Marathon Weekend 2020

[Warm Hugs]

Just saw that they're modifying the course. I hope everyone is safe out there and hydrating well (both during and after the race)!

Will it still be a marathon at 26.2? Understand the safety reasons... but would suck if this was your first marathon looking to complete a full 26.2 only to find it less

 

[StacyStrong]

Wow that sucks. I mean, it’s for safety so I get it, but wow. Stay healthy everyone!

 

[hotblooded]

Sorry to all those affected by the course change.

Just watched the bikes and balloon people go by outside Hollywood Studios and it’s tough out there.

 

[Sleepy425]

Hope everyone is doing ok today, and I’m so sorry if your run was shortened. I’m sure that’s a hard blow if you were doing your first marathon.
I did the 10k and the half. I felt relatively good about doing the half a couple weeks ago. But the heat and humidity proved to be too much (also doing the10k the day before). I did finish, but it took me 3:22. I’m trying not to be too bummed since I did get 9 character stops in (whoops I’m up to 11. I forgot about some). I even managed to look alive for PhotoPass people!
I made it to the 10k prerace meetup, but didn’t make it to the one before the half. It was so nice to meet some of you.
I’m still debating if I’m in the “half marathon is too much for me to handle” mindset or “I can do better so I’m going to try again” mindset. either way I appreciate everyone in this thread who has posted encouraging words (even when not directed at me) and advice. You all helped get me to that finish line!
(I’m the female Wilderness Explorer in this photo)

 

[Leia's Mom]

Congrats to everyone no matter how the race ended up. Nice to meet you guys this morning. I managed a personal course record. Surprising since it was so hot. Anybody know how they modified the course?

 

[LdyStormy76]

Congrats to everyone no matter how the race ended up. Nice to meet you guys this morning. I managed a personal course record. Surprising since it was so hot. Anybody know how they modified the course?

Twitter comments are saying they cut off Blizzard Beach. Will have to wait to see what someone finishing in the next hour reports.

As a back of pack person my heart goes out to all of you on course today. I know what last year was like, so all of you get applause from me for being out there today.

 

[Ph03nix7]

Twitter comments are saying they cut off Blizzard Beach. Will have to wait to see what someone finishing in the next hour reports.

As a back of pack person my heart goes out to all of you on course today. I know what last year was like, so all of you get applause from me for being out there today.

Blizzard Beach is definitely where the cutoff was. As I was leaving Blizzard Beach, I looked back at the entrance to the water park and saw that no one else was coming in. A ittle farther down, you could see all the crowds bypassing the entrance.

 

[MissLiss279]

Hope everyone is doing ok today, and I’m so sorry if your run was shortened. I’m sure that’s a hard blow if you were doing your first marathon.
I did the 10k and the half. I felt relatively good about doing the half a couple weeks ago. But the heat and humidity proved to be too much (also doing the10k the day before). I did finish, but it took me 3:22. I’m trying not to be too bummed since I did get 9 character stops in. I even managed to look alive for PhotoPass people!
I made it to the 10k prerace meetup, but didn’t make it to the one before the half. It was so nice to meet some of you.
I’m still debating if I’m in the “half marathon is too much for me to handle” mindset or “I can do better so I’m going to try again” mindset. either way I appreciate everyone in this thread who has posted encouraging words (even when not directed at me) and advice. You all helped get me to that finish line!
(I’m the female Wilderness Explorer in this photo)

With better weather, you can definitely do better. Don’t give up on halves yet! Unless you really don’t think you’ll enjoy that distance. It’s okay to ‘only’ do a shorter distance if you know that’s what you like and enjoy.

 

[Sleepy425]

With better weather, you can definitely do better. Don’t give up on halves yet! Unless you really don’t think you’ll enjoy that distance. It’s okay to ‘only’ do a shorter distance if you know that’s what you like and enjoy.

Thanks. I can do the 10k with (relative) ease. I think I’m going to try to find some 10 mile races this year to get myself comfortable with them. Then maybe next year I can tackle the half again.

 

[Nole95]

I can only imagine how bad it must have been out there today for the back of the pack with the heat, humidity and sun beating down. I am a middle of the pack person and still would have wanted nothing to do with those conditions. Unfortunately weather is the one thing no one can control. I remember the Savannah RnR Marathon was cut short a few years ago for similar hot conditions so this is certainly not something Disney related.

 

[steph0808]

I am never staying anywhere but the Poly again! Goodness that was an easy journey to the start!

