Official Castaway Cay 5K Thread

[LotsaMickey]

Does anyone know if there will be a 5k on Castaway Cay May 23rd?
And, if they still do the 5k, do they still give out the race bibs and medals?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Southern Sailaway]

I just ran the 5k a few days ago and they gave us bibs before we started, plastic "medals" at the finish line and printed certificates that night at our stateroom. We were told that they run it every time they dock at Castaway.

 

[Feisty Fairy]

Does it cost anything extra and when do you sign up for it?

 

[Southern Sailaway]

Does it cost anything extra and when do you sign up for it?

There was no charge and the navigator just said to meet in one of the lounges in the morning before the ship was cleared for people to disembark. You needed your KTTW card and a photo id. I initially didn't bring my photo id because I figured the private island wasn't like a real port. As it turns out, no one ever asked for the id anyhow. We all went down together and rode in the tram to the starting line.

It was a good start to the morning, although it might be a bit hotter than you are used to.

 

[Cmbar]

My wife and I just ran this yesterday. We got bibs, medals and certificates delivered to our room the next day. The shirts were available for sale at the finish. There was a storage box at the start finish line where you could stash stuff. There wasn't any security per se, but the CM was there for an hour or so and you'd have to be pretty bold to steal from it. I wouldn't have any problem leaving stuff there myself.

I took a very brief wrong turn, but realized my mistake immediately. There is a section that follows a marked bike path around a big loop of maybe 7/8th of a mile or so. At one point, you think you may have completed the circle and you can take a right turn that is a dead end before the proper exit. If you watch, they have signs that say 5000 feet to exit, 3000 feet and so on. The "wrong turn" is right past the "1000 feet to exit" sign. The right turn actually has a "5k" marker and arrow on the course.

Just curious what the route was like? Is this all on asphalt, flat, through any woods or on sand? Thanks

 

[momof2minnies]

You will not be able to do the races in January start time is 5:45 am with everyone on the busses no later that 4am. I hope you are not registered because it will not happen.

Linda

Hello, I am new to sailing and after reading these posts would love to know.....

How is the race organised? Do you register on the ship or prior to leaving? Is it held each voyage? How much does it cost to enter? Are children allowed to run?
We are sailing in January 2013 and were going to do the Marathon races in D/World Orlando on the day the ship returned to port. Maybe this is another option.



Thanks

 

[TiggerStac]

Are there many walkers?? I am starting couch to 5k training post ankle surgery. I know I could walk it, maybe jog a little, but no way in heck I could job it right now.

Thoughts??? I'm also wondering about terrain, as ankle and running extended length in sand not good

 

[momof2minnies]

Yes there are walkers,terrain is all asphalt.

Linda

 

[solfan68]

I am on week five of eight of c25k. Will be running my first 5k on July 4. But the one I am looking forward to is the CC5k with my dad and sister. They have both run the January half the last few years. I know I'm not up to that, but this should be an awesome experience !

 

[TiggerStac]

Yes there are walkers,terrain is all asphalt.

Linda

Thank you!

I am on week five of eight of c25k. Will be running my first 5k on July 4. But the one I am looking forward to is the CC5k with my dad and sister. They have both run the January half the last few years. I know I'm not up to that, but this should be an awesome experience !

My friends and i would love to do princess 1/2, but so not going to happen. Maybe in a year or 2 Working on 5k wine and dine & princess.

 

[HannahNoahMommy]

I'm on week 8 of c25k. I have my first 5k this weekend (soooo nervous), but I'm really excited to do the Castaway Cay 5k in June!!! I'm super slow, so I'm glad to hear it's laid back and doesn't have a time limit.

 

[jonesm117]

Can anyone tell me how to register for the CC 5K? It sounds great. We've done a ton of 5K's at WDW and would love to add this "medal" to our collections.
Thanks,
Monica

40 days and counting

 

[cruisecrasher]

Can anyone tell me how to register for the CC 5K? It sounds great. We've done a ton of 5K's at WDW and would love to add this "medal" to our collections.
Thanks,
Monica

40 days and counting

In 2010 it was a show up thing rather than a register thing. But that was before medals, shirts, etc

 

[pearljammer]

Just did this on the Magic last week (we just got off the boat Friday). Here was the process.

