My Flying Pig Medal.
At the end of the race, there’s a buffet as you leave the finisher’s area. I’m not kidding. A BUFFET. They have a chip table with different types of chips, a fruit table, a cereal bar table, a soup kitchen!, a candy table–I mean, you don’t have enough hands for all the food they give out at the end.
Probably one of my favorite races ever and I wish I wasn’t so far away so I could do it every year.
4. Marine Corps Marathon
Love. This. Marathon.
First, you get your race swag from a Marine.
Cheesin’ real hard
Second, I really enjoyed the Expo and they offered tons of items race related at affordable prices. Yeah, this happened.
This pretty much means you spent too much money.
A lot of people weren’t thrilled with the long sleeved given to us (I actually didn’t mind it. It looked Marine-ish which is what I’d expect from the Marine Corps Marathon). But I couldn’t help myself get another piece to add to my MCM wardrobe.
Taking my new jacket for a stroll by the White House–nbd.
And then of course, the medal.
So beautiful.
5. Phoenix Marathon
Their medals are legit. It is seriously the most awesomest medal in my rack — and it was my first marathon so there’s that too ja!!
Seriously, how beautiful is this medal??
I didn’t finish 2015’s marathon (ugh.) but the race shirt they gave is still the best one I’ve gotten from a race–a racerback and good quality material. However, I’m always reluctant to wear it (because I didn’t finish the race– btw, I hate typing that) but my running friends tell me to heck with it, I trained for that marathon and ran half of it so wear it with pride. It really is a nice shirt.
There you have it! I hope everyone has a great weekend!! Who’s racing? Make sure to share your swag on social media 😀 ❤ , helly
–What’s your favorite race swag? Did the swag live up to the race?
–Any races with sub-par swag items?
The Phoenix tank is the ONLY race shirt I wear. All the others are packed away (don’t ask me for what) but I wear the PHX one all the time. Super excited that Canyon City tanks this year are made by the same brand! Oh and I do love a good beer cup. 🙂
Right? They really did a good job this year. Last year I was less than impressed but they stepped up their game big time in 2015.
I love my Phoenix Marathon shirt, too. I also enjoy the medal and race shirt from the 2015 IMS Marathon. The Hot Chocolate swag is definitely my favorite!
I’m getting more and tempted to run IMS…. 🙂
That’s some serious awesome swag items! The race I am doing in the Fall (Maritime Race Weekend) have a t-shirt, Buff, and something extra. This year it’s either socks, running hat or gloves! They have amazing swag and contests throughout the whole year!
That’s cool that it’s different each year and stuff you can actually use!
I love my Hot Chocolate sweatshirt too. I went to my ob/gyn and she had hers on and it lead to us chatting about our running. Now when I go to appointments I ask my baby related questions and then she asks me running questions. It is a great trade off.
So cool! Yeah, I always seem to strike up a convo with whoever I see wearing one 🙂
Ugh I’ve always wanted to run MCM! I’m hoping to next year.. Nike races have some awesome swag, so that’s always a plus : ) Any time I get a cool t-shirt I’m pumped… that and post race food. Rock N’ Roll does an awesome job with that!
MCM was my bucket list marathon 😀
I sooo want to do a Nike women’s race! Maybe San Fran next year 🙂
We run RnR AZ every year–it’s our couple race ❤
I really like that Phoenix gave tank tops instead of shirts! Ooh I wonder what goodies are in store for us in Chicago 🙂
Me too!!
And I’m soooo excited for Chicago. I’ve seen past medals and I’m already in love ❤
that jacket, that mug and that phx shirt = sweet! can’t wait to add some mcm hardware to my collection this fall!
So lucky you get to do that race so often! 🙂 You should come to Phx though to get one of our sweet tanks 😉 ❤
I was staring at your Hot Chocolate medal for about 5 minutes before I realized it was in fact, not actual candy. Since I’m a newbie to distance races, I don’t have much fun swag to talk about but I can tell you that Rock N Roll:Philly just revealed their medal for October’s race and I am beyond excited to get it!! Loving the tank tops by the way, such a great idea compared to regular old tech shirts!
Jajaja!! Right?! The chocolate medal looks yummy! 🙂
Yeah, I like the tanks too b/c I find I use them more than regular tech shirts.
Those are some fantastic medals. I haven’t seen anything that interesting or intriguing here in France…
Bummer!! I ran a race in Rock n Roll Spain and yeah, their medals weren’t as pretty as some of the RnR races I’ve seen here in the states
Very cool list. That coat is pretty sharp. The MCM is great because it is a beefy but great looking medal.
Yes!! I love that it’s heavy and feels like it’s a legit good quality medal (b/c it is!). Def on my top favorite medals ever!!
Flying Pig is on my bucket list. The timing of the race just didn’t work out this year, but I want to make sure I run it soon.
It definitely won me over! 🙂
Hot chocolate 15k sure gives a lot.!! wow. was it a pricey entry.? but it sure looks like it was worth it.
Marine Corps Marathon is definitely on my bucket list.!! someday I hope. 🙂
Yeah, Hot Chocolate is a little pricey but def great swag.
LOVED MCM 😀
I love the gear from that trail run! I would say Boston has the best swag BUT it costs extra (other than the shirt…but everyone buys the jacket!). The Marshall Marathon GIVES you a sweet jacket! I run a lot of smaller races with little or no swag so when I get my hands on some good stuff, I cherish it!
Oh man, if I ran Boston I’d be all up on that Expo lol!!
I also did the hot chocolate race and I really like that series as well. I think that it’s great that the 5k and the 15k both get the sweatshirt. It stink that the 5k doesn’t get the medal. Oh well. Maybe next yr.
I didn’t know the 5k didn’t get a medal 😦 super bummer!
Two of your favorites are two of mine! I love my Hot Chocolate sweatshirt and cannot wait for it to cool down so I can wear it again! I also let anyone I know that is thinking about doing a marathon in AZ to do the Phoenix Marathon since the swag is so amazing.
Yes, those two races have not disappointed!! 🙂