Marathon Weekend 2026

[The Expert]

Concerning the comments about “only the marathon” affecting non-running guests:
One year at OKW when running Goofy, we ate breakfast at Olivia’s on 5k day. People at a nearby table were loudly cursing the waitress because of all the early morning noise—people up and about so early, internal busses running, DJ and announcers, fireworks, etc., that disturbed their sleep that morning. The waitress called for a manager who politely upgraded the couple to a resort much farther from the start line. (I forgot which resort.) So there CAN be disturbances/ disruptions other than traffic and park hours that Disney has to deal with. Still these are probably a small number.

I wish folks could have a little perspective and realize how ridiculous they sound for complaining about this. Disney puts a notice in all the hotel rooms on race weekends warning of potential disruption AND I've even received voicemails when staying on the route.

Still, there are folks who are oblivious. We used to always stay at Boardwalk so my family could cheer and spectate from the resort. One year they were on the balcony cheering runners, waving signs, when the occupants of an adjacent room stormed outside, ready to confront the noise. They were briefly confused, then figured out what was going on and went back inside without saying a word. Not long after that incident, the Boardwalk became a "quiet zone" for all races, which is truly disappointing.

I've said it before and will die on this hill -- it's only a few days a year. Let the runners have their moment!

 

[WDW 4 ME]

This is good advice about the change of temps before and after MK. I ditched my gloves inside MK. After we got back outside the park, I was wishing I still had those gloves on. I couldn't feel my fingers when I went to re-tie my shoes and it took forever to do it because they were so numb.

I’m glad to know this! I’m preparing for cold or hot, but that in between is the hardest to dress for! One minute cold, the next comfy, then cold again. Ugh

 

[WDW 4 ME]

I picked up the original last year from the suggestions of the board and it was way better than the belt I used before. I stuffed 8 GU gels and my phone in mine. Didn't lose one. The year before, I lost two GU packs out on the course when they fell out of the little loops on the previous belt.

Oh no! Hope loosing your GUs didn’t cause many issues. I probably would have started spiraling! Lol

 

[AZMermaid]

I’m training for the marathon (my first) using Galloway so far. I had some plans to switch to Hal Higdon when that plan starts in a couple weeks. But now I’m conflicted and could use your opinion.

My main thing against Galloway is the latter long runs that are SO long. Also I wonder if the two 30 minute runs mid week are sufficient. But I recognize these things work together.

Hal has one extra mid week run with increasing length. Doing more than a 4 mile run mid week is tough for me time wise with my job (teacher), my teens (competitive athletes who don’t yet drive), and the heat (AZ- 100-110 till Halloween, lows generally mid 80s). I’ve used Hal for my previous half marathons. The longest ones don’t come i to play until later in the program so I could probably do it after work, but dang, first graders wear me out!

I’m 45 and overweight, but can run 3 miles at 13mm. Longer than that, I run/walk at a 60/30, generally at a 13:15ish pace. I’d still run/walk with Hal’s mileage if I go that route.

My gut tells me stick with Galloway because it really does fit my schedule better. And either suck up the highest weeks or just go to 20-22 and call it good. I could add a third 30 minute or 3-4 mile run to the training. But would that over do it on the long run weeks?

Thanks for reading and any advice!

 

[Herding_Cats]

I’m training for the marathon (my first) using Galloway so far. I had some plans to switch to Hal Higdon when that plan starts in a couple weeks. But now I’m conflicted and could use your opinion.

My main thing against Galloway is the latter long runs that are SO long. Also I wonder if the two 30 minute runs mid week are sufficient. But I recognize these things work together.

Hal has one extra mid week run with increasing length. Doing more than a 4 mile run mid week is tough for me time wise with my job (teacher), my teens (competitive athletes who don’t yet drive), and the heat (AZ- 100-110 till Halloween, lows generally mid 80s). I’ve used Hal for my previous half marathons. The longest ones don’t come i to play until later in the program so I could probably do it after work, but dang, first graders wear me out!

I’m 45 and overweight, but can run 3 miles at 13mm. Longer than that, I run/walk at a 60/30, generally at a 13:15ish pace. I’d still run/walk with Hal’s mileage if I go that route.

