Sports Day Medals and School Awards: A Simple Guide
Sports day is one of the biggest medal orders a school makes, and it usually lands in a busy few weeks at the end of the summer term. A little planning in spring makes it easy.
How many medals?
- Gold, silver and bronze for each race: count the races (or events) and order three per race, plus a few spares for ties.
- A medal for every child: many primary schools now give every pupil a medal for taking part. Count the year groups and add a handful of spares for new starters.
- A mix: a participation medal for everyone, plus gold, silver and bronze for the winners of each event.
Choosing the medal
- Size: 50mm is the usual sports day size; 40mm keeps costs down for a large school.
- Ribbons: check whether the ribbon is included. A school or house colour ribbon looks smart.
- Centres: many medals take a 1 inch (25mm) centre, so you can choose a sports day, running or school design, or a plain centre for engraving.
- Packs: bulk packs and multi-buy lines are often the cheapest way to buy a whole school's worth.
Engraving
For a whole school, unengraved medals are the norm and much quicker. If you'd like wording, keep it to one short line such as “Sports Day 2027” so every medal can be the same.
When to order
Most sports days are in June and July, which is also the busiest time of year for school and club orders. Ordering in April or May gives you time to check everything when it arrives. Each product page on our stores shows its own delivery estimate.
House cups and end of year awards
The same order can include a house cup, a sports personality trophy or leavers' awards, all from one store so there's one basket and one delivery charge.