Marathon Weekend 2025

I do think 4:30 is about as early of a start as I can do. A race start that makes me get up before 2am is a little crazy - and I got up at 1:40 this year for the marathon.
Agreed! Setting an alarm starting with a "1" just felt wrong. If you're going to go earlier, just do an overnight race imho.
 
Yep, the earlier and earlier start times have really changed how I “do” rD races. I used to arrive early, attend meet-ups, take in all the pre-race spectacle… now, I wake up at the same time I used to because I refuse to get up any earlier, and just skip all that to go straight to the corrals. I don’t imagine rD cares about my reduced participation, but it’s definitely changed how I feel about the experience - an awful lot of it feels like a huge hassle. Yet I keep signing up for races! Some part of me keeps thinking “maybe this one will be different”… and that’s actually fair because there HAVE been a few gems in recent years. Though not since the new race director took over.
 
I feel like i should chime in. While we might need @Disney at Heart DH to chime in. I did my first RD event in 2003 for the marathon. We started at 6 am. There were 9412 finishers for the marathon. Both the half and the full ran on the same day. One had the blue epcot start and the other the red epcot start. The half finished at MK parking lot. As for the sentiment, the parks were not busy. it did fall during one of the later marathons like this past year. I remember because i stayed a week and had my birthday at MK. I was not part of these boards and really had no knowledge of what to expect.

The first day (i am assuming Sunday) when i went into the parks i did not even wear my medal. I did not know i was supposed to. Thankfully by my slow walking people asked if i ran. The second day i did wear my medal. Lots of congratulations and cast members were so into it. Asking me questions and everything. It was very different. I then ran again in 2007 till now. I really think it changed a lot around 2015.

I found out about the marathon when i took my honeymoon in Feb 2021. We stayed concierge at Yacht Club. I went for a morning run and the concierge asked if i did the marathon. I had no idea that it existed. At that point in time i had run 1 marathon before. Now i have run a lot and most of them at disney. its different now.
 
Without runDisney, I don't think I'd be a runner at all. I spent one night at WDW before a non-Disney cruise and the next morning I asked some people at the park what the medals were for. They told me they had just run the 2016 Princess Half Marathon. I had no idea they had races at Disney and they said it was a fun time. I had never thought of running as fun, but it got me thinking that maybe I could run a race sometime. I signed up for the 2017 Star Wars 10k and spent almost six months training for it. I had never run that far and didn't know whether I could do it. I was a bundle of nerves, but I did it and it was a ton of fun. I've since done a bunch of DIsney and non-Disney races, including this year's Dopey Challenge, something I never dreamed would be possible.
 
For the people that started runDisney back in 2012 (or earlier), good for you for even knowing about it. I didn't find out about runDisney until 2017 (the year the Disneyland races were cancelled). I refused to run in WDW due to the early wake-up so I didn't participate until the races returned to Anaheim in January 2024.*

But, if you're reading this on a desktop and can see my signature of all my years of Disney trips, you'll see that I went to WDW a lot from 2011-2017. Looking back, DH & I think that was the "golden era" for the parks (at least for people our age....maybe we missed even better, cheaper, more magical times) but at least for our adult years, we were happy to spend vacation time and budget at Disney during those years. In 2018-19 it started to get a bit stale for us so we shifted coasts and spent most of our time in Anaheim, then the pandemic hit. It's just not what we expect anymore and don't get the value out of it that we once did.

All that to say, since my runDisney experience is only based off DLR in January 2024 and WDW in January 2025, I'm not feeling super disappointed in it all, but I can easily imagine that the people that knew runDisney a decade ago must be feeling let down, the way I feel let down by the parks. Also, if they can't get me to immediately sign up for another race, they are doing something wrong. I'm a runner, I'm into fitness of all kinds, I love travel, Disney.....this should be an easy sell for them???!!!!

*I kept my body clock set to home while I was in Anaheim, so it didn't feel like I was getting up as early, and b/c I could walk from the hotel to the start line, I didn't feel pressured by bus timing to get up even earlier.
 
I did the marathon in both 2009 and 2010 and I really wish I could remember more about it and the experience. I have like zero recollections. I know I didn't do character photos or rides or snacks during the race. I know I didn't realize there were other distances being run that weekend. I do remember being fairly surprised that my relatively average race time (4:30) put me in the top 25% or so of runners. The other thing that sticks out to me is how absolutely dead the parks were. I have pics of us midafternoon and there was no one around. I also remember getting an absolutely ridiculous rate at Poly in 2010, like $200 a night. We were so excited and then it was so freezing that weekend that we really didn't get to enjoy the resort.
 
But we were puzzled by feeling like Disney doesn’t really want us there; like we’re part of a huge inconvenience, rather than being celebrated.

I framed it the same way when discussing how I felt about Marathon Weekend in either this or another thread. Outside of the CMs, who still feel as enthusiastic as they’ve always been, there is a palpable feeling (at least to me) that rD events are exactly that, “an inconvenience”, to the rest of the parks and resorts operation. We are tolerated rather than celebrated. Things are largely more efficient, but at the expense of charm.

