2014 Walt Disney World Marathon

[mickeyd78]

Any ANZACs here that have done either the full / half or other runDisney events?

I've bitten the bullet and decided to run the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon!!. I've never run a marathon before - I'm very comfortable doing 5k.

Not sure how my body is going to handle flying half way around the world and then running so far! The plan is to arrive at WDW on the Wednesday prior to the race on Sunday.

Wondering if I should sign up for both the 1/2 and full just in case I get to Dec / Jan and don't think I can make to full distance.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Congrats for signing up. Full of admiration, I am. I am flatfooted and cannot run to save my life.

 

[mueller101]

I just ran the Princess half marathon. It was the first half marathon for me. It was awesome. Doing it again next year. Just remember registration fees are non refundable. I would start with the half if you have only run 5ks unless you use a training program to feel comfortable running 26.2 miles. Disiney suggests Jeff Galloway training programs.

 

[coco392]

hi

my wife and I did the weekend in 2011. I did the full she did the half.

it was an awesome experience.

it's 10 months away so the full is doable if you are able to commit to a full training programme. that would involve 3 runs during week and a long run on weekends.

i would suggest doing a 10k race in a couple of months. that will give you an idea about a half.

how fast do you run 5km? that may give you an idea of what is possible.

I think a half is more practical in terms of you are running 5k now- but I understand the full is really tempting. I did the full with what I later found out was pneumonia so I know the pull of this race if you love disney!!! there was no way I wasn't going to do full. I was crook for 18momths because of it. I guess my point is dont push harder than what you are ready for. (I was an experienced runner with 42 min 10km)

I sound like I'm scaring you off the full.

arriving Wednesday is good. drink water on plane. do expo on Thursday. on friday there is kids races - register kids in those. make it a family thing. easy arvo on Friday -
swim shop!!!!!

race on Saturday.

if you do full - easy day or lite park like ak

take lots of photos and enjoy it as an experience not a race. you will meet characters you've never seen before around the parks. it's not a race as such it really is a massive fun run.

happy to answer any q's you have.

we were all set to do it in 2014 too but the airfares around chrsitmas were just too much- so it's sept for us.

whatever you choose it is great fun

coco

 

[mickeyd78]

Hi coco,

Thanks for the advice. I have run 10k a few times with a time of about 1:05.

I have already started using the Jeff Galloway training plan - which at this stage I'm doing quite easily. 5k runs on Tues and Thurs, with a long run on Sat (I'm only in week 2 - so 6.5k is the longest I have run on the plan).

I set this as a goal - I figure if I am going to fly to WDW I had better aim to run to full to make it worth while. But I am open to dropping back to the half if it looks like an unreasonable goal after I have been training. I figure 10 months should give me enough time to train up. I'm not too concerned about running a good time - just finishing is my goal (although if I could do it in around 6hrs or under that would be fantastic).

I agree about the airfares - the price of airfares almost meant I wasn't going, but fortunately I was able to snare some frequent flyer flights there and back. Although we do have to fly DFW-BNE-SYD-MELB on the way home But I wouldn't be going at all if I have to pay for the flights.

What do you think of doing the 5k family run on the Friday as a sort of warm up? I'm taking my Dad with me, and told him he had to do the 5km if he wanted to come. I'm thinking of doing the 5km with him as a warm up. My understanding is that its not a timed run, so we could take it easy.

Also - where did you stay? We're are thinking of Port Orleans Riverside.

 

[BecBennett]

We just do the 5k, because they're fun, easy and the whole family can participate

They are timed though, but that's up to you whether that makes a difference or not.

We stayed at POR for different reasons, but it was great being able to be picked up by the bus and dropped back afterwards.

 

[coco392]

Hi coco,

Thanks for the advice. I have run 10k a few times with a time of about 1:05.

I have already started using the Jeff Galloway training plan - which at this stage I'm doing quite easily. 5k runs on Tues and Thurs, with a long run on Sat (I'm only in week 2 - so 6.5k is the longest I have run on the plan).

I set this as a goal - I figure if I am going to fly to WDW I had better aim to run to full to make it worth while. But I am open to dropping back to the half if it looks like an unreasonable goal after I have been training. I figure 10 months should give me enough time to train up. I'm not too concerned about running a good time - just finishing is my goal (although if I could do it in around 6hrs or under that would be fantastic).

I agree about the airfares - the price of airfares almost meant I wasn't going, but fortunately I was able to snare some frequent flyer flights there and back. Although we do have to fly DFW-BNE-SYD-MELB on the way home But I wouldn't be going at all if I have to pay for the flights.

