Marathon Weekend 2025

[The Expert]

SAFD: Personally I would love a larger variety of courses, but I can see why rD wants to standardize. Especially when you think about how many participants are actually affected. Those who do the races are already a pretty small percentage of overall Disney visitors, and those who do more than one race are likely a fraction of that (even less when you look at those who do them all). If it makes certification, signage and water stop plans, recreating graphics, etc easier and the trade-off is maybe a few hundred (?) folks might be annoyed about it? Totally worth doing from their perspective.

 

[FFigawi]

Hi.. do you know please the finish (arrival) time of the balloon ladies in the past marathon editions?
Thanks!

Without googling, my estimate would be approximately 1pm. They start around 6 and take 7 hours to finish.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Without googling, my estimate would be approximately 1pm. They start around 6 and take 7 hours to finish.

Given that we are starting a half hour earlier, unless they are going to spread the start out an additional half hour, take 30min off that.

So probably a 5:30 start and a 12:30 finish with the changes.

 

[pluto377]

SAFD: I generally only do MW, so I guess standardized courses wouldn't bother me too much. It would make me less likely to try a different weekend though.

 

[fatmanatee]

Given that we are starting a half hour earlier, unless they are going to spread the start out an additional half hour, take 30min off that.

So probably a 5:30 start and a 12:30 finish with the changes.

Also depends on the possibility of hot weather, in 2022 they got everyone out 30 min earlier than usual so I think the absolute latest you could finish was 12:30. In this case with the 4:30 start the latest finish would be noon.

 

[LorrieAnn5]

Hi.. do you know please the finish (arrival) time of the balloon ladies in the past marathon editions?
Thanks!

7 hours total for balloon ladies, start to finish. They move at a pace of 16 minutes per mile.

 

[sandam1]

Hi.. do you know please the finish (arrival) time of the balloon ladies in the past marathon editions?
Thanks!

The Wine & Dine Expo guide had planned start times for each corral. Assuming that they do the same for MW - and that everything goes as planned (no quick starts or delays) - you should be able to do the math. But in general, it takes about an hour to start everyone.

Most race weekends, the names of the "official" balloon ladies are posted somewhere. However, tracking the 16 mm pacers (3:30 for the half and 7:00 for the full) is just as effective. The pacers try to stay 90 seconds ahead of the balloon ladies and they are very, very good at doing so.

 

[sandam1]

SAFD - I'm not a huge fan of the standardized courses (I would REALLY like a different 5K course!), but I can live with them if:

1. They have different entertainment and magical "extras." I've heard some cool things that they did with the Star Wars races and I think some fog (maybe?) for the ToT 10 miler during the first SS race. runDisney does a good job right now, but let's go next level! How hard would it be to run the projection show on the castle or have it "snow" in Norway? Or maybe have a couple of rides open early on a consistent basis? Or have a couple of carts open with treats (alcoholic or not) during races other than the marathon?

2. The courses are well-designed! Why, oh why, do they keep insisting on putting that water stop on the International squeezeway between Boardwalk and Hollywood Studios? And the addition of another parking lot to the marathon course is just adding insult to Blizzard Beach injury. I know that the courses are going to have to tweaked slightly each year to accommodate the construction, but there are well-known problem spots that they just don't seem to be interested in fixing.

 

[Disneyhanna]

SAFD: I don’t really mind if the course is always the same as long as they use a good one The variation in characters is what matters to me the most. Especially outfits even if the same character. Gotta catch em all!

All the local races I run typically use the same route after all. I train on the same routes so it's nice to be mentally prepared for the tougher spots when I'm running the same routes.

 

[kps7795]

I don’t really mind if the course is always the same as long as they use a good one The variation in characters is what matters to me the most.

You're hitting the nail on the head. I love runDisney because of the entertainment on the race course, namely the characters. As long as we get characters that we can't see in the parks, I'm a happy rD runner.

 

[catsrgr8]

FYI reservations on Opentable are open for MW. Opentable offers options for many Disney Springs restaurants so I just locked in my 5 pm pasta dinner for Saturday January 11!

 

[lahobbs4]

SAFD: I never really notice the course as I'm running. The biggest thing I noticed was the removal of WWOS and adding Blizzard Beach (who didn't?). I'm so spaced out when I run! I do notice the time in the parks so as long as that continues, I guess I wouldn't mind the same courses.

 

[GollyGadget]

Fyi for those like me who were hopeful to enjoy Festival of the Arts during MW, the dates were announced and they do not overlap.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/epcot-international-festival-of-the-arts/

Delight your creative side! Discover vibrant artwork, dazzling entertainment, palate-pleasing cuisine and more—from January 17 to February 24, 2025​

 

[DisneyParrothead]

You're hitting the nail on the head. I love runDisney because of the entertainment on the race course, namely the characters. As long as we get characters that we can't see in the parks, I'm a happy rD runner.

That's my goal now, to stop for characters I don't see in the parks. I got Meg and Esmeralda at Princess, and both times, while I did check over my shoulder, I was going over to the character's line no matter what.

 

[kps7795]

That's my goal now, to stop for characters I don't see in the parks. I got Meg and Esmeralda at Princess, and both times, while I did check over my shoulder, I was going over to the character's line no matter what.

It was great seeing Hercules and Meg at the Half Marathon at MW2024, but the highlight was getting a picture with Merlin. I've only ever seen him onstage at the show on DCL.

 

[The Expert]

the highlight was getting a picture with Merlin

I'm still kicking myself for skipping that one! When we circled back around and he was still out, I started to cross over but the race folks had cut the line.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

SAFD: I want some things to change and some things to stay the same. I only run one race a year so it won't be that big of deal to me.

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

SAFD: As someone who does typically do numerous runDisney weekends every year, I'd be pretty disappointed if the routes were the same for all of them. But, like others have said, I'd probably still do them just maybe not so many. Overall I care more about the themes/hosts of each race and the medals. Characters are fun too, but I only stop if the line has like 10 people or less in them, which is not a lot, especially on shorter races. I just can't stand around for 20 minutes during a race; it feels too unnatural. Haha.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

It was great seeing Hercules and Meg at the Half Marathon at MW2024, but the highlight was getting a picture with Merlin. I've only ever seen him onstage at the show on DCL.

Where was he?!
And my bigger challenge now is stopping for characters that I actually recognize…

 

[Herding_Cats]

Where was he?!

Pretty early in the race…on the left side when your were doing the first part of that highway switchback.

And my bigger challenge now is stopping for characters that I actually recognize…

Oh cmon! I know how excited you were to see doc mcstuffins and vampirina between blizzard beach and HS