Marathon Weekend 2016

[Baloo in MI]

View attachment 104497 Registered for the full marathon as my very first marathon! Completely terrified but promised myself I would run at least one marathon in my lifetime. I've finished a half, the ToT 10 miler and numerous 10K's. Here's hoping I can add this medal to my collection.

'if your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough'

Congrats on a great decision! If you have done a half and you train you will earn that marathon medal. Nothing like adding a Mickey medal to the collection! Good Luck.

 

[rteetz]

Officially booked for marathon weekend! First stay at the Beach Club, first deluxe stay for that matter. Is it january yet?

 

[Keels]

Officially booked for marathon weekend! First stay at the Beach Club, first deluxe stay for that matter. Is it january yet?

Yay!!! I'm so excited for you! I know you've wanted to stay there for a while! How big will your entourage be this year?? You're doing the half, right?

 

[SunDial]

Officially booked for marathon weekend! First stay at the Beach Club, first deluxe stay for that matter. Is it january yet?

Never stayed at Beach. It has been decades since staying at Yacht Club. Stayed several times at Yacht. You will love the resort.

 

[rteetz]

Yay!!! I'm so excited for you! I know you've wanted to stay there for a while! How big will your entourage be this year?? You're doing the half, right?

I'm doing half and 5k. It will be my grandma her sister and then my two sisters. So I will be the only guy but that's ok I'm in disney.

 

[girliea]

I'm doing half and 5k. It will be my grandma her sister and then my two sisters. So I will be the only guy but that's ok I'm in disney.

Happy for you....and can't wait to read the wonderful TR you will do (hopefully! your TRs are so great)

 

[rteetz]

Happy for you....and can't wait to read the wonderful TR you will do (hopefully! your TRs are so great)

I defintely plan on doing one it helps me relive my trip after it is sadly over.

 

[Ariel484]

Officially booked for marathon weekend! First stay at the Beach Club, first deluxe stay for that matter. Is it january yet?

Good choice!

 

[FFigawi]

Officially booked for marathon weekend! First stay at the Beach Club, first deluxe stay for that matter. Is it january yet?

The Epcot resorts are the best ones for marathon weekend, I think. Short drive to the start, convenient to Epcot and MGM for park visits after the races, and easy for friends and family to cheer you on and hand you beer at mile 24-25. The only downside is that they might not want to be awakened at 6am by the sound of thousands of runners going by during the 10k.

 

[rteetz]

The Epcot resorts are the best ones for marathon weekend, I think. Short drive to the start, convenient to Epcot and MGM for park visits after the races, and easy for friends and family to cheer you on and hand you beer at mile 24-25. The only downside is that they might not want to be awakened at 6am by the sound of thousands of runners going by during the 10k.

I don't think the 10k will bother me I'll probably want to go cheer on others. I have stayed at the dolphin and loved the location of that and I think the beach club will be even better.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Officially booked for marathon weekend! First stay at the Beach Club, first deluxe stay for that matter. Is it january yet?

When I first read this, I was jealous, since we're on the waitlist for the BCV. Well, no more! I just got an Email an hour ago that we're in! I just hope all the refurb noise is done-since DH is running the Dopey, I imagine he'll be napping at least some days.

 

[kevdad]

I just noticed this in the Transportation section of the marathon website:

• Participants must board a bus or monorail no later than 4:00 a.m. in order to make it to their corrals on time.

An hour and a half+ early seems like a lot of time, particularly using the monorail. Thoughts from those who have done it before?

 

[Ariel484]

I just noticed this in the Transportation section of the marathon website:

• Participants must board a bus or monorail no later than 4:00 a.m. in order to make it to their corrals on time.

An hour and a half+ early seems like a lot of time, particularly using the monorail. Thoughts from those who have done it before?

Yep, it's early. From their perspective they're trying to get 20,000+ people to the same area so that they can start the race on time...I think they want people to go extra early to account for road closures, stragglers, etc.

FWIW, I stayed at the Grand Floridian for Goofy in 2013...the morning of the half I got on the monorail at 3:30 and it took me 22 minutes from getting the monorail at the GF to getting to the Epcot monorail station. Then I had to walk to the starting area from the monorail statition, which took at least 15 minutes (because I stopped at the last real bathroom before starting the walk). After that it was getting through the security area at the start, then making the 20ish minute walk from the holding area to the corrals. So it adds up. Timing was similar the next day for the marathon.

