Official 2016 Princess Half Marathon Thread

[Gryhndmom]

Here are my thoughts for what it is worth on the posts I have read above.
1. TOTALLY disagree with requiring a 10k or longer time to initially register for the race and then if it doesn't fill up let the other people register. We have all done our "first" half marathon and many, many, many people like me had NEVER done a race before deciding to sign up. I attacked my training like I did for my masters degree and finished in the alloted time. (Now I was hoping to win my age division since I got the graduate degree with a 4.0 but it didn't workout that way for me!)
2. Would also love run Disney to have a "participation" medal and a "finisher" medal if they absolutely think everyone has to have a medal.
3. As a size 4 gal I am in awe of my plus size sisters who get out on the course and give it their all...I cheer them on every chance I get! And MANY of them smoke my a** during a race!
4. Rudeness on the course...can't say what I would like since it would get deleted but let's just suffice it to say these folks aren't just rude on the course is my bet!
5. Disney has perfected the art of separating people from their money...if they make it we buy it. I don't buy every item they put out but I don't always like the shirt that comes with registration and my "I did it shirt" is a Christmas card must.
6. And I will be back next year...for...one...more...time! Next year is the ....gulp...big 50 and DH and I celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss ! Hoping for this last one he will dress up as a character !

 

[Gryhndmom]

Hope my husband gave some of you some laughs. It definitely made my day/month/year!

Apparently he scared a few people for being well, a man and according to the Facebook group - people were wondering!

LOVE your husbands costume and am waiting to show my DH! Can only hope he is inspired to dress up for next year !

Best Part of the Weekend: Another fun race with wife in the most Magical Place on Earth!
Most Expensive Part of the Weekend: We MAY have signed up for the Dark Side Challenge while at the expo. Let's just say that mistakes were made. Expensive mistakes. And let's not call them mistakes, but opportunities for glory. Yeah, that sounds better.

Aaaaahhhhh....love that you and your wife race together too ! Yes opportunities for glory and to excel !

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I'm sure I offended someone on the course.

Slightly before Mile 10, a guy with his wife kept changing his story between how much he loved that overpass and how much he hated it and was LOUD as he wouldn't stop. I finally had enough and told him to Stop Lying. You just admitted you hated it. And he kept saying BUT IIII LLLOOOOVEEEE ITTT. I flipped him off at that point and no one likes a liar (I don't think anyone in Mile 10 was in a good mood) and the look on some of the others faces were well horrified. But I honestly tell it as it is no matter what.

For the most part, the crowd was super supportive, I thought. Some people were cranky at the narrow spots where there was mostly walking but I just took that time to recover a little extra. I just wish people wouldn't go to a dead stop when they got their water or powerade!

I know I made one ladies day when I said, for the most part, after you get to that final turn to EPCOT, you are in the clear to finish the race from what I've read around these parts of the years, you won't have to worry about being swept unless you ask for it. I think she cried some happy tears. I knew she was struggling and needed some happy thoughts.

During the 10K, I was thankful someone told me my shirt had ridden up (after the last hill heading into EPCOT - the joys of having a large butt!) and they told me about it nicely.

~~

Random other question:

Does anyone else have issues with their Sparkle Skirts riding down for the first half mile or so? I noticed with my new skirt I bought for the half, which was properly sized based on everything else I have, would not stay up until I well got sweaty. I know I had a few gus, my cell phone and a handful of Jolly Ranchers in there which could have weighed it down some.

 

[Ariel484]

Does anyone else have issues with their Sparkle Skirts riding down for the first half mile or so? I noticed with my new skirt I bought for the half, which was properly sized based on everything else I have, would not stay up until I well got sweaty. I know I had a few gus, my cell phone and a handful of Jolly Ranchers in there which could have weighed it down some.

Are you talking about just in the waist? Installing a drawstring may help with that.

