Stolen medals on Ebay???

[bunnyfoo]

My friend who does Ironmans was telling me that you even need to keep the wristband in order to buy race merchandise.

 

[FireDancer]

what i don't understand why does anyone want a medal they didn't earn??

That is what I think. I'd never buy or even have a medal I didn't earn. However, if someone wants to go on eBay and buy a Disney Medal or Boston medal they didn't earn I don't really care, they know they didn't earn it.

I was a volunteer at the Cleveland marathon last year and I handed out medals. If I wanted to grab some and take them with me it wouldn't have been hard but of course I didn't and wouldn't. If I did though and sold them on eBay I'm not sure how they would prove I stole them as opposed to trying to sell a whole bunch my friends ran for. At the same time I'm sure Disney is much more concerned with all the counterfeit goods that get auctioned on eBay than the medals.

I think this is one of those "there is nothing I can really do about it" moments.

 

[FFigawi]

The coast-to-coast band is to help the finish line folks know who you are. In past Goofies but not including the 2011, there was a wrist band system. In 2011 they changed over to electronic. In the perfectly line there was a printout of half finishers that I was checked off of. I assume the same was in the regular(?) Goofy line.

I don't remember anyone doing any electronic checking when I got my Goofy medal this year. Maybe they did, but all I remember is walking over to the tent and being handed my medal without having to wait for them to cross me off a list or anything. Personally, I like the wristbands better. Easier for the volunteers to deal with and it makes you feel like a C-list celebrity as you're out having dinner on Saturday night.

 

[rubato]

I don't remember anyone doing any electronic checking when I got my Goofy medal this year. Maybe they did, but all I remember is walking over to the tent and being handed my medal without having to wait for them to cross me off a list or anything. Personally, I like the wristbands better. Easier for the volunteers to deal with and it makes you feel like a C-list celebrity as you're out having dinner on Saturday night.

Same here. No one looked at a list or anything. I walked toward the tent. They put the medal on me before I even got into the tent. They just assumed because I had just finished the marathon and had my Goofy bib on.

 

[cewait]

Same here. No one looked at a list or anything. I walked toward the tent. They put the medal on me before I even got into the tent. They just assumed because I had just finished the marathon and had my Goofy bib on.

very interesting. that kind of explains why a lot of 3:40 half folks were on the official goofy list.

There was a table in the perfect and Perfectly area with a list... maybe they were more specific about keeping those lists whole. or maybe it was a dream

 

[verticalchaos]

Ok, reporting in on what they did at the NYC Half...

When we finished, we had a little way to go to get to the turn off for medals, etc. There was at least one NYRR official (possibly volunteer, but she had on NYRR gear and not the volunteer vest) checking for wrist bands before we even started down that street. We then had to show it again to get our medal. As soon as we got it, we were being ushered on and it was making getting that background pose with the medal shot difficult. Only after that did we get the mylar "blankets" and food bag. (I managed to get a blanket and step back down for the pic, but I was a rare case.) And make a "death march" to the baggage area and out of the festival area.

So it definitely would have been difficult to impossible for anyone who didn't run the race to get a medal. (Officials were all over around there too, so I don't think a volunteer could have pocketed any.)

 

[longhorns2]

I am not sure if this was covered- but I read a blog about a lady who was swept at the Princess. She said the whole bus (sounded like a lot of ladies!) were picked up at mile 10.

they were all given medals.

Maybe some of the ones on ebay were from people who got swept, but didn't think they should keep their medals/didn't want to keep them? Just another thought.

 

[longhorns2]

Never mind- I went back and read the whole thread. WTG Coach! Sounds like it wasn't a swept person, just a crappy person.

 

[cewait]

I am not sure if this was covered- but I read a blog about a lady who was swept at the Princess. She said the whole bus (sounded like a lot of ladies!) were picked up at mile 10.

they were all given medals.

Maybe some of the ones on ebay were from people who got swept, but didn't think they should keep their medals/didn't want to keep them? Just another thought.

This is a little known Disney secret (besides DVC). Depending on the sweep point Disney often gives medals to those who are swept. It is not really a practice I like because it cheapens the effort of the last person who actually crosses the line. Nonetheless, WDW is the happiest place on earth and a place where magic happens. From all that I have seen these folks are handed medals that seem to be over runs or from previous years. Often they have no year identifier bobble hanging from them - not always but the ones I am most familiar with. I do know of a couple who received them on the marathon after getting picked up just before DHS. Their medals were on EBay the next day. He said it was not earned and ended up sending the proceeds to a charity.

Anyway I digress. No further word from the mouse and more importantly, no further action on EBay.