Half - marathon???

[ChisJo]

I was wondering if anyone here has ever run the half-marathon/marathon at WDW? How challenging is the run? Would you recommend it to beginners?

Also, I see that they only have it in January. Is there any other time of the year when they have a marathon or tri-athlon challenge at WDW?

Thanks,
Jo

 

[mrsR123]

The half marathon is all flat terrain with a 3.5 hour time limit. This year's registration is closed. There are other distance events held, including a triathlon, throughout the year.

Try checking out www.disneysports.com or navigate there via the WDW site.

 

[Disney Doll]

Several of my firends and my DH, DSIL & DBIL walked it last year. This year they will all be walking it again and I will join them walking, plus a couple of other friends joining us running.

According to them, it was pretty grueling in terms of anxiety level. But they had really trained hard & well for it, and from a physical standpoint, they did pretty well.

They do have certain checkpoints you have to reach within certain timeframes and if you do not reach the checkpoint within the time frame they will "sweep" you...ask you to stop and bus you back to the finish line. Effectively, you have to be able to walk at a 16 minute per mile pace to meet the checkpoint requirements, and you have to finish the race in 3.5 hours max. That's a fairly quick pace, and having done a 12 mile walk during my training already, I can tell you that it's a long darn way too!!!! This Sunday we will be doing a 14 mile walk.

 

[NCRedding]

If you go over to the WISH board on here, you'll find a ton of people who are participating in the 1/2 this year. I tried to complete the 1/2 in 2005, but got closed out at 10.5 miles due to timing.

The 2005 course was fairly flat, with hills in front of the Contemporary. I loved walking thru World Showcase in the dark, but that won't happen in 2006. They have changed the course for 2006. There is a Minnie weekend in May that you may want to consider--I think it is a 15K course though, not sure. There are also races in the fall--but those are 5 or 10K, I think.

 

[shelldri]

I ran the half-marathon there in 2004 (and the marathon in 2002). I trained for and ran the full marathon in 2002 because the half-marathon was closed out and a Disney employee sarcastically told me that the waiting list was full too but that I could "always run the full marathon" (as if she thought I couldn't do it- ha!). At any rate, if you have the inclination and have trained enough, you might consider running the full one. That was my first (and only) full marathon and I finished it. Now, I can say that I ran a marathon. I also got to see alot of the backlot areas that I never would have seen if I only ran the half. I've now crossed running a full marathon off of my list of things to do in life, but I recommend you try it at least once just for the experience of being in such a neat race.