New medal for upcoming race puts Burnaby Lake front and centre

The finish line prize for the Lakeside Classic is as thoughtfully designed as the race itself.

Most race medals end up in a junk drawer within a month. But the one runners will take home from the Lakeside Classic this August is designed to avoid dark places entirely, as it’s made to mean something for years down the road. Designing around the lake For Kamino Running Co. founder Daniel Simpson, the creative direction started with the setting.

Burnaby Lake’s scenery of a summer evening became the inspiration for this year’s look. “The main direction with the medals and branding was promoting Burnaby’s beautiful Burnaby Lake,” Simpson says. “The colour palette reflects a cool summer sunset vibe.”

The medal itself leans into wavy blue lines and deep blue tones meant to represent the shade and calm of the water. It’s a small detail but one that ties directly back to the course runners will spend their morning on. Simpson says the goal was to strike a balance between performance and scenery, something that brings runners back to that specific spot at Burnaby Lake.

More keepsake than swag With race swag rarely surviving past race day, Simpson and the Kamino team wanted this one to hold up differently. “We want the participants to look at this medal years from now and remember the fun vibe, cool summer air and a day of community,” Simpson says. That thinking is exactly why the design doesn’t try too hard.

No cluttered logos, no over-the-top graphics, just clean lines and colours that actually mean something. Simpson figures that’s what runners will latch onto most, on a race day and every time they spot the medal on display later. A full day worth remembering Simpson isn’t just thinking about the medal.

He’s thinking about the whole ride, from the second someone signs up to the photo they take at the finish line. “The registration experience, race bib, shirt, medal, finish line and photography all become part of the memories people take home,” Simpson says. That’s the same energy running through the rest of the Lakeside Classic this year.

DJs at the finish line, a free Kids Run for the little ones, a crowd that sticks around instead of bolting to the parking lot. The race clocks in around an hour but the medal is made to outlast it by a long shot. The Lakeside Classic happens Sunday, Aug. 16 at Burnaby Lake Regional Park.

Registration is open now at www.kaminorunning.ca.