Marathon Weekend 2026

[Erika10021]

SAFD:

I have also had various chafing issues if I forget a little body glide or similar. But the blisters on my feet were the bane of my existence. Then I discovered Vick’s VapoRub. I put it all over my feet, between my toes and all over my toenails. I haven’t had a blister since (though occasionally achy toenails).

 

[RuntheMouse]

SAFD: I’m pretty liberal with the anti-chafe stick. I use Gold Bond stick, it works better for me than Body Glide. I use it around the band of my sports bra and the underside of my boobs. I wear bike shorts and use it along the waist of them as well. A new area I’m having issues with in this block is the side pocket in my shorts where I put my phone. The seam at the bottom of the pocket is starting to chafe on long runs when it’s hot so a quick swipe there as well.

 

[Naomeri]

SAFD: Body Glide keeps my chafing in check, unless I wear something new that hits me weird. My major trouble spot is under my upper arm, particularly on my left arm (probably because I wear my watch on that arm and I'm super careful to keep that arm moving to get steps and mileage) So I rarely run in short sleeve shirts, because the sleeves hit me in just the worst spot, but tank tops or long sleeve work best.

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD: I can count on less than one hand the number of times I’ve experienced chafing from running. I have no secrets - I think it’s mostly this: every article of run clothing I use is buttery soft, with no problematic seams; for at least 6 months of the year, it’s so hot here in FL every inch of me stays slick with sweat within minutes of starting a run and slick skin-on-skin = no chafing; the months when it’s not blazingly hot, I’m wearing clothes that don’t allow skin-on-skin contact. I do liberally apply 2 Toms Sport Shield to my inner thighs when wearing split shorts, only because it prevents friction until sweat takes over the job.

Now, theme park days at WDW in the heat are another story, because I’m in and out of AC and damp, but not slick, skin gets friction-y. I like Monistat’s anti-chafe goo for around my bra area and where shirt armholes might rub - it works like 2 Toms but is less messy. Bodyglide is good for toe protection in new Birkenstocks until the suede smooths down.

 

[DianaMB333]

SAFD: Vaseline it is.. for sports bra baseline, for the waist when wearing compression pants,
occasionally I also use the body glide in thighs but overall Vaseline is my go to.

plus Injinji socks, wearing those have made a world of difference! I still put vaseline in between the toes if the weather is hot/humid.

When I wear the chest HR strap I put a square cotton on the side where it clips; that and vaseline has helped a lot

 

[WillRunForPizza]

SAFD: Vaseline usually works pretty well for me. If I'm completely drenched (like the time I ran through a fountain), I might get a little chafing, but mostly I don't have too many issues.

 

[matt and beth]

SAFD:

Grooming and Vaseline help. Once I wore the two in one shorts that had an inside pocket on the latex. I put my phone in there for the HM. When I got in the shower I almost jumped through the floor above. The phone had rubbed a hole on my skin. Won’t ever do that again.

 

[JackosinDIS]

SAFD: oooh this sounds like something to look forward to… I’ve not run far / fast enough to generate any chafing yet

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Temporarily coming out of lurker mode in this thread to say that running out of band aids is a very real problem. This was a year ago tomorrows.

Edit-or a year ago two days from now

 

[Naomeri]

SAFD:

Grooming and Vaseline help. Once I wore the two in one shorts that had an inside pocket on the latex. I put my phone in there for the HM. When I got in the shower I almost jumped through the floor above. The phone had rubbed a hole on my skin. Won’t ever do that again.

I did something like that once. I decided I wanted to carry water for a Disney HM, but didn't want to use my Nathan handheld. So I stuck the bottle in my leggings pocket. It was totally fine during the race, until I actually took the bottle out to use it and repositioned it when I put it back in the pocket. I ended up abandoning the bottle at the bottom of the cloverleaf before Epcot. The post-race bath was really un-fun.

 

[WDW 4 ME]

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to score a bib for the marathon through telegram! This will be my first marathon and I am feeling all the feelings. Excited, nervous, sick! . This is my first time posting, and am very excited to have a built in support group!

I have successfully completed the springtime surprise challenge this past April, along with a couple of local half marathons. I’m definitely nervous about the fuel I need to bring for the full. For my half’s, I just shoved 4-5 gels in my biker shorts pockets. I get overstimulated very easily so belts and vests just haven’t worked well for me. How many gels/snacks does everyone bring and how do you store them all?

 

[RuntheMouse]

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to score a bib for the marathon through telegram! This will be my first marathon and I am feeling all the feelings. Excited, nervous, sick! . This is my first time posting, and am very excited to have a built in support group!

I have successfully completed the springtime surprise challenge this past April, along with a couple of local half marathons. I’m definitely nervous about the fuel I need to bring for the full. For my half’s, I just shoved 4-5 gels in my biker shorts pockets. I get overstimulated very easily so belts and vests just haven’t worked well for me. How many gels/snacks does everyone bring and how do you store them all?

