Marathon Weekend 2026

[Barca33Runner]

I have stayed both onsite and off-site for various rundisney weekends, but for MW, it’s always been OFF SITE! This is mostly due to cost……I’ve only done Dopey for MW, so it’s a minimum of 6 nights and usually 7-8……so those dollars add up quickly! I can stay in a condo with full kitchen (groceries!!) and W/D for all those race nights. There is ample room to just hang out in no-sleeping spaces too, which is great for spectators and non-runners. It makes a world of difference in overall cost. Plus, offsite restaurants are plentiful and cheaper as well. Hello Cheesecake Factory!

But, I also confess to NOT going to the parks at all until AFTER the marathon. I don’t have an annual pass, and cannot imagine spending on tickets for a couple hours each day. If I go to the parks I am going to MAXIMIZE my time there. So it’s safer for me to abstain. . Team car comes with this of course, but we have never had an issue driving ourselves to/from the races.

Now if money was no object, I would for sure be 100% onsite…..but since it IS, this allows me to do more races each season.

You got to a lot of the points in favor (or at least non-negative) of staying off-site for MW that I missed in my post. Staying off-site is still a great run-cation; I know I’d be right back in the Disney bubble if it wasn’t.

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD:

I'm team "Stay Where Works Best for Your Group."

We have always stayed onsite for MW, but have also stayed offsite and dine the SS 10k (the first year since it lined up with our spring break trip.) Being from the Midwest, we have the strong urge to drive ourselves everywhere, so we always have a rental car and generally drive ourselves to the race start. That means transportation perks don't matter as much to me, and having a longer walk to a bus usually isn't a factor (except for after the marathon I always ride the bus back and then hobble to my room or have DH drive up an pick me up in the rental car.

If I'm staying onsite (and since MW snowballed into us buying a couple of small DVC contracts) I like to stay at SSR. It's got all of the perks of being onsite (busses, early entry, extended evening hours that only deluxe resorts get, etc) but isn't smack dab in the middle of all of the Disney Kool-aid. It's a pretty quiet and peaceful resort, and it's proximity to DS means it has an enormous amount of food options. You can usually park right outside your building, there are TWO pools with slides (if you have kids with you and it's warm enough!) and the QS counter has never been super busy when we've been in to get food. It's also not impacted by road closures getting to MCO if you happen to be leaving on Sunday.

We have also staying at OKW (similar to SSR, but a boatride instead of a walk to DS), BRV (it was uphill to the building and there were stairs to get out of the parking lot), GFV (not our vibe), and BWV (I haaaated how far away the room was from the lobby/parking) during our MW stays.

If I were doing a race weekend with my whole family and being the only runner (or one of the only runners as was the case when SIL did the SS10k with me) I'd prefer to be offsite because there aren't enough good things that can be said about having enough rooms to be able to get away from the other people you are vacationing with. Especially when it includes a bunch of kids! I have similar feelings to @Fischstick on things, but since MW always falls ON or very very NEAR to my birthday I can always talk DH into staying on-site.

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

SAFD: We are team onsite, no question. I love being in the Disney bubble, and we eventually want to stay in ALL the resorts. We always have a car, but never drive to the races. Being on the bus with all the other runners, seeing the costumes, and doing this together at 2:30 in the morning is part of the whole experience. We’ve currently got Pop reservations for MW26. I’m not sure I can even remember all the places we’ve stayed on race weekends—Pop, POFQ, POR, CSR (the tower), OKW, SSR, CBR, maybe others? We’ve stayed at other resorts, but not for races. For PW, I really like POFQ. For MW, Pop is a good choice, mostly for the food court and bus situation.

