Mans medal for daughter

[CurtainsAndCords]

I'm cross and have name changed.

I'm a runner.

I'm pissed off that last week Runner’s World tweeted and article about hairstyles for the Marathon. WTF? No female I know training for VLM was considering the benefits of braids vs ponytail.

Today my daughter completed a triathlon. The medals have a man on the front in the three disciplines.

I'm cross that this medal that she deserves looks like it's for a different event.

I've tweeted both companies separately but I feel very alone with my anger.

Sorry trouble posting. Would anyone else be pissed off with these companies or just let it go?

No, I would be cross too.
Carry on complaining- what did the other parents and their daughters think?

Yes... this sort of somewhat low-level sexism too often goes unchallenged. Is the man on the medals some specific person or just a 'default human'? Maybe suggest a woman to put on the medals next year (for both sexes, of course).

I'd be cross too.

Thankyou.

It's definitely just a MAN. Very mannish!

I don't know any of the other parents. It was a case of getting the medal and leaving. No idea if other people are bothered.

I have sons too and I think I'd still be pissed off if they won it as it is clearly a MAN not a child anyway.

I'd complain (well, mention it in disappointment) because of course it doesn't have to be like this.

The company which organises the running events which I do most, had medals with runners on them last year and there were always both male and female runners depicted. And over the course of a few events you'd see various ethnic groups too. It can be done, it just requires a bit of thought and adequate planning.

I've done triathlons and it just has pictures of the disciplines or numbers/words etc so not specifically male/female

@AuntieStella x posted!

They never depicted children though

(Most of their events are only open to over-16s)

Honestly, I couldn't get too wound up about it. Managing my hair for long runs and triathlons is a bit of an issue for me as it all escapes, and headbands just fall off - and it gives me something to focus on in the bit where there is nothing practical you can do anymore.
And a lot of smaller events buy standard medals to reduce cost liability (otherwise you have to order 6 months in advance and pay a lot for die costs, plus non returnable so you have to take a punt on how many entries you'll get) and there isn't a lot of choice

I've just looked at my triathlon medals and they'd have all been appropriate for the kids part of today's event so yeah it can be done.

@CMOTDibbler I think if it was a small event I'd be more forgiving but it wasn't run by volunteers and it had a standard fee.

My DD is a triathlete, at quite a high level, and was very interested in advice she got before her first one about hair from other female triathletes. I had to reprise my French plaiting skills to show her how . She’s then passed it on to friends with long hair doing their first marathons who found that style much better than bouncing ponytails.

I know this one isn’t about the second part of your complaint, but just to say that I dont the think a magazine is being necessarily all ‘pink bows and sparkly stars for the girlies’ by featuring practical advice.

Good point @PlatypusPie

I'm thinking of cutting mine all off tbh!

You don't need to provide two sets of medals.

They couid have made one of the figures on the medal a female shape, of stylised all of them so they could be either.

Do agree that articles on hair are OK, though. There are zillions of articles and I don't see why this shouldn't be covered from time to time.

😂 I'm sure runners world will run all future content past you for your approval in the future. Do you just like finding things to complain about?

BTW CMOT there's a kind of silicone headband that might be useful to you. I can't remember the brand name (don't seem to be on sale here, they're either Aussie or US - sold for surfers, IIRC) and they were overpriced. But you can craft your own by cutting up a Decathlon own brand swimming hat. They stay put, wet and dry.

@Lichtie yes I do

Got it! It's a Bang Wrangler

www.amazon.com/KLASH-1001-The-Bang-Wrangler/product-reviews/B06XWKNV5S?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Hair management applies to anyone with long ish hair, male or female! Not really an issue - men have to worry about nipple rub and supportive pants, girls have sports bras, different practical kit issues!

I've just gone back and remembered why it annoyed me.

It's about what you look like - that you should care about posting on Instagram

Wow. Can't believe someone can get so irate about such a thing. Seriously, there are bigger things to get pissed off about. Shock horror, what if they ran out of medals?!

I really hope the organisers who need to deal with your complaints aren't volunteers that have given it their Bank Holiday Monday and countless free time to today to organise the event.

Maybe my standards are low but I'd be very chuffed that DC is healthy enough to indulge, sorry, I mean participate in (a pretty exclusive) sport.

Life's too short. Move on.

Fair enough.

Just to say The event wasn’t run by volunteers and they didn’t run out of medals though.

And you’re right - I am really proud of my daughter.

Yet here you are YoYoYumYum - finding the time to criticise the OP on the thread. Evidently having a quiet day