Every Spartan medal tells a story: Etched in metal, but earned through pure grit and determination, these unbreakable pieces of hardware are not just something to wear around town after the race so everyone knows how badass you are. Spartan race medals are tokens of your commitment to building a healthier, longer, better life for yourself, of all of the difficult miles you’ve conquered across unknown soil, and all of the lifelong comrades you’ve added to your community arsenal along the way. Each design carries a historic weight far beyond its ounces, and when you don these engravings around your neck, you carry the legacy not only of where you raced – but who you became.
From the sketchbook through casting and engraving, hear all of the legendary lore on your bucket-list Spartan race medal from the medal designers themselves.
Related: Championships Beyond the Finish Line: Why You Need to Visit Spartan's Bucket-List Race Destinations
Spartan Race Medals You Can Earn and the Story Behind Every One
1. The Spartan Kids World Championship Medal
Spartan Kids are the little warriors in our lives, and the future champions of society. It’s only fitting that the medal’s design is anchored by the stoic, unyielding Chongli Mountains – the site of the 2025 Spartan Kids World Championship – and combines order and chaos to symbolize the importance of both rigidity and adaptability in young minds. Drawing inspiration from the Zhou Dynasty's Warring States period and its heavily ornamented and Interlocking Geometric Patterns (Huí wén), a new flip-top, dome-shaped layer can be opened to reveal the middle of the medal, where the Spartan helmet reigns fervently at the core.
If you look closely, you’ll notice minute carvings that spare no detail: jade objects from tombs, pendants, bronze fittings, vessels, lacquerware, bronze mirrors, and even hybrid animals. How many different species and easter eggs can your little Spartan spot on their hard-earned pendant?
2. The Spartan Super World Championship Medal
Ready to earn your runner’s high and a medal that’s as rugged as the terrain at this high-altitude, fast-paced, inaugural 10K world championship in the unforgettable Sierra Nevada Mountains of Mammoth Lakes? When you cross the finish line and feel the uplifting weight of your trophy around your neck, take in the towering silhouette of the once active volcano that is now Mammoth Mountain, carved into the medal’s core and framed by intricate piney textures inspired by the Sierra Nevada’s alpine lakes and sharp rock ledges. But just like the mental highs and lows you’ll encounter throughout the course, this design is not all grit and toil: Sweeping, flowy lines depict the stunning natural topography, while careful ornamental carvings evoke the tribal heritage of the region.
3. The Spartan Trifecta World Championship Medal
Completing a Spartan Trifecta is one of the most coveted accomplishments in the endurance and obstacle course racing world, and the Spartan Trifecta World Championship medal is a talking piece to keep in your legacy arsenal for life. This year’s medal celebrates the outdoorsy elements of the course’s West Virginia grounds: steep and unpredictable wild landscapes, winding rivers, and rustic roads come together in an etching anchored by the New River Gorge Bridge. The red, blue and green Trifecta colors blend seamlessly into an idyllic sunset sky, a black bear – reminiscent of the region’s fierce wildlife – makes its presence known, and gritty coal textures and tiny details nod to West Virginia’s rich mining history and state seal. If you want to earn your spot in Spartan history, this earthy medal’s signet is the next notch on your belt you should be chasing.
4. The Spartan National and Regional Series Medals
The Spartan National and Regional Series medals are where ancient legacy and heritage meet modern grit. Built off the backbone of the classic Spartan finisher medals, these unique pieces are a leveled-up version of tradition: as weathered and unwavering as the terrain you just conquered, but layered with intricate, ornate details that threaten to reveal something deeper. The National Series medal takes inspiration from an ancient Greek shield, symbolizing your unflappability to weakness, doubt, and the urge to quit, and if you persevere through the Regional Series, your medal offers a unique twist – literally. Its rotating center reveals a detailed map of Greece at its core, grounding your achievement in the birthplace of Spartan strength.
5. The Spartan 100-Meter and Sprint World Championship Medal
The Spartan 100-Meter and Sprint World Championships are as fast and furious as obstacle course races come, and set against the rich Croatian history and backdrop of sparkling water and lavender fields, magazine-worthy beaches, lush vineyards, and towering fortresses, this medal needed to be as beautiful as it was rewarding. Leaning on the unmistakably-ancient Croatian interlace pattern (known as “pleter,” which embodies continuity, unity, and strength qualities that define the nation), this medal takes you back thousands of years with both delicate and rough symbols representing the ancient walls of the city that weave around the Old Town’s churches, palaces, and terracotta rooftops.
6. The Spartan Beast World Championship Medal
The Spartan Beast World Championship is just that: a true beast of calf-busting terrain, blazing sun and throat-tickling heat. But when you conquer the 21K desert Beast course, what awaits you is truly extraordinary. This medal showcases an Arabian Oryx as a symbol of resilience, purity, and freedom in the Middle Eastern cultures prominent in Abu Dhabi. Blends of heritage-inspired and hand-crafted landscaping details depict the vast desert landmarks outlined by the architectural identity of the nearby capital, and infinite geometric lines reveal the unbreakable Spartan bonds that surround every finisher – individuals woven into something far greater than ourselves.
