Marathon Weekend 2026

[fatmanatee]

I'll play optimist: medals hadn't arrived in time to do the normal reveal, this week is about DL, and there better not be another major course change (unless it's going back to the old victory lap).

 

[Herding_Cats]

I'll play optimist: medals hadn't arrived in time to do the normal reveal, this week is about DL, and there better not be another major course change (unless it's going back to the old victory lap).

this is a much more plateable thought.

 

[pluto377]

SAFD: I think 10 miler is my favorite. Though I haven't run a lot of them. I can say for sure marathon is my LEAST favorite, particularly at my current sloth pace.

 

[mmm_texas]

SAFD: I've never run a non-Disney race, so perhaps a local 10K or HM would be fun, but at WDW for me it's the marathon. That's the reason I make the trip. I agree with others that the 5K is my least favorite. I don't mind it as a training run, but at WDW it's over too quickly.

 

[GuinnessRunner]

Are they dragging their feet because they want to announce course changes when they do the reveal so that more eyeballs see it sooner? But they haven't confirmed those changes with park/property operations, constructions timelines, and/or USATF yet?

Having seen the pictures from today now that they have construction walls up all the way to Dinosaur I am getting a bit worried what they might do. As Epcot taught us a few years ago, we can run through a construction wall alley, but that doesn't work once the park is open and there's only one path for guests to get to Dinosaur. Confident they will figure something out but much less confident it will be something we like as opposed to a new grand parking lot tour.

 

[accm]

Having seen the pictures from today now that they have construction walls up all the way to Dinosaur I am getting a bit worried what they might do. As Epcot taught us a few years ago, we can run through a construction wall alley, but that doesn't work once the park is open and there's only one path for guests to get to Dinosaur. Confident they will figure something out but much less confident it will be something we like as opposed to a new grand parking lot tour.

New concept - start the races at midnight so we can fully run through all the parks with no parking lot tours and no impact to park guests.

 

[nancipants]

New concept - start the races at midnight so we can fully run through all the parks with no parking lot tours and no impact to park guests.

Honestly, I wouldn't be mad about it.

 

[3princesandaprincess]

Jumping back in after missing most of the summer. Between a move, vacations, and life I just couldn’t keep up. Managed to read through most of the recent posts - loved the song SAFD!! DH and I will be at Pop (as of now), and would love to meet for dinner one night!
Hopefully will be around here more. Now that training is ramping up it feels more real!


SAFD: Favorite distance? Definitely HM! Challenging enough, but doesn’t require the crazy training of a marathon. Least favorite? 5K - too short to really enjoy for me.

 

[camaker]

New concept - start the races at midnight so we can fully run through all the parks with no parking lot tours and no impact to park guests.

Honestly, I wouldn't be mad about it.

I certainly wouldn't mind it. Honestly, I'd rather stay up and run at that time than having to wake up and be on buses at 2-3am. Might not be super popular with the volunteers and on-course entertainment, though.

 

[fatmanatee]

I think that path is under construction from the last pictures I saw, which admittedly are slightly dated now:
View attachment 1000573
So either they influence the construction (unlikely from my point of view), or they'll need to find a different exit out of the park. It looks like there's another backstage exit near Dinosaur, so maybe they'll detour through there? Bonus points is that this should hopefully add enough "extra" milage to replace at least one of the useless parking lot loops they usually add:
View attachment 1000577

God help me for speculating on this using Google Maps satellite view, but once Dino is closed, might there be an option to exit out of the main AK entrance, then swing around the lot back to the same backlot we run on the way out? Would make the course longer over there but you can probably find an out-and-back to cut from elsewhere (the BB or MK lot?).

 

[RuntheMouse]

I certainly wouldn't mind it. Honestly, I'd rather stay up and run at that time than having to wake up and be on buses at 2-3am. Might not be super popular with the volunteers and on-course entertainment, though.

Ooooffffff, not me! There’s no way I could run at midnight! I’m really good at getting to bed early and on a normal day I’m up at 4:30 w/o an alarm so the 2:30 wake up isn't that bad.

 

[marty3d]

I certainly wouldn't mind it. Honestly, I'd rather stay up and run at that time than having to wake up and be on buses at 2-3am. Might not be super popular with the volunteers and on-course entertainment, though.

I'd be totally in. One of my favourite races was the TOT 10 Miler night race. Pretty sure it started at 10PM.

 

[Herding_Cats]

New concept - start the races at midnight so we can fully run through all the parks with no parking lot tours and no impact to park guests.

I could never. I can't even stay up for 24hrs, and I cannot even imagine trying to go to bed at 4 or 5pm to get even a few hours of sleep.