Let's share our memorable moments from any runDisney event

[AB6876]

My favorite memory was in the 2013 Mickey marathon. After having read about riding EE during previous races, I wondered if it could be done with the course change. As we ran up to it my BIL noted that the que was only 5 minutes so we decided to go for it. A CM immediately stopped us and sent us through the fast pass lane! Several runners followed us so we had a train full of runners! I added "Rode EE" into the list on the back of my "I did it" shirt! Telling everyone after we finished that we stopped to ride a ride was priceless.

How fun!!
I am so jealous. I was not brave enough to try it this year, but perhaps next year.. You have inspired me

 

[bellanotte10]

During this years princess, all I wanted to do at the Expo was get pixie dusted by the fairy godmothers. By the time we got our shirts and official merch, they had disappeared, leaving me slightly devastated. Well wouldn't you know it, they were end of the race. I saw them, but due to a quad injury I got while running, all I wanted to do was leave. I was sobbing, I was in a ton of pain. I wanted to go home. Well my two friends who ran with me said NO you didn't come all this way talking about this stupid pixie dust just to go crying back to the hotel without it, YOU'RE DOING THIS. They literally pushed me at the poor fairy godmother. Well I started laughing, she started laughing, my friends laughed and suddenly it hit me that I did it. I ran a half. The picture they took of me getting my pixie dust is the worst picture of me I've ever seen but I love it because it symbolizes that moment of realization that I completed a goal I trained for for two years. :

 

[Sarah_Rose]

For me, it was the 2010 Goofy (still my only runDisney event to date). A few memorable things. Aside from the fairly obvious, like meeting a lot of new people, and the fun that came with that, it actually snowed a bit before the race started. It's the only time I've ever seen snow at Disney, and remains to this day the only race I've ever run when I've been snowed on (and I lived in NH at the time, now live in MA).

Seriously Tim, you're one of my memorable moments.

We were waiting in the starting corrals and chatting, and you joked that your own personal addition to the WISH motto is, "DNF = NFW". I have seriously repeated that to myself SO MANY times in SO MANY races in the last 3.5 years. During particularly bad times, it becomes almost a mantra.

I don't think I have anything else specific, but seeing Matt on the overpass during the half is always a really welcome sight. I distinctly remember yelling back a grouchy, "I'm cold!" to his cheering during the rain/sleet/snow half marathon of 2010.

 

[Bephus]

It is so hard to limit it to one favorite memory! Can I pick two?
#1 has to be when at the end of the 2011 marathon leg of the unofficial Dopey I realized I was not only going to PR but was going to break 4 hours by quite a lot. I cried all through Epcot for a mile until the finish. Plus my family was a following me that day and we hadn't planned on them meeting me again on the course but they surprised me at Spaceship Earth. So yeah, that was a great memory.
#2 but only by a hair is my first marathon ever in 2007. I had started running to lose my baby weight and was 7 months post partem, nursing and super emotional. It was hot and I had been training in NC so was not used to the heat, but was so excited. I had no clue what I was doing but turning onto Main Street and seeing the Castle took my breath away! It was a tough run with the heat but that sight carried me through! I have been hooked on racing ever since and have only taken a break to have my second baby! Lol.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[FFigawi]

I will always remember having a beer at mile 24 of this year's marathon, and laughing with all the people who thought I was nuts for doing that during the race. Very few of my fellow runners, but many of the spectators, appreciated the training and effort that goes into practicing drinking while running.

 

[TMcDwyer]

I will always remember having a beer at mile 24 of this year's marathon, and laughing with all the people who thought I was nuts for doing that during the race. Very few of my fellow runners, but many of the spectators, appreciated the training and effort that goes into practicing drinking while running.

I so want to do this when I do Dopey in 2015!!!

 

[rachlovestv]

My favorite memory was in the 2013 Mickey marathon. After having read about riding EE during previous races, I wondered if it could be done with the course change. As we ran up to it my BIL noted that the que was only 5 minutes so we decided to go for it. A CM immediately stopped us and sent us through the fast pass lane! Several runners followed us so we had a train full of runners! I added "Rode EE" into the list on the back of my "I did it" shirt! Telling everyone after we finished that we stopped to ride a ride was priceless.

Oh my gosh! I SO want to do this! Depending on if I feel like dying at that point, it's definitely on my list!

 

[rachlovestv]

My first half marathon ever was the 2012 Tinker Bell, and though there were many memorable moments from the actual race, most notably running down Main Street, seeing all the spectators with their great signs, and my best friend meeting me at the finish line with a hug and a tiny can of champagne, the most special significant part of the whole event came before I ever signed up.

My best friend (and Disneyland travel buddy) has been a runner for years, and she and our other best friend were always training together and running races. I had never really been interested in running - I've been a slow runner since I was a kid, and it didn't seem worth it to bother with something I clearly wasn't good at.

