Marathon Weekend 2023

[GollyGadget]

aaaaaand now I have Big Bad Voodoo Daddies Heat Miser playing in my head.

 

[fatmanatee]

I keep thinking about the trade offs with WWOS vs parking lot (and there are some!) but man miles 17-22 of this years race were just incredibly rough. Too hot and basically nothing going on except for one very good DJ. They should have had five of them along that part of the course.

 

[sandam1]

From a Facebook group to whoever is interested:

Enabler alert: 2 Dopey bibs have become available through my charity Scott Carter Foundation
$650ea + $300 min funds raised. Must register by 12/20/22

 

[matt and beth]

I keep thinking about the trade offs with WWOS vs parking lot (and there are some!) but man miles 17-22 of this years race were just incredibly rough. Too hot and basically nothing going on except for one very good DJ. They should have had five of them along that part of the course.

I’m surprised that I haven’t seen one comment about leaving MK and running on that long stretch to AK that had a grand finale and an apex of stink as we got a first hand experience of the amazing aroma of a wastewater treatment plant. Man… I work in that industry and whomever planned a course around a firsthand “coast by” has a certain amount of villain in them.

 

[GuinnessRunner]

On the WWoS vs BB debate, I am on Team BB. Frankly they both sucked, but I like the spacing of the parks better on the more recent BB included route. Of couse maybe I just have PTSD from the 20th Anniversary year and the promised Mile 20 spectacular. I remember heading into WWoS and seeing the people passing the giant puppet things as they were heading out and thinking to myself, "that can't be it is it?" After completeing approximately 2 million turns in WWoS, it was clear that yes, yes that was the "spectacular." I suppose words can be defined in many ways.

 

[Marebear_runs]

SAFD: Another Dallas, TX resident here (hey @Neon Cactus and @Cabius!) so running in heat is not new to me. I second the comments regarding humidity though. I ran a half marathon yesterday in training (and am completely kicking myself for not knowing it was Dallas Marathon Weekend. If I were running a half anyway I should have at least gotten a medal for it. ) and it was like 85% humidity for the whole thing. When the humidity is much lower I can run all day it seems.

I also HATE cold weather (which is a big reason I moved to TX after growing up in West Virginia), so I don't particularly love running below mid-40s. So, ideal race weather for me would be upper 40s or lower 50s at race start with low humidity. Of course it won't happen in Florida though.

I am also from West Virginia and moved to California in large part to get away from the cold. Low 50s is ideal race weather for me.

 

[Cabius]

SAFD: Another Dallas, TX resident here (hey @Neon Cactus and @Cabius!)

Well if you're ever on the Blue or Orange line in Carrollton and see a decreasingly overweight bald man in a RunDisney shirt, say hi!

 

[jrsharp21]

SAFD: Another Houston area runner here. If you can survive running during the day in the summertime here, you can survive most anything. For me, it's not so much the heat and humidity that is bothersome, it is what your clothes turn into because of that weather. Looking like you just got out of the swimming pool in your running clothes and having to continue to run like that for longer conditions. That is the part I hate the most about the warm and humid running.

 

[jpeterson]

SAFD: Another Houston area runner here. If you can survive running during the day in the summertime here, you can survive most anything. For me, it's not so much the heat and humidity that is bothersome, it is what your clothes turn into because of that weather. Looking like you just got out of the swimming pool in your running clothes and having to continue to run like that for longer conditions. That is the part I hate the most about the warm and humid running.

My wife always told me I looked like I hit the shower while still wearing my clothes! And I'm in Austin which isn't nearly as humid!

 

[lukemorenus]

I wasn't a huge fan of the WWOS loop.... but it was infinitely better than backtracking out of the Animal Kingdom - that stretch back to Coronado kills me mentally

 

[Goofed98]

WWOS was always a happy place for me. Sure, there were a lot of turns, but there were also trees, that delightfully soft rubbergrass track, the stadium...those miles seemed to fly by, and it was a nice break from straight roads.

Plus, at that point, it was great for the mental aspect:
1) just get through WWoS. It isn't very big
2) run up the hill with the green army guy, and coast down the other side, listening to "Sweet Caroline" on repeat from the speaker on the side of the road
3) Hollywood Studios. Not nearly as much through there as it used to be! Be through in no time (I do miss the disco tunnel)
4) Sidewalk over to Boardwalk? Heck, I walk that almost every day. Plus, my dad is outside the hotel with a nice cold beer for me
5) Wrap it up in Epcot

All of that happening in 7 miles is a lot more entertaining to me than the 7-ish leaving MK and heading out to AK

 

[Bree]

WWOS was always a happy place for me. Sure, there were a lot of turns, but there were also trees, that delightfully soft rubbergrass track, the stadium...those miles seemed to fly by, and it was a nice break from straight roads.

