Half marathon gifts: for a first half and for someone who runs many

A good half marathon gift is either something useful around race day, such as a massage or a meal afterwards, or something that records the race, such as a medal hanger or a print of the route. Which one fits depends mostly on whether this is their first half or one of many. The distance is 21.0975 km, according to World Athletics.

If you are buying for someone who ran a full marathon, see what to give someone who just ran a marathon.

For a first half marathon

After a first half there is often a medal, a race number and a finishing time to keep. These gifts are built around one of those.

• A medal hanger. It gives the first medal a place and has room for the next ones. We do not sell them. Sports shops and online retailers do.
• An official race photo. Many races sell photos from the course. Let the runner choose the picture.
• A meal after the race. Book a table near the finish, at a time they can make even on a slow day.
• A massage. Book it for a few days after the race and let them move the time if they need to.
• A print of their route. See below.

For someone who runs many

Someone on their tenth half may already have a medal hanger. Things that get used up are a safer choice.

• Running socks. Ask which brand and size they wear, or look at a pair they already own.
• A race entry. Only if you know which race they want. Check whether the entry can be transferred to another name.
• A foam roller or a massage ball. Both are inexpensive.
• A gift voucher for a physiotherapist or a sports massage.
• A print of a whole year. Our Heatmap and Coverage motifs draw many runs on one sheet, so a full season can go on one poster. The Strava heatmap poster page shows both.

A print of the half marathon route

We make a poster from the runner's own recording of the race, with one to four numbers under the line, for example distance, time and pace. It shows what their watch recorded and is not a print of the official course. Distances are in kilometres.

You need the runner's file. We do not fetch another person's Strava. The runner can connect their own Strava account and make the print themselves, or send you a GPX, FIT or TCX file to make it from.

On size: 30×40 cm is our smallest sheet and costs from 319 kr. It suits a half marathon with a simple shape, such as one big loop or an out-and-back. If the course winds through a city centre with many turns close together, the line gets cramped at that size, and 50×70 cm is the better choice. What size route print goes through the sizes. A framed print costs from 799 kr. We deliver in Denmark and the rest of the EU only.

If the race was in Copenhagen, we have a page about the Copenhagen Half Marathon poster.

When to give it

A print has to wait until after the race, because it is made from the recording. Production takes 2 to 4 working days. Delivery takes 2 to 5 working days in Denmark and 3 to 8 in the rest of the EU, so allow two weeks if it has to arrive by a certain date. A personalised print has no cooling-off return, but you can cancel for free until the order is released to print.