Help settle a "debate"

[bwolfe]

Ok...help settle a little work place debate regarding the Princess half.

Two things:

1. They DO remove people from the race that cannot keep pace.

2. Those removed DO NOT recieve a medal.


Seems as if one our training partners doesn't think these will happen. Thanks!

 

[cobbler]

1. Yes they do remove people from the race if they can't keep pace

2. I have heard it both ways. I think a couple of years back there was an issue with the half (or maybe the full) where people were cut off right outside the entrance to MK. I thought I read they didn't receive a medal.

Recently I have been hearing that you get one regardless. Someone posted this info on the RunDisney facebook page. Obviously neither are completely reliable sources but that is what I have read. I was honestly quite surprised to read that you do in fact receive a medal but I guess (again from reading the post on fb) that people complained that they paid a lot of money and whatever and deserved the medal.

 

[Ariel484]

1. Yes they do remove people from the race if they can't keep pace

2. I have heard it both ways. I think a couple of years back there was an issue with the half (or maybe the full) where people were cut off right outside the enterance to MK. I thought I read they didn't receive a medal.

Recently I have been hearing that you get one regardless. Someone posted this info on the RunDisney facebook page. Obviously neither are completely reliable sources but that is what I have read. I was honestly quite surprised to read that you do in face receive a medal but I guess (again from reading the post on fb) that people complained that they paid a lot of money and whatever and deserved the medal.

I really hope that's not true.

To the OP: I do think that if you look at results from past races you'll see that there are finish times above the cut-off (3:30 for a half, 7 hours for a full). I've heard that yes, they DO pull people off the course, but not after a certain point (i.e. once you make it to Hollywood Studios in the marathon they won't pull you off the course). I could be totally wrong, but that's what I've heard.

 

[Reep]

The sweep time is pretty generous and starts (at the earliest) when the last person of the last wave crosses the start line. So, if you start in Corral A, then you probably have 4:00 or more to finish.

 

[bwolfe]

@Ariel484...thanks for the info. I've really enjoyed both of your trip reports. My wife and I are running the Princess Half and your photos and reports are helping in the training!

 

[Qltrgrl2]

They definitely sweep people, but as mentioned above, there have been mixed reports about receiving a medal. If this is your first half marathon, you may want to run a 10K race ahead of time to get a decent corral placement. That way, you will have plenty of time to finish the course and receive your medal. 2013 is the fifth anniversary of the Princess half, so there will be a special medal too. Good luck with training!

 

[Bookwood]

I can't say for Princess for sure but at Marathon weekend (this was several yrs ago now) a couple of friends got medals after they were swept- but it didn't have the year on it (the little dangle that hangs down off of the medal).

 

[JCH]

Ok...help settle a little work place debate regarding the Princess half.

Two things:

1. They DO remove people from the race that cannot keep pace.

2. Those removed DO NOT recieve a medal.

Seems as if one our training partners doesn't think these will happen. Thanks!

A while back, a lot of people who were just behind pace were swept at Wine and Dine at the 11.5 mile mark and did not receive medals. Needless to say, these people were very upset.

Last year at the Princess, there was a woman swept at mile 2 who did get a medal, most likely a policy change due to the outcry after Wine and Dine.

So, yes they sweep, and according to recent accounts, yes, you still get a medal.

Personally, I think you should have to at least make it halfway to get a medal. Giving medals to anyone who tries is just going to cause undertrained people to attempt the race knowing they'll get a medal, anyway. This can just lead to injury and frustration for the other runners.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Personally, I think you should have to at least make it halfway to get a medal. Giving medals to anyone who tries is just going to cause undertrained people to attempt the race knowing they'll get a medal, anyway. This can just lead to injury and frustration for the other runners.

I guess I'm from the camp of no finish no medal esp for anything over 10 mile races (5ks I'm indifferent to) as I feel they are an ENDURANCE race something one must train for and yes not everyone who may 'want to' will be able to finish one without proper training but thats the motivation to get said medal..

I can definitely see it becoming an issue and potentially excluding runners who would well run from registration if so many people sign up knowing they'll get a mile or two then get swept on purpose.

