Growing meadows!

I’m fully aware that not everyone really appreciates medals. If you’re doing 50 events (or more!) a year they might lose their appeal a bit, or if you’re using the event as a long training run for example. That’s why we partnered with Trees not Tees a few years back. You have planted literally hundreds of trees over the last few years instead of taking a medal you didn’t want. Perfect all round!!

But there has been a slight issue on the finish line. Hopefully unseen by most but it happens at most events at least once. Someone doesn’t want the medal, but they do want the drink and flapjack. We then go through an elaborate explanation of how to make that work. Or we take someone’s timing chip from them, realise they have selected Trees not Tees and then it’s an uncomfortable – “bye!”. The giving of the medal is almost like the final handshake to complete the day – to not give anything almost feels rude and uncomfortable at times.

So I’ve got a solution! Earth Runs create medals/tokens that aren’t made from metal but instead wildflower seeds! So when you finish we can give you your flapjack and drink and a wildflower seed medal. For each token given out they plant a tree as well so we’re doing good all over!

Trees not Tees do great work and we wish them well as they grow from strength to strength. However, I am really looking forward to being able to send everybody away with the full compliment of Big Bear goodies!

To be clear I am definitely not anti-medal. I’m very proud of the quality medals we’ve given out at Big Bear over the years and love to see them around peoples necks. I’ve got mine on the wall (technically not true at the moment but post-building work to be rectified!) and looking at some of them brings back lots of happy memories (and some of them lots of not so happy ones!). If you like medals I am 100% here for it. It’s waste I don’t like. If you’re just going to bin it, chuck it in a draw and never see or think of it again it’s simply a waste.

This change will be coming in from the Otter Challenge (September 2024) onwards, you may have noticed different wording on the entry forms already!