Met in Diversions between 8:30 and 8:45 where you signed up and got your number to pin on. We met by the bike rentals which is where the 5K started where they did roll call and showed us the course at 9:15 am. The time clock started and we were off. I was the only one who started off walking (but didn't take long before I passed those who started out running/jogging). The course is simple. You go down the airstrip, around the loop for the observation tower, back to airstrip towards serenity bay, turn around and take a reverse course around the observation tower and back to the start line. Once there, you get your medal and they mark off your name. I walked the entire way except the return loop around the OT which I jogged (because I couldn't stand the scenery and wanted out). I finished just under 40 minutes (37 and some odd seconds). That was it. Glad I did it. I would suggest if you have an i-pod or some sort of music source, take it. It didn't seem like 3 miles to me so perhaps that's a good thing. There were some who were big runners and others who struggled after they got started. I didn't feel so bad starting in last and finishing well ahead of others who started out strong.

Let me say this though. It was HOT/Humid! By the time I finished, I had a layer of sweat all over. I looked like someone had covered me with a shean of glowing body paint. It was a cloudy day in the 70's. So I can't imagine what that would have been like in the summer with sunshine. They provide water at one point which is at the entrance to the loop. I had my water carrier on my back which I was happy to have. So for those of you doing this in the summer, drink your water.

Now a note on that loop to observation tower. It's the most boring loop! It's nothing but greenery around you and you see nothing else. Other than that, it went by pretty fast.

I was pleasantly surprised when the final night, I came in to find a certificate for completing the 5K. I thought that was cool.

Overall, I'd do it again but I'll take my new Nano which I got for mother's day! And no, I didn't do this with anyone else so it was just me as my DH and DS went to the beach.

No, there are no lockers anywhere (that I saw but I wasn't looking) but there is a bathroom right at the starting line.

Also, if I had had my key to the world card on me, I may have bought myself a mixed drink when it was over. LOL

 

[disfrog]

Thank you to everyone that added their 2 bits of info to this thread. I now feel like I am ready to sign up and walk. Poor DH will have to find a faster walking partner though. I know his UPS man pace will be much faster than mine.

 

[rosermama]

I'm on week 8 of c25k. I have my first 5k this weekend (soooo nervous), but I'm really excited to do the Castaway Cay 5k in June!!! I'm super slow, so I'm glad to hear it's laid back and doesn't have a time limit.

I ran this back in 2009 when you ran from the ship and back to the ship. So glad they changed that as you use to run right through family beach when it was starting to get crowded- BAD IDEA

I hadn't run in probably a month when I ran this one I thought I was really slow but since my dad and husband chose to walk I wasn't the last person. I ran it in 35 mins and that was power walking the 1st 5 mins and walking about 3 more times throughout the race. At the end I picked up speed just from the excitment of almost being done and finaly finding my stride.

I am SURE you will do great best of luck

 

[rosermama]

Just did this on the Magic last week (we just got off the boat Friday). Here was the process.


Let me say this though. It was HOT/Humid! By the time I finished, I had a layer of sweat all over. I looked like someone had covered me with a shean of glowing body paint. It was a cloudy day in the 70's. So I can't imagine what that would have been like in the summer with sunshine. They provide water at one point which is at the entrance to the loop. I had my water carrier on my back which I was happy to have. So for those of you doing this in the summer, drink your water.

No, there are no lockers anywhere (that I saw but I wasn't looking) but there is a bathroom right at the starting line.

Also, if I had had my key to the world card on me, I may have bought myself a mixed drink when it was over. LOL

The note about the heat and humidity is key. I was use to running in Iraq in the summer and thought I could handle anything till I ran the CC5K it was 90 out but with the humidity I thought I was going to die. I had to run into the showers and cool down.

I also will be running this alone this year and am sending DH and DD out to find a spot on the beach.

I don't know if there has been some rash of stealing on CC but last year we left our bags by our chair with no problems. It had our large camera in it and a bunch of pool stuff in the chairs no one touched anything and we were in a high traffic area.

 

[TiggerAllie]

Just got off the Dream-- ran the CC 5K yesterday. The heat/humidity is rough, and while the airstrip has a good breeze, it can get pretty still on the observation tower loop. There are about 4 water stations that are on that loop all the time, along with one at the start. Additionally, there was a CM who had cups of water available at the turn-off to the loop.

