Official 2016 Princess Half Marathon Thread

[hauntedcity]

Was there no live feed for the start and finish this year?

There wasn't one for Marathon Weekend either, and I was quite disappointed. I love having that open on my computer all morning. It gets me so excited to run another race! I tried contacting them via the Disney Parks Blog and Facebook, but no one ever replied or contacted me. I may have sent RunDisney an email, too, but I don't remember.

 

[hiroMYhero]

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

After the 10K, Rapunzel and Tiana were meeting but the lines were long. Along the route, the only Princess out was Sofia and she was the last character before the finish line.

When I inquired as to the most interesting collection of characters, my source said runDisney selects them and the Character Event team puts the plans into place.

For the Tink 5K last May, we met the Lost Boys, Hook & Smee, and Peter & Wendy. I was expecting at least one Mermaid related meet for this 10K. Oh well; running the Tink 10K soon and looking forward to the characters there!

 

[elleherself]

I ran the Glass Slipper Challenge this year. I ran the Princess as my very first half marathon in 2013, and I had a really good experience. It was 2014 I believe when they debuted the GSC and I finally got my ducks in a row to register.

I might take flack for this. The entire process, from registering to crossing the finish line, was extremely congested and full of headaches, and the race itself had me questioning "for what?" Maybe I've just outgrown this race. My (non-runDisney) proof of time was not accepted for whatever reason. I tried to contest by email but was told it was too late. I resolved to enjoy my race from the back of the pack, and make the best of it. I feel I definitely did that, but the whole experience left me unsatisfied! I ran a half marathon the week before, my hometown A1A Half Marathon along the beautiful coast, very scenic race through my hometown. The finish line had free food, beer, and lots of gear. The princess was such a stark contrast! The joke signs at the end that said "worst parade ever" seemed to hit too close to home for me. It was just a swirling mass of sad, sweaty, droopy costumes worn by a walking mass of gridlocked women. From my O corral there was no escape. For every 1 person half-heartedly running, there were 50 people walking, arm to arm.

The good news is I got to stop for lots of pictures, which actually came out very nice. I thought the sweepers were pretty brutal on the 10k, I felt very rushed through the photos. I had barely started and could see them coming along when I was in line for the Evil Queen. I got ahead but they passed me when I stopped for the fairies. I had to dash through a few characters, and I was seriously almost swept waiting in line for Lumiere and Cogsworth. After that I sprinted after those balloons, and dreamed about popping them! I felt rushed and stressed and wished I had been in a more appropriate corral. Between the throngs of walkers and the photo ops, a good pace was really impossible. I realize I could have just not taken any photos, but the amount of congested walking made a good race pace impossible anyway, and without photo ops this race is really not worth it at all.

I was hoping that things would improve for the princess, but it was even worse! I feel terrible for anyone who was shamed out there, but there were many runners who had no idea what they were in for and their entire goal process seemed to be to show up wearing a cute, impractical costume. After mile 8 it was just a long slog of walkers down the highway, and no one was having fun any more (I started in O corral). Felt like I was in some sort of forced march down an endless highway of concrete. No one was running. I was on the grass most of the race. I would sprint to my photo ops, of which I hit a lot! But it was terrible trying to get through the masses. There was NO effort made to educate people about basic race etiquette, such as WALK on the RIGHT. People stopped dead in front of me so many times just as I would get a good pace going.

My sister really wants me to do the princess with her again. I only hope it is years from now when runDisney figures out some way to put the "run" back into this event! Not surprised at all that 20% of people were swept. I sort of feel the whole thing is just a joke to most people. It was hard to take the cheering of the spectators seriously when people were snaking down the road towards Epcot slower than a decent brisk walking pace.

 

[Ariel484]

Also, any guesses on dates for 2018?! I've already started saving!

Most likely the same time of year (late February), but nothing is 100% guaranteed. runDisney has changed their schedule in the past.

 

[Ariel484]

There was NO effort made to educate people about basic race etiquette, such as WALK on the RIGHT. People stopped dead in front of me so many times just as I would get a good pace going.

runDisney actually DOES post some etiquette guidelines in the program, but it's definitely not a perfect list. And it's pretty buried (page 43 of 57).

