Whale of Trail finishers received medals painted by schoolchildren
Participants in the Whale of Trail trail race, held on August 15, 2026, in the De Hoop Nature Reserve on the southern coast of the Cape region, received finishing medals in the form of ceramic plates featuring a whale tail. Each medal was hand-painted by pupils at Ouplaas EK Primary School in De Hoop, which mainly educates children from the surrounding farming community, Daily Maverick reports.
Medals bearing the names of young artists
The pupils worked under the guidance of an art teacher and created their own blue-and-white interpretations of the theme. The name of the young author was written on the back of each ceramic award. Thus, the medal a runner received at the finish was already connected to a child's story and creativity.
The race follows the Whale Trail route in the De Hoop reserve. The author of the article noted that this distance became his longest trail race together with his daughter. The route ran through the reserve's landscapes, its coastline, areas where whales can be seen, and terrain with diverse vegetation.
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A medal as a participant's choice
In mass races, finishing medals have long been awarded not only to winners. They confirm the distance completed, months of preparation, early training sessions, injuries and other difficulties faced by runners.
At the same time, organizers are increasingly giving participants the option to decline a medal. This can reduce waste or allow part of the costs to be directed to environmental or charitable initiatives. Since 2026, London Marathon Events has required participants in its events to actively choose whether they want to receive a finishing medal. As the author notes, the value of such an award is often determined not by its material worth, but by memories of a particular race, the people and the place.
