2012 WDW Marathon Relay Race

[derekleigh]

So I know there was a Marathon Relay at the 2012 WDW Marathon Weekend, but the event never returned. I can emailed runDisney and they simply said it was for the safety of the runners.

Does anyone have any more detail info as to why this event (and at the moment will) never returned? Also did anyone run the relay and how was it?

Just curious.

 

[joan4mickey]

So I know there was a Marathon Relay at the 2012 WDW Marathon Weekend, but the event never returned. I can emailed runDisney and they simply said it was for the safety of the runners.

Does anyone have any more detail info as to why this event (and at the moment will) never returned? Also did anyone run the relay and how was it?

Just curious.

My daughter and son ran it. They had fun.
No idea why it was one and done.

 

[derekleigh]

My daughter and son ran it. They had fun.
No idea why it was one and done.

Glad to hear their experience was enjoyable!

I don't know if I would ever have run it but it would be a nice option for those interested in doing a half but not the same course. Plus the Chip & Dale were very appropriate mascots for the event!

 

[Danhockey04]

It was most likely due to the course change. The mid point of the course before the change was coming out of the MK park by the parking lot, where the transition occurred. With the new course, the mid point is now over by DAK, with no room for the transition. Personally, I enjoy the older course much better than the new course that winds through that awful place to run in WWoS.

 

[derekleigh]

It was most likely due to the course change. The mid point of the course before the change was coming out of the MK park by the parking lot, where the transition occurred. With the new course, the mid point is now over by DAK, with no room for the transition. Personally, I enjoy the older course much better than the new course that winds through that awful place to run in WWoS.

Is WWoS really the worst part of the Marathon? I'm planning on running my first marathon at Disney in 2015, so I'm interested in a lot of people's opinion of the course.

 

[jimandami]

DH and I ran it as well. It was fun, and the medals were great. The negatives for me were sitting in that MK parking lot for almost 3 hours (they made you get there really early!) in the cold waiting for my turn, and the fact that it got very hot by the time it was my turn to run. If you just run the Donald, you are finished before the sun ever really gets warm. For the relay, however, it was pretty hot by the time I finished the second half.

 

[jeanigor]

As someone who did the second leg of the Chip & Dale, sitting on the cold hard pavement for three and a half hours was horrid. I knew my relay partner would take that long, and I'm glad she did (she had a blast with the first half) but getting up so early to wait that long to run was hard.

As Dan mentioned, there wouldn't be an easy transition point either. As to whether or not WWoS is a great part of the course, I'd rather run through there than do a long out and back on the highway. Change in scenery and all. Oh, and there are REAL flush toilets with running water at WWoS.

If the Chip & Dale were ever to make a come back, I think it would be on a year when they would have a harder time filling the marathon.
2012 - Chip & Dale
2013 - 20th Anniversary of the Marathon
2014 - Inaugural Dopey Challenge
2015 - 10th Anniversary of the Goofy Challenge
2016 - ??

 

[Danhockey04]

I preferred running through EPCOT beginning and end of the race. Now, that portion has been replaced with the speedway and WWoS. Speedway is fine IMO, but running through WWoS just seems to go on forever. Running through EPCOT first was great with the torches lit and music while dark.

 

[Ariel484]

I preferred running through EPCOT beginning and end of the race. Now, that portion has been replaced with the speedway and WWoS. Speedway is fine IMO, but running through WWoS just seems to go on forever. Running through EPCOT first was great with the torches lit and music while dark.

I prefer the older course too. The early-morning Epcot portion was my favorite part, and I thought they spaced the time out between the parks better (example - there used to be about 6 miles between Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, now it's more like 9 with the WWoS portion). The WWoS area just doesn't really do it for me, although I definitely appreciate the real bathrooms.

 

[Castle2Castle]

Is WWoS really the worst part of the Marathon? I'm planning on running my first marathon at Disney in 2015, so I'm interested in a lot of people's opinion of the course.

We didn't run the marathon before the course change to compare it against the old course and running through EPCOT first; we personally liked running through WWOS if for no other reason than to get off Osceola Parkway -- that stretch from AK to WWOS is what we considered to be the worst part of the course as it's just highway as far as the eye can see with little to no shade.

The only negative we had with WWOS was the track dirt of Champion Stadium kicking up into our shoes when we were too tired and sore to want to bend over to try and dig it out.

Since 2013 was our first year, we don't have any info on the relay aspect, though I had heard the new course and issues establishing the transition were reasons for it not returning.

 

[RnbwSktles]

We didn't run the marathon before the course change to compare it against the old course and running through EPCOT first; we personally liked running through WWOS if for no other reason than to get off Osceola Parkway -- that stretch from AK to WWOS is what we considered to be the worst part of the course as it's just highway as far as the eye can see with little to no shade. .

I second this as I have only run it one time in 2014. I didn't like WWOS, but only because that is where I started hitting my wall and I think I would've hated the MK if I was there at that point!