This is something that I've thought about before, and I'm really not sure what else runDisney can do about it. They post the guidelines - it's up to us as the participants to actually read them. I think the announcers also sometimes say them before the races start, but again - up to us as participants to actually listen. Etiquette-wise this race has a reputation for being the worst, just because it attracts so many newer runners - again, not sure what can be done about it, which really thinks because it's such a big complaint with these races.

 

[srauseo]

Just got home after flying in last night and have finally read through all the posts and will chime in.
1. I thought race transportation was great. We were staying at Coronado Springs. We walked onto a bus to go to the Expo. We waited about 10 minutes to get a bus back to the hotel after the Expo. There were several buses waiting for us when we left for the race a little before 3:00am on Sunday. We waited about 5 minutes to get a bus back to the Hotel after the race around 9:30am.
2. We went to the Expo around 1/1:30 on Thursday. Bib pickup was quick and easy. Dooney and other pre-purchased items pickup was also quick and easy. The Expo itself was very busy but manageable. We got headbands to wear for the race (bondis, I think). I'm OK with the half shirt - would have preferred teal or emerald but it's fine. I got some new havaianas. My sister got cute shirts for her kids ("My favorite princess is my mom!"), Beast and Belle raw thread shirts for her DH and herself, and some magnets. I wish we had seen a speaker schedule in advance so we could have planned to attend one. Was anything posted anywhere?
3. Race day went smoothly. We were among the first people to arrive at Race Retreat and got a quick picture with Tiana, Naveen and Louis before breakfast. They had a nice spread set out - bagels, bananas, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, etc. There were toasters. We plopped down on some bean bags and watched Hercules until it was time to head to the corrals. It was super dark in the porto-potties. They need more lighting!
4. It was a really long walk to the corrals. A lot of people seemed surprised by it and were late. I ran with my sister in Corral H (I was assigned to E). We got there with just enough time to chill for a bit before we started moving up to the starting line. We started right around 5:55.
5. It was definitely a little congested - especially where the course narrowed. This caused us to start out a little slow and slowed us down at few points along the course which was a little frustrating. We didn't stop for any characters as the lines were long but they were fun to see. I think one issue is faster runners who stop for character pictures then have to navigate back through runners who are going at a slower pace. But, if you want the picture, I think that's the price you pay.
6. I didn't see any outright rudeness but there was some inconsiderate or oblivious behavior. Nothing major though and certainly nothing like @Keels witnessed. Overall, everyone seemed to be working hard and enjoying the experience. There were a lot of people doing walk/run intervals in our corral but most were good about signaling or you could hear their alarms to warn you. The spectators and signs were great! Best was - "Run like Steve Harvey is trying to take your tiara!"
7. We finished in 2:40. This was a very comfortable pace for me and I could have gone faster. Would have loved to have broken 2:30 but I really wanted to run with my sister and at the end she said she probably wouldn't have run the whole time without me. We only stopped for one bathroom break and to get water. When we got to the last ramp we saw the 2:45 pace group and that motivated my sister to pick it up a little so we could pass them.
7. We liked the snack box! My sister is in love with that coconut puffed whatever.
8. Race Retreat breakfast was nice - eggs, sausage, pastries, potatoes, etc. Plenty of food and no lines. They had a small tent set up with towels and benches to get changed in which was really appreciated. The little towel we got as our souvenir seems kinda chintzy but I'll probably use it in spin class!
9. There was certainly an army of workers and volunteers. Everyone seemed nice and helpful.
10. I agree that people who don't finish shouldn't get a medal. Maybe something else but not a medal. This was my first half marathon and I followed the training plan almost to the letter and that allowed me to finish feeling strong. My sister had some bumps in her training but even with two young kids and two jobs she got a lot of it done was able to finish upright and with a smile. We both live in New England and were able to get the training in. We were committed to it. I'm proud of the accomplishment. If I flaked out on the training and got swept because of that I wouldn't take a medal. I don't know how I would feel about it if I got injured or something like that but if it was purely my lack of commitment - no way.
11. I think this is a great race for first time half marathoners. There's a low intimidation factor. The course is pretty easy. Overall, I'm really glad I did it. I would do it again.

 

[hauntedcity]

For the Tink 5K last May, we met the Lost Boys, Hook & Smee, and Peter & Wendy. I was expecting at least one Mermaid related meet for this 10K. Oh well; running the Tink 10K soon and looking forward to the characters there!

I saw pictures of Sebastian during the Marathon, and I was so sure he would be out this weekend!

