A medal hanger holds more weight than people expect. Twenty marathon medals is three to four kilograms hanging off two fixings, pulling downward and outward, on a wall that is often hollow. Most failures are not the hanger — they are the wrong fixing in the wrong wall. This is how to get it right the first time.
- Identify the wall first: knock it. Hollow and drum-like is plasterboard; dull and solid is brick or block.
- Plasterboard without a stud needs proper hollow-wall anchors — not raw plugs, which pull straight out.
- Into a stud or into brick is the strongest option, and the one to aim for with a heavy collection.
- Assume roughly 150–200g per medal. Twenty medals is 3–4kg; fifty is closer to 8–10kg.
- Mount so the lowest medal clears skirting and furniture — rail height around 1.5m suits most rooms.
How do you know what your wall is made of?
Knock it. A hollow, drum-like sound means plasterboard (drywall) over a timber or metal frame — standard in UK new-builds and most stud partitions. A dull, solid thud means masonry: brick, block or plaster over brick, common in older homes and on external walls.
Confirm with a pilot hole in an inconspicuous spot. Plasterboard drills fast and gives up soft grey-white dust; brick resists and produces gritty red or grey dust. That two-second test decides every choice after it.
How do you fix a medal hanger to plasterboard?
With hollow-wall anchors rated for the load — or better, by hitting a stud. Plastic raw plugs are designed for masonry and will pull out of plasterboard under sustained downward load, which is exactly what a medal collection applies. Use one of these instead:
- Self-drive metal anchors — quick, no pilot hole, good for lighter collections up to around 5kg per fixing.
- Spring toggles or butterfly anchors — the strongest plasterboard option; they open behind the board and spread load. Best for large collections.
- A timber stud — if you can find one behind the board, a standard wood screw into it beats any anchor. Studs usually sit at 400mm or 600mm centres; a cheap detector finds them in seconds.
Whatever you use, fix both ends into the same type of support. One end in a stud and the other in soft board will load unevenly and sag over time.
SUMMIT
Laser-cut steel, wall-mounted, with bib display. Two fixing points, a flat back that sits tight to the wall, and enough rail for a growing collection — designed to be mounted once and left alone.
How do you fix into brick or masonry?
Pilot hole, plastic plug, screw — the standard method, and the most secure of all. Use a masonry bit in hammer mode, matched to the plug size (a 6mm plug takes a 6mm bit). Drill to just past the plug length, clear the dust, tap the plug flush, then drive the screw.
One caution: avoid drilling into mortar joints if you can. Brick itself holds a plug far better than the softer mortar between courses. And check for cables and pipes before drilling — they typically run vertically and horizontally from sockets and switches.
The fixing fails, not the steel. Match the anchor to the wall and the mount outlives the collection.
Can you hang a medal hanger without drilling?
For a small collection, yes — with caveats. Heavy-duty adhesive strips rated to 5kg or more can hold a light hanger on a smooth, clean, painted surface. They are the practical answer in rentals where drilling is not allowed.
But be honest about the load. Adhesive ratings assume a static pull on a perfectly prepared surface; medals add weight over time, get knocked, and swing. If your collection is growing, or the wall is textured, wallpapered or freshly painted, drill. A failed adhesive mount usually takes a patch of paint with it — which is more damage than two filled screw holes.
How much weight will it actually hold?
Plan for roughly 150–200g per medal — heavier for big-city marathon medals, lighter for 5K and 10K. Twenty medals is 3–4kg; fifty is closer to 8–10kg. Spread across two proper fixings, that is well within the range of spring toggles or a masonry plug, and well beyond what a raw plug in plasterboard will tolerate.
If your collection is already large, or you are adding bibs and a second rail, size up the fixings from the start. Our guide to the double-rail version covers when a bigger display makes sense.
What height should you mount it?
High enough that the lowest medal hangs clear. A rail at about 1.5m from the floor — roughly eye level — leaves room for long ribbons to hang without touching a desk, sofa back or skirting. In a stairwell or above a desk, raise it further.
Mark both fixing points with a spirit level before drilling. A hanger that is two millimetres out of level is invisible empty and obvious once the medals are on it.
Once it is up, protect the paper: bibs need sleeves, not lamination. More on choosing a display in the steel hanger guide, and the full range sits in Run.
FAQ
Use hollow-wall anchors rated for the load — self-drive metal anchors for lighter collections, spring toggles for heavy ones. Plastic raw plugs are for masonry and will pull out of plasterboard. Fixing into a timber stud is stronger than any anchor.
Knock it. A hollow, drum-like sound means plasterboard over a frame; a dull solid thud means brick or block. A small pilot hole confirms it — plasterboard gives soft grey-white dust, brick gives gritty red or grey dust.
For a small collection, heavy-duty adhesive strips rated to 5kg or more can work on a smooth, clean, painted surface — useful in rentals. For a growing collection, or textured or wallpapered walls, drill instead: a failed adhesive mount usually takes paint with it.
Roughly 150-200g each, heavier for big-city marathon medals. Twenty medals is about 3-4kg; fifty is closer to 8-10kg. Size the fixings for the collection you expect, not the one you have today.
About 1.5m from the floor — roughly eye level — so the lowest medal and its ribbon hang clear of skirting, desks and furniture. Mark both fixing points with a spirit level before drilling.