It’s been a busy time, and I haven’t answered the last couple of SAFDs, but DH had an answer that I meant to post. He has discovered a new favorite fueling option: Lenny & Larry’s The Complete Cremes before running (for breakfast on a run morning). The cookies are 65 calories per cookie, in packs of six. They’re better nutrition than Pop Tarts, and easy on the stomach. I haven’t tried them, but he swears by them. He likes Skittles and Tailwind while running. I tend to do Tailwind and GU or Roctane during a run, and a Clif bar for pre-run. I don’t like Skittles, but they’re convenient for him in the fun size packs, which are a waterproof package.

 

[jpholic]

SAFD: We are team onsite, no question. I love being in the Disney bubble, and we eventually want to stay in ALL the resorts. We always have a car, but never drive to the races. Being on the bus with all the other runners, seeing the costumes, and doing this together at 2:30 in the morning is part of the whole experience. We’ve currently got Pop reservations for MW26. I’m not sure I can even remember all the places we’ve stayed on race weekends—Pop, POFQ, POR, CSR (the tower), OKW, SSR, CBR, maybe others? We’ve stayed at other resorts, but not for races. For PW, I really like POFQ. For MW, Pop is a good choice, mostly for the food court and bus situation.

It’s been a busy time, and I haven’t answered the last couple of SAFDs, but DH had an answer that I meant to post. He has discovered a new favorite fueling option: Lenny & Larry’s The Complete Cremes before running (for breakfast on a run morning). The cookies are 65 calories per cookie, in packs of six. They’re better nutrition than Pop Tarts, and easy on the stomach. I haven’t tried them, but he swears by them. He likes Skittles and Tailwind while running. I tend to do Tailwind and GU or Roctane during a run, and a Clif bar for pre-run. I don’t like Skittles, but they’re convenient for him in the fun size packs, which are a waterproof package.

SAFD: Team Onsite. I've done both but offsite I felt like people didn't want to socialize like they do when you're staying in the bubble. Riding the 3am bus, waiting in line for the bus, feets in the hot tub talks, grabbing a snack in the quick service area. Love the little chit-chats you stumble into and randomly meeting doglebrities like Dash the Dalmatian .

MW staying at BWV.

I'm a double expresso, cliff bar and banana in the wee morning hours. Gets the morning ritual going and settles in my tummy nicely. The gummy Skittles are my new fave replacing Nerds Clusters. You'll see me chomping away on these when I need a sugar boost.

 

[Dopey 2020]

SAFD Team DVC, we have stayed at all but Riviera but prefer AK or WL for race weekends. Both are favorite resorts, both have great food. I think the drive to and from AK is easier, especially after the full, but have to say the hot tub at Copper Creek is one of if not the best and the pool hours are better. Usually comes down to what we can book as far as points/availability. Coming up this year for W&D we scored a 1BR value at AK, MW we are at Copper Creek.

 

[jrsharp21]

SAFD: Another for team onsite. For MW, we have stayed at CBR, CSR, PO Riverside, Pop Century, and when I was there by myself for the first part of MW, before the family flew in, I stayed at the Holiday Inn in hotel circle. My favorite has been the POR. The food court had many options and it was never too crowded. I am also one who likes to drive to the race in the morning. I can control what time I leave and then I have a place to hang out for a bit before walking out to the start. The drive from POR to Epcot is pretty easy. I had no issues with the rest of the resorts. All were good. Just liked POR. We have it booked again for MW 2026.

 

[KCO5988]

SAFD: Team onsite. I'm fine with driving to the races but I want the convivence of Disney transportation to and from the parks after. Decided to stay at Pop for MW because of the skyliner. Riveria has the best GF pizza so I can easily skyliner over there from pop for dinner.

 

[Baloo in MI]

SAFD: Team onsite. I'm fine with driving to the races but I want the convivence of Disney transportation to and from the parks after. Decided to stay at Pop for MW because of the skyliner. Riveria has the best GF pizza so I can easily skyliner over there from pop for dinner.

Is the gluten free pizza at the quick service or different restaurant. Both my daughters have Celiac so I am always on the lookout for a new option.