 

[pclvnmcky88]

@elleherself, I am sorry that this was your experience for this past race weekend. It disappoints me reading things like this. While I have never experienced the back of the pack, I wholeheartedly disagree with you that this race weekend is a joke to some people. I participated in the Glass Slipper Challenge and it was very real for me even when I had no fear of being swept. I admit that the stretch between about mile 7.5 and mile 11.5 is a little dreary because it's down the highway, however, I do not believe that even the back of the pack runners were just slogging down the highway. Once you get out of MK you know you are about half way. Even though everyone is tired, sweaty, and irritated at the congestion, they are going to try their best to finish the race. My first half marathon my knees gave out at about mile 8 and I was one of those slogging down the highway for the rest of the race, but I had the motivation to finish. Now, I don't know if people at the back of the pack corrals have this outlook but I like to be optimistic.

I will be back for however many times I can keep my legs going.

 

[hauntedcity]

1. I thought race transportation was great. We were staying at Coronado Springs. We walked onto a bus to go to the Expo. We waited about 10 minutes to get a bus back to the hotel after the Expo. There were several buses waiting for us when we left for the race a little before 3:00am on Sunday. We waited about 5 minutes to get a bus back to the Hotel after the race around 9:30am.

This was probably the best race transportation I've experienced, although I have never had the problems that some others have. There was always a bus waiting at Saratoga Springs, and the longest we had to wait for a return trip was <5 minutes.

5. It was definitely a little congested - especially where the course narrowed. This caused us to start out a little slow and slowed us down at few points along the course which was a little frustrating. We didn't stop for any characters as the lines were long but they were fun to see. I think one issue is faster runners who stop for character pictures then have to navigate back through runners who are going at a slower pace. But, if you want the picture, I think that's the price you pay.

Yup. We are recent converts to the "get as many pictures as you can" mode of running. Our first few Disney races had 2 stops: we would choose one character and a castle photo. This time, we knew we'd be taking a long time and ended up with about 7 character photos, plus a few more stops. We were willing to pay the price!

6. ...There were a lot of people doing walk/run intervals in our corral but most were good about signaling or you could hear their alarms to warn you.

My wife and I started in Corral F, and it started off as one of the best Galloway run/walk experiences we've ever had in a race. Lots of Galloway timers ("Was that ours? No. Was that ours? No. Was that ours? Yes - walk break!"), but everyone raised their hand and moved to the right during walk breaks. It was great.

7. We liked the snack box! My sister is in love with that coconut puffed whatever.

Those were so good.

 

[Disneymoon09]

I will say I am a run/walk person normally. I have nothing against those who walk, but I wish there was a designated corral for walkers. There are people who go into it knowing they are going to walk it.

 

[SunDial]

For being a PRINCESS race, the character stops were disappointing. There were no Princesses on course during the 5 and 10, and the "host" Ariel was no where to be found during the half.

This was the only disappointment for me. I really wanted to get an Ariel picture with my daughter and me.

I think runDisney need to do away with the dirt little secret of giving medals to everyone ...you get a finisher shirt when you pick up your packet and it is call "A FINISHERS MEDAL"..as in one finished. Shirts used to be given out when people finished a race, it is just easier to give it out before.
***which leads me to my next point and one Keels makes, the merchandise, runDisney is sucking people dry and they know it, the "I did it" shirt is ridicules, we are each given a finisher shirt..disney just know they can sale anything.

[COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 255)]I agree with the idea that the finishers medal being given out to those that are swept should be stopped. I also do not buy the "I did it" shirts. I also will not wear the event shirt until I have completed the run. [/COLOR]

[QUOTE="SarahDisney, post: 55224805, member: 524739"]I hate to say this, but ...
I was thinking about doing Princess at some point in the future, and you guys are kinda scaring me off.
I did the 5K last year and loved it, and most of the runners I met in the parks were really sweet and encouraging, which is part of why I figured it would be a good race for me (the other part is the princess thing). But from some of the things I've seen here, it sounds like those sweet and encouraging runners are in the minority.

