Marathon Weekend 2020

And something else I forgot. They’re recommended last point to board is still 3:30. Kind of surprised that didn’t get changed with the 5 am start. Maybe they’re still planning on starting at 3? If so that’s an interesting choice and may push me further into taking Lyft that morning.

ETA: Nope they’re starting at 2:30 just found the times in the guide. Yeah I’m taking a Lyft.
 
The positive I am looking forward to is that it’s a little more packed with landmarks on the back half of the course. During the longest boring slog we have MK to look forward to and after we reach AK the race seems to be sectioned pretty nicely with the small portions of parks we get to enter all back to back to back. Before it was about 9 miles of highway and WWoS before reaching DHS. That could get pretty soul-crushing.
Agree 100%
 
My initial reactions at looking at the new marathon map:

1) Disappointed we don't get World Showcase in the dark like it used to be. I loved running with the torches lit.
2) I guess if they can say the 100 ft. we run through HS counts as "park time" then so does the quick in/out at Blizzard Beach, but guess I was expecting more there. I know the paths aren't made for running, but still.
3) While I thought I was happy to lose WWoS, in looking at this, I'm not so sure now. Miles 18-21 (really almost 17-21) are prime bonking miles for me and with nothing to really see, I think that they may feel even longer. I was not a fan of all the turns in WWoS, but I think it did help make the miles click by faster.

With all the construction going on and Galaxy's Edge opening and finally busy with RoR opening last week, I totally understand the need for the changes and will give RD a pass for now. While I may not love the new course, there were things about the old one I didn't love either. More importantly, I still get to run at Disney.
 
Random aside. Someone on Reddit was asking about running through GE and I realized for the first time that they apparently haven’t updated the DHS cutout since Lights Motor Action was still around. You can see it in the cutout!
 


FYI Beaches & Cream is now re-opening on December 26 and I just snagged reservations for Marathon Weekend. Get em while they last!
 


Can one of you gurus update me on what the food offerings have been at the various stations in the past years? I seem to remember that there was candy and fruit snacks going into DHS in 2014 because I pocketed them to give to my kids who were watching along the route at the DHS entrance...
 
SAFD: We went to WDW for our 10th Anniversary and, of course, had great time. That was early Dec 2011. That holiday season, I got real sick (nothing serious, just the flu but prolonged and the worst I've ever had it). I gained A LOT of weight during January...lots of milkshakes and ice cream to numb my sore throat (that was stupid but ‾\_(ツ)_/‾ ).

So, being sick and already tired of the cold weather, I was missing Disney. I was looking at YouTube videos of Disney stuff and stumbled across Lee Hoedl's (sp?) videos of the WDW marathon. It ran through the castle and even backstage...I was hooked! It looked like so much fun!

I played old man baseball (no, not softball) at the time and usually started running in March to get back into shape by May. But my running was not more than 3 miles. I ran one half-marathon about 10 years before that but that was the extent of my running - never attempted a marathon. I researched the WDW races and read about the Goofy Challenge and the Coast-to-Coast. And then I saw the medals!!! That really got me excited about starting running again.

All of that (Disney, wanting to lose wight, medals) got me interested in starting to run again but the one, single thing that MADE me run the 2013 Goofy is the following true story:

Me: (watching YouTube videos of the WDW marathon)
Wife: What are you doing?
Me: Did you know Disney has a marathon? It runs through all four parks - you even get to run through the castle!
Wife: You can't run a marathon.

And THAT ladies and gentlemen is why I have now run 17 marathons including being perfectly Dopey....all because my wife said I couldn't.

Don't get me wrong - I love my wife with every fiber of my being but, dang, that sure got under my skin. I'm not a speed demon but I ran my first marathon in October of that year and we've done WDW Marathon weekend every year since!
 
Is there a way to physically 'run' to DHS from EPCOT after finishing the 5K and 10K? If not, assuming Uber would probably be the fastest method to get there, where's the preferred pick-up spot knowing there may be road closures?
 
Hot mess is the first thing that came to mind on the marathon course.
Yeah, I agree. I had a few other non-positive words to describe it. It seems like all of the negative route options were selected.

1. Meandering route around Epcot's parking lot to start? Check.
2. Limited Epcot park time to start? Check.
3. Loop ramp to enter World Drive heading north on the southbound side? Check.
4. Side entrance to Magic Kingdom? Check.
5. Limited DAK park time? Check.
6. Loop back to Western Way by taking the E. Savannah Circle service road? (Ok, I'll be more positive here and admit that we can at least see the backstage area of EE and River Rapids, which would be a first for me).
7. Limited BB park time? Check.
8. Limited DHS park time? Major check.

Now that we know the route, I'll adjust and learn to like it. I was hoping for more park time, but I'm just happy with avoiding WWoS this year.
 
Last edited:
No worries Goof Troop - it says you can pick up your bib on Weds, Thurs or Friday!
  • Participants must be registered for Goofy Race and a Half Challenge in order to be eligible for the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge medal.
  • All Participants must attend the Expo on Wednesday, January 8th, Thursday, January 9th, or Friday, January 10th with a valid photo ID to pick up their Race Bib.
I have the same worries about the new marathon course as others have said - biggest one is not getting to see the castle lights in the dark, so glad I am doing the half the day before where I should get to MK in the dark. I am disappointed in the lack of time in HS - it really is just for them to say the course goes through all 4 parks. And this is really a course-cutter's dream come true - I would like to think that Disney would set up timing mats along the course in certain spots to help catch the cheaters but that probably won't happen.

BUT I am always grateful to be running at Disney, and I will not miss that out-and-back before AK, the dreaded Osceola pkwy, or the soul-crushing WWoS!
 
The start of the course looks very similar to what I remember from 2012. Maybe someone else can confirm.

