Guide · gift
What should you give a marathon or trail finisher?
The gift that lasts is their race. A poster of the course they ran, drawn with a pen on artist paper, with their name, their time and the date along the bottom. You can pick it from the race catalogue in two minutes, and it arrives within 10 to 17 business days.
Why give their race rather than one more thing?
The medal ends up in a drawer. The course tells the story of the race: the start, the climbs, the stretch where it was all decided. On a poster, it becomes something they look at every day.
A finisher recognises their course at a glance. That is the difference from a mountain or city print bought in a shop: you are not giving a decoration, you are giving them their race, with their name and time.
What goes on the poster?
The title block, at the foot of the poster, carries the race name, the place and the date of the edition. You add their first name or full name, their time and the distance. Nothing is compulsory: a first name only, a time without seconds, or no name at all if the poster should stay understated.
Everything is set on the race page before you order. The preview shows the text exactly as it will be drawn, with a pen, like the rest of the design.
What makes the poster one of a kind?
It is drawn with a pen, line by line, by the workshop's plotter: the map, the contour lines, the course, then the title-block text. Each sheet is plotted on its own, and their name and time exist only on theirs. To see what that changes compared with a print, read the guide “Pen plotter or print”.
Where can you find their official time?
In the results published by the organiser: that is the time that counts. If the finisher logs their runs on Strava, the activity also gives the race time. A GPX file does not always give a reliable time, so copy the official result instead.
If you can't find the time, leave the field empty. The poster is complete with the race name, the place, the date and the distance.
Which race should you pick if they've run several?
Often the first one: a first marathon or a first ultra means more than the ones that follow. Or the hardest, the one they still talk about. Or the most recent, to mark a finish line that is still fresh.
If you can't decide between two, you can give both. In a single order of up to five posters, every poster from the second one on is 20% off.
Which size should you choose?
Three sizes, all standard:
- A4 (21 × 29.7 cm, 8.3 × 11.7 in), €59: for a desk, a shelf or a small stretch of wall.
- A3 (29.7 × 42 cm, 11.7 × 16.5 in), €89: for a hallway or a study wall.
- A2 (42 × 59.4 cm, 16.5 × 23.4 in), €149: the largest. It is not a scaled-up A3: it carries more detail, and the plotter spends about 48 minutes on it, against 27 for an A3.
The poster ships rolled in a tube, without a frame. A sizes are standard, so framers and large stores have frames that fit.
Which colourway should you choose?
There are four: night and gold, burgundy and gold, cream and gold, white and blue. On the dark backgrounds, the drawing is plotted in a light, opaque ink on mass-coloured paper. On the light backgrounds, it is plotted in black ink. If you're unsure, look at the photo of the four colourways on the race page: it is the same poster in each ink.
How long before it arrives?
Allow 5 to 10 business days for the workshop in Le Bouscat to make it, then 5 to 7 business days in transit: 10 to 17 business days in all. Shipping is tracked and free, in France and abroad. For a birthday or a celebration, order four weeks ahead.
What if their race isn't in the catalogue?
The catalogue holds 194 races: marathons, trails, ultras, cycling climbs and Tour de France stages. If theirs is missing, the “Your race” page lets you start from their track: a GPX file exported from their watch, or their Strava activity, with their agreement. The poster is drawn from that track, and the workshop logs the race as a request to add it to the catalogue.
What if the gift isn't right?
You have 14 days from delivery to cancel, even for a personalised poster. It is refunded once it comes back in good condition; return shipping is at your expense. If it arrives damaged, write to the workshop with your order number and a photo, and it will be replaced or refunded.