Marathon Weekend 2022

[Baloo in MI]

I've never run a marathon but am hoping to do this one. When does sign-up become available? Does it sell out very quickly?

Where does the race start and end? Any favorite resorts you guys like to stay at for this race? Any other advice for someone who knows nothing about Disney races (or marathons at all)?

You have already gotten lots of very good advice and I am certainly no expert, but the biggest thing I have learned from the marathon at Disney is that it is still a marathon. I have run the marathon at DW five times with varying degrees of enjoyment. When I look back on those races I feel like I can pin point my level of fun with my level of fitness/preparedness for the race.

RunDisney races are like celebrations, fantastic entertainment and crowd support. I mean you get to run through the parks; right down Main Street USA with hundreds of people cheering you on. I promise you, that is an electric moment! The whole weekend v of races provide a very welcoming atmosphere, with runners encouraging each other and strangers handing out candy and high fives as you pass by.

I believe anyone who sets their mind can cover the 26.2 miles - you can totally do it! But, how you feel during the race, at the finish and after really depends on how you have prepared. Find a plan you like, stick with it and it really can be a magical experience. Good luck!

 

[lhermiston]

Good morning, runDisney all-stars! It's Valentines Day, love is in the air so here's a little poem for you all:

Sundays are for Disney
Tomatoes are for soup
Let's answer some questions
Join the Goof Troop!

Anyway, in honor of both the holiday and the previous marathon advice question, for this week's Sundays are for Disney, what do you love about runDisney and the Disney races? (Feel free to answer this question as many times as you like)

First and foremost, I love the camaraderie. It starts on these boards months in advance of the race and just builds and builds and builds. I've made friends with people I've never met in person, taken shots with runners I just met and raised victory beers after our first races together. Live long friends have been made five kilometers at a time.

As corny as it sounds, I love the magic of the Disney races. Yeah, they're expensive, but I do believe rD gives you your money's worth. The quiet patter of foot steps the first mile, the torches in the World Showcase, spectators lining Main Street USA, the holiday lights on Cinderella's castle, character stops and the way the perfect song seems to come on at the perfect time. Magical.

The volunteers. The backbone and lifeblood of runDisney. They are awesome.

Parking lot beers and fake cheese. When the weather is right, nothing tastes better than a parking lot beer in a runDisney cup after a race.

The excitement. This was mentioned earlier in the thread. But the sense of excitement and anticipation is palatable all weekend. From the second I get on an airplane to when I cross the finish line for my last race, I feel this energy that is uniquely runDisney. I love the quiet nervousness you can sense as runners make the slow walk to the marathon corrals.

Last one (for now): the clanging of medals. Another uniquely runDisney sound.

Have a safe and healthy week, everyone!

 

[BikeFan]

SAFD: What do I love most about RunDisney events? What's not to love, really? Such fun events! A few things:

The runners. My fellow runners are usually a great community anyway, having done a ton of races all over the US and a few overseas, but Disney runners take the coolness up a notch. I love the fun spirit of all the costumed runners, the craziness of the runners who treat the races as a drinking-contest-on-the-go, and the incredible support the community gives to everyone. A few years back my sister-in-law was training for her first half, on Marathon Weekend, but got plantar fasciitis just before her trip and had to have her foot in a boot. The day before the race, we were sitting around the resort, and she was depressed she wouldn't even be able to start. I asked her why not? I told her to just give it a go in her boot, and get as far as she could. She actually started the race, and the encouragement and kindness she got from all the other runners, spectators, and volunteers on the course had her in tears. Even though she got swept at Mile 8, she found it a hugely-positive experience and came back to finish her half a year later. You all are a great group!

The atmosphere. I love all the excitement of race weekends, from the expos to the starts to the finishes and the post-race celebrations. Disney races are always "fun runs" (vs. goal races) for me, and I love going to the starts without the pre-race jitters and anxieties I usually have if I've got a time goal I want to hit. At Disney races, I just want to have fun and finish, and worries about time and placings and such are completely out the window. I also love the build-up here on the boards, like when the medal and shirt designs come out, waiting for waivers and corral assignments, etc. It's like the countdown to Christmas!

The challenges. I love that race weekends usually have more than one race to do. There aren't a lot of opportunities to do multiple races over a race weekend at a lot of the bigger events, so I enjoy the challenge of getting to run more than one race, and of course getting extra medals for it!

