What's the secret to a good medal design? 

When you're the one designing it, the answer isn't always clear. 

That's where we at Badges And Medals come in. 

We’ve spent over five decades designing medals for everything from local fun runs to national lawn bowls events. 

We know what makes a medal memorable and, yes, what gets a medal tossed in a drawer and forgotten. 

In this article, we're pulling back the curtain on what we've learned by ranking our top five favourite event medals in Australia. 

You'll learn why these designs work and how you can use those same techniques to improve your own medal.

Best Australian event medals:

5. 'Tough Mudder Australia' Medal

Much of this medal is three-dimensional. CREDIT: Tough Mudder Australia

There’s a lot to like about the Tough Mudder medal. 

For starters, the medal doesn't have a date, meaning event organisers can reuse the same medal year after year without the added cost of creating a new design. 

And honestly, why fix something that isn't broken? 

At the centre of the medal is the Tough Mudder logo - a man running through fire - surrounded by dried mud. 

Tough Mudder Australia’s loud ribbon balances out the colourless medal. CREDIT: Tough Mudder Australia

This tells you exactly what the event is about: tackling a tough, muddy course. 

The design itself is eye-catching thanks to the fine linework and three-dimensional elements, which add depth, even without there being any colour on the medal. 

The bold orange and black ribbon, however, takes the opposite approach; it's full of colour, which balances the medal, while sticking to Tough Mudder’s brand colours.

Design takeaways:

• Leave the date off your medal if you want to use the design for several years.
• Add three-dimensional elements to add depth and interest, especially if your medal has no colour.
• Keep the design simple but impactful. Focus on what truly represents the essence of your event.

4. 'City2Surf Sydney' Medal

The first thing you notice about these medals are their bright colours. CREDIT: City2Surf

The City2Surf Sydney medal grabs your attention right away, and it’s all thanks to one thing: colour. 

While most event medals use colour sparingly, if at all, this one goes all in, making it impossible to ignore. 

Almost all of the medal has been coloured in with blues, yellows, and pinks. 

And these colours aren’t just for catching your eye - they’re also the event’s brand colours. 

This means as soon as you see the medal, you know exactly where it’s from, even before you catch the logo. 

The cut-out makes the City2Surf logo pop. CREDIT: Greg Cox

What makes it even better is how those bright colours flow right onto the ribbon, bringing the whole design together. 

It’s a small touch, but it's one that's often missed, despite this making a big difference to the overall look of the medal. 

Parts of it have also been cut-out to add depth to its design and make the City2Surf logo pop. 

The result is a medal that grabs and then holds your attention.

Design takeaways:

• Go bold with colour if you want your medal to stand out and grab attention.
• Incorporate your event’s brand colours into the medal design to make it more recognisable.
• Extend your design to the ribbon for a cohesive look that ties the entire medal together.

3. 'Run Bibbulmun Track' Medal

It’s not often you see three-dimensional elements on a wooden medal CREDIT: Rapid Ascent Ultra Running Events

Wooden medals are becoming more popular at events, however, many are simply laser-engraved designs. 

While that approach works, the Run Bibbulmun Track medal shows how much more you can do with wood. 

On it is a wooden rainbow serpent from Aboriginal Dreaming. 

This serpent, which also marks much of the Bibbulmun Track, makes the medal feel deeply connected to the land and its culture. 

But instead of being engraved onto the medal, as is the usual, the serpent has been cut from wood and stuck onto the base, creating a three-dimensional effect. 

This makes it very unique. 

The rainbow serpent marks much of the Bibbulmun Track. CREDIT: Rapid Ascent Ultra Running Events

You can't help but want to reach out and appreciate the medal. 

The serpent’s bright orange stain makes the medal even more striking, turning it into a real eye-catcher. 

One final touch is the clever clip that attaches the medal to the ribbon. 

This small detail makes the medal easy to remove, whether you want to display it, repurpose it, or even recycle it.

Design takeaways:

• Use layers to add interest to wooden medals.
• Incorporate cultural or local elements into your medal to make it more meaningful.
• Consider different types of ribbon attachments.

2. 'Surf Life Saving Australia' Medal

It’s the little details that make this medal look high-end. CREDIT: Badges And Medals

When it comes to medals, the most common approach is to slap your logo on it, and you can see that with this one. 

But what really sets a medal apart is the extra details that turn a basic design into something people will actually want to win. 

That’s why we love the Surf Life Saving Australia medal. 

At the centre, you’ve got the Surf Life Saving logo, surrounded by a cut-out that makes the logo really stand out. 

The use of colour and shapes is clever, guiding your eye away from the centre and up and around the medal. 

It's then that you notice the fine linework - also sunk into the medal - which adds depth and sparkle. 

Each of these design choices make the Surf Life Saving Australia medal look and feel like something truly special, leaving participants feeling appreciated and valued.

Design takeaways:

• Use colours and shapes to guide the eye around the medal.
• Use cut-outs to add depth to your medal.

1. 'Sydney Backyard Ultra' Medal

The further people ran, the more they could decorate their medal. CREDIT: Badges And Medals

The Sydney Backyard Ultra has one of the most unique medal designs in Australia. 

The medal's base looks like a signpost surrounded by gum tree leaves. 

But whenever runners hit a distance milestone, they're handed a new three-dimensional piece, which they can attach to their medal using a magnet. 

In other words, the more laps of the Sydney Backyard Ultra they complete, the more decorated their medal becomes. 

Only those that complete the full 671 kilometres earn all of the attachable distance pieces, with the final 'LOS' piece reserved for the last one standing. 

The rest get a 'DNF' (did not finish) piece to mark the point where they stopped. 

This makes the medal a personal record of the race - even years down the track, people will be able to look at it and see how well they did on the day. 

This technique of adding on distances also means that very few of the racer medals are the same, as each reflects everyone's own experience.

Design takeaways:

• Use interactive elements to add interest.
• Make medals more unique by adding features that change depending on the participant's experience.

Want to learn more?

It can be tough to figure out where to start when you're designing a medal for your event. 

That’s why we’ve shared our top five favourite event medals in Australia to get your creative juices flowing. 

You now know what makes these medals great and can make these ideas your own. 

At Badges And Medals, we’re all about helping you create something special. 

If you want more ideas on how to take your medal design to the next level, check out our blog post 'Best Custom Medal Design Ideas [With Examples]'.