Marathon Weekend 2023

[BigEeyore]

SAFD: I ran track in HS (1600/3200) and then ran intermittently through college and afterwards. Our second daughter was born in 2009, and I felt desperately that I needed to do something for myself after all the difficult infant/toddler years. So I decided that I would sign up for an indoor triathlon at my gym - I loved spin class (that was my "me time"), but needed to learn how to swim and get back into running.
I was immediately addicted to triathlon and gradually worked up to longer distance races, building my running along the way. There were plenty of stumbles with injuries, figuring out shoes, techniques, stretching, nutrition, etc but I kept at it.
In 2010, we happened to be in WDW for Princess weekend, and when I learned that there were run events at Disney it was a done deal! 2011 Princess was my first half, and then my first marathon was the WDW marathon in 2013. I am now getting ready to do marathon #11 in Chicago, and then Dopey #3 (and Disney marathon #7) in January!

I'd like to go back and show that surgeon my 13 marathons and 7 ultras, not to mention all the 5k, 10k and halfs I've run.

You totally should!! Reminds of the scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts goes back to the saleslady who snubbed her and tells her "Big mistake, huge!"

 

[kps7795]

Continued with the recommended rehab exercises /stretches from the physical therapist along with hip / lower back / psoas yoga. I had another conversation with the PT to schedule a follow up appointment, he liked the progression.

Did a 6 mile run yesterday without compression. No pain at all like not even like the feeling of tightness. No aches or soreness too after the run. I feel great today. So hopefully this progress continues. Next week, I bump it up to a 7 mile run.

With that all being said, the rest of my legs are in great shape. I feel like my legs are getting primed up for some long runs during the training season.

That's really great!

 

[jrsharp21]

SAFD: Always had been a good runner. Never officially ran track or cross country in high school but was asked too. But other sports got in the way. After college baseball was done, I would run here and there to try to keep in shape, but nothing ever serious. My wife started running back in 2016/2017. She did a couple of rD events at Disneyland and then I remember we went in 2018 for the Princess Half. I thought it was pretty cool and I think that is when the wheels started spinning for me. Also, at the time I was about 25 lbs over my college playing weight. So decided to start running to help with the weight loss and so I had an excuse to go to WDW. In March 2019 I ran my first half marathon. Then I ran the WDW Half marathon in 2020. Then Covid hit and I was running every day as a way to get out of the house and keep in shape. When MW registration came around in summer of 2021, my intention was to sign up for the half marathon again. But when I went to sign up that morning, half marathon was sold out at the time. So here goes nothing, selected the Dopey and now it was onto whole new level. So my first marathon was this past January at WDW (rightfully so). And had such a fun time, signed up again for it this year. I have pretty much running this whole time since I really started to get into running in early 2018. Now it is pretty much part of my daily routine. If I don't run on a day, I feel like something is missing. Grateful for this running community on the Dis. I think I check up on things no less than 20 times a day. LOL.

 

[Jillfo]

I've been decluttering and came across some old WDW race results booklets (which were replaced by CDs in 2003). The booklets included a registration form for the next year's race. Early registration for the 2000 full was $55 and the half was $25. Kids' races were free. Not sure how long the $15 family fun run was. Quite the contrast in stress and cost of registering these days.

 

[Bree]

Your first marathon was a Dopey Challenge?!? That is seriously bad a_ss!

It was supposed to be a one and done LOL!!! @DopeyBadger helped make that happen.

Mine too!

I miss the Glass Slipper theme. It was just so fitting since the course runs through Cinderella Castle.

 

[sandam1]

I did my longest ever run today - 15 miles! I'm thrilled with the accomplishment, but it did occur to me that if I was "just" doing the half marathon, I wouldn't need to be going this far. I'm getting more and more convinced that this marathon/Dopey is going to one and done.

 

[Herding_Cats]

I did my longest ever run today - 15 miles! I'm thrilled with the accomplishment, but it did occur to me that if I was "just" doing the half marathon, I wouldn't need to be going this far. I'm getting more and more convinced that this marathon/Dopey is going to one and done.

Checking off those new “longest run to date” achievements is such a great feeling, isn’t it?

If I dug through my training journal, you’d see basically the same sentiment about marathons after I finished Goofy last year. Which i convinced DH to do the whole trip because it was “the last year I’ll be able to put in the time to marathon train” due to our kids’ schedules and having a very very busy toddler.

And then about a month later I was considering a memorial weekend marathon “because I’m already in marathon shape” (that i was talked out of in here) and then I signed up for dopey. So be aware that your feelings may be drastically different after some time passes.

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD: I don't really have a good origin story lol! I've always loved the feeling of my body being in motion, preferably at a fast speed. My body is not built for endurance, so long distance running does not come naturally at all, but I've never passed up an opportunity to run fast for short stretches. Jogging was a big thing in the early 80s and I remember "going for a jog" with my mom and our dog a lot as a kid. Sprints across the gymnasium or fields at school. I was studying in the ballet for much of my childhood and running was expressly forbidden by the head of my ballet academy ("you'll ruin your knees and get big thighs!"), but I relished all of the fast allegros we did in class most of all. Played varsity soccer in high school. Ran-walked for general fitness from young adulthood to today.

