Marathon Relay in 2012

[mla1977]

All this speculation about a relay half...

Could someone please provide a link that shows where it even hints at this?

 

[Pumbaa80]

All this speculation about a relay half...

Could someone please provide a link that shows where it even hints at this?

here ya go.

http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/wdw-marathon/

 

[cewait]

All this speculation about a relay half...

Could someone please provide a link that shows where it even hints at this?

here ya go.

http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/wdw-marathon/

It's not a half relay but a full relay....

 

[Pumbaa80]

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

Minnie Mouse could work for it. This was my first half, but I thought I saw where people have posted about the Minnie Marathon Disney use to do?? So maybe in keeping with the theme of Mickey being for the full, they could do Minnie for the full relay...

 

[Pumbaa80]

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

Minnie Mouse could work for it. This was my first half, but I thought I saw where people have posted about the Minnie Marathon Disney use to do?? So maybe in keeping with the theme of Mickey being for the full, they could do Minnie for the full relay...

 

[Honeibee]

Coach Charles! I just noticed you're Perfectly Goofy!!

Congratulations!

 

[ultramickeymouse]

I think they want a 3-4 person relay to fill in the runners who are more 10K runners, They have races for 5K, 1/2 and full already.

BTW: Charles I like your avatar! The lanyard we got is cool, Even in Orange for us!

 

[DisneyParrothead]

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).

Since Goofy's been so popular I wouldn't be surprised if they offered an all three kind of deal. Relay, half and full. I'm not sure what they would call it, and we have our own version of a Dopey.

 

[TnTsParty]

I agree with the other posters who say that the people who do the relay should NOT get the same medal as the people who do the entire full by themselves. That Mickey medal is hard earned for 26.2 miles!!!

Those that were asking about the Minnie Marathon - it was a 15k that was the last 9.3 miles of the full marathon course. I did the last one in 2008 and it was a great way to see what I was in for when I did the 2009 full.

 

[sue2]

When I saw the relay announcement I assumed they would keep the same number of slots and fill them either with solo runners or a relay team. They would get extra registration money on the relay team and (most importantly to Disney) get 4x the revenue in the parks/hotels/restaurants for each slot that went to a relay team vs. a solo runner.

I was told, a few years ago, that Disney wouldn't officially recognize anything more than the 2 races in Goofy (hence no official recognition for racing all 3 days) due to liability concerns with encouraging people to run more miles.

I wish they would add a 4th day of racing but if they can increase revenues by just letting relay teams take existing marathon slots, and only have to work out the logistics of the relay teams within the existing marathon, they might do that.

 

[cewait]

Since Goofy's been so popular I wouldn't be surprised if they offered an all three kind of deal. Relay, half and full. I'm not sure what they would call it, and we have our own version of a Dopey.

Highly doubtful. The full and relay would be a same day, same venue event. No way would any one buy off on closing down WDW regualr transportation for more than one full.

 

[cewait]

Got to thinking as I sat here.

The obvious exchange points for a 4 person relay are.

Mile 6.3 - the point where we come out of the clover leaf exchange from Epcot to World. Three lanes for buses with unencumbered travel lanes in and out.

Mile 13 - The old half end point in the Dopey Lot of the MK parking lot - Run distance ~ 6.7 miles

Mile 20 - The overpass over World Drive... The entrance would give an easy way to transport folks in and out. - Run distance 7 miles

Finish - Duh - 6.2 miles. Everyone gets a park albeit the first runner gets a little of the shaft as the park is really dark.


The a three person relay all parking lot for nearly even splits ....

Mile 8.5 - MK Parking in the area where the old cars are located, or the old "im a little country/Im a little rock lanes"

Mile 17.8 AK Parking - 9.3 miles run

Finish - 8.4 miles run..

But I would bet that Disney would look to Western Way (mile 15.5.) for the exchange point making the last two legs 7 and 10.7 miles. It is a dead end road on race morning and it would be an easier route for buses.

