Marathon Weekend 2026

[3princesandaprincess]

Agree with all this. I’ve done a number of 10ks and halfs for a few years before even considering committing to my first full this fall (Chicago). I signed up for Dopey this time thinking that if I’m built up to marathon distance, I’ll be at my best fitness to attempt Dopey and not get swept.

I’ve felt awful after running just one HM in the past, and doing Dumbo last year (10k + HM), I started to feel it in the HM even with an easy 10k. I cannot imagine how miserable I’d be doing Dopey if it was one of my first things I tried in my running journey, but cheers to those who do use that as motivation and succeed.

Same! It took me awhile to feel good running more than a mile, and then much longer to build a base and even attempt a half. I did numerous half’s over a span of over 10 years before attempting the full last year. I finished even injured and felt great. Only now do I feel good about signing up for Dopey.

 

[camaker]

I guess you can add me to the list of accelerated distance attempters. I ran my first 10k in April, 2015 then my first half in June, 2015. I’d signed up for the 10k and half at Marathon Weekend 2016 when, later that summer, I thought “why not try the marathon as a one-time bucket list item, too?” I’ve run either Goofy or Dopey at every Marathon Weekend since.

 

[Herding_Cats]

I have thoughts but I’ll save them for tomorrow when I have a real keyboard and not a phone to tap on.

 

[KCO5988]

I did my first half in fall of 2010 and first full fall of 2011 at marine corps (great first marathon btw). Second full in fall of 2012 while training for goofy plus 5k 2013. I can’t imagine making dopey my first marathon. Though after goofy I decided to take a “break” from marathons and do triathlons which ultimately led to doing an Ironman which is in no way a break from the marathon

 

[Novatrix]

I signed up for Wine and Dine half as my first registered race ever 5 days after starting the couch to 5k program in January 2017. Figured I'd aim to complete 1 half marathon and then stop running.

Ended up running a different half marathon 2 months earlier as my 1st because the 25th anniversary Disney marathon medal was gorgeous and I told myself I could only sign up if a) I had a POT and b) the race was still available. That's how I ended up running my first marathon January 2018.

First Dopey registration was about a month and a day after completing the marathon and saying "never again." Now, an additional Dopey and 3 Goofy's later, the rest is history.

So I definitely see how the influencers and the bling could influence people to register.

 

[Barca33Runner]

As far as a lottery goes, I think that would be the worst thing that could happen to this group and other devoted rD runners. Being acutely aware of registration times, how registration functions, and how quickly things will sell out is our lone advantage. A lottery would provide a wider time window for people to become aware of registration and register with minimal time constraints and would undoubtedly pull in a larger number of entrants. Many people will sign up for a lottery when they likely would have never considered an rD race otherwise. This system may be anxiety-inducing chaos, but it is probably about the best we all could hope for considering the current demand for entries.

 

[xjillianpaige]

Now that the dust has settled from registration and 35(!) pages have passed since the SAFD question was posted, I'm going to repost it so that anyone who may have missed it gets a chance to see it and participate:

Good morning, RunDisney All-Stars! March is upon us, which means it's time to crown our favorite dining location in March Magical Madness! We picked our top four dining locations from each park, setting up our very own Sweet Sixteen (with some very sweet option in there, indeed), and now they'll go head to head to see which comes out on top.

Pick your favorite from each match-up in the bracket below. At the end of the week, I'll tally all the votes and we'll see which advance to the Elite Eight. I'll leave voting open through the end of the day on Friday to give everyone a chance to weigh in. Here we go!

les halles
via napoli
ronto roaster
baseline tap

pecos bills
gastons
yak & yeti
satu'li

 

[FFigawi]

I guess you can add me to the list of accelerated distance attempters. I ran my first 10k in April, 2015 then my first half in June, 2015. I’d signed up for the 10k and half at Marathon Weekend 2016 when, later that summer, I thought “why not try the marathon as a one-time bucket list item, too?” I’ve run either Goofy or Dopey at every Marathon Weekend since.