Finished in 5:07:25. Stopped for a lot of pictures and just generally took it easy with the weather. It was tough on the highways. Finally got a boost around mile 22 and ran most of it in. Thank goodness for the lady on the Boardwalk who had pretzels and the Hershey kiss spot in DHS. I owe them!

 

[ANIM8R]

Congratulations marathoners!!!!

As somebody who did not make it down this year, I'd love to hear the thoughts about the "new" course! Especially...
- How was the early course in Epcot? I would be worried it would be a little too crowded for those pathways
- How was the Blizzard Beach route?
- How was the new finish approach? (I hope they had the choir still!)

Thanks! And congrats again!!! Enjoy DATW and your time in the parks! Wear your medals proudly!!!

 

[Leia's Mom]

Agree on the poly. Dvc is a wonderful thing. My home reaper just because of the marathon.

 

[DerTobi75]

5:18:51 for the Marathon. Not what I was hoping for, but still a PR.

Thanks for all the great MeetUps. It was fun to see the real ‚Faces‘ behind those Screennames here.

Hope to come back and doing Dopey again

 

[Baloo in MI]

Bummed I missed the Meet-up this morning. I left Pop at 3:25 and it took an hour to a little more than an hour! Should have left even sooner I guess. Got to the corrals in plenty of time (especially since the start was delayed) but wish I had not missed the meet up.

Super hot today. I finished with a personal worst time wise but so happy to get to run again and participate in Dopey. My goal was to finish and complete Dopey and I did that. After missing so much and the ups and downs of recovery and rehab over the last year I am just psyched to have had this opportunity. I was done before the course change and so glad. Safety should come first but I would have been so bummed to not get the full 26.2! I hope everyone is done and either in the parks, pool, nap? In short, done and safe. Sadly, tomorrow I have to go back to the snow. TIme to think about WDW MW 2021!

 

[Leia's Mom]

No choir. I felt like they relied more on speakers and less on entertainment. Epcot was a bit of a letdown. Overall it was still a lot of highway and backstage. It did feel like it went faster given that you were at 11 miles after mk. They fixed some bottlenecks and that was nice. Still a great race.

 

[broadsheet]

I was affected by the course closure but I’m honestly not that upset by it. I ran 25 damn miles today and I’m going to celebrate!

I thought the stretches to and from AK were awful. Hot, long, boring and no shade. Also I saw lots of people in need of medics so I hope everyone is ok!

 

[lhermiston]

Congratulations marathoners!!!!

As somebody who did not make it down this year, I'd love to hear the thoughts about the "new" course! Especially...
- How was the early course in Epcot? I would be worried it would be a little too crowded for those pathways
- How was the Blizzard Beach route?
- How was the new finish approach? (I hope they had the choir still!)

Thanks! And congrats again!!! Enjoy DATW and your time in the parks! Wear your medals proudly!!!

Epcot the morning was great. Blizzard Beach was garbage. Twice as much parking lot as park.

 

[MissLiss279]

Congratulations marathoners!!!!

As somebody who did not make it down this year, I'd love to hear the thoughts about the "new" course! Especially...
- How was the early course in Epcot? I would be worried it would be a little too crowded for those pathways
- How was the Blizzard Beach route?
- How was the new finish approach? (I hope they had the choir still!)

Thanks! And congrats again!!! Enjoy DATW and your time in the parks! Wear your medals proudly!!!

1. I didn’t notice any bottlenecks or at least not too bad. It was so nice to have a ‘real’ restroom early in the race!!!
2. Blizzard Beach was fine. The loop around the parking lot was probably longer than the time in the park. Ha! I had never been there before so it was nice to see. There was a stop with Olaf and fake snow too!
3. No choir. It’s weird not going under Spaceship earth. I think it was pretty much the same finish for all four races, so I knew what to expect coming in today.

I feel like there were fewer character stops in World Showcase than I remember from before, but it could have been that I was wanting any excuse to take a quick stop. My feet were done!

 

[The Expert]

Will it still be a marathon at 26.2? Understand the safety reasons... but would suck if this was your first marathon looking to complete a full 26.2 only to find it less

It was my first and I was probably a quarter mile behind the course change. I understand why -- it was brutal! -- but disappointed. I definitely did 26.2 between corral walk and weaving. I guess I'll just need a do-over.

Had I not stopped for Everest, I'd have made it, but there was no way I was skipping that!