Which skirt was it? I know they have changed the shorts material on some of the newer skirts (part of the reason why I don't buy much from them anymore...the fit and feel of the shorts/skirts maybe isn't always as consistent anymore).

 

[seashell7290]

I had overall great experience with my first princess half weekend. I can say I rarely encountered rudeness on the courses and loved getting to meet people waiting before the races. I thought it made a huge difference not being in the last few corrals compared to my last run Disney race. Totally agree about the lack of princesses in the 5k and 10k but was very impressed with those on the course for the half. I got my coveted prince shot so I am a happy girl! I will say that the host resorts did not cater to the runner like they did for marathon weekend back in January. Not sure if I will be returning next year but I sure do like all of the bling I got

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Are you talking about just in the waist? Installing a drawstring may help with that.

Which skirt was it? I know they have changed the shorts material on some of the newer skirts (part of the reason why I don't buy much from them anymore...the fit and feel of the shorts/skirts maybe isn't always as consistent anymore).

It was one of their new ones - Playful Pink. I do not have their issue with PurplePlaid, KittyPurry, Highland Spring or White Linen (the grey short one). I have that issue with my Fiesta but that is because I know its the wrong size (I only walk around the parks in that since its fine for that)

 

[Fruto76]

My personal feelings on Princess weekend- is it my favorite? No. But, it is what I make of it. I can make it miserable or I can make it fantastic. Either way it's all in my hands. No matter where I am running, I see some things that disgust me and I see some things that warm my heart and remind me why I love this sport. I had a great weekend. The weather was fantastic and luckily I didn't witness nasties on the course. Will I be back again next February? You betcha.
Thank you @Keels for sticking up for the women in the midst of a struggle. I hope she was able to finish. I'm sure she appreciated you!

 

[preciouspups]

@Keels I'm glad you said something to those awful women!
@Dis_Yoda I bought a medium in a mini red tech and I have to use the drawstring to keep it up. I bought a medium in another skirt that had a waist in the same fabric as he skirt and I couldn't hardly get it on. I had to sell it!

My weekend was pretty awesome. I didn't do this race for the Princess theme, but because it fit into my son's school break! I'm not a huge princess fan in general and I've never seen Little Mermaid. But, I love the idea of anything that gets women moving and feeling good about themselves. I didn't meet many *****y women this weekend but I did meet a few *****y men. And why does anyone think it is ok to be on the far left and stop dead in their tracks to talk to their friends on the sidelines? After about four rounds of that I yelled at someone. I also had to get a little loud at the women who crossed the finish line and stopped. Dead. No reason. Keep moving through the chute folks.

I didn't do any photos because the lines were so freaking long. I was already near being swept just from waiting for the bathroom. I was coming up the hill and I saw the bus waiting to cross the road then the pacers on bikes came up and said to get moving. No one around me seemed to hear them or care. I had to push through people to get moving. I was polite the whole race and even thanked people who used good race manners, but I was not going to be swept because someone else didn't care.

My son saw my medal and asked if I won. When I told him no he said "so you got a participation medal like I get in baseball." Well, kind of I guess.

I would support a POT for all the races. I was in corral E (10k), where I should have been. We were mostly slow runners and walkers. But every few seconds someone would come blowing through complaining about people being slow.

Since my husband saw how much fun I had during the race, the excitement of the weekend, and the challenge of the training, he has agreed to do a race in 2017 with me. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of Princess and then I surprised him with Star Wars! He wants our son to do the kid's race and even said he would pay for my parents to come down for the night of the race so that they could bring the mini me to the finish line. I met great folks through this experience. The support y'all have provided means a lot. I got zero support from my family, outside of my husband. Someone I hardly know sent me a text at 3:30 to tell me good luck and my own parents didn't even ask how I did after.