Plus, at that point, it was great for the mental aspect:
1) just get through WWoS. It isn't very big
2) run up the hill with the green army guy, and coast down the other side, listening to "Sweet Caroline" on repeat from the speaker on the side of the road
3) Hollywood Studios. Not nearly as much through there as it used to be! Be through in no time (I do miss the disco tunnel)
4) Sidewalk over to Boardwalk? Heck, I walk that almost every day. Plus, my dad is outside the hotel with a nice cold beer for me
5) Wrap it up in Epcot

All of that happening in 7 miles is a lot more entertaining to me than the 7-ish leaving MK and heading out to AK

There was a good amount of shade in WWOS!!!! It was so nice to get a bit of relief from the sun. I stopped at 4 character stops in there too - soccer Minnie, track suit Goofy, referees Mickey & Donald and Joy & Sadness. Lots of bathrooms and water fountains!!! I got ice cold Coca Cola from a spectator there and it was pure heaven in a cup

I’ve been having a good time scrolling through photos of the 2019 marathon. It’s getting me excited for January and is lifting me out of the funk I’ve been in.

 

[cburnett11]

Looks like @cburnett11 was trying to upgrade to dopey? also maybe @Jason Bryer ? Not sure if either were successful or if they were still trying to do that...

Thanks! I’m just going to stick with Goofy. Travel plans set and we don’t arrive until Thursday afternoon. Dopey was fun last year, and I’ll probably do it again sometime. But 2 early mornings will be enough this time, especially because we are returning for Princess Challenge.

 

[jrsharp21]

So do you guys think we will have to be on the look out this MW for the citrus mist out of the Orange Bird? Hopefully if it's back, they tune it down. That was an unpleasant surprise when running by Orange Bird and inhaling what I imagine drinking perfume or rubbing alcohol tastes like. LOL.

 

[kps7795]

So do you guys think we will have to be on the look out this MW for the citrus mist out of the Orange Bird? Hopefully if it's back, they tune it down. That was an unpleasant surprise when running by Orange Bird and inhaling what I imagine drinking perfume or rubbing alcohol tastes like. LOL.

I’m guessing that I got to the Orange Bird too late to experience his lovely aroma. I got there around 8:30 and didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary. I did get a cute selfie with the little guy though.

 

[luv2cheer92]

SAFD: Another Dallas, TX resident here (hey @Neon Cactus and @Cabius!) so running in heat is not new to me. I second the comments regarding humidity though. I ran a half marathon yesterday in training (and am completely kicking myself for not knowing it was Dallas Marathon Weekend. If I were running a half anyway I should have at least gotten a medal for it. ) and it was like 85% humidity for the whole thing. When the humidity is much lower I can run all day it seems.

I also HATE cold weather (which is a big reason I moved to TX after growing up in West Virginia), so I don't particularly love running below mid-40s. So, ideal race weather for me would be upper 40s or lower 50s at race start with low humidity. Of course it won't happen in Florida though.

Haha, I grew up in NoVa, moved to Dallas for almost 5 years. Hated it (multiple reasons, some I can't discuss, but heat was a big factor). And moved to WV a little over 2 years ago.

I hate the heat, but mostly hate the sun. If it is cloudy, I'm good. 30s-40s is ideal running weather for me.

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

Well if you're ever on the Blue or Orange line in Carrollton and see a decreasingly overweight bald man in a RunDisney shirt, say hi!

OMG, I live in Carrollton and I train on those trails! What are the odds? Haha. I usually do a back-and-forth on a strip of the blue trail that dead ends at McCoy so I can stash water and Gatorade there for my long runs.

 

[jrsharp21]

I’m guessing that I got to the Orange Bird too late to experience his lovely aroma. I got there around 8:30 and didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary. I did get a cute selfie with the little guy though.

If I am remembering correctly it was the half marathon they had the mist coming out of Orange Bird. I believe it was set up on the path on the way to Boardwalk/Yacht Club. I remember running buy and getting a big mouthful of it. I do recall running buy Orange Bird the next day and moving to the other side of the path just in case.

 

[GollyGadget]

It's been so interesting to read everyone's preferences for hot/cold and wwos/bb. I haven't gone through and categorized everyone's responses but I am curious if there's any correlation.

As for me, I'm team WWOS. The one time I ran through there, there was a surprise at every turn which definitely made it more interesting than all those road miles. Plus, that course took us to the AK parking lot which I know doesn't sound exciting but it provides another relatively easy spectator spot that doesn't require a ticket.

I haven't run the bb course yet, so my opinion may change

 

[Herding_Cats]

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www.rundisneyexpo.run uses an unsupported protocol.


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