How strict is the Castaway Cay 5k?

[sarahann77]

My cruise buddies and I did the 5k last month on our cruise. The girl manning the water station at the place for the second loop was shouting very often that if we did not want to do the second loop she is not paying attention. My cruise buddy wife was having difficulties as it was her first 5k so we skipped the second loop. Cruise buddy husband I think asked the girl again quietly prior to us getting back to the water station and again got her blessing. It's supposed to be a fun event so do what you need to do for yourself. Getting to the start of the 5k you're doing some of the distance already; helped our mindset anyway

 

[pascalspal]

I am a 'serious' runner and take part in many chip timed events. Every race is different and ultimately the tone of the race is set by the director. Like many previous posters have stated this is the ultimate fun run. Disney just wants you to get up and moving and have a great time. They do not care if you complete the entire course or not. I had an experience where it was raining on CC one morning so they cancelled the race and gave us all the medals anyway.

Do whatever is going to make you happy! If you want to cut the course short, do it! For me personally as long as I move the actual distance of the race, I wouldn't feel bad about taking the medal. Maybe a suggestion is to cut the actual course short and stroll back to the ship with your mom for breakfast or to get beach items! That way you will definitely complete the 'full' distance and 'earn' the medal. Either way it is your vacation so do whatever you feel like!!

 

[loyemarie]

Since this is,and always has been, just an activity, and not an official run, anyone willing to do any part of it deserves the medal. (As if you have to deserve it in the first place!)
Have a walk, long or short, and a chat if you want with a walking buddy. Go get your medal. Relax.
Even my husband, who is about as serious a runner as there ever has been, calls this an “activity”. Serious runners that have commented otherwise need to remember people have paid a LOT for their vacation. Let them enjoy a silly, but cute, plastic medal.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Ultimately you and you alone know whether you did the race/distance etc. To me, in any race that I have done, chipped time etc., it is up to you. This is a fun run- run it, run/walk, walk-cut it short if you want-a fun way to keep moving on a cruise. My medal doesn't mean any less to me if someone else cuts their distance short etc. It is what it means to me. This was my very first "5K" distance years ago, so it was important to me to do every step. So that first "medal" and picture we took at the end, meant a bunch. The fact that some people maybe didn't do the second loop or whatever, wasn't going to take away from my accomplishment.

 

[thepak92]

Not an issue, go walk, jog, chill, have fun... ages 10 and up can do this.. cut it short, hang out at the first water station til your mom comes back, then finish with her.. all good... only ever a concern if it was a part of the "official run Disney" but that's not until January and is identified as such. Enjoy your VACAY

 

[thepak92]

Since this is,and always has been, just an activity, and not an official run, anyone willing to do any part of it deserves the medal. (As if you have to deserve it in the first place!)
Have a walk, long or short, and a chat if you want with a walking buddy. Go get your medal. Relax.
Even my husband, who is about as serious a runner as there ever has been, calls this an “activity”. Serious runners that have commented otherwise need to remember people have paid a LOT for their vacation. Let them enjoy a silly, but cute, plastic medal.

Well, close, it is an "official" run in January, when the cruise goes there directly after the "RunDisney" events at WDW in January.. then the 5K at Castaway Cay becomes an official timed event. This is the only time of the year this happens.

 

[Dug720]

Well, close, it is an "official" run in January, when the cruise goes there directly after the "RunDisney" events at WDW in January.. then the 5K at Castaway Cay becomes an official timed event. This is the only time of the year this happens.

Unless it's changed, they actually do 2. The runDisney one (which is timed and is the correct distance - and I think has a fee attached, though I may be wrong about that) which has its own bibs and challenge medal and the untimed, free "fun" run for those not participating in the challenge.

 

[thepak92]

Unless it's changed, they actually do 2. The runDisney one (which is timed and is the correct distance - and I think has a fee attached, though I may be wrong about that) which has its own bibs and challenge medal and the untimed, free "fun" run for those not participating in the challenge.

oh, didn't know that.. so on the "run Disney" event day, after their timed and paid for 5K, they do a second race that is the normal just 5K fun run? very nice, didn't realize they did that, if I understand you correctly

 

[Dug720]

oh, didn't know that.. so on the "run Disney" event day, after their timed and paid for 5K, they do a second race that is the normal just 5K fun run? very nice, didn't realize they did that, if I understand you correctly

Yup.

I believe the courses are slightly different too, which would make sense because the runDismey one would need an official start and finish line. And need to be the true 5K distance.

 

[dcassetta]

Unless it's changed, they actually do 2. The runDisney one (which is timed and is the correct distance - and I think has a fee attached, though I may be wrong about that) which has its own bibs and challenge medal and the untimed, free "fun" run for those not participating in the challenge.

