disney marathon questions

[disneydad1]

please move this if i'm in the wrong place. wife is in the marathon this year. never done it before at Disney - appreciate answers to the following questions from those who have some experience at the marathon.

1. Are either of the chEAR packages worth it? Those are only for spectators, right?

2. Is the VIP race retreat package worth it?

3. If we don't purchase the VIP race retreat package with its designated spot to meet up with each other after she runs, where would you recommend we meet after the race? (staying at the Dolphin, if that makes a difference).

4. Are there any good places for me to be on the course to watch (and cheer for

 

[FortWildernessCamper]

Search runDisney (leave all boxes blank regarding specifics) and choose topic Marathon Weekend 2017 and ask your questions. I am sure you will get many informative answers.

 

[bumbershoot]

the only thing the chear packages get you are reserved places to be and maybe a few things. But as a spectator you can go to the various places and be *near* where the packages have you sit.

Race Retreat *can* be worth it. If a spectator wants to be there *after* the race (not before, I believe) they have to buy the Platinum chear package. I got retreat for my first Disney half (first half) when I was running alone and I had extreme needs for food as quickly as possible after the run (my stomach sorts of shuts down about 30 minutes after I finish running longer distances, so if I don't get food into me quickly I literally can't eat for hours, which isn't good). I also had my aunt watching my son, and my aunt is extremely ANTI me-running, and I wanted to go back to the room looking human, and not fainting.

So RR got me a place to sit down on a chair to change out of my compression socks and into my knee socks, a place to get coffee and some chocolate muffins and eggs, and to compose myself before getting the bus back to the resort.

Not everyone needs those things.

 

[Coreyjohnson2007]

please move this if i'm in the wrong place. wife is in the marathon this year. never done it before at Disney - appreciate answers to the following questions from those who have some experience at the marathon.

1. Are either of the chEAR packages worth it? Those are only for spectators, right?

2. Is the VIP race retreat package worth it?

3. If we don't purchase the VIP race retreat package with its designated spot to meet up with each other after she runs, where would you recommend we meet after the race? (staying at the Dolphin, if that makes a difference).

4. Are there any good places for me to be on the course to watch (and cheer for

I did Dopey last year so here is my 2 cents

1)no. Save your money
2)cool but I wouldn't. See #1.
3) so you can watch at the finish line. After she crosses she'll funnel out to the edge of the Epcot parking lot which is runner only area. I met my famil at the exit of this area under the monorail. Very easy to do.
4)oh yeah! If I were a spectator I'd see my runner off in the am. They have to walk about a 1/2 mile to the start that you can't really make it to. Take the monorail to MK. You can line main st. From there the runners head to AK but that's a little boring... if u have a car it would help. A lot of spectators just outside AK. From there to ESPN complex and a lot of spectating there... the runners then go to HS but I'd hightail it back to Epcot to catch the finish line.

Here is a map of the course/ for last year anyway
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1010386051

 

[bumbershoot]

And this is the thread for the marathon weekend. Not sure why this forum is still called rundisney/events/competitions when a newer forum was created that is JUST rundisney (where the important thread is). This forum where your question was moved to is pretty dead.

 

[ohMom]

Sorry for the confusion, in that's this board was not closed right away after the new RunDisney board was open to allow folks time to find it, etc. @disneydad1 , would you like this thread moved?

 

[Simba's Mom]

As far as a meeting place after the run, DH did the Dopey last year and he was just as glad that I stayed at the hotel. The time to get the bus and get back to the hotel was time when he was cooling down and decompressing anyways. He said that, keeping in mind that he was very happy that our hotel, BCV, was the first bus stop, and he might have felt differently if it wasn't.