Last year I was at the Expo to pick up my bib for the 1/2 when some mutual 'friends' were picking up their registrations for goofy. I was amazed they'd attempt it as at a previous 5k they finished last and 2nd to last and didnt appear to be more 'trained' well one made it it less than 5 miles in the 1/2 before being swept. The 2nd finished with a 4hr+ time (decent corral placement) but got swept in the first 3 miles in the full. Waste of a registration? In my opinion? Definitely

I just dont buy into the 'everyone wins' philosophy and why would you want medals you didn't earn?

-em

 

[jmasgat]

I guess I'm from the camp of no finish no medal.........I just dont buy into the 'everyone wins' philosophy and why would you want medals you didn't earn?

-em

Agreed......Reminds me of the Incredibles...."If everyone's special, then no one's special" I can't wrap my head around people EXPECTING a medal for something they didn't finish. But then again, I can't wrap my head around a LOT of things people do!

 

[Ariel484]

@Ariel484...thanks for the info. I've really enjoyed both of your trip reports. My wife and I are running the Princess Half and your photos and reports are helping in the training!

THANKS! Have a fabulous time at the Princess Half. You will LOVE it!

Agreed......Reminds me of the Incredibles...."If everyone's special, then no one's special" I can't wrap my head around people EXPECTING a medal for something they didn't finish. But then again, I can't wrap my head around a LOT of things people do!

Totally agree with this. If I didn't finish the race, I feel like I wouldn't even WANT the medal.

 

[rani8600]

I feel like if they tried to give me a medal if i didnt finish or keep the pace i would be embarrassed to be seen with it

 

[cobbler]

I guess I'm from the camp of no finish no medal.

I just dont buy into the 'everyone wins' philosophy and why would you want medals you didn't earn?

-em

THANK YOU!!!! OMGosh this drives me crazy. I train and work hard to be able to finish the races in the allotted time. I'm doing week 6 of the Galloway plan for Goofy & I'm out in the heat & getting the training done because I want to earn it. I just get sick of that 'we need to make everyone special so no one feels left out' stuff.

 

[Terapin]

I don't really have an opinion on whether folks should get a medal or not, but I couldn't keep it - I would not have felt that I earned it, and would be embarrassed to keep it. The only exception would be a serious injury close to the finish line.

 

[JCH]

THANK YOU!!!! OMGosh this drives me crazy. I train and work hard to be able to finish the races in the allotted time. I'm doing week 6 of the Galloway plan for Goofy & I'm out in the heat & getting the training done because I want to earn it. I just get sick of that 'we need to make everyone special so no one feels left out' stuff.

It's more "we have to make everyone feel special so they don't complain on Facebook."

Honestly, if the ones who got to 11.5 got a medal, it wouldn't have angered me. They were super close and would have finished had they been put a corral further up. These are probably people at an exact 16mm who did train but who didn't get the memo to put 2:45 as your time for that cushion.

But when the woman posted about getting her medal at Mile 2...I was actually angry. I could feel my blood boiling. I had worked my butt off for 18 weeks to get that medal, and it was given to someone who walked a couple miles. There is a 5k option for a reason.


u
Now reading about people entering Goofy undertrained?? Oh my word. I can't imagine spending nearly 400 dollars to get swept. At least Goofy is one thing you never get just for entering! I've heard you won't get your Goofy medal unless you finish both races under the 3:30 and 7:00 time allotments.

 

[cobbler]

It's more "we have to make everyone feel special so they don't complain on Facebook."

Honestly, if the ones who got to 11.5 got a medal, it wouldn't have angered me. They were super close and would have finished had they been put a corral further up. These are probably people at an exact 16mm who did train but who didn't get the memo to put 2:45 as your time for that cushion.

But when the woman posted about getting her medal at Mile 2...I was actually angry. I could feel my blood boiling. I had worked my butt off for 18 weeks to get that medal, and it was given to someone who walked a couple miles. There is a 5k option for a reason.

u
Now reading about people entering Goofy undertrained?? Oh my word. I can't imagine spending nearly 400 dollars to get swept. At least Goofy is one thing you never get just for entering! I've heard you won't get your Goofy medal unless you finish both races under the 3:30 and 7:00 time allotments.