Welcome! So exciting about the marathon bib!

Everyone has different needs when it comes to fueling. You’ll figure out what works best for you during training. Today on my 16 miler I had fruit snacks before I left, 2 Huma gels, another fruit snacks and a fruit leather. DH met me halfway to refill my handheld with liquid iv and brought me some Fruit Loops.

 

[mmm_texas]

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to score a bib for the marathon through telegram! This will be my first marathon and I am feeling all the feelings. Excited, nervous, sick! . This is my first time posting, and am very excited to have a built in support group!

I have successfully completed the springtime surprise challenge this past April, along with a couple of local half marathons. I’m definitely nervous about the fuel I need to bring for the full. For my half’s, I just shoved 4-5 gels in my biker shorts pockets. I get overstimulated very easily so belts and vests just haven’t worked well for me. How many gels/snacks does everyone bring and how do you store them all?

I found my planning notes for the 2024 WDW Marathon, and apparently I used 10 Gu gel packs. These fit in my shorts pockets, five to a side at the start. For me anyway that was plenty, I could perhaps have been fine with less but it wasn't too much either. I planned them out to coincide with hydration stops (since I don't carry my own hydration). For reference, I'm an older runner, on the slower side.

In case it's of any interest, here are those fueling notes from the marathon. (I stopped at each hydration stop and had one or two cups of Powerade at each, but the numbers below indicate which stops I also ate a Gu pack, i.e. I only drank at stops 1 and 4, but I also fueled at stops 2 and 3, etc.)

WDW 2024 Marathon

2 - ~2.5 miles
3 - just before mile 5
5 - ~ 7.4 miles
6 - just before mile 10
8 - just before mile 12
10 - just after mile 14
12 - ~ 17.6 miles
14 - just after mile 20
16 - a bit before mile 23
18 - ~ 24.4 miles

 

[Naomeri]

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to score a bib for the marathon through telegram! This will be my first marathon and I am feeling all the feelings. Excited, nervous, sick! . This is my first time posting, and am very excited to have a built in support group!

I have successfully completed the springtime surprise challenge this past April, along with a couple of local half marathons. I’m definitely nervous about the fuel I need to bring for the full. For my half’s, I just shoved 4-5 gels in my biker shorts pockets. I get overstimulated very easily so belts and vests just haven’t worked well for me. How many gels/snacks does everyone bring and how do you store them all?

I think I brought half a dozen little packs of fruit snacks for the marathon this year, and I don't think I ate them all.

I used this magnetic pouch over my skirt at the small of my back to hold things. I didn't even notice it was there, and I also had the matching pouch that holds a little 12oz water bottle. In addition to the fruit snacks in the big pouch, I also had some chapstick, extra gum, and a folded up plastic bag, which was SUPER helpful for the end of the race, when they give you so much stuff to carry (bottle of water (plus a Powerade if you're into that), ear hat, 3 medals (I did Dopey), plus a snack box)

 

[matt and beth]

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to score a bib for the marathon through telegram! This will be my first marathon and I am feeling all the feelings. Excited, nervous, sick! . This is my first time posting, and am very excited to have a built in support group!

I have successfully completed the springtime surprise challenge this past April, along with a couple of local half marathons. I’m definitely nervous about the fuel I need to bring for the full. For my half’s, I just shoved 4-5 gels in my biker shorts pockets. I get overstimulated very easily so belts and vests just haven’t worked well for me. How many gels/snacks does everyone bring and how do you store them all?

Welcome and awesome. I hate carrying or storing anything on board. Always have. Done a few handhelds with fuel in the drinkables. Tried belts and vests during my long a go ultra days but ick. There is fuel on the course such as bananas or jelly beans. I’d try to train with them for fuel and/or maybe have a loved one on course to toss you what you need. Water and Powerade is very plentiful. Generally and personally, I train without fuel to get a little used to burning what’s on board during a race. Full disclosure I’m a mid packer

 

[FFigawi]

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to score a bib for the marathon through telegram! This will be my first marathon and I am feeling all the feelings. Excited, nervous, sick! . This is my first time posting, and am very excited to have a built in support group!

I have successfully completed the springtime surprise challenge this past April, along with a couple of local half marathons. I’m definitely nervous about the fuel I need to bring for the full. For my half’s, I just shoved 4-5 gels in my biker shorts pockets. I get overstimulated very easily so belts and vests just haven’t worked well for me. How many gels/snacks does everyone bring and how do you store them all?