My gut tells me stick with Galloway because it really does fit my schedule better. And either suck up the highest weeks or just go to 20-22 and call it good. I could add a third 30 minute or 3-4 mile run to the training. But would that over do it on the long run weeks?

Thanks for reading and any advice!

Which plan are you more able/likely to complete? Which one fits your life better? That’s the one to do.

 

[PrincessV]

I’m training for the marathon (my first) using Galloway so far. I had some plans to switch to Hal Higdon when that plan starts in a couple weeks. But now I’m conflicted and could use your opinion.

My main thing against Galloway is the latter long runs that are SO long. Also I wonder if the two 30 minute runs mid week are sufficient. But I recognize these things work together.

Hal has one extra mid week run with increasing length. Doing more than a 4 mile run mid week is tough for me time wise with my job (teacher), my teens (competitive athletes who don’t yet drive), and the heat (AZ- 100-110 till Halloween, lows generally mid 80s). I’ve used Hal for my previous half marathons. The longest ones don’t come i to play until later in the program so I could probably do it after work, but dang, first graders wear me out!

I’m 45 and overweight, but can run 3 miles at 13mm. Longer than that, I run/walk at a 60/30, generally at a 13:15ish pace. I’d still run/walk with Hal’s mileage if I go that route.

My gut tells me stick with Galloway because it really does fit my schedule better. And either suck up the highest weeks or just go to 20-22 and call it good. I could add a third 30 minute or 3-4 mile run to the training. But would that over do it on the long run weeks?

Thanks for reading and any advice!

Either plan will work, so whatever best meets your needs should come out on top.

But I’ll offer another option: you can tweak either to better suit your wants and needs. I use the run-walk method and loosely follow Galloway’s plans of long runs followed by cut-backs every other week - but my mid-week runs are 40-50 minutes, I do a 3rd mid-week short speed or hill session, and my longest long runs for the marathon and Dopey topped out at 20ish. You can always start with either plan and tweak it as you go.

 

[nancipants]

I’m in the Galloway Customized group. My mid-week runs are usually 45 minutes. I do a cardio workout on one of my off days, usually a walk or pool run. The other two days I do strength training. And then my long run on the weekend (which is sometimes speed work). I was initially very hesitant about the super long runs, but after this month I only have one of them per month. So far, I’m enjoying the flexibility of the plan and not running a ton during the week. Also, some people do run an extra day, but do it easy. I’ve considered asking to put another easy run on my schedule, but I like having two days specified for lifting and another day for walking or swimming. It feels way more manageable.

 

[AZMermaid]

Which plan are you more able/likely to complete? Which one fits your life better? That’s the one to do.

Galloway I’d say.

But I’ll offer another option: you can tweak either to better suit your wants and needs. I use the run-walk method and loosely follow Galloway’s plans of long runs followed by cut-backs every other week - but my mid-week runs are 40-50 minutes, I do a 3rd mid-week short speed or hill session, and my longest long runs for the marathon and Dopey topped out at 20ish. You can always start with either plan and tweak it as you go.

That’s a good idea to lengthen the mid week runs a little, especially when it cools off some. Then I’d feel better if I didn’t go to the full 26 beforehand

I’m in the Galloway Customized group. My mid-week runs are usually 45 minutes. I do a cardio workout on one of my off days, usually a walk or pool run. The other two days I do strength training. And then my long run on the weekend (which is sometimes speed work). I was initially very hesitant about the super long runs, but after this month I only have one of them per month. So far, I’m enjoying the flexibility of the plan and not running a ton during the week. Also, some people do run an extra day, but do it easy. I’ve considered asking to put another easy run on my schedule, but I like having two days specified for lifting and another day for walking or swimming. It feels way more manageable.

I’m not doing anything besides running right now. I’m on my feet a lot at work, but no strength or anything. I know I should… but I haven’t committed to it yet. But good to know tweaking it a bit is possible.

Thanks guys! Okay! I think I’m gonna go with Galloway and try to add another mid week run after Labor Day. Maybe 30 min/3 miles/30 min. That sorta mimics the HH but I’ll leave it stable or maybe go up to 4 on the later weeks.

I have 9 next weekend and I’m already stressed, lol!

