Kentucky Derby Festival unveils special finisher medal for 50th miniMarathon. Take a peek

Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
The commemorative 50th anniversary finishers medal for 2023 GE Appliances KDF 31.1 mile miniMarathon
The commemorative 50th anniversary finishers medal for 2023 GE Appliances KDF 31.1 mile miniMarathon

A special 50th-anniversary medal will be waiting at the finish line for participants in the 2023 GE Appliances Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon on Saturday, April 29.

And it's a beauty.

On Tuesday, the festival unveiled the commemorative finishers medal for the 13.1-mile distance along with the medals for the full marathon and relay races.

"Seeing participants cross the finish line is one of the highlights of every Derby Festival," said Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO Matt Gibson. "Whether it's the miniMarathon, Marathon or Relay, achieving that goal deserves recognition. We want our finisher medals to stand out and showcase that accomplishment."

The design for this year's medal is unique for each race — the mini, the Marathon and the Marathon Relay. Each of the medals features an outline of the GE Appliances miniMarathon and Marathon logo in black nickel. In a nod to the 50th run, the miniMarathon medal spotlights a large number 50 front and center that's trimmed in metallic silver and gold. The Marathon and Relay medals focus on the distance of 26.2 miles in the design.

The commemorative 50th anniversary finishers medal for 2023 GE Appliances KDF miniMarathon plus full marathon and relay medals.
The commemorative 50th anniversary finishers medal for 2023 GE Appliances KDF miniMarathon plus full marathon and relay medals.

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The annual spring race began with the miniMarathon and just 301 runners in 1974. Since then, it has grown to add the Marathon and now attracts an average of 10-12,000 runners to Louisville every spring.

Finisher medals were first introduced to the miniMarathon in the late 90s. Over the years, the medal has featured everything from the race logo and colors to the city skyline, Louisville landmarks, a horseshoe, and the outline of the state of Kentucky.

The GE Appliances Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon is set for Saturday, April 29. The in-person races will start simultaneously at 7 a.m. on Main Street near Slugger Field and then finish on Adams Street, just outside of the Lynn Family Stadium, the Official Finish Line for both the mini and Marathon.

While 2023 marks the 50th annual miniMarathon, it also signifies the 22nd annual Marathon. This year's races are capped at 10,000 runners total and are over 50% full. Runners are encouraged to register early to guarantee their spot.

Registration is open at DerbyFestivalMarathon.com. In honor of the medal release, participants can use code MEDAL23 to save 15% on registration through Feb. 2.

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby Festival unveils finisher medal for 50th miniMarathon