The distance stuff and races didn't start until 2012, when I learned of runDisney. Teaching a 40+yo body not built for long distance running to do it has been an interesting, mostly fun experiment! I have some health issues that have made ballet hard, which, as most former dancers will attest to, is really, really tough psychologically. Running helps fill that void for me in a way that nothing else does.

 

[PrincessV]

I did my longest ever run today - 15 miles! I'm thrilled with the accomplishment, but it did occur to me that if I was "just" doing the half marathon, I wouldn't need to be going this far. I'm getting more and more convinced that this marathon/Dopey is going to one and done.

I think almost every one of us who've done Dopey have said that, and as I recall, it was right about that 15+ mile training run point. SPOILER: we almost all also signed up again. And again. And again. You've been warned.

 

[jrsharp21]

I did my longest ever run today - 15 miles! I'm thrilled with the accomplishment, but it did occur to me that if I was "just" doing the half marathon, I wouldn't need to be going this far. I'm getting more and more convinced that this marathon/Dopey is going to one and done.

That was my thought last year also. One and done on Dopey. Then you get to MW. Yes, getting up that early every morning sucks, but the experience of it all is awesome. The thrill of running through the parks, finishing the races, and the feeling of the accomplishment is awesome. Once I got back from last year's MW I was already sold on doing it again. It's a pretty cool feeling walking around the parks with your Dopey shirt or medals and seeing/acknowledging others who also have theirs on. You don't get that feeling at any other races.

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD: I got into running when my SIL talked me into running a half marathon for her birthday (and promised donuts after.) It was going to be a whole thing with her, her husband, her sister, one of her brothers, and me all running it together. And then Covid happened and it got switched to virtual, and we deferred (and by that point I was down the rabbit hole and convinced her to upgrade to the full "for her birthday.") We ran the 2020 (maybe 2021? It all runs together at this point) princess races virtually and I was completely hooked by the medals. And since then someone in our house has done pretty much at least a virtual races for every weekend. I ran Goofy in 2022 and am running Dopey in 2023.

 

[pluto377]

SAFD- Origin story- I started running in 2001. I had moved to the DC area for grad school and didn't know anyone. I saw an ad on the Metro for a charity marathon training program. I had never been a runner, but I was athletic- dancer, kickline. I thought it might be a good way to meet some friends, so I went to an info meeting and signed up. Six months later I ran the Marine Corps Marathon, shortly after 9/11. It was such an emotional experience for so many reasons.

I kept up running, but stuck to 5 and 10Ks. I moved back to NYC in 2003 and decided to run the NYC marathon. I was able to do that in 2005 after doing the qualifying races in 2004. I swore off marathons after that. It was just too time consuming.

Then I heard about Disney races, but I don't remember where or how. I ran Disney in 2009 and '10 (Disney on Ice). I again swore off marathons, had my three boys, and kept running shorter distances intermittently. On a whim, I decided to run the Princess 5K in 2017 because it coincided with a family vacation and I wanted to get back in shape after my 3rd son was born in 2016. I got hooked on RunDisney again from that. I did the Princess Challenge in 2018 and Dopey in 2019.

The wheels fell off a little after Dopey. I stopped running for a bit, gained about 20 pounds and was in a bad mental space for a variety of reasons. I decided do just do the 5K and 10K at MW 2020. I had a great time with the shorter races and really enjoyed the weekend.

Then the pandemic hit, and it was so hard being at home with three small boys. I had taken a little running break after MW, but picked up again and have been on a pretty consistent schedule since. Although I've been doing my runs, the weight hasn't come off and speed has not returned to me. I'm still slower than slow and I failed in my second Dopey attempt in January (pulled myself from the marathon at mile 20). It's been pretty much status quo since January. I've been following my DopeyBadger plan as best I can, but I'm still a turtle so I'm only doing the 5, 10 and half this coming January. I'm hoping to get the weight off by next summer so I can get revenge on Dopey in 2024.

 

[CP3uhoh]

I did my longest ever run today - 15 miles! I'm thrilled with the accomplishment, but it did occur to me that if I was "just" doing the half marathon, I wouldn't need to be going this far. I'm getting more and more convinced that this marathon/Dopey is going to one and done.

If we all had a dollar for every time we heard this chestnut. For myself, this will be my second dopey. Training has not gone as well this year as I first blew out some discs in my back in early June which led to a slower start and now I've had a sinus infection for almost two weeks that finally made it to my ear the last 5 and now the antibiotics have me a little messed up so i was thinking. "Maybe I need to dial it down with this running thing" and then they announced the DL races were coming back......So, lol.

 

[sandam1]

Checking off those new “longest run to date” achievements is such a great feeling, isn’t it?

My brain felt fabulous. My legs/feet not so much!

I think almost every one of us who've done Dopey have said that, and as I recall, it was right about that 15+ mile training run point. SPOILER: we almost all also signed up again. And again. And again. You've been warned.

If we all had a dollar for every time we heard this chestnut.