 

[sandam1]

My main thing against Galloway is the latter long runs that are SO long. Also I wonder if the two 30 minute runs mid week are sufficient. But I recognize these things work together.

Yes, the two short runs per week is sufficient, but as others have noted, these runs can be between 30-45 minutes. That being said, there is some more "stuff" in the runDisney experienced marathoner training plan.

I've heard Chris Twiggs, the national training director for Jeff Galloway, tell the story of how he found Jeff's training plan. He was a grad student, working three jobs, and have a 10+ mile run on a weekday. While he was doing it, he thought that there had to be a better way. The appeal of Jeff's plan is that you can just do those 3 days. Yes, the downside is the very LONG long runs, but that's what you have to do to get your evenings back during the week. That's a bargain that I will make every day of the week.

I am a back of the packer so I totally understand how long it takes to do the 20+ mile runs (my 26 mile runs take me between 7.5-8 hours). Personally, I just treat it like another day of work. I plan for it ahead of time and I tell the people in my life that I'm not available those days. As Nanci mentioned, once the numbers (and the time commitment) starts getting really big, they are only every 3 weeks.

I’m in the Galloway Customized group. My mid-week runs are usually 45 minutes. I do a cardio workout on one of my off days, usually a walk or pool run. The other two days I do strength training. And then my long run on the weekend (which is sometimes speed work). I was initially very hesitant about the super long runs, but after this month I only have one of them per month. So far, I’m enjoying the flexibility of the plan and not running a ton during the week. Also, some people do run an extra day, but do it easy. I’ve considered asking to put another easy run on my schedule, but I like having two days specified for lifting and another day for walking or swimming. It feels way more manageable.

Like Nanci, I'm also in Customized. Her post highlights the one thing that A LOT of runners miss about the Galloway plan. While you can do 3 days a week, it is recommended that you do additional cross-training on at least some of the other days.

That’s a good idea to lengthen the mid week runs a little, especially when it cools off some.

I’m not doing anything besides running right now. I’m on my feet a lot at work, but no strength or anything. I know I should… but I haven’t committed to it yet. But good to know tweaking it a bit is possible.

Thanks guys! Okay! I think I’m gonna go with Galloway and try to add another mid week run after Labor Day. Maybe 30 min/3 miles/30 min. That sorta mimics the HH but I’ll leave it stable or maybe go up to 4 on the later weeks.

In Customized, the guidance that we get is that you can add an additional day of running, but if you find yourself running on tired legs, that's your body signal to drop the extra run day. Also, cross-training can be as simple as walking, aqua jogging (this is a super thing to do), or biking. With all of these, you get the benefits without putting additional pounding on your legs (and risking injury).

Then I’d feel better if I didn’t go to the full 26 beforehand

Just to throw this out there, I cannot tell you how mentally beneficial that 26 miler was for before my first marathon (and my second one). When things got very hard at Mile 23-24, I kept telling myself that I knew I could do it because I had already done it. Do people not go 26 miles before they do a marathon? Absolutely, all of the time! But as Jeff says "you're going to hit the wall at the longest distance that you've done in training." That's why when people talk about "hitting the wall," it is around Mile 20-21. If you're already spending the hours - and hours and hours - to get up to 20 miles or 22 miles or whatever, consider going the full distance just to get the endurance and the mental boost of knowing that you can go the distance. (Note: I do always leave the last .2 miles for race day)

 

[PrincessV]

Galloway I’d say.

That’s a good idea to lengthen the mid week runs a little, especially when it cools off some. Then I’d feel better if I didn’t go to the full 26 beforehand


I’m not doing anything besides running right now. I’m on my feet a lot at work, but no strength or anything. I know I should… but I haven’t committed to it yet. But good to know tweaking it a bit is possible.

Thanks guys! Okay! I think I’m gonna go with Galloway and try to add another mid week run after Labor Day. Maybe 30 min/3 miles/30 min. That sorta mimics the HH but I’ll leave it stable or maybe go up to 4 on the later weeks.

I have 9 next weekend and I’m already stressed, lol!

