Marathon Weekend 2017!

[Ariel484]

Quick question - at miles 11.4 & 18.3 when they give you a banana, is it a whole banana or one cut in half? Doing my 20 miler this weekend and want to try eating them at those points to see how they sit in my stomach.

It's a whole banana from what I remember from 2015. I remember thinking they were underripe and cold...yum?

 

[camaker]

Quick question - at miles 11.4 & 18.3 when they give you a banana, is it a whole banana or one cut in half? Doing my 20 miler this weekend and want to try eating them at those points to see how they sit in my stomach.

Whole bananas. You could just eat half if you preferred, though...

 

[Keels]

It was a whole banana, and it was cold ... and delicious. The ONLY time in my life I've said that about a banana.

 

[Dis5150]

It's a whole banana from what I remember from 2015. I remember thinking they were underripe and cold...yum?

Whole bananas. You could just eat half if you preferred, though...

It was a whole banana, and it was cold ... and delicious. The ONLY time in my life I've said that about a banana.

Thanks guys! Yes, cold and underripe is just how I like them too!

 

[bananabean]

It's a whole banana from what I remember from 2015. I remember thinking they were underripe and cold...yum?

Unripe and cold - omg that sounds amazing. Haha! I'm probably the only one, but that's exactly how I like them!

 

[pixarmom]

It's been advertised since registration that if you buy Race Retreat, you get early entry into the Expo on Wednesday at 10 a.m.

I'm so on the fence. I've done two retreat-eligible WDW races with race retreat and one without. I planned to run Dopey without it. Get on the bus right before 4am, bring my own pre-race food and head out to the corrals. Regular bag check is easy, and the wait for the restrooms at the corrals is usually not too bad. I can't eat right after the race anyway and the post-race retreat food is heavier than I'd like. So while I highly recommend race retreat for groups or for solo runners under some circumstances, I didn't feel like it would be a good value for me this time.

Until now . . . ugh. I'm bringing my wonderful little running partner with me to the expo. The expo isn't the best place for a little person with lots of energy and spirit, but also high functioning autism. I know the expo pretty well and can move at a fast pace. I don't shop (thank you, raw threads, for selling great merchandise online!) So I don't need early entry for merchandise, but the thought of a calm, more quiet expo experience may just be worth the $120. And 10am is going to work out better for him than noon when he's hungry for lunch.

It was a whole banana, and it was cold ... and delicious. The ONLY time in my life I've said that about a banana.

Ha! That's exactly what I said about the banana.

 

[Ariel484]

Thanks guys! Yes, cold and underripe is just how I like them too!

Unripe and cold - omg that sounds amazing. Haha! I'm probably the only one, but that's exactly how I like them!

NO NO NO...gotta be ripe!!

 

[surfde22]

NO NO NO...gotta be ripe!!

I second this. Bananas must be ripe.

 

[Dis5150]

NO NO NO...gotta be ripe!!

I second this. Bananas must be ripe.

Ugh, nope! They have to have green on them. I buy a bunch every Saturday for my breakfast for the week, the greenest I can find. By Friday, I can hardly stand them they are so sweet! They go to DH for his cereal then, or into the freezer for smoothies or banana bread.

 

[lahobbs4]

Are there characters around after the half and full? I know there are some on the course, but do you get your picture with any of them after?

 

[rteetz]

Are there characters around after the half and full? I know there are some on the course, but do you get your picture with any of them after?

Usually there are. They have had a Dopey and Goofy photo op in the past and then usually two other characters like Daisy or Pluto or something.

 

[rteetz]

Okay I like both pre-ripe bananas and post ripe bananas... I am not sure which I would prefer during a run though...

 

[Ariel484]

Ugh, nope! They have to have green on them. I buy a bunch every Saturday for my breakfast for the week, the greenest I can find. By Friday, I can hardly stand them they are so sweet! They go to DH for his cereal then, or into the freezer for smoothies or banana bread.

OMGGGGGG

Are there characters around after the half and full? I know there are some on the course, but do you get your picture with any of them after?

In the past it has been the race mascot - Pluto at 5K, Minnie at 10K, etc. Dopey at all. Goofy/Donald at half and Goofy/Mickey at marathon too.

 

[rteetz]

OMGGGGGG

In the past it has been the race mascot - Pluto at 5K, Minnie at 10K, etc. Dopey at all. Goofy/Donald at half and Goofy/Mickey at marathon too.

I met Pluto and daisy before the half last year but can't find any photos right now from after the half. I know goofy and dopey were on the left side though for sure.

 

[PCFriar80]

Have you purchased tickets and linked them to your MDE account? I have an AP that expires this month and I can't make any FP+ selections past my expiration date - I assume once I renew and link, things will change.

Good luck!

O

I second this. Bananas must be ripe.

The way I run they're usually ripe by the time I finish.

 

[PrincessV]

Follow-up character question: how long does the wait get for characters in the finish area? I usually hit the road as soon as I get through the chute, so I've never paid attention to lines.

 

[Keels]

Dopey was easily the longest that I saw this year - probably 25-30 minutes or so?

 

[PrincessV]

Dopey was easily the longest that I saw this year - probably 25-30 minutes or so?

Did it have chairs?

 

[Ariel484]

Follow-up character question: how long does the wait get for characters in the finish area? I usually hit the road as soon as I get through the chute, so I've never paid attention to lines.

I don't know, because each morning I saw the lines and was just like "NOPE."

 

[rteetz]

Follow-up character question: how long does the wait get for characters in the finish area? I usually hit the road as soon as I get through the chute, so I've never paid attention to lines.

I got lucky and got in line right as the Daisy came out so I didn't wait long. I think pluto was about 10 minutes, not too bad. Dopey definitely was much longer.