I have to smile because I just knew when I posted this that this was going to be everyone's response. And I'm not ruling it out, but I am coming around to the fact that I think I like 10K/half marathon challenge training better. Yesterday's run was fine, but it took sooooooo much time. For right now, the end is justifying the means, but I'm not sure that it's a commitment that I want to make on a regular basis.

I'm also looking forward to the 2024 races and, absent a complete change in my job status (i.e. not working for the same company), Dopey isn't an option as I won't be able to get there for the 5K. "Just" doing the 10K and half sounds like a nice, relaxing race weekend right now. That being said, you all have the right to say "I told you so" if I'm singing a different tune come registration time next year.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

"Just" doing the 10K and half sounds like a nice, relaxing race weekend right now.

Only at Disney is a 10K and half marathon considered a relaxing weekend

 

[Neon Cactus]

SAFD: I was never a runner growing up. I lived in LA so my first races were the first 5k/Marathon (I did not choose the Marathon!) at Disneyland in 1995 and shortly after, they had one on Universal Studios backlot. When I did the Disneyland race, I heard about the WDW Marathon and thought that would be cool someday. Almost 20 years later, I got a detached retina in my left eye and am legally blind from it. Since there were no guarantees it won't happen to my right eye, I started thinking about what I want to accomplish, just in case.

The Marathon was first on my list, so I trained and did my first in 2016. It was also supposed to be my last, but then I found out about the Coast to Coast medal and I did the 10k and Half at Disneyland that year. Every time I keep saying I'm done with full marathons, some cool opportunity comes up, so 6 years, 7 marathons, including 2 Dopeys later, I'm still saying the next one will be the last.

 

[Bree]

I did my longest ever run today - 15 miles! I'm thrilled with the accomplishment, but it did occur to me that if I was "just" doing the half marathon, I wouldn't need to be going this far. I'm getting more and more convinced that this marathon/Dopey is going to one and done.

That’s what I said……
2019 - Dopey
2020 - Goofy
2021 - Chicago
2022 - Dopey, Chicago, NY Virtual
2023 - Dopey & NY

 

[O2BONDCL]

Hello!

this is my first run Disney event. How does they expo work? Are we assigned times, and can family members come in with us? Can they purchase items?
thanks!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Hello!

this is my first run Disney event. How does they expo work? Are we assigned times, and can family members come in with us? Can they purchase items?
thanks!

As it stands right now:

-The expo opens at 10am for the general public (usually on the day prior to the 5k). It opens about an hour early for Gold/Platinum Club runDisney members.

-There are no assigned times. Buses from the resorts head to the Expo about 30-60 min before opening. A queue forms before the 10am opening on the first day of the expo (some people arrive by car as early as 4-5am). If you are looking to purchase highly desired items, then your best bet is to be there first thing in the morning. How long you wait in the queue to get into the Expo depends on how early you arrive. But expect the wait to be 1-3 hrs right at opening as they slowly let people into the merch area.

-Family members can come into the Expo with you. You don't even need to be running during the weekend to purchase items from the runDisney expo merchandise area. So someone completely unaffiliated with a runner can purchase items. It's a common complaint as Ebay merch people tend to buy quite a bit of merch. But there are cons to requiring bibs to purchase items as well (mostly if bib is required then Ebay'ers could start buying 5k bibs in order to be able to buy things making the 5k races even harder to register for).

You don't have to go into the runDisney merch area if you don't want to. As it stands right now, there are three separate buildings being used. One for bib pickup, one for runDisney merch, and one for vendor merch/your free race shirt pickup.

A post I made before Princess 2022 with some expo advice (link) and a youtube video showing the expo merch experience.

 

[O2BONDCL]

As it stands right now:

-The expo opens at 10am for the general public (usually on the day prior to the 5k). It opens about an hour early for Gold/Platinum Club runDisney members.

-There are no assigned times. Buses from the resorts head to the Expo about 30-60 min before opening. A queue forms before the 10am opening on the first day of the expo (some people arrive by car as early as 4-5am). If you are looking to purchase highly desired items, then your best bet is to be there first thing in the morning. How long you wait in the queue to get into the Expo depends on how early you arrive. But expect the wait to be 1-3 hrs right at opening as they slowly let people into the merch area.

-Family members can come into the Expo with you. You don't even need to be running during the weekend to purchase items from the runDisney expo merchandise area. So someone completely unaffiliated with a runner can purchase items. It's a common complaint as Ebay merch people tend to buy quite a bit of merch. But there are cons to requiring bibs to purchase items as well (mostly if bib is required then Ebay'ers could start buying 5k bibs in order to be able to buy things making the 5k races even harder to register for).

You don't have to go into the runDisney merch area if you don't want to. As it stands right now, there are three separate buildings being used. One for bib pickup, one for runDisney merch, and one for vendor merch/your free race shirt pickup.

A post I made before Princess 2022 with some expo advice (link) and a youtube video showing the expo merch experience.

Thank you very much! This is very helpful!

I saw the Spring race allowed for pre-purchasing of merchandise. Do you think that will happen for Marathon Weekend, or has that time already passed?