Marathon Weekend 2017!

[lahobbs4]

23 weeks! I hope you're all surviving your runs in the heat. It's been oppressive in the Midwest.

This week's Sundays are for Disney question: how many runDisney events have you done and why did you choose to do a Disney race?

This will be my FIRST rD event, being the half marathon in January! Actually, the only race I've ever done was a 5k over 7 years ago (and before I had any of my 3 children). My husband is an incredible runner and I have always admired him for his drive and commitment. He's asked me to run with him for years but I have never had the right motivation! However, seeing an ad for a race through WDW is all it took! At the beginning of July I could not run 1 mile, but am now up to 5 on my long run days and actually enjoying it! Maybe the Full in 2018??

 

[lhermiston]

This will be my FIRST rD event, being the half marathon in January! Actually, the only race I've ever done was a 5k over 7 years ago (and before I had any of my 3 children). My husband is an incredible runner and I have always admired him for his drive and commitment. He's asked me to run with him for years but I have never had the right motivation! However, seeing an ad for a race through WDW is all it took! At the beginning of July I could not run 1 mile, but am now up to 5 on my long run days and actually enjoying it! Maybe the Full in 2018??

Keep up the good work!

 

[mbwhitti]

I'm not quite sure how I heard about rD but somehow found out there was a marathon a WDW. I had run a couple of half marathons at this point and thought to myself, "If I ever run a marathon, it will be a Disney World." In 2013, we found out that my husband would be travelling for work to Orlando in February 2014. I immediately decided we would make that our first trip to WDW together. I thought "wouldn't it be cool if there was a race while we are there?" I looked, and PHM weekend would be happening during our trip, so I signed DH and I up for the half and I was hooked!

Princess Half 2014
Dopey Challenge 2015
Glass Slipper Challenge 2015
Disneyland 5k + Dumbo 2015
Jingle Jungle 5k + Wine and Dine Half 2015
WDW Marathon 2016
Tink 5k + Pixie Dust 2016

Upcoming:
Goofy Challenge 2017
PHM 2017 (not yet registered)
Tink 2017 (gotta get that pink C2C but it's going to be a puzzle getting there on time)

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

I have a friend who ran the inaugural Princess and posted about it on Facebook, and I remember telling her that I would never be able to run a half marathon! She encouraged me for a few years and then I ran the Princess 5K in 2013 and was immediately addicted! I ran that 5K with another friend, and we signed up for Wine & Dine Half the following month. And after that initial "I'll never be able to run a half marathon" business, I completed my 11th last month.

I think my races are in my signature, but here's the list from memory:
Royal Family 5K (Princess Half weekend) 2013
Wine & Dine Half 2013
Tower of Terror 10-Miler 2014
Star Wars Light Side Half 2015
Princess Half 2015
Dopey Challenge 2016
Star Wars Dark Side Half 2016
Pixie Dust Challenge 2016

Upcoming:
Lumiere's Two-Course Challenge
WDW Half Marathon
Rebel Challenge
Dark Side Challenge

 

[ZellyB]

Can I take this moment to say I'm still so sad they discontinued the ToT 10-miler run. I really wanted to do that one some day. It's my favorite ride in all of Disney.

 

[Ariel484]

Can I take this moment to say I'm still so sad they discontinued the ToT 10-miler run. I really wanted to do that one some day. It's my favorite ride in all of Disney.

Same. I totally, totally regret not doing that one. I hope they bring it back at some point...but as time goes on I think it's "retired" rather than "suspended" or whatever word they initially used for it.

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

Can I take this moment to say I'm still so sad they discontinued the ToT 10-miler run. I really wanted to do that one some day. It's my favorite ride in all of Disney.

It was just a fun race! I was nursing a really painful IT Band injury so each step felt like glass in my upper leg, but it was still so fun.

Same. I totally, totally regret not doing that one. I hope they bring it back at some point...but as time goes on I think it's "retired" rather than "suspended" or whatever word they initially used for it.

I am going to continue holding out hope that they do bring it back until rD tells us it isn't - which would probably be after they announced a new daytime race weekend for that timeslot.

 

[Sailormoon2]

2018 WDW Dopey Challenge (with everyone else in the world!)

LOL!! Count me in for that too!

 

[rteetz]

Can I take this moment to say I'm still so sad they discontinued the ToT 10-miler run. I really wanted to do that one some day. It's my favorite ride in all of Disney.