I'm right there with you. Way back when, I went from a 10k in Feb to a marathon in Nov, another one in Dec, and a 50-mile race two months later. With a good training plan, and the ability to follow it, there's no reason I'd tell someone they're going too far too fast if they want to run Dopey as their first. We're each an experiment of n=1 after all.

 

[Baloo in MI]

As stressful as the current registration system is (and as some have already said) at least it provides a level active participation. We can each decide how many browsers to run, we each can share links and work with others to jointly register. Even with all that, there is of course no guarantees, but at least I feel like I have engaged in the process. Other side of the coin; I have applied to the Chicago and New York Marathon I believe, seven and five times, respectively. I am still batting zero. And it is so disheartening to apply and then a few months later get a sorry not this year email.

I hope there is space to grow these races, don't know enough about it to say that they can or should add spaces to increase availability. But when the marathon fills in less than 90 minutes when at one time you could register for it a month out from the race… Wow! I guess it is time to open more browsers!

 

[Herding_Cats]

I look at this debate through the early-accelerator lens as well. But also as someone who thought running was stupid. As in, when my SIL suggested we run a HM together for her birthday in 2018 or 2019 I was like hahhahahahha, NO. And then I went from (nearly) 0....I had fitness from other things, but definitely not running fitness to HM in 2021. I started running some during the winter on my treadmill and we signed up for one of the only available in-person races in the area, which was a trail run with 10-person staggered-start waves. And then I ran a marathon in October (that I talked SIL into....for her birthday.) And then I ran Goofy in January was was kind of disappointed because I was less than 10mi from getting ALL of the medals. And things very much snowballed from there and now I've done 3 Dopeys, am signed up for my 2nd Gooofy, bought DVC because I hated depending on other people to book our rooms for race weekends, and signed up for a 50k.

When I got in for Goofy the first year (and a LOT of all of this was very much influenced by these boards) runDisney was supposed to be a 1-and-done. The cut-off time is generous. There's a visual representation of the sweep line. The course is well-stocked for aid stations. If running a marathon is a "bucket-list" item for someone, Disney is a great way to do it because you can also make it a family vacation (with some allowances and planning.) And that's going to draw a lot of new runners year after year.

Whether or not people "should" be signing up for things is a whole different thing. We are not their doctors. And there is a fair amount of gate-keeping when it comes to marathoning, although I do feel like it comes from a place of caring in a lot of ways....marathoners tend to be experienced runners and know well the potential pitfalls and injuries, the time commitments, and the frustrations that can come with training. But there's not a perfect road, for the recreational runner, to the marathon. Slower runners tax their bodies in a different way than faster runners. Effort may be the same, but my can almost guarantee the forces on my body at 13:00min/mi are significantly different than someone who is running <8:00mi/mi.

And tying it back into registration (which is where the whole discussion started) there is no system besides this one that rundisney is willing to implement. There's no reason to. Registration is already like a lottery due to the number of browsers we all have open, and the sharing that occurs. Charities have waiting lists before registration day, or are often sold out the day after registration which is fantastic for them. Running exploded in popularity during the shut-down, and now we're 5-years out from it and the number of people running doesn't seem to have waned. And that means more people have had the opportunity to get eyeballs on one of our favorite things....which is marathon weekend.

 

[accm]

I agree with everything that's been said about rD using a lottery system. From their point of view, it's an unnecessary expense. From our point of view, whether it's "fair" or not, we have an advantage since we know the system, and we share links here.
With rD races as well a lottery would be difficult, since you have groups of people who sign up together and don't necessarily run the same races. What happens if my 7 year old gets into the 5k and I don't get into Dopey?

 

[PrincessV]

as selfish as it sounds I wish runDisney would offer some sort of loyalty access to people who have done years and years of races but dont happen to be perfect or part of the club.

Me, too. They used to offer early registration AND a discount to APs and DVCers - that was nice. But they have no incentive to bother with anything like that now: they can charge EXTRA for early access and still sell out. I have… thoughts… on all of that, but in the interest of keeping the peace around here, I’ll leave it at that lol!

