To get the medal... or not.

One discussion that often pops up over at Team Run Disney (and if you are even mildly interested in Run Disney events you should check it out) is the "Should I get a medal even if I don't finish the race?" question. To put it softly, it is a very controversial issue. Not only do people feel very strongly about whatever position they have taken on the matter but they also defend said position with passion and warfare.

Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, let me frame it for you: You are running a race. For the sake of making things more interesting, lets assume that you have invested a lot of time, sweat and effort training for this race. As luck would have it, you are forced to cut it short and not finish. This will probably be a hard blow to take after all you have invested to get to that day. Then, a race official hands you a medal even though you did not finish. What do you do?

My first race medal

This is a particularly hot topic in Run Disney circles because, while in many races you don't even get the chance to choose whether to take it or not, it seems to be Disney policy (based on the experiences that many have shared on this subject) to give you the medal no matter what. In fact, many people have taken the medal only after much insistence from the cast member handing it to them, having declined to take it many times over. I'm only assuming here. I don't know what is the official position on this but my guess, this is just Disney being Disney. They could very well be thinking "Hey, you paid for the medal. It was part of the entry fee so you should get what you paid for." I could be wrong of course.

But the fact remains that you are being handed the medal. Do you take it?

This is where it gets ugly. There are many people who feel they should not take it. No matter what. Their position is very simple: The medal is a symbol of completion. You earn it for finishing a race. You don't finish, then you should not get the medal. This, I feel is completely fair and understandable. In fact, this is where I personally stand on this issue. If I were handed the medal in that situation, I would not accept it. Even if the person handing it to me insists, believe me, I can insist right back. No medal for me. Period.

Now this is where it gets a bit complicated, because if the reason for not accepting the medal seems simple and straightforward, the reasons people have for taking the medal are as varied and numerous as there are grains of sand on a beach. Furthermore, I think they are all valid as well.

The brass ring

I'm one of those people who likes to look at both sides of an argument so even when I feel strongly about where I stand personally, I can totally understand why someone would feel the opposite way. In fact, I will often defend the "other side" just to stir up friendly discussion sometimes. I have talked with, and read many stories of people -some who I admire very much- who have been swept at Disney races and were handed the medal and they have taken it and I understand the reasoning behind every single one of those stories. Like I said, there are many reasons but to mention some of them, people have taken the medal as reminder to do better next time and try harder. To them, the medal becomes a symbol as well. Others have given them away to people they feel deserve them. Heck, some have even taken them just because they don't want to argue with the cast member and they accept them just so they will shut up. I can totally understand that.

And you know what? It could just be that you felt  you paid a lot of money to run this race and you just want something to show for it. Disney races are expensive! I might not agree, but heck, they are indeed expensive. More power to you.

And yet, the discussion pops up and people get upset. I don't understand this. If you would not take the medal, fine. But if someone else does, why would that upset or anger you? You didn't take it. You followed what you thought was right. The fact that someone else did will not change that. Worse yet, you might not know the reasoning behind that person's decision to do so. When I hear about someone taking the medal, my immediate question is "what happened?" Not to argue with them, but because I really want to hear their story. It does not upset me at all. 

Me, taking the medal after saying I would not. Now, that would upset me. Then again, like Dennis Miller used to say: "That's just my opinion. I could be wrong."