 

[derekleigh]

As someone who did the second leg of the Chip & Dale, sitting on the cold hard pavement for three and a half hours was horrid. I knew my relay partner would take that long, and I'm glad she did (she had a blast with the first half) but getting up so early to wait that long to run was hard.

As Dan mentioned, there wouldn't be an easy transition point either. As to whether or not WWoS is a great part of the course, I'd rather run through there than do a long out and back on the highway. Change in scenery and all. Oh, and there are REAL flush toilets with running water at WWoS.

If the Chip & Dale were ever to make a come back, I think it would be on a year when they would have a harder time filling the marathon.
2012 - Chip & Dale
2013 - 20th Anniversary of the Marathon
2014 - Inaugural Dopey Challenge
2015 - 10th Anniversary of the Goofy Challenge
2016 - ??

Man, I couldn't imagine waking up and arriving at the relay point only to wait for 3.5 hours. With so many runners, how did you know when your partner was almost there?

We didn't run the marathon before the course change to compare it against the old course and running through EPCOT first; we personally liked running through WWOS if for no other reason than to get off Osceola Parkway -- that stretch from AK to WWOS is what we considered to be the worst part of the course as it's just highway as far as the eye can see with little to no shade.

The only negative we had with WWOS was the track dirt of Champion Stadium kicking up into our shoes when we were too tired and sore to want to bend over to try and dig it out.

Since 2013 was our first year, we don't have any info on the relay aspect, though I had heard the new course and issues establishing the transition were reasons for it not returning.

I ran the half in 2012 and never realized they changed the marathon course. But I never considered running it at the moment so it was just a quick glance.

 

[John VN]

If there was a way to have the midpoint occur inside the race track, the runners could meet in the pit lanes for the transition. Disney could have chairs to sit on, fluids, porta-potties and such for relay participants that would be included with an additional cost for entry.

As far as the new marathon course, it must stay this way for my McFlurry fix.

McFlurry John

 

[DOOM1001]

Is WWoS really the worst part of the Marathon? I'm planning on running my first marathon at Disney in 2015, so I'm interested in a lot of people's opinion of the course.

I have no problem with the new course or going through WWOS,I could agree that it does feel like it takes a long time to get through WWOS,but its still another venue to run through,it may not be a park but its still kinda exciting running through WWOS and Champions stadium.The positive of the old course was running through Epcot in the dark,in my opinion that's it.It's a good positive but you don't get to run through the speedway,WWOS and you get to the MK later on,I like getting to the MK while its still a bit dark and that was hard to do with the old course.Maybe they could rotate the courses or at least bring back the old one for a year or two for a change but I have no problem keeping the current one.

 

[kmorganj]

The relay was fun as a race, but a let down overall. I was Runner 1 and came in around a respectable 2:10 only to hear the DJ announcing "here come a few stragglers." um, STRAGGLERS??? I heard there were a lot of miscommunications and a majority of runners were released before their partner showed up, etc. The finish for the first runner was sort of forgotten - nobody seemed to know about transportation or where to go next. From there I tried to go over to TTC to get back to my resort, only to be sent to DHS to catch a bus to the resort from there. Except the resort busses weren't running since it was 8 in the morning. Thank goodness a kind cast member took pity on me and called a bus to come get me. Got a nice private bus ride back to the room, restoring some of that Disney magic.

After doing Goofy, and five previous fulls, it was fun to have something new and I love the medal, but I felt second-class the entire weekend. At least put Chip and Dale on stage for the start! (or have Mickey or Donald say SOMETHING about all the relay runners out there!) I think the competing logistics were too ambitious at the time.

 

[FFigawi]

The best part of the old course was Epcot in the dark. The second-best part was the coaster in AK coming at roughly mile 17 instead of mile 13 now. It was a lot easier to ride previously.

 

[derekleigh]

The best part of the old course was Epcot in the dark. The second-best part was the coaster in AK coming at roughly mile 17 instead of mile 13 now. It was a lot easier to ride previously.

I would love to run Epcot in the dark! Did they have all the usual lights on? I am hoping to run the 5K in 2015 in addition to the Full and I am hoping Epcot all lights!!

 

[disney25]

My brother and I did this race. It was a ton of fun. I ran the first leg, he dropped me off at the start the drove up to ttc where he napped in the car for a bit, cheered me on at ttc and then walked over to the transition point while I ran through the mk. He handed me keys at the transition and I drove out to animal kingdom and saw him at the McDonald's then drove to the finish! It was an awesome experience overall and nice to do a different race!

That weekend at the expo the run Disney reps told us that the number of registrations were significantly less than they had hoped/expected and it was likely not coming back for 2013 so we should be glad we were in the race that year. We asked at the fall races in 2012 and the reps confirmed this was the main driver behind it not returning. It's too bad because it was a fun race!

 

[derekleigh]

Don't mean to beat a dead horse but...

The 13.1 mile mark on the 2014 Marathon course comes just outside of AK. If runDisney ever wanted to try this again, they could tweak AK route and have the relay point in the AK parking lot.

 

[disney25]

Agree! Like wine and dine relay in the first few years!