Florida runner here, so I’m entirely familiar with how HARD the early months of WDW marathon training are in the heat! Some tips:

1. Think time over distance while it’s so hot. You should be slowing your pace in the heat, so 10 miles in cool weather would take less time to complete than 10 miles in summer heat, right? Go by the time you’d expect to complete the distance in cooler weather rather than the actual distance.

2. If you have alternatives, chunk up your long runs. I used to start outdoors 30 mins before sunrise and stop an hour after sunrise - if I still had mileage/time to complete, I’d finish that on the treadmill or in the pool.

3. Above all, listen to your body! The cumulative effect of heat I find is more draining over time than high mileage later in the training, when temps are more reasonable. Cutting a long run back a mile because you’re overheating will not matter in the end, I promise! Same for walking more than you’d intend to on race day - a go-to summer strategy for me is adding an extra walk break every half mile. Heck, sometimes I’ll walk most of the final mile. It’s fine: it’ll still get you to your goal. Youv’e got this!

 

[Zutroy]

…

I am a back of the packer so I totally understand how long it takes to do the 20+ mile runs (my 26 mile runs take me between 7.5-8 hours).

…
Just to throw this out there, I cannot tell you how mentally beneficial that 26 miler was for before my first marathon (and my second one). When things got very hard at Mile 23-24, I kept telling myself that I knew I could do it because I had already done it. Do people not go 26 miles before they do a marathon? Absolutely, all of the time! But as Jeff says "you're going to hit the wall at the longest distance that you've done in training." That's why when people talk about "hitting the wall," it is around Mile 20-21.

I’m sorry, but this is terrible advice. (1) There’s no point in spending 8 hours on a run. That’s ridiculous. What benefits do you get? The entire purpose of the long run is to build VO2 max and aerobic ability. You aren’t gaining anything by running more than 3 hours, and instead you are risking injury. It would be infinity better to run shorter and faster than walking 8 hours at an 18 mile/min pace. Ask yourself—how does this run improve my training? If it doesn’t, then it’s just junk miles.

(2) People hit the wall at mile 20 because that is the distance at which the body has exhausted its glycogen stores. If you haven’t fueled properly, your body simply runs out of energy as it tries to transition from glycogen to fat to power your muscles. It has nothing to do with the length of a training run.

 

[mmm_texas]

I’m sorry, but this is terrible advice. (1) There’s no point in spending 8 hours on a run. That’s ridiculous. What benefits do you get? The entire purpose of the long run is to build VO2 max and aerobic ability. You aren’t gaining anything by running more than 3 hours, and instead you are risking injury. It would be infinity better to run shorter and faster than walking 8 hours at an 18 mile/min pace. Ask yourself—how does this run improve my training? If it doesn’t, then it’s just junk miles.

(2) People hit the wall at mile 20 because that is the distance at which the body has exhausted its glycogen stores. If you haven’t fueled properly, your body simply runs out of energy as it tries to transition from glycogen to fat to power your muscles. It has nothing to do with the length of a training run.

I don't think it can be dismissed so easily. First of all, @sandam1 explicitly said it has been beneficial for them. Also, on my first Dopey the "wall" I hit around mile 20 was soreness, mainly in my feet, and I attributed it to not enough "time on feet" during training. My next Dopey training I managed to get in more long runs (although admittedly I did top out at 23 miles), and that time the marathon went great. Finally, Jeff Galloway has many years of data to draw on, and my understanding of his advice is that it doesn't matter how long it takes, the distance is what's important for long runs. (Also, for me anyway if I'm not fueling and not staying in the aerobic zone, I'll hit the glycogen "wall" much earlier than 20 miles, probably by 10 or 12.)

 

[Zutroy]

I don't think it can be dismissed so easily. First of all, @sandam1 explicitly said it has been beneficial for them. Also, on my first Dopey the "wall" I hit around mile 20 was soreness, mainly in my feet, and I attributed it to not enough "time on feet" during training. My next Dopey training I managed to get in more long runs (although admittedly I did top out at 23 miles), and that time the marathon went great. Finally, Jeff Galloway has many years of data to draw on, and my understanding of his advice is that it doesn't matter how long it takes, the distance is what's important for long runs. (Also, for me anyway if I'm not fueling and not staying in the aerobic zone, I'll hit the glycogen "wall" much earlier than 20 miles, probably by 10 or 12.)