The courses. Running through the parks is such great fun. I've run down Main Street in MK 10 times now as part of different races, and that will NEVER get old! Even courses which don't go through MK are fun, with the other parks and resorts, character stops, entertainment, and great spectators. It's like they say, every mile IS magical!

 

[PCFriar80]

SAFD:
I had to pause when I saw your rhyme.
Thought SAFD?
Not this time!

Then I read more,
and all was well.
It's all not poetic,
So I will tell.

From planning and travel,
to racing and fun,
I'm always upset
when race weekend is done.

The best part of course,
are the folks on this thread,
who help with the coaching
and parts that you dread.

I'm hoping we're back in less than a year,
with corral assignments and
post race beer.

Good luck everyone with your
planning and training,
let's plan for nice race weekend weather
and hope it's not raining!

That's all I have for now,
so until next week,
have a good one everyone
until we speak.

 

[Neon Cactus]

SAFD:
Fellow runners - I started running late in the game, for the 2016 marathon when I was 48 and knew practically nothing. I didn't know about this site and got info from Facebook, but there was a lot of negativity there towards inexperienced runners. When I got to the Expo, other runners were friendly and went out of their way to be helpful to me. I heard about the boards here and met a couple of people from here before the Disneyland 10k and half that year. Like others, I've made great friends and have learned a lot and gotten encouragement and motivation.

The atmosphere - I would guess Disney is the only place I don't mind waking up early to be on a bus at 3 AM four days in a row. Just last week I was watching a show on Disney + that featured the marathon weekend and I was surprised how emotional I got just watching it and remembering how amazing it is. I convinced my friend, who wasn't a runner, to do the 5k and 10k last year. HIs wife told him before he left, "Don't get addicted". He ended up registering for Dopey this year and got his wife to sign up for the 5k and 10k. It's all because of the atmosphere and other runners.

Spectators - Having never run before the 2016 marathon, I didn't realize the impact spectators would have on me during the race. The awesome signs, the high fives and hugs from strangers, and licorice, pretzels and jello shots along the course are such a big part of the race for me. One of my greatest memories from my first marathon was coming out of backstage at EPCOT into the UK pavilion and seeing a wall of people cheering us on. When I did the 2019 marathon, I was able to be a spectator for the Half Marathon and had so much fun cheering on the runners coming through the Magic Kingdom.

And I echo the volunteers, parking lot beers, fake cheese and Oreos.

 

[lhermiston]

SAFD:
I had to pause when I saw your rhyme.
Thought SAFD?
Not this time!

Then I read more,
and all was well.
It's all not poetic,
So I will tell.

From planning and travel,
to racing and fun,
I'm always upset
when race weekend is done.

The best part of course,
are the folks on this thread,
who help with the coaching
and parts that you dread.

I'm hoping we're back in less than a year,
with corral assignments and
post race beer.

Good luck everyone with your
planning and training,
let's plan for nice race weekend weather
and hope it's not raining!

That's all I have for now,
so until next week,
have a good one everyone
until we speak.

Showoff!

 

[Barca33Runner]

SAFD:

I’ll try to keep mine short this week.

I love how runDisney races make me feel. I love how signing up for a race gets me excited and motivated. I love how training makes me healthier and stronger. I love perusing these boards and seeing the same feelings in others. I love arriving for a race weekend and the excitement surrounding the events. I hate the 2:33 alarms. I love the butterflies each race morning. Most of all, I love the overwhelming emotion as I cross the finish line.

 

[jmasgat]

SAFD: First, I will say that I love that it existed at a time when I was looking to start my running experience and gave me the necessary motivation to set some stretch goals for myself (1st distance race, first half, first full, first multi-race). Next, it has given me a chance to peak behind the curtain of WDW in ways that aren't available to the general public. From the parade float area backstage near Splash, the costume area in MGM Studios (cause that's what it was when we were able to run there, sadly no more), and even to the smelly waste treatment area near AK. Any time or place you can go off the beaten path is fun.

Finally, I love that RD provides (indirectly) the reason for this forum, where I can come and chat with runners/walkers of all abilities in a welcoming space.

 

[meye1099]

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[Jillfo]

SAFD: The community. After running the WDW half for its first ten years, I took a break and then ran the inaugural Princess half. I was Googling something about it and came upon another, now-defunct forum oriented towards runDisney events. Many of the closest friendships I have today were formed there and through the participation in rD events.

