Carry camera during marathon?

[scoolover]

I would like to carry a camera during my first disney marathon. My family says that I am nuts. I am not planning on bringing the rebel with zoom lens or anything like that. Prehaps I'll get a creditcard size one. I will try it during The Race for The Taste in October and perhaps on a long training run but I was wondering what the people who have done it think. Am I nuts.
Thanks
Scott

 

[jodistar]

I'm curious too ---I want to bring one for the Marathon in January.

 

[solotraveler]

Lots of people bring their cameras to take pictures during the race, so no, neither of you is nuts.

This past year, I picked up a good quality dispoable camera that slipped right into the belt pack with my cell phone, gels, sunglasses, etc. I still have it... with all 36 pictures unused. I had such a good time I never pulled the thing out.

I say if you think you would like to use it, take it! Just be sure to smile big when you see the official photographers on the course....those pictures come out great too.

Kevin

 

[TEK224]

No you're not crazy. I did the Goofy this year, my first time at both distances. I carried a small digital camera with me. I didn't take a lot of pics, but I did take some (I was worried about getting swept, so I didn't want to stop too many times).

I got my pics with Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, the Pirates and I also took pics of some of the mile markers.

I also had a waist pack I could put it in if I didn't want to carry it.

I say take it. You may just get that special photo!

Terri

 

[10nis]

I bought a lightweight disp camera and used it---and am so thankful I have the photos!! The characters have their "keepers" w/ them that will snap photos of you and the character, if you want them to. I ran w/ a friend so we took photos of each other as well.

I bought a lightweight running fanny pack--it was made for a CD player to be put in it but it works perfectly for long races--had my camera, gels, park passes, hotel key, hard candy, IPOD and kleenex---I think that is all I had in there.

 

[scoolover]

Thanks for the good news. I'm not nuts!! Now I can tell my family to shove it in a magical way. I think I have to get a small fanny pack though because it would be nice to be able to put it away. Thanks again

 

[jodistar]

I bought a lightweight disp camera and used it---and am so thankful I have the photos!! The characters have their "keepers" w/ them that will snap photos of you and the character, if you want them to. I ran w/ a friend so we took photos of each other as well.

I wondered how I would get the photos taken with the characters.....so glad that they have handlers with them.

I'm really looking forward to the race and the whole character thing just makes it better

 

[chimera]

Definitely not nuts...I've taken cameras on all three 'big' races that I've done.

Here's some favorites from the Minnie:

Sunrise

NY Street in MGM

 

[KelNottAt]

Whoa! Hold the phone!

Am I to understand there are characters along the route?!?! And race participants can stop for a sec to have their pictures takes?!?!

Is the the half or just the full??? Please fill me in.

I love this board. I'm learning so much! It was here that I found out walkers are allowed in the HM. I've been a fitness walker for 6 years and never even considered entering an organized event. "They're just for runners I used to say to myself." Then I come to the DIS and learn that not only are walkers allowed in races, but my beloved WDW welcomes me, too!

And now (if I've got this straight) characters and photo ops along the race. What motivation to keep going! It just keeps getting better.

 

[keenercam]

Whoa! Hold the phone!

Am I to understand there are characters along the route?!?! And race participants can stop for a sec to have their pictures takes?!?!

Is the the half or just the full??? Please fill me in.

I love this board. I'm learning so much! It was here that I found out walkers are allowed in the HM. I've been a fitness walker for 6 years and never even considered entering an organized event. "They're just for runners I used to say to myself." Then I come to the DIS and learn that not only are walkers allowed in races, but my beloved WDW welcomes me, too!

And now (if I've got this straight) characters and photo ops along the race. What motivation to keep going! It just keeps getting better.

Yep! You got it! At both the 1/2 marathon and the 15K, Rhonda and I both had cameras and took many pix along the route! It was awesome. When we saw characters we had the "handler" take a picture with one of our cameras, so that we didn't waste too much time or tie up anyone else waiting. We also each snapped random pix along the route and then swapped pix so we were very efficient. Those pix are truly treasured!

Oh, and I carried my regular digital in my waist pack with my cell phone and other paraphernalia (like powerbar, honey packets, and kleenex). I also had my own bottle of powerade (for some reason I can't tolerate gatorade or any red sports drink) If you decided to find a waist pack to use for the race, be sure to train with it for all your long training sessions. It becomes second nature to wear it.

By the way, some of my race pix from the Minnie 15K are buried in this pictorial trip report:
Cam's Minnie 15K pictorial weekend trip report

 

[Maherae]

Hello, Kelley!
At the Minnie (my first!), there were just a few: Minnie at the start and finish, Jessie from Toy Story and Mrs. Incredible in MGM, Pocohontas, Belle and Cinderella in World Showcase. But please check out this link and you'll see some of the characters that were at the full. He must have been flying because he stopped for pictures with everyone!!
http://www.disneyrunning.com/06goofyphotosad.html
It's going to be fantastic!!