Also, while the enthusiasm is still there from CMs, I don’t feel as though the knowledge base is the same. It used to feel like Marathon Weekend was a known event across the whole staff (as though it was discussed and prepared for throughout operations). Now, it feels a little more like CMs are there because that’s where they were told to be for the day and they didn’t know what they were doing or why until about 10 minutes ago. They still have the enthusiasm, because it’s virtually the job description, but they can’t help with anything outside of very basic knowledge within a 5 foot radius of their station.
 
I received the survey this year. The questions didn't really lend themselves to the areas where I feel improvements are needed but I did mention that I wanted more theme park time. That's the appeal of these races to me. The amount of time we run through HS is a joke. I guess something is better than nothing but that's about as close to nothing as they can get.
 
:duck: Unpopular opinion, I actually really liked the 4:30am marathon start.

(I'll see myself out!)

I didn’t mind it either, since I’m already there and usually just waiting around for the race to start. Normally the sun rises when I get to Animal Kingdom, and I thought I was really ahead of pace since it was still dark when I left AK, but then I remembered the earlier start. I fear that this is going to creep into the other races so they can be done with runners earlier and open the parks.
 
:duck: Unpopular opinion, I actually really liked the 4:30am marathon start.

(I'll see myself out!)
I'm all for minimizing the amount of time I'm running after sunrise. Though there's going to be a tipping point for me where it becomes staying up late to race, instead of waking up early to race, which will make sleeping and park time on race days more difficult to coordinate.
 
I received the survey this year. The questions didn't really lend themselves to the areas where I feel improvements are needed but I did mention that I wanted more theme park time. That's the appeal of these races to me. The amount of time we run through HS is a joke. I guess something is better than nothing but that's about as close to nothing as they can get.
I increased my HS time by spending 25 minutes on TOT. If they won’t give me the park time I’m going to take it! 😄
 
I feel like i should chime in. While we might need @Disney at Heart DH to chime in. I did my first RD event in 2003 for the marathon. We started at 6 am. There were 9412 finishers for the marathon. Both the half and the full ran on the same day. One had the blue epcot start and the other the red epcot start. The half finished at MK parking lot. As for the sentiment, the parks were not busy. it did fall during one of the later marathons like this past year. I remember because i stayed a week and had my birthday at MK. I was not part of these boards and really had no knowledge of what to expect.

The first day (i am assuming Sunday) when i went into the parks i did not even wear my medal. I did not know i was supposed to. Thankfully by my slow walking people asked if i ran. The second day i did wear my medal. Lots of congratulations and cast members were so into it. Asking me questions and everything. It was very different. I then ran again in 2007 till now. I really think it changed a lot around 2015.

I found out about the marathon when i took my honeymoon in Feb 2021. We stayed concierge at Yacht Club. I went for a morning run and the concierge asked if i did the marathon. I had no idea that it existed. At that point in time i had run 1 marathon before. Now i have run a lot and most of them at disney. its different now.

DH has run all but 3 marathon weekends since 1994 and many W&D, Star Wars, and a couple of DL races. (Never Princess!) The 1994 marathon started on or just outside Main Street with characters, a parade, and fireworks show! We could all hear the speakers, and the music had not become a DJ playing the same songs every time!
We had a long discussion this morning, and DH’s biggest concern now is that all the races are the same. In the past we have had night races (TOT, W&D, and one SS) that started at 10:00 pm, and courses that started at TTC, ESPN, Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom, as well as Epcot. (Jingle Jungle 5k all through Animal Kingdom was one of my favorites!) Now he says, “You have to look down at your bib during the race to remember which one you are running!”
As someone else said, time in some parks is a joke. I’d prefer less time running in TTC and BB parking lots, and more time in HS or World Showcase. (Oh how I miss the HS disco tunnel and the Osborne lights.) Even the old run through ESPN around the track and baseball field was better!
The crowds are the next problem. Unless you are in Corrals A or B, there are too many bottlenecks where you just can’t run. Of course, he used to always be in A. Running from D this year our time (mostly my time because he ran with me) dropped significantly from the last 13:03 training run to the 14:30 marathon. The only miles that were on or faster than training pace were the open road ones. We got faster after leaving MK because there was more room to run: like fewer extremely long, narrow ramps, no more cone alley or MK path. Although getting out of AK where we were meeting other runners was also pretty tight, it wasn’t terribly long.
Despite the changes over the years, runDisney is still the most entertaining, fun bunch of races I’ve done, and although I’ve decided to give up the marathon distance, I’ll keep spending too much money to run Disney races… and to see you guys!
 
My first Disney race was the marathon back in 2008. By that point the half and full were on different days, but the full still had the red/blue course split at the start with the two joining outside of Epcot (could never do that now as people would absolutely scream if they got the start they didn’t want especially as only one went around world showcase in the dark as I recall). It’s hard for me to remember that far back to think about if I felt more welcome or not, but I don’t think so, at least once at the start and on the course. Given all of the course changes and things that have been taken away, it’s clear we are less welcome I suppose, but that still hasn’t changed my desire to go down to Marathon Weekend (at least so far). Part of that is helped by me only doing the 1 race weekend so the commonality of the courses doesn’t impact me.

