Editor’s Choice: Back to the Basics

Cara McLaurin Esau

© 2015 42K(+) Press, Inc.

It’s funny how cell phones used to be big and bulky. Through the years, they got smaller, sleeker, and smaller still. The ones that were the coolest were so tiny that we could barely keep track of them. Then, all of a sudden, bigger was better. The phones got bigger and bigger—so much so that now my kids no longer laugh at the size of my original cell phone, which, yes, I still have. I guess the same could be said of fashion, too. For instance, bell bottoms were hip. Then, in the ’80s, we really couldn’t believe we wore those things. In fact, in that decade our jeans were so snug that we had to do bodily contortions just to put them on. Of course, the bell bottoms made a reappearance, and to date, I have no idea whether they are still “in.”

Just as phones and clothing styles seem to revisit earlier eras, many races have opted for finisher medals that hearken back to the past—and they have won the hearts of many runners in doing so! In 2014, some beautiful medals that were extremely popular among our panel were made from such materials as wood, clay, and glass. Also, the classic medallion styles with skylines and landmarks won favor, getting away from odd shapes, designs, and flashing lights. The finisher medals were, for the most part, truly medals; the gadgets and gimmicks gave way to old-fashioned, traditional pieces.

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