My first marathon was in 1998. It was a training walk for my first Disney marathon in 1999. Seriously, you'll be surprised how many races give nedals -- especially if you get to go to Disney for many.
I like having a "souvenir" so (I'm embarrassed to admit) I tend to be more interested in races if they offer bling. I started all this "racing" to try to bring some consistency to my walking, and the potential for public humiliation in a race proved to be a powerful motivator for me.