Lets all be glad the WDW version isn't getting guardian-ized

 

[DOOM1001]

2013 Disney full
2013 ToT 10 miler
2014 Disney full
2014 ToT 10 miler
2015 Goofy challenge
2015 Wine and Dine half (6.7 miler)
2016 Disney full
2016 Star Wars Dark side challenge
2017 Disney full (registered)

Those are the RunDisney races I've done,I totally miss ToT with it being a night race and seeing all the costumes people ran in for those races.If Disney brings back ToT or a Halloween themed race or any night race for that being I'm in 100%.I'm not loving the way RunDisney is going removing ToT and turning W&D,a natural fit for a night race with the after party into just another morning race like all the others.I'm always going to be in for the Disney full but I'll be a little more selective about what others I sign up for,and yes Dopey is still the plan for 2018.

 

[ZellyB]

Lets all be glad the WDW version isn't getting guardian-ized

No kidding. I really hope they leave ToT alone at WDW.

 

[rteetz]

No kidding. I really hope they leave ToT alone at WDW.

From what I've heard they may just take out the twilight zone stuff so no more rod sterling so they don't pay the licensing fees anymore.

 

[ZellyB]

From what I've heard they may just take out the twilight zone stuff so no more rod sterling so they don't pay the licensing fees anymore.

Well, I'd actually miss the branded Twilight Zone stuff (love the theme music playing at the end of the ride), but I can live with that if they leave the rest of the story line alone.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Can I take this moment to say I'm still so sad they discontinued the ToT 10-miler run. I really wanted to do that one some day. It's my favorite ride in all of Disney.

I am, too. It is the race that originally attracted me to rD, but I never got to run it because it conflicts with my boys' marching band season. A few more years of that remaining before they have all moved on to college. Hoping that they get it going again after all of the construction is complete at DHS.

 

[girliea]

Well, I'd actually miss the branded Twilight Zone stuff (love the theme music playing at the end of the ride), but I can live with that if they leave the rest of the story line alone.

I absolutely adore the cast members at ToT!! They make that ride the best--so really hoping they don't change anything about them!

 

[Keels]

This week's Sundays are for Disney question: how many runDisney events have you done and why did you choose to do a Disney race?

I chose to do Disneyland Half Marathon because I was going through a really sad, directionless period in my life and I thought that it would be a good motivator for me to start a new hobby - running. Plus, I'd recently fallen in love with Disneyland so it made perfect sense! What I had initially planned for it to be my first half marathon, but it ended up being my FOURTH half marathon! And I was hooked. At the last minute, I made the decision to also run the 5K ... best decision I've made in my life. I met @mbwhitti that weekend, and she was there with me at the start of my VERY FIRST RD race - she calmed my nerves, and the rest is history!

I have done five RunDisney race weekends and a grand total of 14 races, with another six race weekends planned.

My RunDisney Races Completed:
2015 Disneyland 5K
2015 Disneyland Half
2015 Jingle Jungle 5K
2015 Wine & Dine Half Marathon
2016 WDW 5K
2016 WDW 10K
2016 WDW Half Marathon
2016 WDW Marathon (Dopey Finisher!!)
2016 Princess 5K
2016 Enchanted 10K
2016 Princess Half Marathon (Glass Slipper Challenge Finisher!!)
2016 Neverland 5K
2016 Tinker Bell 10K
2016 Tinker Bell Half Marathon (Pixie Dust Challenge Finisher!!)

Upcoming (and Registered Races):
2016 Disneyland 5K
2016 Disneyland 10K
2016 Disneyland Half Marathon (Going for Dumbo Double Dare)
2017 WDW 5K
2017 WDW 10K
2017 WDW Half Marathon
2017 WDW Marathon (Going for Dopey No. 2)
2017 Princess Half Marathon

RunDisney Wish List!
2017 Tinker Bell 10K
2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon (Pixie Dust Challenge No. 2!)
2017 Disneyland 10K
2017 Disneyland Half Marathon (Dumbo Double Dare No. 2!)
2018 WDW 5K
2018 WDW 10K
2018 WDW Half Marathon
2018 WDW Marathon (Dopey No. 3)

After that? If I can't physically run another RunDisney race, I'll be happy to go out like that!

 

[slp1650]

I swore I would never be a runner as I grew up a swimmer and we're not exactly known to be fond of running. However I had a few coaches get me into triathlons. I did a duathlon at Disneyland and loved it, but was sad to hear it wouldn't happen again. My parents suggested one of the runDisney races and even offered to pay. After some convincing I agreed, ran it, and swore to never run another. It's been 9 races later and I'm still loving these races, and even getting other addicted now!

My Completed runDisney races:
Disneyland Half- 2010, 2011, 2013
Disneyland 10K- 2013
WDW Full- 2013
Princess Half- 2011, 2012, 2013
Tower of Terror 10k- 2012
Wine and Dine Half- 2012

My Future runDisney races:
Lumiere's Challenge- 2016 & 2017
WDW Half Marathon- 2017
Dopey Challenge- 2018
Star Wars Dark Side Challenge- 2017
Undecided Disneyland race-2018

 

[StartedByAMouse]

This week's Sundays are for Disney question: how many runDisney events have you done and why did you choose to do a Disney race?

