How much free stuff can you score with a marathon medal?

No matter how your marathon goes, one undeniable perk of crossing the finish line is wearing your finisher’s medal around town—and soaking up all the recognition (and free stuff) that might come with it. One London man took that idea and ran with it—literally.

David Hellard didn’t actually run the 2025 London Marathon. His wife Claire did. But the day after the race, he threw her medal around his neck and hit the streets of London to find out just how much free swag he could snag.

In an Instagram video, Hellard documented his self-imposed challenge, dubbed a “blag for swag”—a phrase that means scoring free items through persuasion or cheek. Over the course of 40 kilometres around London, he racked up an impressive haul: 20 drinks, seven pizzas, three bath bombs, a cookie, a burger and a Greek salad.

“I nearly threw up a few times along the way,” Hellard admitted. “Turns out, Peroni isn’t ideal mid-run hydration—who knew?”

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Despite the impressive freebie collection, Hellard’s stunt raised some eyebrows, especially since he hadn’t clarified in the video that he wasn’t the actual runner. When commenters praised his “post-marathon stamina,” he played along, replying: “A primed stomach full of carbs. The marathon was just the warm-up!”

Still, Hellard insists there’s no stolen valour here. He told Canadian Running he’s completed the London Marathon over a dozen times and saw this as his first year really cashing in on the freebies. He said he consumed everything he was given, except a few pizzas, which he saved to give to his wife when he returned home nine hours later. After all, she’s the one who ran the race.

So, if you’re wondering how much free stuff you can score with a marathon medal, the answer is: a surprising amount. And apparently, you don’t even have to run the race to score it.