Custom Wooden Medals for Tees Valley Canisports

Tees Valley Canisports needed medals that felt right for an outdoor challenge.

Not something generic. Not something that looked like it could belong to any event.

For a canicross and outdoor community event, the medal had to feel natural, practical and connected to the people taking part.

The custom wooden medal created for Tees Valley Canisports.

About Tees Valley Canisports

Tees Valley Canisports is a canicross and canisports club based in the Tees Valley area.

Their events bring together runners, walkers and dogs across outdoor routes, with a strong focus on community and shared achievement.

That makes the medal choice important. In events like this, the award is not just about finishing. It is part of the story people take away from the day.

The Design Challenge

Outdoor events are different from road races or indoor competitions.

They are often muddy, social, emotional and personal. The medal needs to reflect that.

The challenge was to create a custom medal that:

• Matched the outdoor feel of the event
• Worked well for runners, walkers and dog owners
• Looked clear in photos
• Stayed sensible for an event budget
• Supported a more sustainable approach

Why Wooden Medals Were the Right Choice

A wooden medal made sense because the event itself is built around movement, nature and community.

Compared with a standard imported metal medal, wood gives a warmer and more natural finish. It also gives organisers more design flexibility.

For Tees Valley Canisports, the wooden medal helped the award feel connected to the event setting rather than separate from it.

• The natural material matched the outdoor event feel.
• The printed design kept the branding clear.
• The ribbon added colour without overcomplicating the medal.
• UK production helped keep the process more controlled.
• The sustainable medal choice fitted the values of an outdoor community event.

The Medal Approach

The final medal used a custom wooden base with event branding and a bright ribbon.

This kept the medal simple, clear and relevant. It did not need heavy decoration or unnecessary extras.

For canicross and outdoor challenge events, that matters. Participants want something that marks the achievement, but the design still needs to feel grounded in the event itself.

What Other Event Organisers Can Learn

This project is a useful reminder that medal design should start with the event experience, not the product catalogue.

Before choosing a medal, organisers should ask:

• What kind of experience are participants having?
• Is the event serious, fun, muddy, emotional, family-led or community-led?
• Will the medal look right in finish line photos?
• Does the material match the setting?
• Does the ribbon colour support the event branding?
• Is the design clear enough to understand quickly?

For canicross events, trail races, charity walks and outdoor challenges, custom wooden medals often work well because they feel connected to the environment participants have just moved through.

Case Study Summary

The Final Result

The finished medal gave Tees Valley Canisports an award that felt practical, natural and connected to the event.

It recognised the effort involved while keeping the design clean and suitable for an outdoor community challenge.

That is the goal with any good custom race medal: it should support the event, not distract from it.

Planning a Canicross, Trail or Charity Event?

If you are organising a canicross event, trail race, charity walk, school sports day or outdoor challenge, your medal should be designed around the experience participants are having.

We can help you choose the right material, shape, ribbon and finish based on your event, budget and deadline.