The Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon Receives Top Honors for its 2014 Medal Design--an Ashworth Award!

Fort Lauderdale, FL, April 30, 2015—The marathon finisher medal for Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon & Half Marathon has been voted #1 medal in the Top 25 Marathon Medals contest conducted annually by Marathon & Beyond magazine. The 2014 achievement marks the second year in a row that the Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon has taken top honors. In 2013, the marathon medal took first place as well. In fact, Fort Lauderdale has finished first in three out of the last five years, having also been selected as the top medal in 2010.

“We are extremely flattered and humbled by the honor,” said Matt Lorraine, Race Director of the Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon. “Each year our team puts a lot of thought and time into the design of our medal. An entirely unique medal is designed for each year’s event, so it has become increasingly difficult to dream up something new. But the collective voice of runners has spoken, with quality and unique medals being an important attribute of a race, so we strive to consistently raise the bar.” 

“Matt and his team set a high bar with their innovative race medals,” says Marathon & Beyond publisher Jan Seeley. “Other race directors look to this race for medal inspiration. We can’t wait to see what Matt cooks up next!”

A panel of 12 male and 12 female marathoners reviewed hundreds of marathon finisher medals, ranking their top 10 plus 5 honorable mentions. The panel is different every year and geographically diverse.

The designing of medals has become a year-round labor of love for the Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon. “As soon as our event is complete, our thoughts turn to the design of the following year’s medal,” said Katty Peraza, VP of Graphic Design. “Our runners will begin emailing us or posting on the Facebook page a few weeks after the event, inquiring about next year’s design. Our medal is featured prominently in all of our marketing and advertising, so it’s important that we finalize the medal months in advance of the upcoming event.”

Ashworth Awards has manufactured both the 2013 & 2014 award winning medals. "We are really proud of the A1A medallions. Working hand in hand with Matt and his team to bring their finisher medallion concepts to reality has been very rewarding for the staff at Ashworth Awards. We look forward to helping them stay ahead of the curve and consistently push the envelope when it comes to their finisher medals" says Daniel T. Ashworth, President/CEO of Ashworth Awards.

Registration is open for the 2016 Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon & Half Marathon. For information and registration, please visit www.A1AMarathon.com

About the Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon

The Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon & Half Marathon is an annual running event that takes place during President’s Weekend. 2016 will mark the 11th anniversary of the event. The weekend of events features a Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Fun Run, and the Publix Health & Fitness Expo. The “A1A” in the event name is short for State Road A1A, the legendary oceanfront road the spans the east coast of Florida. Much of the run course takes place on A1A, offering miles of unobstructed ocean views.

If you would like more information about this event, please contact Matthew Lorraine at (561) 865-5379, or email Matt at Lorraine@exclusivesports.com

About Marathon & Beyond Magazine

Now in its 19th year, Marathon & Beyond is an international bimonthly magazine dedicated to long-distance run­ning. Marathon & Beyond subscribers are marathoners and ultrarunners who compete in several long-distance races a year. Subscribers live in all 50 states, all provinces of Canada, more than a dozen European countries, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as places like Africa, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Iceland.

About Ashworth Awards

For 50 years, Ashworth Awards has been a go-to resource for race directors, event coordinators, coaches, and industry leaders with their recognition products and awards. By providing the highest quality manufacturing and materials, unbeatable pricing, custom designs, and industry leading customer service they have created a seamless experience, assisting in recognizing their customer’s event participants as well as acquiring the proper recognition and exposure that events deserve