 

[FlyingDonut]

SAFD
My first WDW races are this year! A few months ago I was offsite but walk-able to everything at DL. I imagine we'll continue to be offsite for any DL races.

We have a small number of DVC points. I didn't realize it'd be a DVC perk, but I was happy to be able to reserve at 11 months for MW when cash bookings took so long to open. For W&D I'm doing the half only. We're at OKW Saturday and Sunday nights, but decided to come a night early and are in an offsite hotel near DS for Friday. The October point chart felt rough and we didn't want to use points for Friday. This also opens us up for water park Saturday.

We're with family for MW at BLT. The theory is being in the bubble and on the monorail will be easiest for the non-Disney people. We'll see how that actually plays out.

 

[KCO5988]

Is the gluten free pizza at the quick service or different restaurant. Both my daughters have Celiac so I am always on the lookout for a new option.

The quick service! The margarita pizza is what I got when we were there for Princess. It's twice the size of their normal flatbreads and could easily feed two (or one dopey participant!)

 

[pluto377]

SAFD: I'm firmly team onsite for MW. I always travel solo for MW so I feel more comfortable in the Disney bubble. I've stayed at AKL, Pop, ASMo, BCV, CCV, and POFQ for race weekends.

For a non-Dopey trip I like Pop. The Skyliner makes it so easy to get to EP/HS and opens up extra food options. And the atmosphere there is top notch with so many runners around.

For a Dopey weekend I prefer to stay DVC if possible. We don't own, so I rent points. Having the kitchen is important so I can prepare some food and eat a bit healthier. I really liked being at BCV because it's so central, but CCV was beautiful and peaceful. Trying out OKW in '26 and excited to check another resort off the list (only 7 left!). I'm thinking this will be a resort heavy trip with not much park time, so I'm hoping it will be a nice location to relax in.

I usually rent a car, but take buses to the races. I'm too frazzled in the mornings to think about driving. I like having the car to get groceries and go to the parks.

 

[WhereInFlorida]

I try and get a room at one of the Crescent Lake resorts, or Skyliner resort if prices are out of control. After a full training season of getting up early for training runs and what family has to go through for RD obsession, it is nice to give them some time to sleep in and see me at mile 24 when the sun has come up.

 

[DianaMB333]

Team DVC as well, and a bit fanatic of split stays…
I try to stay in MK resorts from arrival (usually Wed before expo) until Saturday, that way I can watch fireworks without going too late to bed … or that’s the plan LOL

Then I move to a studio in Riv or AK or BCV to have an easier return on Sunday.

Split stay means I could go to the water park (check in day benefit) on both days - weather consideration; and that I can choose which spa pool to use

 

[col1]

SAFD: For WDW I have stayed on site on all 4 occasions I have ran there 2 x MW 1 x Springtime Surprise and 1 x Race for the taste 10k. Stayed once at Coronado and the others at various All Star Resorts. We never hire a car when we are there so I like the simplicity of the on site transport.

For DL I have always stayed off site and just walked to the start. I would really like to stay at Pixar Pier and Grand Californian one day though.

 

[The Expert]

I'm not even going to try and catch up on SAFD after being at WDW through the last two postings, but I will address this:

Don't have a dedicated spectator? Ask here and someone might be able to help you. Personally, I'm going to be spectating for the 2026 marathon and plan on being the "supply sherpa" for as many people as I can coordinate with.

I'm definitely planning to add a marathon (and maybe HM) spectator section to the magical DisBoards runDisney Marathon Weekend Packet of Useful Info for 2026. We'll gather locations/mile markers and timing to add to the map and timing spreadsheet, and designate if they are planning to hand out items (I will always bring a big box of Kleenex), willing to make drink runs, or take personal items for later retrieval.

