Marathon Weekend 2021

[braycon]

Ditto this! We'll be down there [Not] spectating in 2021, but at least we'll be there! I'll miss all of the fanfare with MW regardless of running or not. Is it too early for a "Marathon Weekend 2022" thread?

It can't be too early now, right? Somebody who knows what they're doing should get that set up.

 

[PrincessV]

But honestly, the cumulative effect of all the disappointments since March has really just messed with me and if you're feeling particularly burnt out by disappointment and bad news and cancelled plans that you don't even know when you can put them off till, I get it, I see you, and it's ok to be upset and disappointed. Sit with the feelings for awhile and don't feel like you gotta push to find a silver lining and a positive right now.

Thank you for this.

Hit the brownies hard yesterday. Tonight it may be alcohol.

Wine & ice cream for me last night.

In a normal race year, yes I agree with you. I don't do many if any virtual races. Obviously virtual races are the only things we have right now for the most part. I am enjoying the challenges that places have come up with more so than a virtual race. I did a virtual run across the CA coast for example. It was cool to track my mileage every day and see where along the coast I was.

I 100% agree with you on the rest of what you said. The entire experience is what makes marathon weekend and why I have done it for the last 6 years.

Totally with you on this. I've never been into virtual races, but I've been doing a 500K challenge the past couple months and it's really helped me have a focus that isn't pandemic related. (The fun virtual map is a major added bonus, since I don't care at all about the medal!)


I have to admit, part of me is considering a virtual Dopey. I mean, I was so sad to get shut out of in-person Dopey during registration - maybe this is my opportunity?! I wish I had more than a day to think about it.

 

[shellott-hill]

I am going to start the cancellation process this morning. Hotels, Flights runDisney...bummer.

For me it was really a large step in my running to make the leap from the half to a full-blown Dopey. I was hoping to get it in before my 50th spin around the sun, but that is not even a "virtual" option for those of us North of the border. Outside of runDisney there were also other factors like the "non-essential" travel ban that is still in place that would stop me from going.

As for Disney...why would they not consider giving those of us who registered this year an option to push our registration until 2022? That would be a win-win; Disney would be able to keep making interest on my money and I would have the comfort of not stressing over the 2022 insanity of registration.

I was truly excited to start to meet some of you wonderful run-DIS-ney peeps in person but that will have to wait.

 

[Krandor]

In a normal race year, yes I agree with you. I don't do many if any virtual races. Obviously virtual races are the only things we have right now for the most part. I am enjoying the challenges that places have come up with more so than a virtual race. I did a virtual run across the CA coast for example. It was cool to track my mileage every day and see where along the coast I was.

I 100% agree with you on the rest of what you said. The entire experience is what makes marathon weekend and why I have done it for the last 6 years.

Agree. The experience is rthe best part which is why we pay almost double what a normal race of that length would be.

I do wonder if one of the considerations in cancelling was that even if they could hold the race safely there really was no way to deliver the normal experience this year.

 

[Krandor]

Well, put in my refund request. I did like how they had all the virtual options front and center and refund was much smaller down at the bottom.

 

[rteetz]

Agree. The experience is rthe best part which is why we pay almost double what a normal race of that length would be.

I do wonder if one of the considerations in cancelling was that even if they could hold the race safely there really was no way to deliver the normal experience this year.

I am sure that was part of it. Characters would have been out the window. Maybe a few at a distance. The corralling would have been different. Probably course changes too. No running through the castle?

 

[sunshine girl]

So far three runDisney races I'd signed up for have been cancelled (Star Wars 2020, Wine & Dine 2020, Princess 2021). I loooove my runDisney weekends and Disney vacations, and am so disappointed by the cancellations, but I also strongly believe it's the right move by Disney.

I did not sign up for Marathon weekend but I'm considering signing up for the virtual Marathon now. Also... this might be my only realistic near-term chance for a Castaway Challenge medal and that medal is quite cute!

I usually am not a virtual racer either, but this is different and worth it to me personally for too many reasons to enumerate. I'm glad they're offering both virtual options and refunds.

I'm not one to cry after finishing a race (I'm always like, "well yay! that was great" afterward, but never do I cry, lol). But I swear I will weep the next time I get to even just the START line of a real, in-person runDisney race!!

 

[michigandergirl]

Someone talk me out of doing another virtual full.

In January.

In Iowa.

I've run the Groundhog half in February here in MI for the last 5 years and every year I question my sanity, especially the year it was -8 degrees (actual temp), BUT it is a good way to stay in running shape in the winter, sooo...