 

[nekonekoneko]

SAFD: The number one thing: we're at Disney. Yes, the runs are expensive, but what at Disney isn't? Even so, they do offer more than most average races. The characters, the entertainment. For me, the non-runner: the parks are open so I'm trying to chase her down while cheating and using buses!

We made a lot of memories there, both with rD and just in WDW. We wouldn't trade them in for anything.

 

[Carol_]

SAFD: what do you love about runDisney and the Disney races?
This is going to sound weird... The medical tents.
I’m not a good/practiced/disciplined runner. That comes out on race day. Those medical tents are my saving grace.
BioFreeze buffets, experienced foot-tapers, eager pre-clinical kids clutching rolls of plastic wrap with which to wrap my legs in ice at the end. It’s like getting a specialized spa treatment.
I feel safe making my terrible decision to run without enough training at Disney. Thank you medical team!

 

[pwmitch237]

SAFD: For me, it's seeing the parks in a whole new light. There's nothing like turning the corner on Main Street and having the castle in front of you, people cheering all down the side of Main Street, music blaring, and it's just magic.

I also appreciate that everyone is so friendly, and we all have the same goal in mind--enjoying the race, the experience, and the time while getting some exercise in.

 

[Baloo in MI]

SAFD:
I love the planning and organizing for the Disney trip that comes along with Marathon Weekend. I love the anticipation of registration day and all the messages on these boards as we all try to get ourselves, our friends and families signed up for races. I love the feeling when I see the confirmation email for Dopey. I love setting up a training plan and working towards the races. I love following these threads as we get closer and closer to MW. I love the atmosphere and excitement at the resort and at the expo. I love the magic of race mornings, standing in my coral and moving closer and closer to the start line. I love the entertainment, the crowds and the energy of all the runners around me. I love struggling at some point and working thru it. I love the finish line, getting a new medal and walking slowly to the buses. I love the feeling once back at the resort congratulating everyone I can who is wearing a medal or race shirt. I love going into the parks, sitting down to a celebratory dinner and the feeling of accomplishment. The only thing I don’t love is the weekend always come to an end...

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD: Right now? I love and miss ALL of it. Even Cone Alley. Even WWOS. The Overpass of Regret, that horribly cambered cloverleaf, the water treatment plant, scorching hot temps, freezing winds, overpriced mile 25 beer, an over-crowded BW path, misspelled medals and shirts... ALL of it!!!



Okay, what do I really love about rD? The organization: I've never experienced a better-run race. The little Disney touches - cartoons and movies on big screens on the course, fireworks for every corral, Sarg, character stops, even the ones I don't bother stopping for. I have no interest in racing for time anymore, so rD races are, for me, less about 'racing and more about a really, really fun long run.

 

[Goofed98]

I miss everything. I miss the excitement of packet pickup, I miss the pre-race jitters, sitting in my car before heading up my corral. I love the course. Not crazy about the courses last year...I want more time in Epcot for the half, and I was fine with ESPN, rather than Blizzard Beach.

I didn't realize it until I moved to Phoenix, but I miss all of the green. Everywhere. Rainy, icy, hot, cold...it's gorgeous country.

 

[Kerry1957]

SAFD: Where else can you.....

Run through a castle


Edit to add... Meet your favorite Disney characters...



Meet your daughter at Animal Kingdom at mile 17 for a ride on EE...


Finish a marathon with a beer..


Or DATW with new friends..

 

[lhermiston]

Even Cone Alley. Even WWOS. The Overpass of Regret, that horribly cambered cloverleaf, the water treatment plant, scorching hot temps, freezing winds, overpriced mile 25 beer, an over-crowded BW path, misspelled medals and shirts... ALL of it!!!

Okay now, let's not say things we can't take back ...

 

[drummerwife]

SAFD: For me, it's the knowledge that I'll be accepted, encouraged, and cheered as I walk the courses. I have multiple orthopedic issues that force me to walk, but I'm proud to say that I've never DNF any race that I've entered. I've stopped doing other races for the simple reason that I hate the looks and sometimes the comments I get. Disney has always been my happy place and that extends to rD.

 

[SheHulk]

The Overpass of Regret

Where else can you go on this here internet where you see these words and know "exactly" what they mean? I'm dying laughing