There was an article last year in the New York Times about the popularity of marathons, and the quote was that the distance “went from being something for fanatics to the Everyman’s Everest.” I think it’s a great analogy, because most people shouldn’t climb Everest, and a lot of the people signing up shouldn’t run a marathon. I would love to know how many DNS’s there are from people getting swept up in the hype without having a solid running base, not training, and then not even showing up to the race. I’m not trying to gate keep, but this is a race where Pheidippides collapsed and died after being the first person to complete it. People shouldn’t let the carefully edited fake world of social media influencers override the common sense that maybe Dopey shouldn’t be the first bite at distance running. Part of me wonders if Disney is all for this, since they keep the money but don’t have to accommodate hundreds (if not more) of no-shows, which is why they don’t publish DNS/DNF like other races.

Bolding is mine and I think this nails it. And ITA with all you’ve said… while at the same time acknowledging that I only do rD races because they’re fun and I can not actually race them for time at all, that seeing “normal” people running a WDW Marathon was what got me to consider racing in the first place, and that I think it’s great that so many folks want to test their personal limits. But, like, also, if I’m very honest… I wish the folks who have no intention of training or taking it seriously would stay out of it and leave registration to those who want more from a race than some photo ops for their social channels. I loathe myself a little for that because ugh - when did I become the old stick in the mud?!

At mile 25ish of my first WDW marathon, I saw a friend who was spectating and when they asked how I felt my reply was “Physically? I feel GREAT! I could totally do Goofy or Dopey… but I HATE all these other people being near me. I’d much rather be doing this alone in the woods.” And I’m just saying - multiple rD Dopeys and Goofys and Marathons and halfs, 10Ks, and 5Ks later… maybe I’m more “influenced” into these things than I’d like to admit. Look away: I’m hideous. #partoftheproblem #itsacult

 

[fatmanatee]

I agree with everything that's been said about rD using a lottery system. From their point of view, it's an unnecessary expense. From our point of view, whether it's "fair" or not, we have an advantage since we know the system, and we share links here.
With rD races as well a lottery would be difficult, since you have groups of people who sign up together and don't necessarily run the same races. What happens if my 7 year old gets into the 5k and I don't get into Dopey?

I think the idea would probably be that you sign up as a bucketed group and it's all or nothing. And yes, at that point the process becomes insanely complicated and I don't trust RD to execute it properly. So the queue system it is.

 

[Fenway1970]

All the points made against the suggestion of a lottery system are completely fair and hard to dispute. I guess no matter how they do it there will be some who are happy and some who aren't. Perhaps the current way is the least of all evils, and I also have to acknowledge that I've now gotten what I wanted (Dopey) three straight years so I guess I shouldn't quibble.

But, like, also, if I’m very honest… I wish the folks who have no intention of training or taking it seriously would stay out of it and leave registration to those who want more from a race than some photo ops for their social channels. I loathe myself a little for that because ugh - when did I become the old stick in the mud?!

Don't loathe yourself for having that perspective, I think it's totally fair. Even if someone's main goal is to get some cool pics "for the 'Gram" they still gotta, you know, actually cover the distance to get those sweet finish line shots and that's not something one can just roll out of bed and do if they've never run long before.

And there is a fair amount of gate-keeping when it comes to marathoning, although I do feel like it comes from a place of caring in a lot of ways

Oh this, absolutely. I want everyone who wants it to experience the joy of crossing that finish line and putting the bling around their necks and I will be there to give out as many high fives and hugs in the post-race area as I can. But as you say until you've done it you don't know the pitfalls of fueling and hydrating and worn shoes and nagging injuries and foul weather and jobs/kids/chaos that can get in the way of the long hours needed for training for a marathon. It's true that 16 min/mi is a relatively forgiving minimum pace but 26.2 miles (or 39.3, or 48.6) at that pace is still no small feat if you're not prepared for it (and even if you are).

If a new runner started from zero today (Mar 14) and were in good health and were willing and able to commit to a solid progressive training plan over the next 43 or so weeks, it's completely conceivable that they could get to the 16mm pace for the marathon/Dopey by January. But I think it would be harder than first taking a year to build up a good endurance base and then going for 2027, and with less margin for error when the training inevitably hits its points of derailment. That's the only reason I would caution a new runner against signing up for the marathon or Dopey right out of the gate.