I guess I would say though that the changes over the years don’t surprise me. If I’m in operations, I want to make my and my employees lives as easy as possible (and change always impacts budget too) so unless someone is showing them the “big picture” on why they should have to be inconvenienced for a weekend, I understand them pushing back. I also think that’s the other big factor we need to remember. When the races started, they were needed to draw people to WDW at a time that was slow for the park. While it may be “slower” now compared to spring break or summer, it is not like it used to be at all. And the races, at least the HM and full, do really impact those there for a vacation and not the races. It’s part of the reason my DW and kids don’t come with me anymore. The logistics make it less appealing to them as they would rather go a different weekend where they don’t have to deal with delayed busses and monorails because of road closures. I can absolutely see why Disney would get lots of complaints from people who spent a small fortune to come down for a weekend not knowing it was race weekend (which Disney doesn't show on the site when booking rooms, etc.) and then are having to wait 45 minutes for a bus because of traffic issues (that was my wait for a bus to MK from BWV on Saturday morning after the HM). And while certainly runners and their friends and families still drive $ to the Mouse by coming, I think Disney has other ways now of getting people to come to the resort now during January that are easier (I note the crowd calendar on Touring Plans showed projected crowds of 4&3 for Saturday/Sunday of marathon weekend compared to 6/7 & 6/5 for the two weekends after with Festival of the Arts). So well I don’t love the changes at all, I do understand why from the Disney operations perspective they make sense and I unfortunately expect them to continue to trend that way, especially since the races still sell out almost immediately.
 
I'm all for minimizing the amount of time I'm running after sunrise. Though there's going to be a tipping point for me where it becomes staying up late to race, instead of waking up early to race, which will make sleeping and park time on race days more difficult to coordinate.

This, 100% this. For the half I actually contemplated just staying up all night since I happen to be a night owl. By 10 - 11 PM I started to figure what's the point in sleeping because I'm more frustrated now than tired. That mixed with the noise outside my door at POP really had me considering just staying up.

If I can make it to next year's MW, we should consider a group staying up all night.
 
I first met the friend with whom I did the half at an rD race in 2012. We spent the entire half complaining about how much has changed for the worse since then. We still love a Disney race for the things that make it a Disney race: the parks, the characters, the entertainment, the support. But we were puzzled by feeling like Disney doesn’t really want us there; like we’re part of a huge inconvenience, rather than being celebrated. We spent a lot of stupid energy trying to determine if it’s just us - are we not appreciative enough? Are our expectations too high? Are we just old and in the way? I’ve left my last two rD race weekends feeling a whole lot of less-than instead of a whole lot of accomplished. Reading the last page or so of comments here has been very therapeutic, so thanks go to those who’ve posted. Because I really do not think it’s me: I really do think things have changed and the details are subtle - earlier start times, longer walks, pay-to-play, higher costs, more crowding - but stack up into something more impactful. Part of me really wants to do more rD races, and part of me thinks I’m an idiot to keep paying for experiences that don’t really feel that great.
Hi.. I only started doing rD two years ago .
. would you mind expanding pls on how the experience has changed for you compared to 2012?
I’m just curious, and willing to write emails to rD just for sake of improving :)
Thanks!
 
Hi.. I only started doing rD two years ago .
. would you mind expanding pls on how the experience has changed for you compared to 2012?
I’m just curious, and willing to write emails to rD just for sake of improving :)
Thanks!

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what has changed for the worse. The obvious things are HS being basically cut out of all courses and the courses and weekends becoming more homogenous. But I only run Marathon Weekend and I expect the courses to be relatively the same from year to year, so that shouldn’t bother me all that much. A lot of what has changed, for me, feels unquantifiable.

What has really started to hit me the last couple years is how industrial and automated everything has become. Registration is the same (and remains awful), the medal reveals are the same, the expo is the same, the merch is the same, the pre-race is the same, the announcers (who I don’t hate as much as some) attempt the same jokes and talk to the same people, the courses somehow seem even more crowded. There are no more surprises and it seems like Disney and RunDisney like it that way.

The hardest thing to quantify is the overall feeling I have during the Weekend though. To me, I just sort of feel an underlying resentment toward the runners in a way that I really didn’t experience before. Like the CMs are smiling and complimenting on the outside but it’s not as genuine. Maybe I’m the old, jaded participant glorifying my earlier race weekends and imagining things that aren’t there now; but, for me, things are different. I just have this general feeling that Disney doesn’t want us there anymore and they are no longer attempting to hide that sentiment.

As others have said, it’s still the most unique and fun running experience available. I plan on attending MW pretty much every year. I completely understand, from a business sense, why they’ve streamlined everything and have made moves to limit time in parks and clear runners from the parks earlier. I’d like to feel that they are trying to make things better; but I have started to accept that they are more likely to discontinue races altogether than make runner positive changes to the way they operate.
 



















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