“Hitting the wall” has a real definition. It is not fatigue, and you are not burning 1500 calories after running 10 miles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitting_the_wall

 

[camaker]

Good afternoon RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week's edition of Sundays are for Disney (SAFD). As training ramps up and the miles increase, how do you keep yourself entertained as the runs get longer and longer? Do you rock out to your favorite playlists, Disney or otherwise? Are podcasts or audiobooks your distraction of choice? Or are you a treadmill video warrior committed to Netflix and not quite so chill? Do you take the same approach for training runs and races?

SAFD: I tried the music playlist route early in my running career. Unfortunately, I quickly found out that I got tired of hearing the same playlist over and over again, not to mention that when I started using @DopeyBadger training plans the tempo of the music interfered with my ability to manage my pace. I've found that audiobooks are the perfect accompaniment to my running. I put on a good book, usually sci-fi or fantasy, and let my mind get lost in the story while my body ticks off the miles. The downside is the resultant bite Audible takes out of my budget!

Audiobooks are for training only, though. I typically race with nothing other than the voices in my head. I prefer to be tuned in to my body and focused on the moment on race day. The exception to this is if I'm running an ultra where I have access to support, I'll often have my headphones ready to go, if needed. I've found that I can use upbeat music to give myself a surge of energy late in a race and that can be a lifesaver.

 

[mmm_texas]

“Hitting the wall” has a real definition. It is not fatigue, and you are not burning 1500 calories after running 10 miles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitting_the_wall

I put "wall" in quotes intending to connote a more general meaning. But even speaking of the glycogen wall, the Wikipedia article you reference says "running can easily consume 600–800 or more kcal per hour", and also that the total 1500 kcal listed "may not be available for any specific type of exercise". By my math, that suggests it's possible to hit that wall somewhere around 2 hours of running, which could easily be 10 miles. Which lines up with my actual experience. Not everyone is the same, YMMV.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

SAFD: I listen to podcasts on most of my runs. If I'm working really hard (whether it's a workout or a race), I might switch to music at some point for an extra boost. I do race with headphones - I've never run a race that didn't have at least some quiet sections, and I like having something to distract me from my thoughts.

 

[mmm_texas]

SAFD: For training runs I have some music playlists, or sometimes I just let the Apple Music algorithm pick, but it's typically just songs I like. As I recall for my previous Dopey training at least once I did an all-Disney playlist, as the event was getting close. For races I keep one AirPod in for my RunKeeper prompts and stats, but otherwise nothing so I can hear everything and enjoy the experience.

 

[The Expert]

SAFD: Most of my training is on the treadmill, and I save guilty pleasure shows like Real Housewives and Outlander to watch ONLY during training runs. As races get closer, I'll also pull up YouTube videos of previous rD races to revisit and "practice" the experience. Outdoor runs are usually accompanied by a podcast, since I'm a former dancer and my body automatically moves to any beat it hears. I tried audio books but my attention wanders too much.

Edit to add: During football season, I love to put on NFL Red Zone and watch non-stop plays during my long runs! Unless the Chiefs are playing -- I have to plan my runs around those.

For races I tend to tune into my surroundings and the course (especially at Disney), but I do have an "emergency" playlist of upbeat music -- a mix of Disney, Broadway, 80s tunes and pop -- that I can start up if things get quiet or tough.

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD:
yes.

D. all of the above.

I have cadence-based playlists (2) and "vibes" playlists. I have about 5 podcasts I listen to pretty regularly. I recently discovered audiobooks on spotify premium. And in the cold/dark months I like to dedicate movies/shows/series to treadmill-only times.

Whether I resort to any of those on race-day depends on if I'm running with someone else or if I'm valiantly trying to dissociate from my anxiety and tick off some miles before I find someone to run with.

 

[Goofed98]

SAFD: Audiobooks.

I used to go with music, but then I started doing math about how many songs, average time of 3:00, so runnign for x, means I've only gone y miles.

Audiobooks let me drift off to a happy place.

that said, I spend so much time on video and phone calls, listening to my cats yelling, etc., that sometimes I just enjoy hearing my footsteps, and listen to nothing at all.

Races, I never wear headphones anymore.