I fuel a marathon in one of two ways, either Tailwind or gels/chews. In both cases, I target ~75g of carbs per hour. When using Tailwind, I mix two soft flasks with enough to get me through the race and carry them in a Naked belt. The end result is super concentrated and kind of syrupy, but very easy to use. When not using Tailwind, I stuff a variety of Skratch chews, Clif gels and bloks, and Sport Beans into the Naked belt, allowing me to carry everything I need without having to rely on the on-course aid stations. The Naked belts are very tight and never bounce, no matter how full they get. You don't notice them at all once they're on and you're running.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to score a bib for the marathon through telegram! This will be my first marathon and I am feeling all the feelings. Excited, nervous, sick! . This is my first time posting, and am very excited to have a built in support group!

I have successfully completed the springtime surprise challenge this past April, along with a couple of local half marathons. I’m definitely nervous about the fuel I need to bring for the full. For my half’s, I just shoved 4-5 gels in my biker shorts pockets. I get overstimulated very easily so belts and vests just haven’t worked well for me. How many gels/snacks does everyone bring and how do you store them all?

Welcome! Your first marathon is very exciting!

Fueling is critical for the marathon, and while there will be a bit of fuel on course (usually bananas and Sport Beans, as others have mentioned), it's definitely not enough for the whole race. Use your long runs to figure out what works for you. It's worth tweaking your vest/belt setup to try to find something that works for you even just because that will help a lot with long runs. I can't imagine running 18 miles without having something to carry my hydration and fuel!

Like @FFigawi, I run longer races with a Naked belt - if you get the right size, it's really not noticeable. I can fit two 8oz soft flasks, quite a few gels (I aim for 70-80g of carbs/hour), and my phone in there with no problems. I know people also like Flipbelts for similar reasons, though I've found they bounce a bit more and don't hold as much. Flipbelt makes shorts with a lot of pockets as well if you really can't do a belt. I haven't tried those myself, but I have heard numerous people recommend them.

If you're traveling with someone, there's also the option to have them meet you at some point on the course to hand you additional fuel. There's a small risk that you won't find each other for whatever reason, but other people have successfully done this in the past.

 

[nancipants]

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to score a bib for the marathon through telegram! This will be my first marathon and I am feeling all the feelings. Excited, nervous, sick! . This is my first time posting, and am very excited to have a built in support group!

I have successfully completed the springtime surprise challenge this past April, along with a couple of local half marathons. I’m definitely nervous about the fuel I need to bring for the full. For my half’s, I just shoved 4-5 gels in my biker shorts pockets. I get overstimulated very easily so belts and vests just haven’t worked well for me. How many gels/snacks does everyone bring and how do you store them all?

Welcome! I also use Tailwind. I carry a handheld water bottle for the Tailwind and use the aid stations for plain water. For the marathon, I also had two bananas from the food stops (one after Magic Kingdom and one after Animal Kingdom), and a few applesauce pouches. I carried everything in my handheld and my shorts pockets, but found it really annoying whenever I had to go to the bathroom and readjust everything in my pockets. For shorter races, it's not as big of a deal (I can do halfs with zero or one bathroom stops), but since I'm a back of the packer, I know there's no way I can go the entire marathon without several bathroom stops. For this reason, I'm planning to run the next marathon with a Flipbelt, which I've been trying out on long runs. The first one I tried bounced too much, but then I went down a size and it felt like it was part of my shorts.

 

[marty3d]

SAFD: I luckily don't usually experience much chafing except in long (Half Marathon +) runs or wet weather. I use Bosy glide - I find either the stick or cream work for me.

The biggest issue I had with my first Dopey was blisters - I've found that not running in the same pair of shoes 2 days in a row made a world of difference for me. For Dopey I usually bring 3 pairs of running shoes (mostly in case of rain otherwise I could get by with 2 pairs).

 

[PrincessV]

Hello everyone! I was lucky enough to score a bib for the marathon through telegram! This will be my first marathon and I am feeling all the feelings. Excited, nervous, sick! . This is my first time posting, and am very excited to have a built in support group!

I have successfully completed the springtime surprise challenge this past April, along with a couple of local half marathons. I’m definitely nervous about the fuel I need to bring for the full. For my half’s, I just shoved 4-5 gels in my biker shorts pockets. I get overstimulated very easily so belts and vests just haven’t worked well for me. How many gels/snacks does everyone bring and how do you store them all?

Welcome aboard! All of those feelings are totally normal and part of the marathon fun.

I’m a gel user, too, and let me tell you: you can stuff way more of those things into a pocket than you think! I take a gel every 45-50 minutes, so how many I need is based on estimated finish time, and I learn that through training runs. I always pack at least one more gel than I think I need, for races and in training. That covers me if one gets lost along the way, or the wheels come off and I take longer than expected, or I forget just how far from home I am on an out-and-back run, or if I don’t need them all and see someone else in need. As an example, for a 6:30:00 marathon, I carried 9 gels - all jammed into a stretchy pocket. Pro-tip: if your body can handle any gel, GU gels come in the smallest packages: you can REALLY fill a pocket with those, lol!