Excellent point!

 

[johde]

I know there was a big debate about this topic in another running message board I frequent about a year ago. It wasn't about Run Disney Races but about various Rock 'n' Roll races. In their race information they have the following:

If a participant’s pace falls below the course time limit, they have a few options:

Increase their pace to stay within the event minimum pace;

Board a “sag wagon” shuttle to move forward on the course, where they may continue to participate in the event, maintaining the minimum pace required; or

If the participant cannot continue, they may board a sag wagon to be dropped off at the next shuttle location, at a nearby medical station.   The participant will be seen by a Medical Team captain to be cleared for the medical shuttle to transport the participant to the finish line.


The one that got to me was the second one. Where you can board the SAG wagon, move up in the course, AND continue to participate. In the Original Posters comments, they didn't even pull the timing chip. She decided that wasn't right so she didn't finish. But for other people, they finished, got their medal, and got an "official time", but potentially rode several miles in the SAG wagon. So a slow person who completed the entire distance could have several people ahead of them in the official standing that didn't go the entire distance.

I'm not sure what the proper course of action is. Several of the large Marathons with half marathons attached allow half marathons to take longer than the official course limit but they need to move from the streets to the sidewalks. Certain marathons like New York have similar "rules". But like others have said, I feel to get the medal you need to do the distance on race day.

 

[FFigawi]

The one that got to me was the second one. Where you can board the SAG wagon, move up in the course, AND continue to participate. In the Original Posters comments, they didn't even pull the timing chip. She decided that wasn't right so she didn't finish. But for other people, they finished, got their medal, and got an "official time", but potentially rode several miles in the SAG wagon. So a slow person who completed the entire distance could have several people ahead of them in the official standing that didn't go the entire distance.

Now that's just pathetic. How can any race organizer voluntarily offer to drive people down the course and then let them continue as a participant?! No wonder so many old-timers dislike the new marathon boom. Sheesh.

 

[longhorns2]

I finished in over 4 hrs my first year (walked pregnant!) because I started in corral b due to previous 10k time (submitted before I got pregnant and had to adjust my race strategy).

The sweepers did leave the course at the point we crossed over into Epcot. So we were all safe at that last overpass ( saw the bikes ride past me)

I believe they give the medals to those swept, as a Disney feel good thing- Disney races are more about the experience than the race it seems. At least thats what my experience has been. Most runners admit they are running them for fun not PRs. So yeah, everyone wins at Disney!

Personally, I wouldn't wear the medal. It's very pretty so i might take it to have as motivation for next year, but it wouldn't go around my neck until I earned 13.1.

And RnR races- that's nuts that they would let you continue on! Crazy!!!

 

[ironz]

My experience...last year at the marathon, I was injured (long story...had a stupid injury about 3 weeks out from the Goofy and had made it through the 5K and half, though the half aggravated my injury even more). I started the full marathon, hoping I could jog/walk through and get it done, but by mile 5, I knew I was just going to hurt myself worse. Found a friend who confirmed my thoughts at mile 6 (I was still hobbling along wondering if I could walk it). Around mile 8 (near the speedway), there was an aid station/medical, so I stopped there to be sagged back. Where they dropped me off (post-race area), the really nice volunteers there INSISTED I take a marathon medal. I don't claim it as a finish. I took it after protesting so I wouldn't be rude to the volunteers---they meant well, I know. It's in the closet with my other medals, but I don't consider it earned, and would never display it as such. But it is a good reminder of the unfinished business that I will go back and complete in 2013.

In retrospect...I sort of wish I had decided for sure to bail out at mile 5, then I could have just walked back to the staging area in front of Epcot and avoided all the sag wagon/medal giving nonsense.

So..I really didn't get swept, more a medical thing, but have a medal.
I don't think it's right. I think medals are for completing the thing, in the right time allowance.