 

[getnthinr]

Yep, there are characters on the course and at the finish line of both the half and full marathon at Disney. I'll be quite disappointed if they are not also along the course at Disneyland for the half. I've been carrying a camera with me for some time now -- and I love looking back at my race photos. I also love the tradition of going to Figments Journey Into Imagination at WDW and emailing a photo from the Kodak-sponsored booths at the end of the ride -- of me with my latest medal! That plan keeps me going during the rough miles!

Here are my photos from my 2006 Goofy races:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/slideshow?a=67b0de21b33f033784a7&sid=8BYtWjdy3aPJA&auto=1&idx=-1&m=1&d=1153684219124

I also buy the digital photos from the pros along the course, which allows me to display them legally on my web site.

 

[littlegreydonkey]

I carried a disposable camera through both the half and the full - it fitted perfectly in my fuel belt, but to make sure it didn't fall out. I got two lanyards and fastened one around the camera with blister tape, then clipped them together and wore one round my neck - it just meant I wasn't always checking to see where it was. I took photos with every character en route and did my own with things like the MGM hat and AKL dinosaur - a bit of luck, as I didn't actually get any professsional pics with those this time. I reckon it aded about 15 minutes to my time, but as I wasn't exactly in a hurry, it didn't matter. I still haven't got tigger yet though which is my aim either at DL or when I go Goofy 2008.

 

[chimera]

Whoa! Hold the phone!

Am I to understand there are characters along the route?!?! And race participants can stop for a sec to have their pictures takes?!?!

Is the the half or just the full??? Please fill me in.

I love this board. I'm learning so much! It was here that I found out walkers are allowed in the HM. I've been a fitness walker for 6 years and never even considered entering an organized event. "They're just for runners I used to say to myself." Then I come to the DIS and learn that not only are walkers allowed in races, but my beloved WDW welcomes me, too!

And now (if I've got this straight) characters and photo ops along the race. What motivation to keep going! It just keeps getting better.

Amazing isn't it, Kelley!

For anyone that hasn't already, please come drop by the walking/running club threads. You'll find lots of folks training for DL Half and the WDW half/full/Goofy. We'd love to have all of you join us!

 

[goingthedistance]

We used 2 disposable cameras for the full. We started with one and then changed cameras when we met up with our scream team near mile 13. It fit nicely in a pouch in my fuelbelt. Some of our better pics are from our cameras (as opposed to the professional ones that don't seem to catch too many characters.)

Speaking of pictures with the characters, when we were running through MGM we got our picture taken with Mike & Sulley from Monsters Inc. The character handler used the PhotoPass system for that one, so we had a professionally taken PhotoPass picture of us in our running outfits!

The handlers will allow you to cut in line if other non-runners are in line for the picture with the characters. When we stopped for a picture with Aladdin and Jasmine, there was a group of people already in position for a picture. The handler moved them out of the way, took our picture, and then had the group get back in position. We would have been fine waiting until the group was done...but I guess the runners have total priority during the marathon.

One word of advice...if you are going to do lots of pictures during the half, make sure your flash is on. It was very dark when I got to the MK for the half, and a couple of my pics did not turn out because I did not turn the flash on. By the time I got to Mr Incredible in Tomorrowland I had it on, but I missed out on a Castle Photo op.

Take lots of pictures during your event!!

Paul

 

[lap3]

You can probably find a good deal on one through eBay but do a search for the Sony DSC-U30 or the DSC-U40. Both are discontinued but may give what you're looking for...small size, good pics, etc...

 

[wtpclc]

I got a refurbished Canon for fairly cheap, very small. Fit in teh pouch on my amphipod belt. I took over 100 pics during teh marathon! You can see a sampling in my marathon report. the link is in my sig.

 

[scoolover]

Thanks for the suggestions on cameras. I have a small kodak that will work well but ut probably weighs a 1/2 pound. I'm thinking that it might very annoying around mile 20 or so. Any thoughts?

 

[wtpclc]

Best suggestions I have is to do a long training run with it. I put the amphipod pack on my hip bone and never really felt it. I think my camera was a little lighter, though.

 

[wfloyd]

I took a Canon SD450 during the marathon last year. I got a small camera case that would attach to my fuel belt but wound up carrying it all the time because I was trying to get pictures of each mile marker. I found it was easier to just carry it instead of putting it up each time. It is fairly light and I didn't have any problems with it.