What do you think of doing the 5k family run on the Friday as a sort of warm up? I'm taking my Dad with me, and told him he had to do the 5km if he wanted to come. I'm thinking of doing the 5km with him as a warm up. My understanding is that its not a timed run, so we could take it easy.

Also - where did you stay? We're are thinking of Port Orleans Riverside.

you will be able to do it with those times. 7 hour cut off in you are in back corral. with a 1h 5 min 10km time you will also get the leeway of maybe an extra 20 mins. plenty of
time to enjoy it have photos and FINISH.

we stayed pop century- we do that because we only sleep in the room. we jave only ever stayed in values. so don't really know anything about the other resorts.

my mum is coming with us in September. in January we were going to suprise her by dragging her into the 5km. it is timed but with the 16min mile it would be pretty easy for anyone who goes for a regular walk to finish. it would be a nice little loosener for you.

don't miss the expo - lots of cool goodies.

have heaps of fun.

 

[Marlea98]

I've never done a run as I'm not a runner but my family will be doing the Neverland family run in January '14. We are doing it for the experience and fun of it. We won't be spending the rest of the day at the parks though.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[mickeyd78]

I've never done a run as I'm not a runner but my family will be doing the Neverland family run in January '14. We are doing it for the experience and fun of it. We won't be spending the rest of the day at the parks though.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Sounds like fun!

 

[zanzibar138]

My parents and I are doing the 10k at the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon weekend next year (assuming they have it again, otherwise I'll have to bite the bullet and do the half). I can't wait! I have never been a runner and have spent the best part of the last 6 months trying to get started without injury. I think I'm just about getting there now

I'm sure the full is do-able if you're already a bit of a runner and are happy to just take your time, good idea to have a back-up plan though Will you be doing a PTR/TR? I'd love to read about your progress!

 

[mickeyd78]

Will do a PTR and TR. But at the moment my PTR goes something like:

Went for a run
Went for a run
Went for a run


But seriously. I have set the full marathon as my goal. It's my motivation to get out there and train, which I have been doing for the last 3 weeks. I figure 10 months should give me time to get ready using the Galloway plan. 3 runs a week at this stage.

I must say so far I have been pretty motivated and have been pretty keen to keep getting out there and run. Hopefully it stays that way, but I imagine it will get harder to get up and go during winter.

Counting on my friends here on the Australia forum for encouragement!!

I'm also considering trying to support a charity with my run. Maybe Make A Wish or something along those lines to help some kids get to visit Disney.

 

[zanzibar138]

Will do a PTR and TR. But at the moment my PTR goes something like:

Went for a run
Went for a run
Went for a run


But seriously. I have set the full marathon as my goal. It's my motivation to get out there and train, which I have been doing for the last 3 weeks. I figure 10 months should give me time to get ready using the Galloway plan. 3 runs a week at this stage.

I must say so far I have been pretty motivated and have been pretty keen to keep getting out there and run. Hopefully it stays that way, but I imagine it will get harder to get up and go during winter.

Counting on my friends here on the Australia forum for encouragement!!

I'm also considering trying to support a charity with my run. Maybe Make A Wish or something along those lines to help some kids get to visit Disney.

Yeah winter sux. I've actually joined the local leisure centre just so I know I'll have access to treadmills and stuff for winter. Where I live it's actually pretty dangerous to go out running after dark because there are no street lights and the roads/paths are pretty rough. The last thing I want once I actually get going is to trip and injure myself again! You can count on me for support And if you start a real PTR, let us know.

 

[mickeyd78]

After reading Zanzibar's PTR for her TOT run, I decided to join in and write a PTR and training log for my run in the 2014 WDW Marathon.

Mickeyd's 2014 WDW Marathon training and PTR

Really appreciate your support, encouragement and advice!

 

[zanzibar138]

After reading Zanzibar's PTR for her TOT run, I decided to join in and write a PTR and training log for my run in the 2014 WDW Marathon.

Mickeyd's 2014 WDW Marathon training and PTR

Really appreciate your support, encouragement and advice!

Awesome! Off to check it out

 

[mickeyd78]

Just updated my PTR!

 

[Chiefus]

Hi Mickeyd78,

Congrats on deciding to run a marathon, and more importantly, deciding to run it at DisneyWorld.