Jump to April 2011. My best friend says to me, "There's this new half marathon they are going to do at Disneyland next January. I think I am going to sign up for it. You should come with so we can hang out and you can watch me run." The first thing that popped into my head was, "Wow, that would be depressing. Am I always going to be just sitting on the sidelines, watching other people live their lives?" And for some reason, I said, "Maybe if I started running now, I could run it, too?" My friends were super supportive, and I started the C25K program in May of that year. I waited until July to actually sign up for the race (I had to make sure I was actually going to stick with it), but once I had paid for it, I was committed, and nothing was going to stop me from finishing.

2 years later, I'm running more than ever, and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I just ran my 10th half marathon this past weekend, and I'll be running my first full in a month. I'll never be the fastest, not even in my little group of running friends, but that's not what's important. Would I have eventually started running even if I'd never heard about the Tinker Bell Half? Maybe, but most of me thinks that becoming a runner would never have crossed my mind if I hadn't been lured in by the prospect of doing something like that in my favorite place on earth, and getting a medal for it, too! So whenever I think about the Tinker Bell Half, or see my shiny gold fairy medal, I can't help but be grateful.

 

[John VN]

I will always remember having a beer at mile 24 of this year's marathon, and laughing with all the people who thought I was nuts for doing that during the race. Very few of my fellow runners, but many of the spectators, appreciated the training and effort that goes into practicing drinking while running.

John, I think I will make a new best memorable moment by stopping for my M&M McFlurry at McDonald's and then an O'Doul's in EPCOT. Thanks for the idea.

McFlurry John

 

[longhorns2]

Best memory was turning to go up the last ramp into Epcot PHM in 2012. I saw two girls I "knew" from here on the WISH boards- TinkerAmy and SaySay. I recognized them from the costumes they had posted. Ran up, said hi, we all kept going- they were a bit faster than I was. But they stopped at every character on the way in, laughing and taking pictures, and just having such a joyous time.

I was sucking wind and hating most of the race, where they had turned it into a party.

I posted on Amy's blog when she did her recap telling her how I wanted to run with them in 2013. They took me on as their special project! New BRF found on the PHM course and WISH boards!

We ran this year together, and plan on doing W&D, Tink, and hopefully PHM again!

 

[TMcDwyer]

My favorite memory was in the 2013 Mickey marathon. After having read about riding EE during previous races, I wondered if it could be done with the course change. As we ran up to it my BIL noted that the que was only 5 minutes so we decided to go for it. A CM immediately stopped us and sent us through the fast pass lane! Several runners followed us so we had a train full of runners! I added "Rode EE" into the list on the back of my "I did it" shirt! Telling everyone after we finished that we stopped to ride a ride was priceless.

This is on my list too. When else can you ride a roller coaster in the middle of a marathon!

 

[AB6876]

During this years princess, all I wanted to do at the Expo was get pixie dusted by the fairy godmothers. By the time we got our shirts and official merch, they had disappeared, leaving me slightly devastated. Well wouldn't you know it, they were end of the race. I saw them, but due to a quad injury I got while running, all I wanted to do was leave. I was sobbing, I was in a ton of pain. I wanted to go home. Well my two friends who ran with me said NO you didn't come all this way talking about this stupid pixie dust just to go crying back to the hotel without it, YOU'RE DOING THIS. They literally pushed me at the poor fairy godmother. Well I started laughing, she started laughing, my friends laughed and suddenly it hit me that I did it. I ran a half. The picture they took of me getting my pixie dust is the worst picture of me I've ever seen but I love it because it symbolizes that moment of realization that I completed a goal I trained for for two years. :

That is awesome! I had no idea the fairy god mother pixie dusted people...thanks for sharing!

 

[Diskidatheart]

I had several wonderful memories of the 2013 Disney half marathon (my first half and only Disney event thus far). Some of the best memories are:

- Seeing my wife with her ChearSquad clappers at the T&T center and then running to the other side of the Poly to see her again clapping away for me. That second time really got me through the rest of the race.

- The second most memorable moment was making that turn onto Main St and seeing all those crazy people cheering on us runners (I kept thinking "Who are the crazy ones...the runners for doing the run or the spectators for getting up so early to watch us run and cheer us on"). Thanks to all the spectators as they help sooooo much

- The third most memorable moment was when I passed mile 12 and knew I was going to complete my first half! The problem was that I injured my calf 2 weeks before the race, then did some aggessive rehab up to the race and wasn't sure if it was going to hold up. I knew at that point that I was going to finish the race and when I saw the gospel choir singing that I heard so much about, I knew I was almost there. What a feeling it was to complete your first half...Can't wait until Jan when I finish my first full!

 

[bellanotte10]

That is awesome! I had no idea the fairy god mother pixie dusted people...thanks for sharing!

I think they're actually fairy god mothers in training from BBB but in my mind it was the same thing haha

 

[AB6876]

Seriously Tim, you're one of my memorable moments.

