Dopey & WDW Marathon Weekend Lessons Learned

[Novatrix]

Something I learned during the marathon was that toe socks really help to prevent blisters. I took a risk wearing them for the event since I never wore them before, but I had zero blisters. Considering that I normally develop blisters on something as simple as a 6 mile run, that was a huge improvement.

I also learned that the medic stations stock painkillers. Was really surprised because I didn't think Disney would want that type of liability, but it ended up being a race saver for me. I also heard from another runner that they stock medicine for upset stomachs.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

I’ve always ‘run long’ on Disney runs- of the 50ish I’ve done I’m always at least .5 ish off for 10ks or longer.. for the 10k this week i was within a few feet of the mile markers until mile 4 where I had to weave something crazy and ended up .2 off and ended at 6.53 at the finish

 

[Motorhead9999]

Did my first (and most likely) last Dopey. This was also my first marathon. I highly doubt I'll do another one, not because of Disney, but simply because the marathon I think wasn't really enjoyable for me and was too grueling.
In terms of things about running, and things Disney can't fix:
1)As a first time marathoner, I think the most important thing that I didn't really research as much as I should have was nutrition, pain management and self care DURING the marathon. I was terrified of getting dehydrated during the race, and was drinking 2 cups of powerade and 2 cups of water at each of the water stations on the race. By the time I got to WWoS, I was basically having to pee every 10 mins or so, if I made it that long. From some quick googling, it appears i simply drank way too much and my body was basically getting flooded, which could have gotten serious for me, but thankfully I was able to finish. I was certainly having to hit the restrooms constantly for the next 4 or 5 hours after the marathon ended. But certainly, I really was guessing as to what I should or should not be consuming when doing a marathon.

2) I really misjudged it. A friend warned me a few days before the run that a marathon is not just two halfs back to back, and I think she was right. The second half of the marathon was a completely different type of race than the first half. Granted, I did not train nearly as much as I should have, nor did I get any long runs in longer than a half marathon before the race, and that's on me. In all of my running life, I've never really needed to train/practice to do a race, even for longer distances. A 10k to me was just 2 5ks, and i just didn't stop after the first one. Even for the half marathon, I feel that race is just a matter of "keeping going for a little while more". The marathon though is just such a tough combination of self care, mental endurance and drive to keep going further that I don't feel is really understood until you've gone a full 26 miles. In my personal life, I honestly don't see how I could get in a 20 mile+ practice run (which I felt would have given a good indicator of the experience). That's just me though, and I'm not saying it can't be done. If it makes more sense, I would say that any person who has recently done their first 5K could relatively easily manage to do a half marathon. I would not say that someone who has just done their first 5K could do a marathon.

In terms of things that I feel Disney COULD do:
1) I would say to at least spread out the course more. I didn't mind the long stretch between MK and AK, but WWoS was just ridiculous. Even if it was more highway area somewhere, just running between all the fields was ridiculous. About the only saving grace of being in that area (which for the above stated reasons) was the large quantity of clean functioning rest rooms, which was a godsend (I swear, there's a level in Hell that purely consists of being stuck in a port-o-potty from a Disney race) for me.

2) Have more staff at the port-o-potties. I can't tell you how many times I stopped at one, and realizing that there was no toilet paper in there and had to hop to another one. Maybe I'm just too hoity toity, but I'm not going #2 and then getting back out to running without wiping.

3) Move the food booth till the end by gear check. It's slightly annoying to have to constantly juggle all these things as you're trying to get into photos or whatnot. I understand people need to hydrate after finishing. But by the time to get your photo, you're now lugging bottled drinks, medals, a banana and a box of food to the table. Put the photo booth up front, leave the food till last, this way people aren't trying to juggle as much.

4) Have the characters stay later. It felt like they were cutting off the reunion area characters way too early, especially for the popular characters of the day (i.e. Donald on half day, dopey on marathon day etc). They know there's a ton of people who want photos with them, and many of the later finishers didn't even get a chance to get on line for them.