And not for nothing even if someone mainly just wants a nice IG finish line pic, wouldn't they want to be able to finish strong and NOT look like death warmed over for the photographer?

 

[Jason Bryer]

First, I commend anyone who wants to run a marathon. I also really love that Disney has created weekends that support people in becoming active. What I have an issue with is with people registering for the race and not taking it seriously. According to TrackShack there were 12,532 finishers for this year's marathon. I can't seem to find the exact number of bibs for that race (news articles say 30,000 but I think hat is across the entire weekend). But let's assume there were 15,000 marathon bibs available (I suspect the number is higher), that means 16.5% of people either did not start or did not finish. A 83.5% finisher rate is significantly smaller than the majors (which is I believe is closer to 98%). I remember in 2018 when there were 25,000 who started but around 20,000 finishers. This seems unfair to those who are going to take the training seriously.

 

[MissLiss279]

I’m not saying I’m for a lottery, because I’m not really…
But if they did a lottery, maybe it could be for Dopey only. Have the Dopey lottery, allow a week for people to enter, then have the drawing a week or two later. After all that settles, have general registration for the other events (or lottery one at a time - but that would drag on). At that point people would know whether they were in for Dopey or not, and could sign up for other races as desired.
And like Berlin, it could be a lottery where you sign up as a group, either everyone gets in or everyone doesn’t.

 

[fatmanatee]

First, I commend anyone who wants to run a marathon. I also really love that Disney has created weekends that support people in becoming active. What I have an issue with is with people registering for the race and not taking it seriously. According to TrackShack there were 12,532 finishers for this year's marathon. I can't seem to find the exact number of bibs for that race (news articles say 30,000 but I think hat is across the entire weekend). But let's assume there were 15,000 marathon bibs available (I suspect the number is higher), that means 16.5% of people either did not start or did not finish. A 83.5% finisher rate is significantly smaller than the majors (which is I believe is closer to 98%). I remember in 2018 when there were 25,000 who started but around 20,000 finishers. This seems unfair to those who are going to take the training seriously.

I don't know if there's been any updated numbers but awhile ago @DopeyBadger mentioned that the ratio of finishers to all bibs was usually around 70-80 percent, think it's prob closer to 80 percent. Vast majority of the remaining group is DNS, a few hundred DNF.

 

[Jason Bryer]

I don't know if there's been any updated numbers but awhile ago @DopeyBadger mentioned that the ratio of finishers to all bibs was usually around 70-80 percent, think it's prob closer to 80 percent. Vast majority of the remaining group is DNS, a few hundred DNF.

This just reinforces my point. I understand injuries happen, but that number of DNS feels selfish to me.

 

[marty3d]

This just reinforces my point. I understand injuries happen, but that number of DNS feels selfish to me.

And a lottery won't solve it. It may even make it worse.

 

[RuntheMouse]

First, I commend anyone who wants to run a marathon. I also really love that Disney has created weekends that support people in becoming active. What I have an issue with is with people registering for the race and not taking it seriously. According to TrackShack there were 12,532 finishers for this year's marathon. I can't seem to find the exact number of bibs for that race (news articles say 30,000 but I think hat is across the entire weekend). But let's assume there were 15,000 marathon bibs available (I suspect the number is higher), that means 16.5% of people either did not start or did not finish. A 83.5% finisher rate is significantly smaller than the majors (which is I believe is closer to 98%). I remember in 2018 when there were 25,000 who started but around 20,000 finishers. This seems unfair to those who are going to take the training seriously.

And here’s the doubled edged sword with runDisney and how inclusive it is. So many “influencers” are promoting rD and talking about how generous the cutoff is and how anyone can do it. It’s hard not to get excited and want to be part of it. BUT….if someone is starting from scratch, they don’t really have a good idea of the amount of of training that is involved and how much of your life gets altered getting to the starting line and successfully finishing the race. So now they’re over their skis and have quit but they took a registration spot away from someone else.

I started running because of runDisney but you better believe I took my training very seriously.