Rowing, Dragon Boat and Paddle Race Medals

Short answer

Paddle and rowing events award crews, not just individuals, so the medal count follows the seats in the boat. A rowing regatta usually gives first, second and third place medals in each event, a dragon boat festival gives a medal to every member of a placing crew, including the drummer and the steerer, and a canoe or kayak race often adds finisher and age group medals. We design the medals around your regatta or festival artwork, cut and printed in acrylic and metal, with team trophies and a perpetual to match. There is no minimum order, and you approve a design proof before anything is produced.

Shaped, layered acrylic finisher medal for a 17K river run, with the distance in raised yellow lettering, on a blue neck ribbon

Count seats, not boats

The most common mistake on a regatta medal order is counting one medal per winning boat. A rowing eight has nine people in it once the coxswain is counted. A dragon boat crew is a full bench of paddlers plus a drummer at the bow and a steerer at the stern, and reserves who raced in the heats expect a medal too. Start from the boat classes in your program and multiply by the seats.

Paddle events also tend to run many events in one program: different boat sizes, age categories, open, women’s and mixed crews, and novice and masters divisions. One medal design with the event name on a printed panel or a plate keeps the set consistent while each event still gets its own label.

Our medallion awards are the starting point for most paddle events, and race medals covers finisher medals for timed races. For the other events boating clubs run, see boating event awards.

What a regatta or paddle festival awards

Place medals by event

First, second and third in each event on the program, with the event name and boat class on the medal or its plate. One design across the whole regatta.

Crew medals for every seat

For crew boats, a medal for each rower and the coxswain, or each paddler plus the drummer and steerer. Add the reserves who raced in earlier heats.

Finisher medals

For canoe and kayak races and long paddles, a medal for everyone who crosses the line. Often the piece entrants keep longest.

Team and club trophies

A trophy for the winning crew to keep at the boathouse, and points trophies for the club with the best overall results.

Festival perpetual

A perpetual that stays with the festival and gains a plate each year for the winning team, often the overall or corporate division champion.

Spirit and sponsor awards

Best team spirit, best costumes, top fundraising team and sponsor-presented awards, common at community dragon boat festivals.

A medal count you can copy

Seats per boat decide the count. Fill in your own events; the seat numbers below are the usual ones for each boat type.

Medals per placing crew by boat type
Boat	People in the boat	Medals per placing crew
Single scull or single kayak	1	1
Double or pair	2	2
Four with coxswain	5	5
Eight with coxswain	9	9
Standard dragon boat	Paddlers plus drummer and steerer	The full crew list, plus reserves who raced
Small dragon boat	Paddlers plus drummer and steerer	The full crew list, plus reserves who raced
Canoe, two paddlers	2	2

Multiply by three places, then by the number of events. Ask each crew captain for a crew list before the final, so the medal count for the podium is known while the boats are still on the water.

Dragon boat festivals

Community dragon boat festivals often mix serious club crews with corporate, school and charity teams who trained for a few sessions. Most festivals split them into divisions so each has its own podium: competitive, corporate or community, women’s, mixed and youth. Each division gets its own place medals in one design.

Many festivals also give awards that have nothing to do with the clock: best team spirit, best drum, best costumes or team theme, and the team that raised the most for the festival’s charity. These are good places for a sponsor to present, and a good use of a shaped acrylic trophy cut to a dragon head or the festival logo.

River Dragon Boat Festival
Corporate Division
Gold

If a sponsor funds a division or a spirit award, sponsor-presented awards explains how to set it up, and sponsor plaques covers the thank-you the sponsor keeps.

Rowing regattas, canoe and kayak races

A rowing regatta is usually a long program of short events, so medals are presented at the dock straight after each final. Sort the medals by event before race day and keep each event’s set in its own labeled bag, with the crew count written on the outside.

Canoe and kayak races are more often a single start with many categories: boat type, age group, solo or tandem, and recreational or racing hulls. Finisher medals for everyone, plus age group place medals, is a common structure. Stand-up paddle races have their own page at paddle boarding trophies.

Season-end club awards, such as rower of the year or most improved, belong at the club banquet rather than the regatta. End-of-season awards covers that side.

What to send us

The regatta or festival logo, and any club or sponsor logos.
The event list with boat types and divisions, and how many places you award.
Crew sizes, so we can confirm the medal count with you.
Any team trophies, perpetuals and spirit awards.
The date the medals must be in hand.

We send a design proof before anything is produced. For timing, work back from the date of the regatta and contact us for the current lead time; how far in advance to order explains how to plan it.

Rowing and Dragon Boat Medals FAQs

How many medals does a dragon boat crew need?

One for every member of the crew who raced: the paddlers, the drummer and the steerer, plus any reserves who raced in earlier heats. Ask each captain for a crew list before the final.

Does the coxswain get a medal in rowing?

Yes. The coxswain is part of the crew, so an eight with coxswain needs nine medals per place.

Can one medal design cover every event?

Yes. Most regattas use one design and put the event name, boat class and place on a printed panel or plate, so the set stays consistent across the program.

What awards suit a corporate or charity dragon boat team?

Division place medals, plus spirit, costume, drum and fundraising awards. Many corporate teams also want a team trophy to take back to the office.

Do you make finisher medals for canoe and kayak races?

Yes. Finisher medals for every entrant and age group place medals are both common, in the same design so they belong together.

Is there a minimum order?

No. A small club regatta and a large festival go through the same process, with a design proof before production.

Racer in a helmet raising both arms as gold confetti falls under stage lights

REGATTA OR FESTIVAL COMING UP?

Send the event list and crew sizes

Send your logo, the event list, the divisions and the crew sizes, and we will work out the medal count with you and design the set. You approve a proof before anything is produced.

There is no minimum order. Tell us the date the medals must be in hand when you ask for a quote.

Request a Quote

Rowing and Dragon Boat Medals