5) Provide a runner's etiquette document/link to people. It's frustrating when a group of friends decide to take a walk break and go 5 wide cutting off nearly half of the available room. It's also frustrating when people just decide to walk in the middle of the road. I think if they made running rules more available to the public (especially the newer runners who typically come out for Disney races), it might make complaints less frequent. Treat running on the road in a race like you should on a highway...slower traffic on the right, faster traffic on the left.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Provide a runner's etiquette document/link to people.

This is something runDisney needs to seriously consider and should have instituted long ago. I’m not naive enough to think that course crowding at Disney races can be “solved,” but a good deal of what goes on is due to ignorance and crowd mentality (if no one else is following etiquette, why should I?)

I refuse to believe that runDisney doesn’t employ people with the ability to write a simple/non-threatening document that outlines some suggestions for making the race safer and more fun for everyone. There will obviously still be issues, but I think some people are nice enough to follow etiquette if they are aware of it.

ETA: The major problem that can never be solved at a rD race, and tends to happen less in other places, is the “I paid a lot of money for this race and I’m going to do what I want” mentality. There will always be some of that regardless of what rD does; but considering what little printed material actually comes with the gear bag now a small piece of paper outlining race procedures and expectations could go a long way to help the issue.

 

[FlashAM7]

Out of curiosity, when did you have dinner the night before the full?

6:30pm. I should have eaten at 4 or 4:30 I think.

 

[FFigawi]

Yes, last time I ran Disney was 2013 I think. The course was much wider. Usually after the first couple of miles you were out of the herd and didn’t have to continually adjust your pace and weave in and out of people. The first couple of miles have always been chaotic but that is understandable. Beyond mile 20, I still had times where I had to weave outside of cones or go into grass. It’s really just too many people and on too narrow of a course. I’m nearly 60 so may be a bit old fashioned- good for you that you don’t mind all electronic information. I simple miss good old-fashioned printed documentation.

The 2013 course was not all that much different than the one this year. 2013 had a loop around the test track and more running in DHS. 2018 had an out and back on Western Way and less mileage in DHS. Other than those two changes, the other differences are minor.

 

[camaker]

I think that starting at the beginning of corral B is likely why you didn’t encounter the herds. You must be a pretty fast runner! Good for you. With one potty stop and no pic stops, I don’t know that my Garmin could be off by that much but who knows. All things considered and comparing with my previous Disney experiences I’m greatly disappointed.

You described why your Garmin was so far off in your post itself. Every time you ran outside the cones, or in the grass, or weaved in and around people in the herd, you were adding distance to your Garmin. I’m sorry you were disappointed with your race experience, but the course distance isn’t really a valid reason to be upset. You’ve got plenty of others, though.

 

[Motorhead9999]

This is something runDisney needs to seriously consider and should have instituted long ago. I’m not naive enough to think that course crowding at Disney races can be “solved,” but a good deal of what goes on is due to ignorance and crowd mentality (if no one else is following etiquette, why should I?)

I refuse to believe that runDisney doesn’t employ people with the ability to write a simple/non-threatening document that outlines some suggestions for making the race safer and more fun for everyone. There will obviously still be issues, but I think some people are nice enough to follow etiquette if they are aware of it.

ETA: The major problem that can never be solved at a rD race, and tends to happen less in other places, is the “I paid a lot of money for this race and I’m going to do what I want” mentality. There will always be some of that regardless of what rD does; but considering what little printed material actually comes with the gear bag now a small piece of paper outlining race procedures and expectations could go a long way to help the issue.

Not only that, but I think they could actually turn it into a VERY useful document on safety as well. They could provide tips on hydration, run foods, as well as what to do if you get an injury on the course, or symptoms of dehydration, cramping, or whatnot so you know if you're in trouble or should be doing something different. Yes, some of those are general running topics, but given how many newbies to running do these races, I think it would be a great way to provide information.