 

[keahgirl8]

My personal feelings on Princess weekend- is it my favorite? No. But, it is what I make of it. I can make it miserable or I can make it fantastic. Either way it's all in my hands. No matter where I am running, I see some things that disgust me and I see some things that warm my heart and remind me why I love this sport. I had a great weekend. The weather was fantastic and luckily I didn't witness nasties on the course. Will I be back again next February? You betcha.
Thank you @Keels for sticking up for the women in the midst of a struggle. I hope she was able to finish. I'm sure she appreciated you!

Agreed. Every race has rude people and awesome people. I have had more good experiences than bad.

ETA: Princess is my favorite though.

 

[keahgirl8]

@Keels I'm glad you said something to those awful women!
@Dis_Yoda I bought a medium in a mini red tech and I have to use the drawstring to keep it up. I bought a medium in another skirt that had a waist in the same fabric as he skirt and I couldn't hardly get it on. I had to sell it!

My weekend was pretty awesome. I didn't do this race for the Princess theme, but because it fit into my son's school break! I'm not a huge princess fan in general and I've never seen Little Mermaid. But, I love the idea of anything that gets women moving and feeling good about themselves. I didn't meet many *****y women this weekend but I did meet a few *****y men. And why does anyone think it is ok to be on the far left and stop dead in their tracks to talk to their friends on the sidelines? After about four rounds of that I yelled at someone. I also had to get a little loud at the women who crossed the finish line and stopped. Dead. No reason. Keep moving through the chute folks.

I didn't do any photos because the lines were so freaking long. I was already near being swept just from waiting for the bathroom. I was coming up the hill and I saw the bus waiting to cross the road then the pacers on bikes came up and said to get moving. No one around me seemed to hear them or care. I had to push through people to get moving. I was polite the whole race and even thanked people who used good race manners, but I was not going to be swept because someone else didn't care.

My son saw my medal and asked if I won. When I told him no he said "so you got a participation medal like I get in baseball." Well, kind of I guess.

I would support a POT for all the races. I was in corral E (10k), where I should have been. We were mostly slow runners and walkers. But every few seconds someone would come blowing through complaining about people being slow.

Since my husband saw how much fun I had during the race, the excitement of the weekend, and the challenge of the training, he has agreed to do a race in 2017 with me. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of Princess and then I surprised him with Star Wars! He wants our son to do the kid's race and even said he would pay for my parents to come down for the night of the race so that they could bring the mini me to the finish line. I met great folks through this experience. The support y'all have provided means a lot. I got zero support from my family, outside of my husband. Someone I hardly know sent me a text at 3:30 to tell me good luck and my own parents didn't even ask how I did after.

Totally feel your pain about people stopping. You are not supposed to come to a dead stop in front of a photographer. Period. They are meant to capture you in motion. When you stop, one of two things can/will happen. 1. I nearly plow into you, possibly hurting you or myself. I was glad I was walking this time when that happened. 2. If I want to get my own picture, which I have a right to, I have to come to a dead stop as well and wait until you're finished. Ugh. What a pain. These same women slowed down before they got to the finish line and linked arms to cross. I get it, you want to cross with your friends. But we all want to cross the finish line, and you're blocking the road.

That was really the only rudeness or bad manners I encountered and that can happen anywhere.

 

[bellrae]

For me? No. Now - had I not been alone, I might have felt differently. But I did not feel any of this "girl power camaraderie" that people talk about at these races. I saw mean girls bullying others and making fun of people on the course, I encountered many people who didn't even really plan on doing the half - they would get swept and get their medal anyway, and on and on and on.

I've shared this story privately, but I might as well do it here as well because it was just so unbelievably appalling to me:

The worst, most appalling was this poor woman - she was EXTREMELY overweight and you can tell that she hadn't done much training because she was wearing clothes that nobody who would train to run would wear - her pants (thin cotton yoga capris) were so stretched out they were falling down, her cotton tank top rode up to expose her belly and her poor friend was basically pulling her along, willing her to keep going (that's a discussion for another day, but is completely beside the point). These four just basic b!tches were LOUDLY insulting her "OMG. Pull your pants up!" And "I'm blind! She's blinded me." The poor woman was crying, it was just a miserable experience for her all around and these women were not helping the situation. Not that I did either by yelling "Hey, maybe if you effing hags ran a little bit, you wouldn't still need those heat sheets you have wrapped around you like baby blankies at Mile 4.", but I hope somewhere someone thought it was a good deed for me to stick up for that poor woman.

