5 Ways to Celebrate Your Loved One After Their First Marathon

So your loved one is running a marathon, huh? Not onlyWhile they have they been training hard for 12-16 weeks, likely adjusting their diet, social night, etc, you, too have been on the support training team. Whether it was going to bed with themyour loved one at 9pm on a Friday nights for their long, early morning run because you know they need to get up early for their long run, bringing water while they were out for their miles, or simply cheering them on, or and listening to all their ups and downs that come with intense marathon training. There is no doubt that runners simply cannot do it without you.

So - the day is almost here. And it’s going to be a really big deal once your loved one crosses that finish line -what are your plans to celebrate and commemorate this moment?

Here’s a race fact: You simply cannot replicate your first marathon no matter what you try to do. It is the most special one there is. And should definitely be remembered. My first marathon was the Walt Disney World in 2017. Sure, I have run faster than that one and been to way cooler places, but it was the first. The first one lends itself to a huge confidence boost that cannot be described in words. And after running 10+, while all my medals hang on my wall, even my sacred World Major medals, my very first medal and bib were placed into a special shadow box and are displayed on a shelf. 

So now it’s time to think about how to make your loved one cherish this moment forever. Here are 5 of the best ways to celebrate this HUGE victory with your loved one:

1. Shadow Box:Like I mentioned in my example above, being able to provide a place for your loved one to place this medal and bib is a nice way to show you understand how special this accomplishment was. You can go as simple as this one I love onAmazon or, if you want to be super fancy,you can get one made.
2. Medal Holder:Sorry to tell you but this will only be the beginning. Likely, if not another full marathon, there will be many more half marathons, 10ks and 5ks. Sooooo, nothing is more appropriate than a custom medal holder. I love the ones onEtsy here but you can also get some unique ones on Amazon.Take a look.
3. A map of the course: A really cool idea is the course map art that you can get for quite a few races. This is a fun way to add a unique piece to your home while being able to remember such an important day.Here are some of my favorites.
4. Team Shirts: From experience, one of my favorite race traditions is the “Team Amy” shirts that my family always wears on race day. We usually wear them the day before dinner - they give me one and all wear theirs - and then I can see my little cheering squad on the course. This has always made me feel really special on race day. And it can be really affordable to do them onZazzle or a custom printing shop.
5. A Victory Bracelet- The unfortunate thing about medals is that we have to hang them up on our walls eventually. But what if your loved one could wear their medal everywhere they went, even with a fancy outfit? Victory bracelets make it easy to bottle up those finish line feels. It’s quick and easy to get your loved one’s bracelet created ahead of race day. Explore here.

So get ready for race day - it’s going to be a long day on the support team. While you may not be running 26.2 miles, you sure did a lot to help your loved one toe the line. Use one of the ideas above (or several) to make this day one they can remember.