 

[CDKG]

This is something runDisney needs to seriously consider and should have instituted long ago. I’m not naive enough to think that course crowding at Disney races can be “solved,” but a good deal of what goes on is due to ignorance and crowd mentality (if no one else is following etiquette, why should I?)

I refuse to believe that runDisney doesn’t employ people with the ability to write a simple/non-threatening document that outlines some suggestions for making the race safer and more fun for everyone. There will obviously still be issues, but I think some people are nice enough to follow etiquette if they are aware of it.

ETA: The major problem that can never be solved at a rD race, and tends to happen less in other places, is the “I paid a lot of money for this race and I’m going to do what I want” mentality. There will always be some of that regardless of what rD does; but considering what little printed material actually comes with the gear bag now a small piece of paper outlining race procedures and expectations could go a long way to help the issue.

The Official Event Guide has sections on Race Etiquette and Race Safety. In fact, I remember reading these sections in every event guide since my first runDisney race in 2013. (Of course I realize not everyone obsesses over the details like I do.) Are you suggesting they need to do more? I have heard some of these tips mentioned during the pre-show while waiting in our corrals too.

 

[CDKG]

Not only that, but I think they could actually turn it into a VERY useful document on safety as well. They could provide tips on hydration, run foods, as well as what to do if you get an injury on the course, or symptoms of dehydration, cramping, or whatnot so you know if you're in trouble or should be doing something different. Yes, some of those are general running topics, but given how many newbies to running do these races, I think it would be a great way to provide information.

There is information on hydration and fueling in the Event Guide too. RunDisney used to have a nutritionist (like Jeff Galloway is their running coach). Nutrition tips were more prevalent on their website and in their Event Guides then. I don't remember the Expo schedule for last weekend, but they used to be featured topics at race expos too.

 

[MissLiss279]

Some things that worked for me running Dopey:
1. Take an early flight (6am-ish, which might mean getting up at 2:30), so I get tired early that first night, which helps with...
2. Go to bed early. I was in bed at 7 before the 5 & 10k and around 6:30 for the half and full. I might not have fallen asleep right away, but soon enough. (I should also mention that I normally get up at 4:30-5 and in bed around 9-9:30, so this isn’t extreme for me.)
3. Try and make the bigger meal at lunch (early 11-11:30) and a lighter meal for supper (4:30-5)
4. Don’t wait in lines for longer than 30 minutes. Standing for long periods of time really is not good for me. If I’m walking, it’s better.
5. Sit in the corral until you risk being trampled. (Have I mentioned just standing really bothers my feet??)
6. Take throw aways to keep warm, including a wind breaker layer (Mylar blanket and emergency poncho for me). I also had sweats and sweatshirts, and cheap fleece blankets from Walmart.
7. Start slow. With the cold, and not really being able to warm up, this was important for me. So if I didn’t start right in front, the pack of the corral helped keep me slow for a bit.

I probably was on my feet a little too much in the parks, but when it got really crowded and there were no FP+‘s left and lines were really long, I left - maybe 3pm-ish. I know this is not great if you haven’t been to Disney in a while, but it helped.

I started in B for the 5 and 10k and D for the half and full (not in the front), and I PR’d all four races!! The weather was really great running weather for me. Standing/sitting around for 2+ hours in it, not so great.

 

[Barca33Runner]

The Official Event Guide has sections on Race Etiquette and Race Safety. In fact, I remember reading these sections in every event guide since my first runDisney race in 2013. (Of course I realize not everyone obsesses over the details like I do.) Are you suggesting they need to do more? I have heard some of these tips mentioned during the pre-show while waiting in our corrals too.

I haven’t looked at the race guide since it went virtual. That could just be my problem, but I’d guess that Im not alone and it could be fairly standard procedure at this point. It’s certainly not something that is emphasized. RD is much more interested in posting cutoffs for buses and arriving at corrals so that they can minimize arguments on that front.

