In the canyon country city of Valencia, the rolling hills creates a perfect backdrop to a challenging trail race. In the inaugural Valencia Trail Race, runners get to enjoy a panoramic view of the Southern California canyons, breathe in the crisp country air in the warm March mild weather. The organizers of the race want to set the bar high in its first year: we are ready to take on the challenge of creating this one of a kind award medal.
The Design
Knockout – area in the medal where the materials are emptied out. It creates visual interests in medal design. In this medal thick block text are knocked out around the perimeters. The challenge was how to support the free-standing elements in letters such as ‘O’, ‘R’ and ‘A’. In the end we molded very thin supporting pieces – as thin as 0.1mm to hold the free-standing elements in place. We made them as thin as we could while strong enough to hold the letters together. It’s precise and it turned out perfect!
Insider tip: This medal also features a two-sided design, it’s a great way to incorporate the race director’s or sponsor’s logo. If you are a race director that puts on lots of races throughout the year, this is the perfect spot where your company logo can be placed on all your medals!
The Production
The original sample was done in antique bronze. It gave very clear definition into this no color fill design. However the organizers want to make it more special by giving it more ‘bling’! We did 2 other finishes, one in shiny gold, and matte gold. Matte gold was the winner! Gold has a more precious look, and the matte finish gave the depth that is needed to make this medal stand out. Check out our various plating finish.
As for the backside, we sandblasted the outside area and leaving the logo area matte. This creates a nice contrasts and puts the focus on the logo.
The inaugural Valencia Trail Race turned out to be a huge success. Runners had a great time, race was well organized, and the custom award bling was definitely loved!
Do you have an upcoming race that you need a special bling designed? Contact us today!