Sadly not limited to Princess weekend. I was witness to a group of very b*tchy men at the Avengers weekend (from memory during the 10K) who fat shamed a larger woman who was running. She was a bigger girl - yes, but I (a size 4 who did that race in 66 minutes) kept pace with her most of the way through Cali Adventureland. She had clearly trained, and was clearly giving it her all. I was horrified when I heard these guys. She was wearing headphones, so I really hope she never heard a word that they said. I have never wanted to trip someone as badly as I wanted to trip them...

 

[bevcgg]

My first PHM was in 2011- the concept that you could "run through the castle" actually inspired me to start running. PHM was my FIRST race! At that point you didn't even need to submit POT- I started mid point in the corrals. I think PHM does that for MANY women!!! And for that I applaud RD. I am still running 5 years later something that would NOT have happened without PHM in 2011. Because of that my husband is now running and my older daughter is signed up for DL half with me this year. My younger one has done several 5K and declared she is not a "runner".

My mom (late 60's) came out and did the 5K with me this year. She is not a runner but has done a few with my family in Colorado before. She is has always been very self conscious and never felt like she fit in anywhere in life. She actually told me how impressed she was at all the different types of people in the races and how welcoming and supportive everyone was. She was worried she would "not fit in and would embarrass me". We had a very slow 5K with lots of photos- but she LOVED it. And since is lives near Daytona- is thinking about other RD 5K races. And she has already been out "training" walking again with her husband- since Friday.

For those of us who run regularly- PHM is not really a "runner's race" -it is just too crazy crowded. I was amazed at the difference in congestion compared to 14K (in 2011) to 25K this year. You could barely move- I was in G with a friend- 18,000 people behind us. I like to stop for some photos- those are important to me. But I use PHM to celebrate all the training runs I have done, because those long training runs in Dec/Jan suck- this weekend is FUN! I work hard for my POT so I can have fun here.

While the number of people who don't train at all is frustrating. And there are rude people everywhere. I think there are MANY more women who have been inspired to start running and need a good safe supportive non-intimidating place to spread their wings. And you see some of their posts all over FB! And that is what I think PHM is all about- unlike many of the other RD races except maybe Tink.

I will be back- I had a great time yet again! I was disappointed in some of the characters and lack of entertainment- compared to other years. And many of the rookie event errors RD continues to make - i.e. lack of bathrooms on the 10K course before Epcot. But I know it will be super busy and the Expo will be crazy - but it will also be inspiring to see MANY people you would never see running any other time.

To anyone else thinking about it- don't be discouraged- this race is not for everyone.
But train, be ready and plan for the crowds- then HAVE FUN and celebrate!
PHM has changed my family in many, many ways and I know we are not the only ones.
Bev

 

[rteetz]

Honestly I'm really surprised by a lot of this. Princess is not really on my to do list in the future but I might do it someday just to say I have even though I am a guy.

Way to go @Keels for saying something. I probably wouldn't have had the guts but at least you did. I can't imagine what that poor woman was going through I really hope she finished and earned that medal to shove it in those other women's faces.

Being princess weekend I'm really surprised they wouldn't have princesses on the course, like isn't that the point?

Congrats again to everyone who finished and even if your experience wasn't great I hope you made the best of it.