Maybe it’s a lost cause. And I guess my insinuation that they do nothing was incorrect. It’s still a problem that I have participated in a race at marathon weekend for the last 7 years and didn’t realize they had anything about etiquette. I’m generally not an inattentive person.

Since “too crowded” and “not a ‘real’ race” are the two biggest complaints I hear about rD (outside of price) I just think it’s something that deserves a bigger platform.

 

[KSkywalker17]

I understand and appreciate a lot of the issues brought up in this thread. For me, any trip to Disney is an escape and I love the energy of the races. I was totally undertrained for this race and basically ran a solid half marathon and walked it in most of the last 10-12 miles. That’s on me and what I was expecting but it brings me to my frustration with the race scheduling.

I wish the marathon was a couple months earlier for a few reasons. Having the race so close to the holidays makes it tricky to pull the kids out of school and miss work. I’m also not sure if the crazy crowds this week were all runners, especially with all the international tourists we noticed. I also think having marathon the first week of November or late October(with Wine and Dine a couple weeks later)would help with training. Weather was so crappy November and December in the northeast that long runs were really difficult in snow and temps in the teens. I know I could have been more dedicated and got the training runs in despite the weather or used a treadmill, I just think taking another look at the overall race schedule might be a good idea.

 

[Ariel484]

The Official Event Guide has sections on Race Etiquette and Race Safety. In fact, I remember reading these sections in every event guide since my first runDisney race in 2013. (Of course I realize not everyone obsesses over the details like I do.) Are you suggesting they need to do more? I have heard some of these tips mentioned during the pre-show while waiting in our corrals too.

There is information on hydration and fueling in the Event Guide too. RunDisney used to have a nutritionist (like Jeff Galloway is their running coach). Nutrition tips were more prevalent on their website and in their Event Guides then. I don't remember the Expo schedule for last weekend, but they used to be featured topics at race expos too.

This, exactly. They have the information there, but they can’t make people read it. And they can’t make people listen in the corrals when the announcers reiterate the tips. I’m not sure what else they can realistically be expected to do.

 

[DOOM1001]

Based on this year’s Disney Marathon, I would suggest not registering for next year’s marathon. I’ve run it four times in the past 12 years and praised Disney’s ability to host this event - until this year. Parts of the course have become so narrow that I felt ‘stuck’ in numerous times. I felt like I was in a mall the weekend before Christmas surrounded by meandering folks who weren’t quite sure where they were going. I ran outside of the cones or on grassy/dirt areas so many times to get past the current ‘herd’. But it just continued and there were meandering herds for miles and miles. I paid attention to the width and there were so many places that were no wider than eight feet. I was in coral f and am sure that Runner’s in the first couple of corrals didn’t encounter these problems. That said, I felt as though many, many people in my corral should have started in later corrals. During my previous three marathons, the course brought the runners through more park areas than they did this year. I don’t stop to take pictures so don’t know how many animals were available to view in Animal Kingdom but I only saw one. It may have been a Sloth. Before entering Animal Kingdom, I did see some birds in some trees - I think they were Vultures. Heck, as far as animals were concerned I got a bigger kick out of the squirrel that dared to cross the herd of runners in the Magic Kingdom! There were fewer characters on the course than I’ve seen in the past also. We had a long, narrow run - several miles of highway - before entering the Wide World of Sport. Once in the World of Sports, I never thought that we would get out. How many loops can you do on athletic fields? More than you can imagine! It was terrible, narrow and I had to briefly stop to get a pebble out of my shoe. Runners experienced a variety of surfaces in this park. As far as we were into the run, the herd persisted and as good as I felt, there was no where to go to pick up my pace. Water stops were fine and I assume that the aid stations were too. According to my Garmin the course was inaccurately measured by close to a mile. I spoke with other Runners afterwards and all agreed. The course was up to a half mile longer than it should have been. Who wants to run any extra when running 26.2 already? It was a terrible Disney Marathon experience after three great Disney Marathon experiences. I think that they are allowing too many runners register and narrowing the course at the same time. It simply doesn’t work. Really, the run itself was a bit of a disaster. Don’t even think about a PR while running this. Our check-in experience at the Pop Century was slow and our room was not ready although we arrived more than an hour after check-in time. There was no apology and little effort to get us a late check-out on Sunday. I cannot think that many people would be checking in on Sunday or Monday with schools just returning to classes. It’s a slow time for Disney - after race weekend. The expo was bordering on pathetic as compared with past years. There were, perhaps, a third of the number of vendors that I’ve seen there in the past. Usually it’s a great expo. BUT, they’ve broken the expo into two buildings and there is more Disney merchandise than ever before. Obviously, they want merchandise sales for themselves and are limiting the competition by not allowing other vendors in. We told friends that were with us that the expo was tremendous and they were also sadly disappointed and compared it with other expos that they’ve been too. We bragged about how well Disney does hosting runs and they, too, felt stuck in the herds. Personally, I think that Disney’s greed is really showing. Too many people on the course, a much narrower course, much less time in the parks....it was bad. Also, they are doing so much via email now. Printed information no longer exists. Who reads through pages and pages of an email that arrives several weeks prior to the event? I miss the old days is reading through the info packet once back at the hotel and prepping my gear for race day. I’ve always bragged about Disney Runs and I realize that I’m bashing them right now but I call ‘em as I see ‘em. Disney, get back on track please. Bigger is not necessarily better.