I started a nightly walking regimen in 2011 and had stretched myself out to 6 to 8 miles each time out. One of my wife's co-workers had done the Disneyland Half Marathon previously and mentioned that it was walker friendly. As I was walking about a 14:45 minute/mile pace, I saw that I was within the pacing limits and decided that I'd like to do it. I missed registration for 2012 but was able to sign up for 2013.

I was surprised to find that my first mile was at about a 12:15 minute pace and my second mile was even faster. Total adrenaline rush. I found that I was having to jog slightly to get around people in earlier corrals and wound up pacing with some other runners for much of the course. I wasn't blazing fast but I "ran" a good part of the race. Afterward, I felt the lack of training for the run (super sore legs) and decided if I was going to do it again, I'd have to start a running regimen. I was encourage by not only my own results but from seeing other participants of all different ages, sizes and athletic abilities. I noticed that many people were wearing Dumbo Double Dare bibs and I was a bit jealous of their extra bling after we finished. I knew I could complete both distances so I signed up for Dumbo in 2014.

I decided that I'd like to try to run the full marathon at Walt Disney World in 2015. And because I liked Star Wars and wanted the Coast-to-Coast medal, I signed up to the Star Wars Half the next weekend. I still proclaimed that I wasn't a runner and assured myself that these were going to be my last runDisney events. I was doing well but got injured in early November and wasn't able to quite get to the training level I wanted to be at. Still had a blast and was able to run both events - just slower than I had hoped. I was also signed up for that year's Disneyland Half because I enjoyed that race so much and wanted the anniversary bling. I also signed up for the 2016 Star Wars Half since I was legacy and all. And because there was space still available and I thought it would keep my going between the September and January events, I decided to do the 2015 Avengers Half.

I wanted the Kessel Run medal but had promised not to do the Dark Side Half when it first was released because it was too close to my daughter's birthday and she didn't want me missing it. When the event opened up again earlier this year, I looked at airfare and found that I could go to Walt Disney World and back to California in about 50 hours and not miss anything. My daughter was OK with this arrangement. I completed the Kessel Run this year and had so much fun on the whirlwind trip. Since my daughter turned 10 in April and could do runDisney 10ks, we completed the Tinker Bell 10k together earlier this year. We're also doing the Disneyland 10k (with me also doing the half as part of Dumbo) and the Dr. Strange 10k (with me doing the half as part of the Infinity Gauntlet). The whole family also did the Virtual Running Shorts series this summer.

Because next year's WDW Marathon Weekend is happening while my daughter and wife, who's a teacher, are on winter break, I decided to sign up for Dopey. My wife and daughter are doing the 5k with me. My daughter is doing the 10k with me as well as a Mickey Mile. The three of us will be doing next year's Star Wars - Light Side 10k with me also doing the 5k and Half as part of the Rebel Challenge. Eleven medals in just over a week. Woo-hoo!

What started off as a one-off walking event has turned into a running obsession. We also do some local 5ks and 10ks through the year. I see myself pulling back on runDisney in the near future, mainly because of cost. I'll probably still run Disneyland's Star Wars Half since I'm legacy. I'd like to run the Disneyland Half each year because I enjoy the course. And I'll probably still do a few of the runDisney 10ks with my daughter. I'd love to do the Disneyland Paris Half for a Castle-to-Chateau medal and a Castaway Challenge on the Disney Cruise Line but can't see either of them happening anytime soon.

 

[camaker]

23 weeks! I hope you're all surviving your runs in the heat. It's been oppressive in the Midwest.

This week's Sundays are for Disney question: how many runDisney events have you done and why did you choose to do a Disney race?

It's been pretty oppressive here in NC, too. Looking forward to Fall weather at this point.

As for runDisney, I had never run seriously before (walking for weight loss and playing league Ultimate Frisbee were my activities of choice) when my PT, who is a huge Disney fan, asked me to run the 2015 W&D with him. I thought I was crazy to say yes to the half marathon distance having always considered myself more of a sprinter. Long story short, I got hooked on running distances quickly and we actually weren't able to get into 2015 W&D. Turns out that was a blessing in disguise given the events of that race! Since then, though, I've done the following:

Completed
2016 WDWMW: 10k + Goofy
2016 SWDS: 5k + Dark Side Challenge

Scheduled
2016 DLH: Dumbo Double Dare (+ C2C medal)
2017 WDWMW: Dopey

 

[Tardisblue]

Can I take this moment to say I'm still so sad they discontinued the ToT 10-miler run. I really wanted to do that one some day. It's my favorite ride in all of Disney.

I had planned on doing this race the year they cancelled it - bummed me out man.