We were waiting in the starting corrals and chatting, and you joked that your own personal addition to the WISH motto is, "DNF = NFW". I have seriously repeated that to myself SO MANY times in SO MANY races in the last 3.5 years. During particularly bad times, it becomes almost a mantra.

I don't think I have anything else specific, but seeing Matt on the overpass during the half is always a really welcome sight. I distinctly remember yelling back a grouchy, "I'm cold!" to his cheering during the rain/sleet/snow half marathon of 2010.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[AB6876]

It is so hard to limit it to one favorite memory! Can I pick two?
#1 has to be when at the end of the 2011 marathon leg of the unofficial Dopey I realized I was not only going to PR but was going to break 4 hours by quite a lot. I cried all through Epcot for a mile until the finish. Plus my family was a following me that day and we hadn't planned on them meeting me again on the course but they surprised me at Spaceship Earth. So yeah, that was a great memory.
#2 but only by a hair is my first marathon ever in 2007. I had started running to lose my baby weight and was 7 months post partem, nursing and super emotional. It was hot and I had been training in NC so was not used to the heat, but was so excited. I had no clue what I was doing but turning onto Main Street and seeing the Castle took my breath away! It was a tough run with the heat but that sight carried me through! I have been hooked on racing ever since and have only taken a break to have my second baby! Lol.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

You can share as many as you want..keep them coming!

 

[AB6876]

I will always remember having a beer at mile 24 of this year's marathon, and laughing with all the people who thought I was nuts for doing that during the race. Very few of my fellow runners, but many of the spectators, appreciated the training and effort that goes into practicing drinking while running.

I cannot believe you can drink a beer and run.. I cannot even drink a sip of water without dumping it all over myself lol.....what a great memory.

 

[AB6876]

My first half marathon ever was the 2012 Tinker Bell, and though there were many memorable moments from the actual race, most notably running down Main Street, seeing all the spectators with their great signs, and my best friend meeting me at the finish line with a hug and a tiny can of champagne, the most special significant part of the whole event came before I ever signed up.

My best friend (and Disneyland travel buddy) has been a runner for years, and she and our other best friend were always training together and running races. I had never really been interested in running - I've been a slow runner since I was a kid, and it didn't seem worth it to bother with something I clearly wasn't good at.

Jump to April 2011. My best friend says to me, "There's this new half marathon they are going to do at Disneyland next January. I think I am going to sign up for it. You should come with so we can hang out and you can watch me run." The first thing that popped into my head was, "Wow, that would be depressing. Am I always going to be just sitting on the sidelines, watching other people live their lives?" And for some reason, I said, "Maybe if I started running now, I could run it, too?" My friends were super supportive, and I started the C25K program in May of that year. I waited until July to actually sign up for the race (I had to make sure I was actually going to stick with it), but once I had paid for it, I was committed, and nothing was going to stop me from finishing.

2 years later, I'm running more than ever, and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I just ran my 10th half marathon this past weekend, and I'll be running my first full in a month. I'll never be the fastest, not even in my little group of running friends, but that's not what's important. Would I have eventually started running even if I'd never heard about the Tinker Bell Half? Maybe, but most of me thinks that becoming a runner would never have crossed my mind if I hadn't been lured in by the prospect of doing something like that in my favorite place on earth, and getting a medal for it, too! So whenever I think about the Tinker Bell Half, or see my shiny gold fairy medal, I can't help but be grateful.

What an accomplishment!!! It amazes me to know how many people started running because of a Disney event. Way to keep it up too.

 

[AB6876]

Best memory was turning to go up the last ramp into Epcot PHM in 2012. I saw two girls I "knew" from here on the WISH boards- TinkerAmy and SaySay. I recognized them from the costumes they had posted. Ran up, said hi, we all kept going- they were a bit faster than I was. But they stopped at every character on the way in, laughing and taking pictures, and just having such a joyous time.

I was sucking wind and hating most of the race, where they had turned it into a party.

I posted on Amy's blog when she did her recap telling her how I wanted to run with them in 2013. They took me on as their special project! New BRF found on the PHM course and WISH boards!

We ran this year together, and plan on doing W&D, Tink, and hopefully PHM again!

It is amazing how many friends are made through running... What a great story.

 

[freepixie]

OK, I was going to say my most memorable moment was crossing the finish line of the PHM 2012 cause it was my first half, but I changed my mind

Really, crossing the finish line of the TOT 10-miler in 2012 was very memorable for me! 2012 was a bad year for me in many ways, the worst was getting injured last July! But I picked myself back up every time I was smacked down by something, and prior to the Tower the longest I had run during a training run was 6 miles I was very afraid of getting swept, but I FINISHED and I did it in much less time than I had anticipated!!

And... for the first time... I ENJOYED myself on a race!! During the PHM I was very preoccupied with a lot of things, but at the Tower, I just let go and had FUN

And one more slightly gross add to this... after the Tower was my first-ever post-run puke