I know this is a decision that I have to make for myself, but ... am I misreading, or do you guys really feel like the Princess Half is not a good experience?[/QUOTE]

[COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 255)]I feel the event is what expectations you go in with and want you make of it. My daughter and I went in with the expectation of having a wonderful father/daughter weekend. Doing what ever she wanted to do and when she wanted to do it. The weekend was absolutely fantastic.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE="joan4mickey, post: 55224857, member: 114960"]I do think it can be a good experience...it will be better if you have a corral placement that isn't too far back. Also, expectations....one can choose to go with or without certain expectations...I think we can have big disappointments when we have certain expectation. I try and approach life with few expectations of people and situations and then look for the positive in what I am experiencing. I chatted up a lot of people, I was traveling alone, and had some very nice interactions with runners and people just on vacation.[/QUOTE]

[COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 255)]Quoted for the truth. I also like to talk to those out on the course whether at Disney or local events.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE="Keels, post: 55224970, member: 182958"]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.[/QUOTE]

[COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 255)]Thanks for saying something. I really did not see anything like this around me while on the course. [/COLOR]

[QUOTE="pclvnmcky88, post: 55226620, member: 552440"]For you ladies [SIZE=4][COLOR=rgb(255, 0, 0)]and men[/COLOR] [/SIZE]who are thinking of doing this race next year or in the future, please do not be discouraged. [COLOR=rgb(255, 0, 0)]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.[/COLOR] [/QUOTE]

[COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 255)]I had to add "and men" The red is so true. [/COLOR]

 

[pclvnmcky88]

@SunDial thanks for adding that in there! I love seeing all the amazing men who run this and get into the princess spirit!

 

[SunDial]

The Saturday 10K was an awesome day with my daughter. Sunday was even better. This was the day of the costumes. The day of role reversal. It started with the alarms going off at 2:30am. Of course one has to hit the snooze button at least once. We got to the race area about 4:30. We had to wait just about 45 minutes for a bus to take us from POP Century to Epcot's parking lot. That line was crazy long.



Found a group of other men princesses in the pre-race area. Had to get a pic with them. Saw them again on course around mile 8.



We took pics at every mile marker and other spots on course.



Mile 6 was Cousin It from the Adams Family meets Ariel.



Of course we had to get the final mile marker sign before the finish.



And our pic with all of the newly earned bling



We got sooooooooooooooooo many compliments and people stopping to ask us if they could take a pic with us. It was great.

I also have to say that the beard and wig never came off during the run at all. When the sun came up there were thoughts but then we started playing a little game to see who would be the first one to remove a piece of their costume.

I have to say this weekend was an absolutely fantastic and wonderful time to spend with my daughter. We had a blast. It was a really "priceless" weekend.

I dropped her off at the airport Monday morning and cried while driving home because the most wonderful, fantastic, fun filled 3 days had come to a close. I can't wait for the next event Disney or not to roll around again

 

[Keels]

Awwwww, @SunDial! That makes me so happy - y'all had an amazing weekend!!

 

[Ariel484]

@SunDial that was awesome!!

 

[cavepig]

I will say I am a run/walk person normally. I have nothing against those who walk, but I wish there was a designated corral for walkers. There are people who go into it knowing they are going to walk it.

But some people walk faster than some people run so that would never work.

@SunDial that is awesome, love your outfits! props to keeping the wig and beard on too, that would be hard!

 

[tspnmb]

I'll Chime in with our story also.. I ran all three events and my wife ran the Glass Slipper. Her sister ran the 10k (she has done many other races but this was her first disney race).

I was in A for the 5k, A in the 10k with my wife and her sister (they dropped back). I ran ahead so they could do the sister thing.. Plus my wife was a motivation coach for her sister. Since signing up for the race she injured her knee in a car accident. Its been a tough road to get back and she was worried about walking and getting in folks way. We had to talk her into doing it anyway explaining that in a Disney race it will be packed / tight and you EXPECT that there is a large number of different paced participants and not to worry. Make adjustments as necessary. Just use the proper etiquette and do what you can to keep it safe for others. She is not ready to run the 10k at her submitted time speed.
They submitted correct estimated times but that changed of course due to her knee. They dropped back from A to B and stayed in the back to start. Even in B they noticed a large majority of people starting off walking that seemed to have no intention of running in a corral B pace. They easily passed a large majority of the corral while doing a slow jog.

Both my wife and her sister (when not recovering from injury) could easily pace with corral A and B. So it was interesting to experience the race from a different perspective.
They never stopped/walked but did a very slow jog the entire time. They did the very best to stay out of peoples way.
Didn't matter, They experienced quite a bit of rudeness to the point my wife had a hard time keeping her thoughts to herself. It was hard for her taking crap from people making comments when she could have turned on the juice and left the *&%^&(#* in her dust. She only let it bother her for a minute and shook it off and enjoyed the races.