 

[pclvnmcky88]

For you ladies who are thinking of doing this race next year or in the future, please do not be discouraged. This is one of my favorite race weekends and it did not disappoint this time. There are going to be rude people EVERYWHERE and just because you're at Disney does not mean that they are not there. People 'fat-shame' or bully others in general because they are so unhappy with their own lives that they have to put others down to feel better. It's disgusting, but it's everywhere. While these stories completely appall me, I can't be naive in thinking that that 1% won't be at Disney. I went by myself this weekend and saw some people looking at me funny while I was doing the Cupid Shuffle at the pre-race party, but you know what? I just kept dancing and singing to myself. Run your own race, be your own kind of beautiful. One of the reasons I love this weekend so much is because of what the Disney Princesses represent, what Walt had wanted his company to represent. You can do anything you put your mind to, never stop dreaming, have the courage to follow your dreams, etc. For every rude individual there will be two more encouraging ones. Thank you @Keels for saying something to those 'girls.' People like you make this world better. While I love the characters along the courses, I do not stop for pictures. It makes me happy just to see them there. All the little Disney touches are what makes it wonderful and are what made me decide to run this race this year. Last year the Princess weekend was the first race I had run for me and it will forever be the race the really changed my life.

The people I encountered over this race weekend were excited and encouraging. I'm thankful I did not experience some of rudeness that others are talking about and that is truly unfortunate that you did. Do not let it ruin your weekend or your race. If you could be that one encouraging voice for someone, you should be proud of yourselves. You should be proud that you had the courage to cross the starting line, whether or not you were there to run or just get a medal. I find it rude that someone would sign up to just get a medal, but that is apparently what is important to them and I feel sorry. Isn't that what Disney is all about, believing in yourself?

I guess I would just rather look at the bigger picture than focus on how many characters were on the course. There are no other races like RunDisney races, we know that. Some of us come because we love Disney, some come because we love running, and some of us come because this is going to be our defining moment. I had a fantastic 2-days of running and completed something that I wouldn't have thought I could do two years ago.

If any of you watched 'The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60' last night, I think I cried a little when they sang Rainbow Connection. I just felt in that moment that I had really met my goal.

 

[preciouspups]

I think one of my favorite parts of the race was having people still cheering at the finish line even though I was back of the pack. Most local races have no one left by the time the last people come in. Disney celebrates the slowest as much as the fastest. I went out to cheer people on Sunday morning. Right around mile 7.7, if you saw someone yelling while drinking coffee, that was me! I saw @SunDial go past with his daughter and told him how great they looked. I saw Forest Gump and told him to keep running. So many thanked us for cheering and some looked like we were annoying them. A lady was handing out tissues and so many thanked her, hugged her and took a picture with her. I thought it was so sweet!

I also saw a lot of women who need to invest in a good sports bra. I can't imagine their pain after 13.1 miles! Seriously, if you can afford a $200 race and travel to Florida and a costume, you can afford to spend $50 on a good bra!

And I saw women who I would never expect to be runners and yet they were outpacing me so who am I to criticize them! There is a woman at my local track who has to hold up her pants as she walks. That doesn't annoy me at all; I'm thrilled that she is out there and losing weight. What annoys me is that she walks slow on the inside lane, walks four abreast with her friends and acts annoyed when I say excuse me and try to go around them!

 

[cavepig]

Being princess weekend I'm really surprised they wouldn't have princesses on the course, like isn't that the point?

They had some out afterwards.. Based on what my sister-in-law said and a friend of mines pictures - After the 5k They had Ariel with Eric out after the race and Rapunzel, Snow White, Mulan, Cinderella after the half and Belle after the 10k. They were for pictures after but then at least everyone had a chance to take pictures with them and not worry stopping on course. During the Half Belle was with Beast (which in my sis-in-law's picture looked like a crazy long line) and she mentioned Aurora with Prince Philip as you leave MK so they did have some princesses out oh and Princess Sophia the First was out in some race I saw. So while not a lot on course at least they were there for pictures after and probably before too, maybe if too many are on course the lines get too crazy long like the Beast/Belle line and they want to avoid that. And there's characters at the expo which marathon weekend didn't have so that's a plus, like Princess Minnie was there.

