Question 1

Can one medal design cover a triathlon and a duathlon?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes, using the same mould. Plating colour, enamel colour, ribbon and back content are all variable per category without new tooling. The exception is a face with a dedicated swim zone — a duathlon with no swim leg leaves an empty zone, so either print over it or cut a separate duathlon mould.

Question 2

What size medal suits a triathlon?

Accepted Answer

60 mm is the practical default for a design that carries three discipline zones. Below 50 mm the individual sports become too small to read at viewing distance. For long-distance and championship tiers, 70 mm at 4 mm thickness carries the relief properly.

Question 3

Should finisher and podium medals be the same design?

Accepted Answer

Same design language, different specification. A finisher medal goes to every entrant, so unit cost and volume dominate. A podium medal goes to three people per category, so the budget per piece is much higher. Mixing the two budgets is the most common structural error on triathlon orders.

Question 4

How do I handle relay teams?

Accepted Answer

Decide early whether each team member receives a medal or the team receives one. A four-person team with individual medals quadruples that category's quantity and changes the price band. Confirming this before the quotation avoids a mid-project revision.

Question 5

What finish survives an open-water transition?

Accepted Answer

Zinc alloy with bright or black nickel plating at 3 µm or above, plus a PU clear coat. Zinc alloy does not rust, so a scratch in the plating does not start a corrosion path. Avoid iron for any event with open water or a coastal transition.

Question 6

What is the lead time, and do I need a physical sample?

Accepted Answer

Sampling runs 7–10 days after design is confirmed, and bulk production runs 15–18 days on receipt of payment. A physical sample is not required — we photograph casting, plating, colour filling, the finished face and the back, and 95% of orders are confirmed from those images. That removes the international courier round trip from the schedule.

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