Pros:
1) We avoid Osceola Parkway, which was always my least favorite part of the course.
2) I have the course in my hands prior to my 21-miler this weekend, which will be good motivation!

Cons:
1) There's no way there's more park time.
2) Even given the problems with the narrow pathways, I was hoping for more BB.

And, on a totally personal note, the route in from Western Way to DHS (via BB) is the way we typically drive in to the parks. That's going to be a big motivator on my part in those late miles--thinking of all the happy times my family has spent on that road headed to WDW--and finally getting to inspect that pond across the way from Coronado Springs for the gator that I SWEAR is there but my husband claims to never see...
 
SAFD: We went to WDW for our 10th Anniversary and, of course, had great time. That was early Dec 2011. That holiday season, I got real sick (nothing serious, just the flu but prolonged and the worst I've ever had it). I gained A LOT of weight during January...lots of milkshakes and ice cream to numb my sore throat (that was stupid but ‾\_(ツ)_/‾ ).

So, being sick and already tired of the cold weather, I was missing Disney. I was looking at YouTube videos of Disney stuff and stumbled across Lee Hoedl's (sp?) videos of the WDW marathon. It ran through the castle and even backstage...I was hooked! It looked like so much fun!

I played old man baseball (no, not softball) at the time and usually started running in March to get back into shape by May. But my running was not more than 3 miles. I ran one half-marathon about 10 years before that but that was the extent of my running - never attempted a marathon. I researched the WDW races and read about the Goofy Challenge and the Coast-to-Coast. And then I saw the medals!!! That really got me excited about starting running again.

All of that (Disney, wanting to lose wight, medals) got me interested in starting to run again but the one, single thing that MADE me run the 2013 Goofy is the following true story:

Me: (watching YouTube videos of the WDW marathon)
Wife: What are you doing?
Me: Did you know Disney has a marathon? It runs through all four parks - you even get to run through the castle!
Wife: You can't run a marathon.

And THAT ladies and gentlemen is why I have now run 17 marathons including being perfectly Dopey....all because my wife said I couldn't.

Don't get me wrong - I love my wife with every fiber of my being but, dang, that sure got under my skin. I'm not a speed demon but I ran my first marathon in October of that year and we've done WDW Marathon weekend every year since!

Great story - Congratulations on the perfect Dopey! - that distance still intimidates me. When I signed up for my first 5k, my wife said "Are you crazy? - that's 3 miles!". 7 marathons, 15 half marathons, and a bunch of 5k's later.. I'm glad she thought I was crazy for starting. Looking forward to the Marathon in a few weeks!
 
Can one of you gurus update me on what the food offerings have been at the various stations in the past years? I seem to remember that there was candy and fruit snacks going into DHS in 2014 because I pocketed them to give to my kids who were watching along the route at the DHS entrance...

For the marathon there will be two banana stations, a couple sports beans or gels(I can't remember if they still do gels), and then yes they have been handing out candy as you go into HS. Also there are usually people along the way handing out candy or other food, although a lot of that was in the WWoS parking lot.
 
I'll offer a couple positives about the new course...

As a slower runner starting in one of the late corrals, I've found Sunset and Hollywood Blvd in DHS to be ROUGH. Park's open and busy, Guests aren't pleased about sharing the space with a race, busy, congested, CMs struggling to keep racers in their lane and Guests out of it, just not ideal. I can see why a decision was made to just eliminate that situation for the most part.

I ran on Buena Vista while staying at CSR two weeks ago and have to say, it's just a really nice road to run. Wooded on the side I assume we'll be on, smooth, a nice little break from the action! Unless they blast music through there.
 
Working on coding the Excel sheet at the moment. These are the initial pace estimates for different types of dark sky backgrounds for MK.

I've watched the following video about a 100 times - the runner started at the gun, so it's easy math to figure out the time of day. Just add the clock time to the 5:30am start time:


Based on this video, it was still very dark at 6:40 am, but 'Nautical' level light at 6:48am, and 'Civil' level light at 6:56 am.

Based on my time estimates, I'll be entering MK around 6:30am, so I'm happy...
 
I've watched the following video about a 100 times - the runner started at the gun, so it's easy math to figure out the time of day. Just add the clock time to the 5:30am start time:


Based on this video, it was still very dark at 6:40 am, but 'Nautical' level light at 6:48am, and 'Civil' level light at 6:56 am.

Based on my time estimates, I'll be entering MK around 6:30am, so I'm happy...

Thanks! That's very helpful. I pulled some screenshots from Arno's video to get some examples. The timing of the events was based on Jan 12th, 2019 on Weather Underground. Here is 2020 sun timing since I didn't realize it would be slightly different (link).

Screen Shot 2019-12-12 at 4.08.05 PM.png

6:24am

Screen Shot 2019-12-12 at 3.59.39 PM.png

6:31-6:38am

Screen Shot 2019-12-12 at 4.00.24 PM.png

6:48am

Screen Shot 2019-12-12 at 3.52.03 PM.png

6:56am

Screen Shot 2019-12-12 at 3.53.10 PM.png

7:05am

Screen Shot 2019-12-12 at 3.53.28 PM.png


7:32am

Screen Shot 2019-12-12 at 3.54.37 PM.png


7:41am

Screen Shot 2019-12-12 at 3.54.53 PM.png
 
I've watched the following video about a 100 times - the runner started at the gun, so it's easy math to figure out the time of day. Just add the clock time to the 5:30am start time:


Based on this video, it was still very dark at 6:40 am, but 'Nautical' level light at 6:48am, and 'Civil' level light at 6:56 am.

Based on my time estimates, I'll be entering MK around 6:30am, so I'm happy...
@DopeyBadger is too modest to say, but you get a few glimpses of him in Arno's videos too!
 

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