There were definitely some improvements since we ran last August:
1) Met on the ship in 687 at 8:30AM, where they had a map of the course and you signed up with your stateroom (this resulted in a certificate arriving at the room that night).
2) At 8:45AM, we all disembarked together. Once off the ship, the Shutters photographer took a group photo, which included Goofy in his tracksuit. This photo was just on the wall in Shutters-- it did not show up in our folder.
3) We had the option to walk or tram out to the start at the bike rental place. A few more runners met us there. There is a large box where you can store your bag, which is clearly visible to the CMs staffing the bike rental as well as the CM who waits at the finish to hand out the "Mickey Medals". They had a big digital timer at the start/finish. We started running at 9:15AM.
4) The CC 5K shirts are only available at the shop near the finish line. We bought ours right after the race, because I didn't want them to run out of sizes (they are unisex shirts).

The finishing times went from probably 20 mins to over 60 mins. There are definitely a number of people who walk the whole thing.

Last year, we were just finishing up Couch-to-5K when we ran the CC5K in 35:45. This year, post-Princess 1/2/pre-DL 1/2 we improved by 5 minutes to 30:45! Beware, the heat will really slow you down. Make sure you take advantage of all the water along the way!

 

[WDWDeb]

Just got off the Dream-- ran the CC 5K yesterday. The heat/humidity is rough, and while the airstrip has a good breeze, it can get pretty still on the observation tower loop. There are about 4 water stations that are on that loop all the time, along with one at the start. Additionally, there was a CM who had cups of water available at the turn-off to the loop.

There were definitely some improvements since we ran last August:
1) Met on the ship in 687 at 8:30AM, where they had a map of the course and you signed up with your stateroom (this resulted in a certificate arriving at the room that night).
2) At 8:45AM, we all disembarked together. Once off the ship, the Shutters photographer took a group photo, which included Goofy in his tracksuit. This photo was just on the wall in Shutters-- it did not show up in our folder.
3) We had the option to walk or tram out to the start at the bike rental place. A few more runners met us there. There is a large box where you can store your bag, which is clearly visible to the CMs staffing the bike rental as well as the CM who waits at the finish to hand out the "Mickey Medals". They had a big digital timer at the start/finish. We started running at 9:15AM.
4) The CC 5K shirts are only available at the shop near the finish line. We bought ours right after the race, because I didn't want them to run out of sizes (they are unisex shirts).

The finishing times went from probably 20 mins to over 60 mins. There are definitely a number of people who walk the whole thing.

Last year, we were just finishing up Couch-to-5K when we ran the CC5K in 35:45. This year, post-Princess 1/2/pre-DL 1/2 we improved by 5 minutes to 30:45! Beware, the heat will really slow you down. Make sure you take advantage of all the water along the way!

I participated in the 5K Saturday on the Dream too. I didn't bring my running stuff as I wasn't planning on participating. However, I did the Princess Half Maraton in Feb and I am signed up for the WDW Full in January, and the bug got me when I was on the ship that I wanted to get this Disney race under my belt too....so I borrowed some tennis shoes and wore my tourist clothes, because I didn't have my running clothes, and I did it! I brought up the rear and finished last at 44:03. I walked almost the whole way as my shorts and shoes didn't support me jogging! I had fun though and am glad I did it. So, if you don't think you can't run it and want to walk it, that is ok. One CM was at the last turn out of the observation loop to go back with me to the finish line and the other CM was at the finish line with my 'medal.' I really like the photo op at the start of the race with Goofy in front of the ship, the official runDisney bib, and the "Magical Moments" certification of accomplishment we got on the last night. They were very nice touches. I do recommend, as many have mentioned above, to drink lots of water. It is VERY hot, especially in the loop to the observation tower which you have to go through twice, which doesn't have much air flow.

 

[SILLYANDI]

Hello, I am new to sailing and after reading these posts would love to know.....

How is the race organised? Do you register on the ship or prior to leaving? Is it held each voyage? How much does it cost to enter? Are children allowed to run?
We are sailing in January 2013 and were going to do the Marathon races in D/World Orlando on the day the ship returned to port. Maybe this is another option.



Thanks

The CC 5k is listed in the navigator the night before and shows a time/location to meet up. They have you sign a waiver and give a breif talk then walk you off the ship to the starting point where they review the route on the map then you are sent on your way. Sometimes there are CM's that run with you and others there are not. Children have been allowed to run (my dd10 ran with me 2 years ago) but reports recently are 18+ only.

As far as the WDW marathon- there is no way you could run that because you will not be off the ship until after 7AM and the race starts at 5:45AM