 

[donmil723]

I'm interested to see what they will do for the marathon relay. At the Wine and Dine last year, relay participants got a smaller version of the half medal.

 

[momhmmx2]

I wonder when they will announce more details?

We are trying to decide our relay team for W&D..This has been a "moms" only trip for the past 2 years. But my running partner asked her dh if he wanted to go (thinking he'd say no) and he said "sure"

He then asked if there was a relay during marathon week and of course we said no...But now things have changed

So, my hope is they will give more details before we sign up for W&D then we could do the "moms" trip in October followed by a husband and wife trip in January...It would be even better if it was a 4 person relay then we could do a couples relay!

I get the crowding issue as I saw this during W&D (esp in AK)...however I personally don't run Disney races for time. I run to have fun, see different view points of the park, backstage, characters, etc..

I should point out too that I'm super slow so when it narrowed...I took that as a sign that it was time for a walk break

Happy training all!

 

[suzannews]

Can't wait to hear the details!

 

[momof2minnies]

In the chaos how do you find your relay partner?? I can't imagine it.

Linda

 

[stitchfan18]

In the chaos how do you find your relay partner?? I can't imagine it.

Linda

I don't think Disney has perfected the relay exchange yet, but they did a pretty good job at the wine and dine. After leaving AK, the relay runners who ran the first leg went off to the right to the exchange zone, and the second leg relay runners were corralled based on bib numbers. This is where is got tricky. You had to watch for your relay partner to come, then the second person would start their leg. I had an idea of how fast my partner was running, but I had no idea when she actually started, so I almost missed her. It would be nice if Disney had some way to notify people when their partner was coming to make the process go a little quicker.

 

[FireDancer]

I don't think Disney has perfected the relay exchange yet, but they did a pretty good job at the wine and dine. After leaving AK, the relay runners who ran the first leg went off to the right to the exchange zone, and the second leg relay runners were corralled based on bib numbers. This is where is got tricky. You had to watch for your relay partner to come, then the second person would start their leg. I had an idea of how fast my partner was running, but I had no idea when she actually started, so I almost missed her. It would be nice if Disney had some way to notify people when their partner was coming to make the process go a little quicker.

I've never done a relay but when I ran the Akron half they had a relay option. They had callers with microphones about 400 yards before the exchange zone. They relay runners all merged to the left and as they passed the caller they called the number of the runner back to the pack so their partner could move out of the sidelines and into the exchange zone. The way they did the numbers (if I remember correctly) was that all the runners had the same number with a letter appended to it (runner 123A ran the first leg, 123B the second, 123C the third) so no one had to remember all their partners numbers. At least this is how they did it in 2007 when I ran it, it might be different now.

That is how I would do it.

 

[momhmmx2]

In the chaos how do you find your relay partner?? I can't imagine it.

Linda

I just texted my partner when I was on the backside of AK (near EE), then she knew to expect me within the next 5-10 minutes I had the words already typed into the text box so all I had to do was hit send when I hit that point. Worked great!

 

[stitchfan18]

I've never done a relay but when I ran the Akron half they had a relay option. They had callers with microphones about 400 yards before the exchange zone. They relay runners all merged to the left and as they passed the caller they called the number of the runner back to the pack so their partner could move out of the sidelines and into the exchange zone. The way they did the numbers (if I remember correctly) was that all the runners had the same number with a letter appended to it (runner 123A ran the first leg, 123B the second, 123C the third) so no one had to remember all their partners numbers. At least this is how they did it in 2007 when I ran it, it might be different now.

That is how I would do it.

That would have been a great way to do it. I don't think the emcees at the exchange zone really knew how to explain the exchange to the 2nd leg of runners. They told us to line up in the corals based on our running pace, which made no sense at all. There were also too many people who were lined up at the front of the corals just watching. My partner was in the first 100 or so to get to the exchange zone, and I had to weave through a bunch of people just to get to the course. I'm sure Disney learned some lessons from the way the exchange was last year and will make changes to it this year.