Also during the Half My wife was slotted for A but dropped back to B to make it easier for us to meet up. She worked hard to get in the front and have the open space at the start. I originally had not signed up for the half but was able to get one last minute from a TA. Maybe because of the late registration they placed me correctly in the 5k and 10k according to my POT but not the half. I started way back in J.
I am a pretty fast runner and my wife wasn't trying for a PR or anything, especially in a Disney race. She wanted to get pictures and enjoy the race. So she got out the gate at full speed for a while and then after things cleared out she slowed down as did many other A runners to get pictures with characters.

I got to the front of J and worked through the crowds to make up some time so we could run together. She waited for me at the Castle so we could get pictures and we ran together from then on.
Starting in "J" I was able to run the first mile at a 9:01 getting through the heavy congestion. By the time I meet up with her at the back of the castle (which I think was somewhere near 5 1/2m) I maintained around an 8:15 pace. I had to run in the grass quite a bit do quite a bit of weaving and paying extra attention to my footing and surroundings. The walkers weren't as hard to get around as folks running a average pace and deciding to fly across the course stop dead and snap a picture with a spectator.

Even still,
Not once did I step on anybody , run into anybody or yell at anyone and make rude comments!!

It is not the fault of the participants that its so jam packed and narrow in many spots. Disney markets the race in a way that appeals to all types of people. To a point that I think it comes across more like any other Disney event then actual "races". With so many people in these races and some very tight spots on the courses they really do need to find a better way to manage POT and corral placements.

I do agree with others that if you have no intentions of finishing the races you should not be signing up for them. (just to get a medal) There are plenty of other Shiny objects around the parks to purchase with the registration money.
Both walkers and runners need to ditch the "its all about me" attitude and be respectful of each other.

We have done a few Disney races so we know what to expect. When registering we accept the negative aspects will be there but focus on the positive parts and have a good time.
Unless you plan on submitting a POT that will put you in one of the first two corrals trying for a PR would be tough. I would try for a PR at one of my much less crowded local races.

I do believe Disney can do a much better job managing the corrals/crowds. I suspect they probably never will.
A disney race is much like a day in the Disney Parks. Overcrowded , Lines , Rude People, Friendly People, Exciting, Memorable.

At least during the Races we don't have to navigate around Strollers and the other S Word...

We had a blast as always and celebrated with Beer and Grey Goose Slush's Daily.

Here we are after the half.

 

[britterbell]

I'll Chime in with our story also.. I ran all three events and my wife ran the Glass Slipper. Her sister ran the 10k (she has done many other races but this was her first disney race).

I was in A for the 5k, A in the 10k with my wife and her sister (they dropped back). I ran ahead so they could do the sister thing.. Plus my wife was a motivation coach for her sister. Since signing up for the race she injured her knee in a car accident. Its been a tough road to get back and she was worried about walking and getting in folks way. We had to talk her into doing it anyway explaining that in a Disney race it will be packed / tight and you EXPECT that there is a large number of different paced participants and not to worry. Make adjustments as necessary. Just use the proper etiquette and do what you can to keep it safe for others. She is not ready to run the 10k at her submitted time speed.
They submitted correct estimated times but that changed of course due to her knee. They dropped back from A to B and stayed in the back to start. Even in B they noticed a large majority of people starting off walking that seemed to have no intention of running in a corral B pace. They easily passed a large majority of the corral while doing a slow jog.

Both my wife and her sister (when not recovering from injury) could easily pace with corral A and B. So it was interesting to experience the race from a different perspective.
They never stopped/walked but did a very slow jog the entire time. They did the very best to stay out of peoples way.
Didn't matter, They experienced quite a bit of rudeness to the point my wife had a hard time keeping her thoughts to herself. It was hard for her taking crap from people making comments when she could have turned on the juice and left the *&%^&(#* in her dust. She only let it bother her for a minute and shook it off and enjoyed the races.

