‘Medal Monday’ was a little sweeter for the 2022 Servus Calgary Marathon participants, which was held on Sunday, May 29th. The unique finisher medals almost didn’t make it to the finish line in time, due to unexpected backlogs at the Port. It seemed unsurmountable until Marathon Executive Director Kirsten Fleming, and the medal supplier Leslie Jordan Inc., teamed up to tackle the problem.
The medals’ delivery timeline initially included weeks to spare, but congestion at the Port put the vessel in holding patterns at sea. Tension increased when docking was changed to the Saturday before the race, leaving only a 1% chance the medals would be offloaded and delivered in time. Fleming acted quickly, and contacted the Operations Director at the Vancouver Port. They made arrangements for the ship to dock and be unloaded on Saturday morning. Once there, the container had to be hauled to a warehouse that was usually closed on Saturdays, to clear customs inspection. Leslie Jordan’s team worked with Port Authorities to open the warehouse for the container, and arranged for overtime workers to come in, unload, and complete inspection. From there, the medals were trucked to the airport where they made the last flight of the day, thanks to Calgary-based airline Westjet, who flew them to their final destination at no charge. They arrived in Calgary at Midnight, and were picked up by Kirsten, alongside Operations Director Jon Bird, who delivered them to the finish chute just hours before the starting gun.
“Given everything that is happening in the world, we are amazed at how many people went above and beyond to make our ‘medal miracle’ happen. We are very grateful for our longstanding relationships, along with the new ones we forged through this experience,” says Fleming.
Leslie Jordan adds, “We partner with race organizers to help make their events successful. The Calgary Marathon faced an unforeseeable problem, so we searched for creative solutions, and applied teamwork to overcome the issue. We are proud to have been a part of that success.”
Leslie Jordan, Inc., is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise based in Oregon, known for their quality products, creative design, and exceptional service. As industry leaders, they manufacture an extensive product line spanning performance apparel, accessories, and medals – with services including artwork development, custom labelling, and fulfillment. Leslie Jordan, Inc. is more than just a supplier; their focus is on communication and partnership, to create the best experience possible for event directors.
