Marathon Relay in 2012

[sap1227]

I just saw on the RunDisney site a relay option for the Full.

I am really excited to see that as an option!!

 

[FireDancer]

I was surprised to see it. I wonder how many legs there will be. It would have to be more than 2 considering they have a half marathon. I wonder if there will be 4 legs so each leg gets a park:

Let 1 Epcot the first time through
Leg 2 MK
Leg 3 AK
Leg 4 DHS and Epcot the second time through

It could mean a slightly re-worked course too.

 

[sap1227]

I was surprised to see it. I wonder how many legs there will be. It would have to be more than 2 considering they have a half marathon.

Thats what I was thinking, too. I really think I am doing the full, it would be great if some of my friends would do the relay at the same time I am doing the Full.....I'm sure we would not stay together, but it would be nice to all run on the same day!

 

[FFigawi]

I was surprised to see it. I wonder how many legs there will be. It would have to be more than 2 considering they have a half marathon. I wonder if there will be 4 legs so each leg gets a park:

Let 1 Epcot the first time through
Leg 2 MK
Leg 3 AK
Leg 4 DHS and Epcot the second time through

It could mean a slightly re-worked course too.

I was thinking about this, and I think they could do it without changing the course much. Right now, the halfway point isn't too far down the road from the Grand Floridian. They could use that as the relay exchange area and have the runners get back and forth to Epcot on the monorail, eliminating any problems driving on the roads.

 

[wvjules]

I wonder if Marathon Relayers would get a Mickey medal?

 

[FireDancer]

I was thinking about this, and I think they could do it without changing the course much. Right now, the halfway point isn't too far down the road from the Grand Floridian. They could use that as the relay exchange area and have the runners get back and forth to Epcot on the monorail, eliminating any problems driving on the roads.

Yeah, the course change wouldn't be a necessity but what I am wondering about is the return to two starts. I imagine they will keep the same number of spots for the full and add all the additional spots for the relay. Because people doing the relay will be faster at the start than many of the full people it could really mess up the corrals. I know if I were running a quarter marathon as opposed to a full I'd be more than a minute/mile faster at the start.

It will be interesting to see how they do it.

 

[scoolover]

I might be in for a WISH relay team.

 

[FFigawi]

Good point Frank. Maybe they'll grant our wish and return the full marathoners to the left-hand course that goes around World Showcase and put the relay runners on the right-hand course.

 

[cewait]

Never thought of three-four person relays. The two person relay is a snap. The old half course ended in the Pluto lot of the MK parking lot. It would be easy to just route the first runners in, exchange and then the second runners out at the entrance to that lot. The transportation logistics would be similar to the old days.

One could easily do 3 person relay using the MK parking lot at the race track (Daisy Parking Lot) for the first exchange (mile 8) and then the AK parking lot (mile 17.5). Alternatively the first exchange could be closer to the tram tunnel (sleepy lot) making the first exchange 8.7 miles. Third runner gets a big chunk of the race but they will be passing lots of others...

Four person relays would be even more chopped up.

For the record, I am NOT a fan of the relay. I think they work well for single day events but am concerned that the added numbers of runners in the 24 mile stretch will overcrowd the side walk even more. Then with the half on Saturday and full on Sunday it will dilute the half.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Honeibee]

Hmmm... we did the four-person relay marathon in Delware and it was the same course for each of the relayers. We ran a small part of the full/half course. We had to wear bibs on our backs to indentify us as a relay, full or half participant.

I agree at WDW there area already way too many places on the course where it's just too tight. Maybe they will come up with some creative solution.

 

[cloudnut220]

I'm doing a half marathon relay in 2 months, and I'd be interested on seeing how the Disney one works out. I was thinking I was doing the full next year, but if DH does the half I might do that and then the relay. It will depend on how it's structured!

 

[FireDancer]

Maybe they will come up with some creative solution.

5K on Thursday
Relay on Friday
Half on Saturday
Full on Sunday

I'm not serious of course but I'm sure Disney would love to extend the weekend as long as possible to try and get more of our money (exhibit 1: Marathon Monday).

 

[cewait]

5K on Thursday
Relay on Friday
Half on Saturday
Full on Sunday

I'm not serious of course but I'm sure Disney would love to extend the weekend as long as possible to try and get more of our money (exhibit 1: Marathon Monday).

Erase this, the mouse reads this forum.... I know that if they can eek an additional $150 or so out of 5-8000 folks they will do just that.

 

[figment82]

They could do a 2 person relay on the Marathon course, even given the Half Marathon the day before, for people that want to run a different course. I loved the Wine and Dine because it was a different route than the Disney/Princess Half. Plenty of people have pointed out that they would do another Disney race if it was a new course but they're bored with the existing confused since they've already done it - so maybe Disney is taking that into account to try to lure more people into parting with their cash.

I like the idea of a 4 person relay - more people would be able to participate - but I also did the Wine and Dine as a relay and know that alone was a logistical nightmare. I'm not convinced they learned enough from that yet to do something as complex as a 4-person marathon relay. Also, it better be a separate course or people will be tripping over each other.

 

[FireDancer]

Erase this, the mouse reads this forum.... I know that if they can eek an additional $150 or so out of 5-8000 folks they will do just that.

If that ends up happening I suspect is has already been decided. I really don't think doing the such a big event on Friday would work because of all the logistics involved in setting up and manning the course an additional day vs the number of people doing it. Never say never but there is a reason so few big events are held on non-weekends. I can't even think of any but I'm sure there are some out there.

I wonder if the relay will just serve to cannibalize from the other races as opposed to getting additional racers down. I mean 4 people who were going to do the half or full anyway decide to do the marathon as a relay instead. Sure, it might make them a little extra on the race fees (since I imagine the combined relay registration will be more than the full registration alone) but the same amount of people will be in the parks and resorts and let's face it, that is really why they hold these events, to get people into those.

If they are reading this my only request would be make the relay medal something other than a Mickey medal. To get that one you should have to complete 26.2 all by your lonesome.

 

[FFigawi]

They could do a 2 person relay on the Marathon course, even given the Half Marathon the day before, for people that want to run a different course. I loved the Wine and Dine because it was a different route than the Disney/Princess Half. Plenty of people have pointed out that they would do another Disney race if it was a new course but they're bored with the existing confused since they've already done it - so maybe Disney is taking that into account to try to lure more people into parting with their cash.

I'd sign up for the relay all by myself if it was on a different course. I'm one of those people who think the current half course gets boring after you've done it once or twice, so the idea of a half on a different course intrigues me.

 

[Honeibee]

If they are reading this my only request would be make the relay medal something other than a Mickey medal. To get that one you should have to complete 26.2 all by your lonesome.

 

[wvjules]

They could do a 2-person relay medal of Chip and Dale, 3-person Huey, Duey and Luey, 4-person ????

 

[FireDancer]

They could do a 2-person relay medal of Chip and Dale, 3-person Huey, Duey and Luey, 4-person ????

Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Scrooge (think DuckTales). Actually maybe a medal featuring the 4 park Icons.

 

[wvjules]

Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Scrooge (think DuckTales). Actually maybe a medal featuring the 4 park Icons.

I thought about the 4 parks one but that seems like it should be more elite than a 4 person relay.