 

[SarahDisney]

I don't think the 10k will bother me I'll probably want to go cheer on others. I have stayed at the dolphin and loved the location of that and I think the beach club will be even better.

(If you're up) Please come cheer for us 10K runners! I'm a little nervous about the 10K (my longest distance of the weekend & my first 10K), and I think having lots of people there cheering on us runners will be a great way for me to stay motivated!

 

[Barca33Runner]

I just noticed this in the Transportation section of the marathon website:

• Participants must board a bus or monorail no later than 4:00 a.m. in order to make it to their corrals on time.

An hour and a half+ early seems like a lot of time, particularly using the monorail. Thoughts from those who have done it before?

I think it is for rD to cover themselves from runner's transportation difficulties. I have boarded buses later than 4:00 (not much and mainly because they are very spotty sending buses around to the back depots) for the races in past years coming from POR and got there before the start, but it was cutting it pretty close. Part of that may be the very slow bus ride from POR on the morning of the marathon due to increased road closures but the time does add up, as Ariel484 mentioned.

 

[Neoflynn]

I just noticed this in the Transportation section of the marathon website:

• Participants must board a bus or monorail no later than 4:00 a.m. in order to make it to their corrals on time.

An hour and a half+ early seems like a lot of time, particularly using the monorail. Thoughts from those who have done it before?

as others stated this is mostly to cover themselves because they are trying to get 20,000+ people into the same area at roughly the same time, Im always of the mind that I would rather arrive to a race way early than be rushing to the start line just before the gun goes off.

 

[austin&pipermom]

Has anyone stayed at the campsite during race week? How was it? Also has anybody changed hotels in the middle of race weekend? My husband either wants to stay at he campgrounds or do a split stay at Port/Pop.

 

[rteetz]

(If you're up) Please come cheer for us 10K runners! I'm a little nervous about the 10K (my longest distance of the weekend & my first 10K), and I think having lots of people there cheering on us runners will be a great way for me to stay motivated!

You'll do fine the 10k last year was my first and longest distance as well.

 

[MeridaAndAngus]

I have a training/planning question. I'll preface this by saying I have *not* yet signed up for the full marathon, but I am strongly considering it. If I do, it would be my first full marathon. By way of background, I started run/walking using the Galloway method around May of last year. My pace is slow, but I have been able to amp up my mileage from virtually no exercise as of January last year, to completing several 10k races and 5 half marathons to date.

My question centers on this scenario:

I'm doing the Avengers' Infinity Gauntlet Challenge in Disneyland, which is the weekend of Nov. 12-15. In looking at the Galloway plan for beginner marathoners, I see that the first 20 mile run (or for me, run-walk), would be the weekend of Nov. 8. I don't feel like I could handle my first 20-miler only 5 days before a 10k and half challenge weekend. I also don't know if I'll be up for a 20 miler the weekend following the Avengers race weekend.

Considering all of this, how should I handle integrating the marathon training schedule with the Avenger's race weekend? Should I just move the 20 miler to the weekend when the 23 mile training run is scheduled? Other thoughts?

 

[DOOM1001]

I just noticed this in the Transportation section of the marathon website:

• Participants must board a bus or monorail no later than 4:00 a.m. in order to make it to their corrals on time.

An hour and a half+ early seems like a lot of time, particularly using the monorail. Thoughts from those who have done it before?

I'm usually on the first bus at 3am,being on the first bus guarantees yoiu get there in time with no issues.For the half this year I was my usual self getting on the 3am bus,no long line for the bus,no traffic delays,no long waits at the security check.For the full marathon on Sunday I decided to get a tad more sleep and go to the bus stop at 3:30,longer lines to board,there were a couple of buses but when we got to the front of the line there wasn't a bus for us,we had to wait about 5 more minutes for another one.Then as expected traffic was slow on Buena Vista Dr.Literally just sitting there barely moving for 15-20 minutes.I'm usually at the family reunion area as early as 3:30 for the 5:30 start time,it gives me time to relax and soak in the atmosphere,as well as the super important porta pottie trip which could be a 20 minute wait.For the full marathon getting to the bus 30 minutes later than usual meant that I got to the reunion area almost at 5am.My corral was already called and I had to use the bathroom which luckily didn't have a long wait.But basically I got to the corral about 1 minute before the official race start.My point is that if you were to get to your bus stop even later than 3:30 you could easily miss the start,especially if you're in one of the first corrals.