Anyone ever had a loved one run the Disney marathon?

[Camno's Mama]

Dh is considering running the marathon, and I was wondering how it works for spectators? Do you have to pay to get in if you are just watching and leaving? Where are the best spots to watch? How hard would it be for me to move around with my boys (5 and 3)...I'm pretty brave, so as long as it's possible with a stroller, then I will try.

We are not interested in hitting the parks that day, I don't think. Dh is pretty tired the day of the marathon, and we want to conserve energy for the rest of the week! So, I guess I'm hoping to go to places where I won't have to have a ticket.

Thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

The marathon starts at 6AM and it starts outside the park, so you can see them line up for the start. Then head over to the ramp for the monorail from Epcot and you can see them run by that into Epcot (depends on whether they are red or blue route). Then hop the monorail over to the TTC and you can see them run through the TTC. Then hop over to MK and you can watch them run down Main Street and out the front of the castle. You can't go beyond Main Street by the front of the castle. We parked our car at Epcot so we took the monorail back to Epcot and then drove over to AK to see them come out of AK. Then head back to Epcot to watch them finish the race. The finish is outside the park.

The only place you are actually inside the park is at the MK on Main Street and you can enter there without a ticket, but you have to leave before the park officially opens.

Also, if you get to the MK too early on the Monorail, it won't even stop there and will just go on to the Contemporary Resort.

If your boys will be up, ready and at the bus stop by 4:30AM, you can usually ride a bus over to Epcot. But your runner will need to be on the bus by 3AM to get to Epcot. IF you are at a resort with multiple bus stops, the bus usually only picks up at the main bus stop at the entrance to the resort. These bus drivers are not the standard WDW bus drivers and are charter bus drivers who have very little knowledge of WDW.

With your two little ones, you may just want to be there at the end of the race. Depending on how fast your husband is, plan on being at the finish line for his finish, anywhere from 9AM to 1PM. You probably won't be able to get a seat to watch the finish (they have bleachers set up, but seating is very limited and first come first served).

Has he already signed up for the marathon yet? There may not be much time left to sign up. I know the half and Goofy Challenge are already closed.

The MK is about the 10 mile mark for the marathon. If he leaves at 6AM, how long will it take him to get to the MK? That's how much time you have to get there from the start.

 

[Camno's Mama]

Thank you so much...this is so helpful. He runs about 8 minute miles, so I would have to be at Main Street so early. I think you're right...maybe farther in. I could try to see them by AK and at the end though. How far into it is AK? And does it end in the parking lot by Epcot?

Do we have to stay at a Disney resort? Wow, 3 AM? Why do they pick up three hours early? I am thinking about getting us a room for the night before the marathon and then staying offsite as we have planned at this point. I'll have to further research it.

We just decided to go in January instead of April, and realized that the marathon is that weekend. He's always wanted to run it, but he just did Chicago today and didn't have his best marathon, so he's not positive he still wants to do it. He's addicted though, so by the end of the week he'll want to sign up. It's been 97 percent full for a couple of days...his theory is that if it's still open when he's ready to sign up, then it's meant to be! I think he'll regret it if he doesn't run it, but we'll see!

Sorry for all of the questions! Obviously you've run it before...are you running this year?

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Our loved one runs the Disneyland Half, so this will be his first WDW Half. We're looking forward to seeing him do the Half, so he can get his Bi-Coastal Disney medal after the DL run!

Thansk Deb for the advice on viewing - we're going to try the same thing, we hope! I've heard the Half is the same park course, but shorter time on the road in between.

I can answer the question about why so early. It is because they have so much they have to do that morning. The runners have to check in and be organized into their corrals. With the number of folks that have to do that, it is a time consuming thing. Since the runners have to be there 2 hours before the gun, they need that extra hour for transportation, should any problems occur. (At DL, it's not an issue, since everything is in easy walking distance.)

3am = better safe than sorry! If you are staying off property, then add a little more time to that! Staying on property just makes it so much easier!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We've stayed at VWL for the first marathon and took the bus and monorail (with the boat) to and from.

For the last two, we stayed at OKW and found my husband and his friend could walk from the entrance of OKW to the race start (I drove the two of them over to the stop light on Bonnet Creek Parkway and dropped them off there - along with two other runners who were waiting for their bus and it never came). (POFQ might also be about the same, walking to the start, as long as you know where the start is.)

I've only done the 5Ks and I walk them. I am the marathon spouse. My husband has done the half, the full, the Goofy Challenge (the first year) and one more marathon. He also did the DL Half Marathon the first year they had that.

Lots of people will want to stay at the Epcot resorts because they think they can walk to the start from there. But you can't get into Epcot from there early in the morning, so they still have to take a bus to the start. And they need a pass to get back to their resort by walking through Epcot.

The Half is quicker in Epcot at the start - I don't think they even run in Epcot until after they head back from the MK. Pretty much down and back - Epcot to MK to Epcot.

The bad part of the marathon is for the non-runner guests. So many of the roads are closed because of the race so you really have to know your way around to bypass all the closures. When I dropped Bill and Stephen off at Bonnet Creek Parkway, I had to go all the way around Epcot, past the entrance to DHS to get to the entrance to Epcot parking lot - and there was a ton of traffic. In fact, around 5AM to 6AM you will see lots of abandoned vehicles parked on the side of the road because people realized they were running very late and just parked on the side of the road and ran from there to the start.

Both races finish over towards the side of Epcot where the dog kennels are - if you face the front, it will be on your left.

Both Bill and Stephen have wanted to run Chicago. Maybe next year. This year they are running the Tulsa marathon. The two of them ran Disney last year and both of the families (with kids even) stayed home because of school. Two men, off to Disney by themselves. No wives, no kids. How much fun is that!!