Running Awards Blog
Running Into the Future: 2025 Trends for Year-Round Race Directors
The running event industry is a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape. As we sprint towards 2025, race directors must adapt to the changing needs and preferences of their runners. At Running Awards and Apparel, we spend time exploring the key trends shaping the future...
Running Hats: The Ultimate Runner’s Accessory
As seasoned experts in running event merchandise, and as passionate runners ourselves, the Running Awards and Apparel team members have seen firsthand the incredible impact a well-designed running hat can have on both a runner's individual performance and an event's...
Bringing Your Race Vision and Brand to Life
At Running Awards and Apparel, we've been crafting unique and memorable race experiences for nearly 30 years. We understand that every race is a special event, and our goal is to help race directors bring their vision to life through custom-designed medals, apparel,...
Elevate Your Fall Race with Custom Gear
Fall is a prime season for running events. With its vibrant colors, crisp air, and a plethora of themed opportunities, it's the perfect time to stand out. But how do you make your race truly memorable? The answer lies in the details – specifically, your custom race...
Beyond the Finish Line: Boost Participation with Race Day Extras
In today's competitive running event landscape, race directors are constantly seeking ways to stand out and create a truly memorable experience for runners of all levels. Adding engaging "extra events" alongside your main race can be the key to boosting visibility,...
Friendship Forged on the Trail: Meet the PA Trail Dogs
Once in a while an event we supply will catch our eye and a bit of our hearts. The Hyner View Trail Challenge (The Hyner) is one such event, and the story of their growth and of the camaraderie and care among their runners and volunteers (known as the PA Trail Dogs),...
Race Directors: The Early Bird Gets the Runners
The most successful running events don't just happen. They're the result of meticulous planning, thoughtful execution, and a deep understanding of the diverse needs of the running community. As a race director, you know that every runner comes to the starting line...
Celebrating Race Volunteers During Random Acts of Kindness Week
The starting line buzzes with energy. Runners stretch and exchange quick words of encouragement. The air crackles with anticipation, a shared sense of purpose uniting the participants. But behind the scenes, away from the spotlight, another team is quietly preparing:...
Organizing a Successful Running Event Can be a Daunting Task…
And making sure that the event is memorable for participants is crucial. Here are some key aspects to focus on when planning an event to ensure that it leaves a lasting impression on participants and keeps them coming back to participate time and again. Strategic...
Attracting Sponsors is as Important as Signing Up Runners
Looking for eye-catching race sponsors? Hoping to create long term relationships that keep them on your event team year after year? Are you looking for first rate organizations to help build the status of your running event? You are not alone, and you are certainly...
A Modern Approach to Marketing a Running Event
Running events are a great way to get people involved in a healthy activity and included in a community event. The excitement and build up to an event can motivate participants to start running in preparation, or it can be an opportunity for experienced runners to...
When, Where, and Why Runners Hit the Ground
For a dedicated runner, the calendar isn't just a collection of weekend race days, it's a full menu of all types and levels of events, amid four distinct running seasons. Behind this seasonal race list of options lies a mix of a runner's motivation, a runner's...
The Running Event World in 2023
It's been a big year (or two) for running events, with a major comeback from the Covid-19 shutdowns and cancelations of 2020. But what can runners and r directors expect in 2023? Here are some changes to watch for in the coming years: Runners love their finisher...
From Sketchpad to Killer Medal
Every runner has a favorite Race Medal (or two or three!). We've all seen the medal collections runners have on display in their homes or office, or in photos shared across social media. These hard-earned awards are reminders of a runner's accomplishments and so...
Are You in Charge of Buying Race Shirts For a Running Event?
Do you have questions about race shirt ordering? Are you unsure of how many participants you'll have at the end of sign up, or how many will be women or men, and what number of each size you will need? You are not alone. We hear from race directors every day, who need...
Who Else is Looking Ahead to In-Person Running Events?
There's talk all through running related social media…the days of entering and running at in-person races has returned. These days may not look quite the same as pre-COVID race days, but it's exciting nonetheless and runners are ready to go. Are race directors ready?...
Running with Heart into 2021
Runners and race directors alike are looking forward to filling the event void left by the devasting impact of COVID-19. Virtual 2020 races, personal training experiences and plenty of time alone on streets and trails, have given us all the opportunity for planning...
Custom Race Medals Should Tell a Story
What makes a race medal truly custom and sets it apart from all the others? It isn't whether you choose a bottle opener design, or a spinning center that make your medal unique in the field. It’s the story that your medal design tells a viewer. It's the message that...
Inside the Hearts and Minds of Race Directors in 2020
Who, among us in the running event world, could have possibly seen this coming? Surely not the runners who await excitedly each year for signup day. Nor the vendors who rely on group participation events to survive. Not the die-hard, annual age-group winners who are...
Virtual Race or Challenge – which is right for your event?
Defining a Virtual Race event. Most Virtual Races are single events that involve individual runners, at various locations, participating at the same time on the same date. The main idea is that an event can still be held, and runners can race wherever they are and...
Taking Your Race to Virtual Platform
Unplanned Circumstances Have You Canceling Your Event? Make Going Virtual Your Contingency Plan. If you have planned a running event whose attendance has been affected by unforeseen events and you are looking for options that can help keep your event alive and your...
Running For a Cause
A great way to attract runners to your race, is to offer elements of fundraising for charitable causes. This is because most runners are looking for races that align with the longing for doing good deeds in their communities. Many running events are already doing this...
Through the Eyes of a Race Volunteer
I've been working for free for all my life it seems. Mucking out an elderly neighbor's horse stalls as a kid, cutting reams of construction paper and felt for my children's school, planning auctions for non-profits and much more. So far, the most volunteer fun I've...
Wondering What To Do With All Those Race Medals?
There may be times when Race directors have an abundance of race medals on their hands and they are not sure what do to with them. We've investigated this situation for our customers and, luckily, there are some forward-thinking and altruistic organizations out there...
Using Email to Market Your Running Event
Race directors – do you know the benefits of using an email marketing service? We hear from race directors all the time who want to learn more about marketing strategies to help keep their race participants coming back each year. According to this RunningUSA Race...