This year the Castaway Cay part of the marathon is $80. Last year they did offer the regular 5K after the official event.

 

[Nezumi Fan]

Agreed. If you just want to go for a 2K walk, then don't sign up, go for a 2K walk, and have a nice time. No one is going to stop you from walking along the path because you didn't sign up. And it sounds like signing up doesn't get you off of the ship early. So go have a nice walk while others in your family do the 5K. Don't sign up for a medal that you know ahead of time you don't deserve.

"deserve"

 

[BruinEd03]

This is going to be unpopular but let me just provide an alternate point of view. In the running world if you don't finish a race, you don't get a medal - you didn't earn it. As people have said and implied, this isn't a race but is actually a "fun run" so if you plan to finish with your mom around the 20 minute mark, that will be the time of serious runners who are part of this culture and not random casuals so just be forewarned and know what you're trying to get into.

Not sure what you mean when you say "just be forewarned and know what you're trying to get into." Are you saying people on the cruise ship will heckle her because she doesn't deserve it? If that's true, then no one really deserves a Castaway Cay 5k medal as the Castaway Cay 5k is not actually 5k. In addition, if you finish in 20 minutes, you get . . . absolutely no additional recognition. If you finish first, you get . . . absolutely no additional recognition. Castaway Cay 5k as part of a normal cruise is supposed to be fun for everyone. This is not the running world. I'd hate to think that serious runners from the running world think that everyone has to abide by their rules all the time.

 

[Sarah Fallon]

We just did the 5k a few weeks ago. I walked most of it trying to keep up with my husband who walks a heck of a lot faster than me. We finished in about 45 minutes, I stopped as we came out of the loop while he jogged down toward the Serenity Bay portion of it then picked back up when he returned. I planned on walking the whole thing but am pregnant and didnt feel back at all about skipping a bit of it. I stood by the cast members and waited, they didnt care at all. Considering you have to walk to get to the start line from the boat, its more than a 5k so oh well. It was definitely a fun thing to do and not serious (for us) by any means. Just enjoy it!

 

[bizeemom4]

Even in official runDisney events, non-finishers get the medal. Serious runners, feel free to not accept it. OP, feel free to do as you wish.

Actually, in real RunDisney marathons, if you DNF, you get nothing except the free T-shirt. No medals for non-finishers.

 

[dcassetta]

Actually, in real RunDisney marathons, if you DNF, you get nothing except the free T-shirt. No medals for non-finishers.

Then that is new. In the past, if there was a multi-race challenge that you did not complete, you would not get the challenge medal. But, individual race medals were given even to non-finishers.

Considering the cost of RunDisney events, that t-shirt is not free!

 

[Jillikins]

I run a lot and am all about the medals. That said, anyone who gets out there and even tries the Castaway Cay 5K deserves a medal IMO. Get out, get moving, have fun!

My only complaint about them is that the medal is always the same. I have several of the exact same medals from different cruises.

 

[MilitaryDisneyCruiser]

It is a lot of fun, whether you walk or run. They have a timer, but don't mark how many times you go around the loop. It is great experience any way you do it!

 

[Princess_Iliana_of_Avalor]

My boyfriend and I are going on our first Disney Cruise (first cruise in general) this December and making an effort to prepare ourselves for the Castaway Cay 5K. At first I was just planning on walking it, but I do really want to earn my medal lol. We're not serious runners, but we've both been trying to make a conscious effort to work out more so it's nice motivation for us

 

[Quellman]

My boyfriend and I are going on our first Disney Cruise (first cruise in general) this December and making an effort to prepare ourselves for the Castaway Cay 5K. At first I was just planning on walking it, but I do really want to earn my medal lol. We're not serious runners, but we've both been trying to make a conscious effort to work out more so it's nice motivation for us

have fun with your preparations. There are lots of good resources out there and there is a forum here on dis boards for Run Disney that can help too!

 

[roxymama]

My boyfriend and I are going on our first Disney Cruise (first cruise in general) this December and making an effort to prepare ourselves for the Castaway Cay 5K. At first I was just planning on walking it, but I do really want to earn my medal lol. We're not serious runners, but we've both been trying to make a conscious effort to work out more so it's nice motivation for us

Although I prefer to do continuous running, there are lots of people on the rundisney part of the board that use a run/walk method. (run a few seconds or minutes, then walk, and repeat.) It might be just what you are looking for to introduce running into your exercise. It's how I started. And on a very hot day, I may employ that method on Castaway Cay. 5k is 5k whether you run, walk or crawl it