I live in Melbourne, but have managed to make it to run the 2009, 2012 and 2013 Disney marathons (I actually did the Goofy in 2013 - it was awesome). Happy to answer any specific questions you may have - my girlfriend and I have stayed at a handful of the onsite hotels so have an idea on how it all comes together marathon morning.

Below is a previous post I made on the topic a year or so ago (would post the link, but I don't have enough posts overall to have permission to do so - lurker alert!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi,

I was trawling around and searched "marathon" and hit this thread. I have run both the 2009 and 2012 WDW marathons - both of which I can safely say were two of the best experiences of my life thus far.

The first time in 2009 - I was by myself and stayed offsite (it was on the way home to Melbourne after 6 months studying in Edinburgh, so I was too broke for an Disney hotel), whilst the second time I went back with my girlfriend and we stayed at AKL (had wanted to target OKW, but was too late booking).

In 2012, my girlfriend ran the half marathon on the Saturday and I ran the full on the Sunday. The big upside of staying onsite is using the disney transportation (buses, monorail) to get to the start / finish line. If you stay at OKW, you can even be a bit cheeky and walk across the highway to the start line.

The course itself is very gentle (i.e. it is FLAT like the rest of Florida - the biggest hills are going over a couple of highway overpasses), and both years when I ran the weather was a very comfortable temperature (thinking maybe 14 degrees celsius at the start at 6am, rising to about 20 when i finished at 9.30ish - it does get a little warmer for those finishing later. Although, it is also worth noting that in 2010 (I was in Florida but didn't run), Orlando was hit with a cold snap and the temperature was around 5 degrees at the start time).

All events are extremely well catered (I have heard people complain that it is relative expensive for a marathon entry fee - but I think it is fine, and you certainly get a really well organised event for the cost). There are drink stations every mile, medical tents every couple, and 3-4 food stations (bananas, gels, then chocolates at the last one!) as well. The pre-race pick-up and expo is well-run, the event shirts are good quality, and best of all, the medals are pretty unique.

I signed up two weeks ago for the Goofy at WDW in 2013 - so may well see you there! Let me know if you have any other/specific questions and I'll try to help...

(As an aside, in 2009 I bumped into another Aussie whilst running (I identified him by his singlet which had a decal reading "26.2 miles... No worries mate") and an Aussie family who were cheering home their daughter with Australian / boxing kangaroo flags at the finish line. The daughter had convinced her mum to bring the family to Disneyworld to run her first marathon... nice.)

 

[mickeyd78]

Hi Cheifus,

Thanks for the message. How did you find the Goofy? Any tips you can pass on?

 

[australiankaren]

http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/ent...ld-Half-Marathon-Seeing-Reduction-in-Capacity

2014 Walt Disney World Half Marathon Seeing Reduction in Capacity

Amanda Tinney at DisneyEveryDay.com has confirmed with Feron Kelley, Disney Sports Director of Marketing & Communications, that runDisney's solution for trying to alleviate some of the bottlenecks on the course is to reduce capacity on both the full and half marathons, with "The majority of that reduction being applied to the half marathon."

According to Kelley, runDisney plans to reduce registration for both events by 2,000 entries.

It's possible that the inaugural 10K will siphon off some numbers from the half-marathon, however I suspect a lot of that will be made up by others who choose to register for the Dopey Challenge (which includes participation in the 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and full marathon).

What does this mean, if you haven't registered yet?

If you have any ability to register now (as a Disney Visa card holder, WDW annual pass holder, or Disney Vacation Club member), do it today/tonight. Do not wait until general registration opens at noon, Eastern Standard Time tomorrow (Tuesday, April 9.

And if you cannot register early, cancel whatever plans you had for that time period, and be ready to register as soon as possible.

I will not be surprised if the Dopey Challenge sells out within an hour. The Goofy Challenge may sell out next, followed closely by the close-out of the 10K and half-marathon registrations. The full marathon registration will come next, and may be open for a while, and the 5K may also remain open or a while. But the Dopey, 10K and the Half? I predict those will go quick as lightning.

 

[mickeyd78]

Hi australiankaren,

Thanks for that. You'll be pleased to know that I got myself and Dad registered nice and early. I'm in the Dopey and Dad is signed up for the 5K and 10K.

Registrations have indeed gone quick this morning. The 10K sold out in 7 hours, and as I type this the 5K is 65% full and the Dopey Challenge is 75% full. Anyone thinking of doing these races should get in quick.

 

[australiankaren]

As of 4:10 p.m. PST/ 7:10 EST the inaugural WDW 10k is officially sold out!

they go fast.......well done getting in

here to help