I have to agree with you on some things,I miss the old printed physical booklet they used to give out at the expo,the expo did look very "meh" this year,most big races out there have more vendors and tons of freebies for runners,RunDisney expos you get an applesauce pouch.The prices on the RunDisney merchandise is out of control,I'm local and I'm not buying a $90 hoodie if its possible I'll see it at the outlets for $25 in a week or two.My opinion is that while I still love the races I can see how they may be putting off some runners,especially veteran runners who've done other big races that have a lot of positives over RunDisney.I'll probably continue to do the full every year but right now I have no intentions of doing Dark side,Wine and Dine is up in the air,they seriously need to make it a night race again.As far as your Garmin however getting 27-27.5 miles is pretty normal as you will unlikely be running perfect tangents,pretty much everyone will have close to 27 miles,I think mine said like 27.41.And one question for anybody is Rudy Novotny out of RunDisney altogether,I know he was booted from west coast races but those are gone now anyways,but I didn't see him at the full,who knows something?

 

[CDKG]

they seriously need to make it a night race again.

Yes! Wine & Dine was my first half (and the reason I started running). I ran Splash & Dash and the Wine & Dine 7-miler. Then...they changed to a morning race. How does that even make sense with the after party? I always wanted to run ToT 10-miler (my favorite WDW attraction), but never had the chance. I hope one of them returns...soon!

 

[Barca33Runner]

I understand and appreciate a lot of the issues brought up in this thread. For me, any trip to Disney is an escape and I love the energy of the races. I was totally undertrained for this race and basically ran a solid half marathon and walked it in most of the last 10-12 miles. That’s on me and what I was expecting but it brings me to my frustration with the race scheduling.

I wish the marathon was a couple months earlier for a few reasons. Having the race so close to the holidays makes it tricky to pull the kids out of school and miss work. I’m also not sure if the crazy crowds this week were all runners, especially with all the international tourists we noticed. I also think having marathon the first week of November or late October(with Wine and Dine a couple weeks later)would help with training. Weather was so crappy November and December in the northeast that long runs were really difficult in snow and temps in the teens. I know I could have been more dedicated and got the training runs in despite the weather or used a treadmill, I just think taking another look at the overall race schedule might be a good idea.