I feel like as long as I haven't run Dopey, there will be live races so that people can continue to try to talk me into running Dopey. But now I'm thinking maybe I should just bite the bullet and register for the full shebang in 2022. #thinkingpositive

YESSSSS!!!!!

I agree that registration for 2022 is going to be insane! Think I’m looking towards 2023 for another Dopey run.

Yeah, definitely worried about 2022 registration. I was planning on Goofy in 2022 and Dopey in 2023 too.

 

[chantaldb]

Alas, no virtual races for international runners. Just cancelled my reservation for my first night at the Hyatt at MCO. Waiting for the TA to get back to me early next week for the cancellation process. I am running the Virtual MCM next month.

 

[roxymama]

I got my email and chose the medal only option for the marathon. Like some others have said, although virtuals in normal years do nothing for me, this year they are helping me motivate to not totally give up on being active. Running an in person disney 26.2 is still in the bucket list so I won't cross that off yet until it really happens.
(Plus the credit card I registered with is no longer active and I didn't want to go through the pain of all that, so gift card it is!!)

My three night POP deposit isn't a huge amount of money in the grand scheme of things, so I may let it stay as a reservation for awhile until I decide if I want to travel in Jan or stay home.

 

[Kerry1957]

This merely reminded me that rD trying to make Oswald happen harder than Gretchen tried with “fetch”

Best post of the day. Thanks! I needed that.

 

[E2ME2]

Me too! TEAM OSWALD FOREVER!!!



Stand by. We had booked two rooms, one a BWV boardwalk view studio. Just waiting to hear if family joins us, but if not that's going back into the pool!

Standing By - I'm ALL EARS

 

[Baloo in MI]

I took a long walk during lunch to get out some sadness and frustrations and get in my CRAW miles for the day. I am still bummed but have a plan. I am going to take the virtual option with the medals and just the Dopey shirt. Tomorrow I will sign my younger daughter up for the half. She will be really excited about the shirt and medal. She was sad not being able to go this year. A virtual is not the same for sure. But maybe we run the race and follow it with breakfast out somewhere, come home and watch Disney movies for the day. We will make the best of this.

Plus I can stay on my training plan and look forward to 4 lovely Michigan winter days in January. I love a good challenge and being stupid; this will let me do both!

 

[Dopey 2020]

I took a long walk during lunch to get out some sadness and frustrations and get in my CRAW miles for the day. I am still bummed but have a plan. I am going to take the virtual option with the medals and just the Dopey shirt. Tomorrow I will sign my younger daughter up for the half. She will be really excited about the shirt and medal. She was sad not being able to go this year. A virtual is not the same for sure. But maybe we run the race and follow it with breakfast out somewhere, come home and watch Disney movies for the day. We will make the best of this.

Plus I can stay on my training plan and look forward to 4 lovely Michigan winter days in January. I love a good challenge and being stupid; this will let me do both!

I did the same and will add more miles after work, all the time wondering if that will be enough to keep me wanting to train. I’m thinking no, but I just can’t do Dopey as a virtual. I’m thinking I am grabbing the refund and attempting to sign up for the full, medal only as well as the NYC virtual. The thought of two virtual fulls is not a good one but if I do it and they are on the calendar, my hand will be forced and I will be happy for it after the training pays off with a PR at Star Wars

 

[nekonekoneko]

This merely reminded me that rD trying to make Oswald happen harder than Gretchen tried with “fetch”

So, next year, they will put Oswald on The Half medal?

 

[Barca33Runner]

So, next year, they will put Oswald on The Half medal?

It’s a virtual lock

 

[SheHulk]

It’s a virtual lock

Don't use "virtual" to describe ANYTHING about 2022 please

 

[Dug720]

Submitted my refund request. Don't like the half medal at all and don't see myself running 13.1 alone in NYC winter for fun. I don't mind Virtual 5Ks since that's pretty much a training run, maybe even a Virtual 10K...but I don't see the appeal of doing anything further virtually.

I'll use the money towards a special meal or two while I'm down there - after being stuck in NYC since March and had 2 trips cancelled (one to Disney and one a cruise), I am going unless they shut Disney down again.

 

[Z-Knight]

This is what a virtual marathon looks like.... when a crazy person runs it in a parking lot at NASA... 2019 VIRTUAL NYC Marathon

 

[Krandor]

This is what a virtual marathon looks like.... when a crazy person runs it in a parking lot at NASA... 2019 VIRTUAL NYC Marathon View attachment 527779

That would bore the crap out of me. Only think that would be worse is trying to do it on a treadmill.

We do have a real long trail where I live called Silver Comet which s 61 miles long (then connect to another trail to go even furthur). If I was going to do the virtual marathon it would be on there - out and back 13.1 miles.