My brother and his daughter did the 5k and had a blast, she is 9 and had the best time ever and saw Sebastian after so that's a cool picture. My sis-in-law did the half as her first half ever and had a good experience. She was in H and said it got crowded a few times but she hasn't complained about anything being terrible during it, guess she was in good company throughout luckily.

The mean people sound awful, sad to hear that some act like that during the race, I've been pushed at marathon weekend but never heard people making fun of others.

 

[hauntedcity]

Here are my thoughts for what it is worth on the posts I have read above.
2. Would also love run Disney to have a "participation" medal and a "finisher" medal if they absolutely think everyone has to have a medal.

2. I've discussed this in the past, and I also think it's a great idea. I think it could even be a generic "RunDisney" medal that's not year-specific or specifically themed to each race. That way people would get a nice, high-quality medal, but still have the incentive to run the race again to finish and get the race medal.

4. Rudeness on the course...can't say what I would like since it would get deleted but let's just suffice it to say these folks aren't just rude on the course is my bet!

I'm glad to say I didn't see anything like that. We stopped for a lot of pictures, so we had higher-than-normal congestion in cone alley, but everyone was civil. We did see 2 people wipe out over the weekend, but each person was immediately surrounded by half a dozen helpful runners. We encountered a higher-than-normal number of walkers, but at at the time I attributed that to our slower pace than usual.

I know there were some stinkers out there, but we met several very motivated, inspiring princesses who were tackling their first race.

 

[Planner2012]

I had a great time this weekend. This was my first half marathon and despite all the training, I was nervous before it started. Once it got started though I got into the groove. I was in H and didn't have any issues with rude people. I saw a lot of people enjoying the morning. I didn't stop for character photos but enjoyed seeing them out there. The volunteers & people cheering were amazing! Very creative signs & really added to the whole experience. I had a few teary moments. Not from being in pain but just overwhelmed by the experience. I was running a half marathon!! At Disney!! Was every mile magical? Nope. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Did I cry when I found my sister in law after the finish? You bet.

 

[Ariel484]

They had some out afterwards.. Based on what my sister-in-law said and a friend of mines pictures - After the 5k They had Ariel with Eric out after the race and Rapunzel, Snow White, Mulan, Cinderella after the half and Belle after the 10k. They were for pictures after but then at least everyone had a chance to take pictures with them and not worry stopping on course.

That was my other theory besides the "no princesses on the course because you're the princess" one. That's what they have started to do at Marathon Weekend in January - in the finisher area Pluto out after the 5K, Minnie out after the 10K, Donald out after the half, etc.

 

[hauntedcity]

Totally feel your pain about people stopping. You are not supposed to come to a dead stop in front of a photographer. Period. They are meant to capture you in motion. When you stop, one of two things can/will happen. 1. I nearly plow into you, possibly hurting you or myself. I was glad I was walking this time when that happened. 2. If I want to get my own picture, which I have a right to, I have to come to a dead stop as well and wait until you're finished. Ugh. What a pain. These same women slowed down before they got to the finish line and linked arms to cross. I get it, you want to cross with your friends. But we all want to cross the finish line, and you're blocking the road.

That was really the only rudeness or bad manners I encountered and that can happen anywhere.

At the WDW Marathon in 2015 it became a running joke that my wife and I just couldn't get an action photo together! Someone would slide in front of just before we reached the photographer, or someone would slow down drastically and we'd have to dodge, or a large group would diagonally jump ahead of us. This went on for miles and miles. Finally, it seemed like our chance had come! This was in World Showcase, so we were nearing the end. We had some open space, with just one couple ahead of us, but there was lots of room between us. As they reached the photographer, they came to a sudden, DEAD STOP to pose. I had to slam on the brakes not to bowl them over, and I did have to hang onto one of them not to fall over.

I've always wanted to see that picture. It must have been amazing: a 6'3" bearded man with an expression of sheer terror towering over two tiny chimney sweeps...