Also during the Half My wife was slotted for A but dropped back to B to make it easier for us to meet up. She worked hard to get in the front and have the open space at the start. I originally had not signed up for the half but was able to get one last minute from a TA. Maybe because of the late registration they placed me correctly in the 5k and 10k according to my POT but not the half. I started way back in J.
I am a pretty fast runner and my wife wasn't trying for a PR or anything, especially in a Disney race. She wanted to get pictures and enjoy the race. So she got out the gate at full speed for a while and then after things cleared out she slowed down as did many other A runners to get pictures with characters.

I got to the front of J and worked through the crowds to make up some time so we could run together. She waited for me at the Castle so we could get pictures and we ran together from then on.
Starting in "J" I was able to run the first mile at a 9:01 getting through the heavy congestion. By the time I meet up with her at the back of the castle (which I think was somewhere near 5 1/2m) I maintained around an 8:15 pace. I had to run in the grass quite a bit do quite a bit of weaving and paying extra attention to my footing and surroundings. The walkers weren't as hard to get around as folks running a average pace and deciding to fly across the course stop dead and snap a picture with a spectator.

Even still,
Not once did I step on anybody , run into anybody or yell at anyone and make rude comments!!

It is not the fault of the participants that its so jam packed and narrow in many spots. Disney markets the race in a way that appeals to all types of people. To a point that I think it comes across more like any other Disney event then actual "races". With so many people in these races and some very tight spots on the courses they really do need to find a better way to manage POT and corral placements.

I do agree with others that if you have no intentions of finishing the races you should not be signing up for them. (just to get a medal) There are plenty of other Shiny objects around the parks to purchase with the registration money.
Both walkers and runners need to ditch the "its all about me" attitude and be respectful of each other.

We have done a few Disney races so we know what to expect. When registering we accept the negative aspects will be there but focus on the positive parts and have a good time.
Unless you plan on submitting a POT that will put you in one of the first two corrals trying for a PR would be tough. I would try for a PR at one of my much less crowded local races.

I do believe Disney can do a much better job managing the corrals/crowds. I suspect they probably never will.
A disney race is much like a day in the Disney Parks. Overcrowded , Lines , Rude People, Friendly People, Exciting, Memorable.

At least during the Races we don't have to navigate around Strollers and the other S Word...

We had a blast as always and celebrated with Beer and Grey Goose Slush's Daily.

Here we are after the half.View attachment 152854

Nice to see someone else with an overall positive experience with the race! This was my first Half Marathon and thought it was perfect! I started in G and stopped quite a bit for character pictures and ran/jogged for the entirety of the race. My net time reflects all the stops I did, but if I had ran it straight through I would have finished right on time, so needless to say, I was pretty happy!

 

[rteetz]

The Saturday 10K was an awesome day with my daughter. Sunday was even better. This was the day of the costumes. The day of role reversal. It started with the alarms going off at 2:30am. Of course one has to hit the snooze button at least once. We got to the race area about 4:30. We had to wait just about 45 minutes for a bus to take us from POP Century to Epcot's parking lot. That line was crazy long.



Found a group of other men princesses in the pre-race area. Had to get a pic with them. Saw them again on course around mile 8.



We took pics at every mile marker and other spots on course.



Mile 6 was Cousin It from the Adams Family meets Ariel.



Of course we had to get the final mile marker sign before the finish.



And our pic with all of the newly earned bling



We got sooooooooooooooooo many compliments and people stopping to ask us if they could take a pic with us. It was great.

I also have to say that the beard and wig never came off during the run at all. When the sun came up there were thoughts but then we started playing a little game to see who would be the first one to remove a piece of their costume.

I have to say this weekend was an absolutely fantastic and wonderful time to spend with my daughter. We had a blast. It was a really "priceless" weekend.

I dropped her off at the airport Monday morning and cried while driving home because the most wonderful, fantastic, fun filled 3 days had come to a close. I can't wait for the next event Disney or not to roll around again

Awesome costumes!

 

[Warm Hugs]

Nice to see someone else with an overall positive experience with the race! This was my first Half Marathon and thought it was perfect! I started in G and stopped quite a bit for character pictures and ran/jogged for the entirety of the race. My net time reflects all the stops I did, but if I had ran it straight through I would have finished right on time, so needless to say, I was pretty happy!

Probably won't eliminate all the problems mentioned, but if you get swept, then rundisney should implement a policy of no medal. At least you would not get these people who have no intention of finishing and just want the medal. worst part of these people is that they are taking spots from people who do want to finish and will do the training to do so.