 

[camaker]

Good morning RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week's edition of Sundays are for Disney (SAFD). This week, let's talk about one of a runner's favorite topics: shoes. Everyone has different wants and needs from their shoes, so what are your go-to model(s)? Do you have different shoes for different types of runs? Do you rotate? Between models or within a model? If it's shoe related, it's fair game for this week's SAFD. Plus, I hear @Herding_Cats may be in the market for some new ones.

SAFD: I'm pretty simple with my approach to shoes. I've got self-proclaimed "Princess feet" that are finicky about what I can run in. So, for me, it's Brooks Ghosts for all my runs. Races, long runs, slow runs, tempo runs, it doesn't matter. I do, typically, have two pairs in service at one time and rotate between them to ensure they're "fresh" for the day's run. It used to be the Glycerin in that slot for me, but Brooks broke them with the 15s, making them too soft. I dread the day when they do that to the Ghosts and I have to find a replacement. To try and mitigate that risk, I keep several new pairs of my current shoe model in the closet and "buy behind the version". When a new version comes out, I buy the retiring version on clearance to save money. After a bit, I'll also buy one pair of the new version to audition. If they work well, I know I'm good to continue my pattern for at least another year. If they don't, the stockpile of the older version buys me time to look for a suitable replacement to switch to.

 

[MinnesotaDisneyFan]

SAFD: For training I alternate between a variety of shoes, primarily New Balance 1080 and Hoka Cliftons. But recently I have found a race day shoe that has blown my mind. I’m not a fast enough runner that I’ve ever notice a marked difference with carbon plated shoes. Until I started running races in the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2. Never have I felt so propelled forward by the rocking motion of a shoe. Adding to that they are so light with a very comfortable upper. The soles are so squishy and impact absorbing. The only downside to that squishiness is they are not the most stable shoe and take some getting used to. But the pros far outweigh that con and I’ve run my fastest 10K, half and full marathons in them in 5 years. Highly recommend.

​

 

[WillRunForPizza]

SAFD: I never had a thing for shoes until I started running.

Now I have a whole freaking collection:
- ASICS Novablast 4 (for easy/recovery runs, possibly a bit faster)
- ASICS Noosa Tri 15 (same)
- NB Fresh Foam More v4 (for recovery runs)
- ASICS Superblast 2 (for long runs)
- ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris (for races, plus an older pair that I use for workouts)

As you can see, I like ASICS a lot (though to be fair they also made the absolute worst shoe I have ever run in, the Magic Speed 3). A couple of years ago I was wearing the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3s for racing, but the strange experience of having my foot not quite line up with the shoe threw me off and I switched to the Metaspeeds. I liked the Endorphin Speed 3s for a while too but they eventually started giving me blisters on the sides of my feet - they're pretty narrow. I have previously also worn various iterations of Ghosts and NB 880s but have gravitated away from those, mainly just because I like the ones I have now better.

I have backup pairs of the Novablasts and Noosa Tris for when my current pairs die; then I'll probably move on to the next version unless they've completely screwed them up. But I am shoe-curious and always willing to try something new (especially if it's on sale).

 

[The Expert]

SAFD: I've gone from Asics to NB Fuel Cell to Topos (which I'm convinced gave me plantar fasciitis), and have run in Brooks Ghost Max for the last year or so. I have two or three pair of the same model I rotate through during training. I don't switch out for long vs short or for treadmill vs road, but I do make sure a have at least one fresh pair (ie a month or less old) as races approach.

I'm in the market for a good trail shoe now, so keeping an eye on these responses for suggestions. As you can tell, I tend like a squishy, bouncy shoe, but my roads are gravel/dirt and I'll be adding in some forested and rooted trails soon, so I need something with decent traction that isn't too hard.

 

[JackosinDIS]

I don’t even know what type of running shoes I have?! ‘NB’ does that stand for new balance?

When I announced I was doing the 10k with DH these just arrived from Amazon the next day… they are comfy and are better than the flip flops and or wellies that I am otherwise found in!

If anyone spots me happily jogging along feel free to tell me what they are!