Best race for 1st timer?

[belledreamer]

I've been training since January to do one of the upcoming Disney Marathons and was originally planning on trying for the Princess 1/2 in early 2013 (or at least the 5k) but I just saw the announcement for the ToT 2012 10 miler that they're doing in the middle of the night.

Now I've heard that Princess is one of the best races, but with the shorter distance, running at night, and the fact that the race is being held during a time that we usually go to WDW anyway, I'm starting to wonder if that would be a better option.

So for those of you who have run both the Princess and ToT, which do you prefer and why? Any experiences and tips you could share would be fantastic.

Also, I'm currently at about a 16-17 minute mile on the treadmill (I have it set on a hill setting to help compensate) and can go for about 2 miles on the treadmill before starting to get tired. Is it possible for me to be ready for the ToT in September and what are some tips for building up my endurance and time?

 

[poppinspal]

I did the ToT all three years it originally was run and I did the Princess last year. I loved both for different reasons.

ToT was my first race at a longer distance. I loved running at night and the fact that you ended the race behind the Tower of Terror, it's also great running around MGM. There were people dressed up as bell hops, the tower itself and in lots of other fun things. I ran with a shirt I made and shorts with glow and the dark writing that I also made. I had tons of fun being able to get done running and just jump between Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster. It was also a cool medal with a moving part.

Princess is also a great race. I ran it with a group of wonderful women I met on this site so just that made it a great experience. It was great to have a race of mostly women with the same goal. There are a lot more characters along the course for this one which is fun. You get to run in Epcot and Magic Kingdom, you also get to run thru the Castle which is a great experience. There are lots of people dressed as Princesses, Tink and just people wearing fun outfits. Then you get to wear your medal the rest of the day as you go around the park which is tons of fun.

I'd say either way you'll have a blast. Disney knows how to put on an amazing race.

Have you checked out Marathon for Mortals and Running for Mortals? Those books were a great help to me when I started running.