The crowds this week were certainly not all runners, I’d say Holiday vacationers were a much larger portion. I can’t say with certainty that the crowds will be lower next year when the races move back to Jan 9-13, but the volume of schools that were still closed for winter break during the last two years (or only had a couple days at the end of the week) made that week much busier, IMO. Crowds have generally been increasing regardless of time period for the last few years (as I understand it), but I expect the parks to be much more manageable next year when we are out of the Holiday Season for the entirety of Marathon Weekend.

I can’t picture them making a drastic time period change for what is their flagship weekend. I don’t think there is a good time for pulling kids out of school or scheduling time off of work. That’s individual and I wouldn’t think there is anything close to a universal time where it’s easy to do either one of those things. The last couple years seem to be the easiest time to schedule trips around kids (and a huge contributor to the crowding) since so many schools were still on winter break. And, to be glib, it’s Disney; unless there is an incredibly convincing $$$ argument to move something, it’s not happening.

 

[DOOM1001]

Yes! Wine & Dine was my first half (and the reason I started running). I ran Splash & Dash and the Wine & Dine 7-miler. Then...they changed to a morning race. How does that even make sense with the after party? I always wanted to run ToT 10-miler (my favorite WDW attraction), but never had the chance. I hope one of them returns...soon!

That after party at 10pm the night after you woke up at 3-4am doesn't make sense,okay so its nap time after running so you can make it to the after party,which is not that big a deal anyways,and you're lucky if you don't have to work and can stick around until Monday,the old Wine and Dine didn't have to carry over to the work week.ToT didn't have the greatest course but the pre race and seeing all the costumes was amazing,that and that race had the most people dancing with the DJ before the race ever.I think that's the biggest difference between night and morning races,it just seemed like the runners were so much more lively and pumped up instead of being half asleep.

 

[Motorhead9999]

I have to agree with you on some things,I miss the old printed physical booklet they used to give out at the expo,the expo did look very "meh" this year,most big races out there have more vendors and tons of freebies for runners,RunDisney expos you get an applesauce pouch.The prices on the RunDisney merchandise is out of control,I'm local and I'm not buying a $90 hoodie if its possible I'll see it at the outlets for $25 in a week or two.My opinion is that while I still love the races I can see how they may be putting off some runners,especially veteran runners who've done other big races that have a lot of positives over RunDisney.I'll probably continue to do the full every year but right now I have no intentions of doing Dark side,Wine and Dine is up in the air,they seriously need to make it a night race again.As far as your Garmin however getting 27-27.5 miles is pretty normal as you will unlikely be running perfect tangents,pretty much everyone will have close to 27 miles,I think mine said like 27.41.And one question for anybody is Rudy Novotny out of RunDisney altogether,I know he was booted from west coast races but those are gone now anyways,but I didn't see him at the full,who knows something?

He did the "RUNNERS SET GOOOO!!!" stuff for the 5k for sure, and I want to say the 10K as well. They did the Donald/Mickey voices for the half/full, but I'm not sure if that's how they did things in past years. He wasn't on the stage though at all for the full, which I was a bit surprised about.

 

[Barca33Runner]

This, exactly. They have the information there, but they can’t make people read it. And they can’t make people listen in the corrals when the announcers reiterate the tips. I’m not sure what else they can realistically be expected to do.

I guess it's probably an unsolvable problem, the "I paid a lot of money..." crowd is somewhat overwhelming (and at some narrow points it only takes one or two bad apples spoil the bunch), but I'm being belligerent because I'm sick and can't get to sleep. These issues seem to be a common refrain from many people who are taking a break from rD or aren't interested in doing another race after experiencing the crowding and atmosphere once. I know they can't enforce anything and I wouldn't want them to, that would lead to many more and much larger problems, but I tend to look at what they're doing as the bare minimum rather than everything that can be realistically expected. Probably being way too much of an optimist thinking that anything would help.