Marathon Weekend 2026

[AZMermaid]

Oh yeah! I signed up for DL this year just for the coast to coast…. So I guess I’m slightly medal swayed!

 

[jrsharp21]

SAFD: Medals aren't too important. It's the event itself that is the draw. Is it in a cool location, is it a fun event, etc. But like others have said, they can move me to sign up for something. I would normally never do the rD virtual series. I thought this years medals were cool so I signed up. But the medals are still sitting in the box they came in. Doh! I do put up the rD medals on a display in my sitting room because they are Disney. All my other medals go on a hook in my closet. Really don't ever look at them. One of these days it will be cool to go through them to just reminisce about past events.

 

[jmasgat]

SAFD: Timely question, since I’m in the process of painting the mudroom to get the house ready to sell, and it’s where I have that stuff. I haven’t signed up for races based on medals, but I do look forward to them as part of the whole race experience.

I have culled mine even further, and now I have hung up my “firsts”, my PRs, and those weird occurrences when I actually won a race. Boston has its own place of honor (the poster has every runner’s name). The medals provide a reminder of what I can accomplish with effort.

 

[marty3d]

SAFD: Timely question, since I’m in the process of painting the mudroom to get the house ready to sell, and it’s where I have that stuff. I haven’t signed up for races based on medals, but I do look forward to them as part of the whole race experience.

I have culled mine even further, and now I have hung up my “firsts”, my PRs, and those weird occurrences when I actually won a race. Boston has its own place of honor (the poster has every runner’s name). The medals provide a reminder of what I can accomplish with effort.

I recognize that 2009 WDW half medal! My first half and my first rD race and a great example of “less is more” in medals. A sentimental favorite for me.

 

[WDW 4 ME]

SAFD: I typically sign up for races before medals are revealed, so it obviously doesn’t hold much sway with me as to whether or not I’ll sign up because of what the medal looks like. I do have disappointing medals though, that I just don’t care for. Same with race shirts. Also…if a race doesn’t come with a shirt, I’m usually out. It’s why I don’t do the RD virtual runs anymore. I want a medal AND a shirt! Even if they are ugly!

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I recognize that 2009 WDW half medal! My first half and my first rD race

Ditto on both counts!

FWIW, it wasn't until after that race that I had any idea about medals. All I had done to that point was 5Ks and 10Ks, so I thought that the half would mean a t-shirt and that's all. So t-shirt and a medal was a pleasant surprise.
This past SS 10-miler was kindof about the Incredibles themed medal, but otherwise I'm signed up to run and enjoy a given race and/or its location.
I have my medals hanging up in my WFH office area as decoration, and as a reminder of what I've managed to do in terms of running, keeping in mind that, until 2009, such distances were for other people that are much more athletic or in much better shape than I am. I now have better perspective and have happily become one of those people, spending far more $$ than I ever imagined on running, but feeling good for doing so.

 

[KSellers88]

I don't care about medals at all (insert sarcasm font). LOL In all seriousness, I love medals but they would never persuade me to not sign up for a race or anything like that. There are several on these ladders that I do not care for, but I put in the work to get them so I will always keep them on display.

 

[nancipants]

I don't care about medals at all (insert sarcasm font). LOL In all seriousness, I love medals but they would never persuade me to not sign up for a race or anything like that. There are several on these ladders that I do not care for, but I put in the work to get them so I will always keep them on display.
View attachment 1008707

Oh, I might have to steal that ladder idea!

 

[KSellers88]

Oh, I might have to steal that ladder idea!

My dad made them, he is the best! Please steal away

 

[Stitch&Co.]

Those ladders look great. Such an unusual idea. I can just imagine how much fun my cats would have with something like that.

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

Those ladders look great. Such an unusual idea. I can just imagine how much fun my cats would have with something like that.

I have ladder for my medals and surprisingly my cats haven't blinked an eye at it. I think I may have seen @KSellers88 pic before because I know I didn't think of it and just bought one of amazon. It works very well!

 

[Herding_Cats]

Sooooo yeah. Major course re-route is essentially certain for AK.
(Pics from article from 3 days ago)



I've only run in the Post-C19 era of races. For MW, have *all* of the races historically started and ended at Epcot?


Also, I've only ever ran the "normal" 10k course, but the first year we ran DH ran the "other" 10k course that went through HS. And since I'm not running the 10k this winter I'm assuming that they will choose that course.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Oh, I might have to steal that ladder idea!

Ditto!

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Sooooo yeah. Major course re-route is essentially certain for AK.
(Pics from article from 3 days ago)

I've only run in the Post-C19 era of races. For MW, have *all* of the races historically started and ended at Epcot?

Also, I've only ever ran the "normal" 10k course, but the first year we ran DH ran the "other" 10k course that went through HS. And since I'm not running the 10k this winter I'm assuming that they will choose that course.

Speaking from MW 2009 and 2011, the Half and the Full both started out on Epcot Center Drive. Where the porta-potty farm is in recent weekends (near "our" light pole), you would go around them to the right and then out to ECD where the corrals were largely one behind the other (similar to the PTRR) except that I think one or two of the corrals were on the other side of the median just to keep the distance from the starting line from being too extreme. It was definitely darker and quieter than the current parking lot staging area. I rather liked being able to get out to ECD, lay out my towel or cushion, and have some pre-race quiet time. <sigh>.
Once the first corral started, then it was time to start shuffling/walking forward to the start line. In 2011, traffic to Epcot had me late (all the way from Bonnet Creek!) such that I hopped out of the car shortly after the parking ticket booth, walked all the way to the staging area, past the porta potties, and straight to the start line to begin the race! (I don't remember now if it was the half or the full. I think the half). So my race had a mile or two of warmup walking....

 

[Barca33Runner]

After Hours dates were announced for 2026. There will once again be a Magic Kingdom Event for the Monday after the Marathon on January 12. List of attractions open is disappointingly small as of now (hopefully they will add a few more as the events get closer). I’ve generally had a pretty good time at the After Hours events, Monday after the Marathon at MK has been a particularly good time the couple times I have gone. Double fireworks is pretty cool and Enchanted during the party itself is the best view I’ve ever had for fireworks. Standing in the hub with enough room to swing my arms (not that I did).

ETA: The event isn’t specifically themed to Monday after the Marathon, in case that was confusing. Just a regular After Hours event on January 12 that happens to be the Monday after the Marathon.

 

[fatmanatee]

After Hours dates were announced for 2026. There will once again be a Magic Kingdom Event for the Monday after the Marathon on January 12. List of attractions open is disappointingly small as of now (hopefully they will add a few more as the events get closer). I’ve generally had a pretty good time at the After Hours events, Monday after the Marathon at MK has been a particularly good time the couple times I have gone. Double fireworks is pretty cool and Enchanted during the party itself is the best view I’ve ever had for fireworks. Standing in the hub with enough room to swing my arms (not that I did).

ETA: The event isn’t specifically themed to Monday after the Marathon, in case that was confusing. Just a regular After Hours event on January 12 that happens to be the Monday after the Marathon.

Yes, good reminder to learn from my mistake. If it's not on the list it might not be open! Tiana wasn't on the list when I went and I didn't realize that would be a thing so it was a bit annoying to walk up to the ride as soon as the event started and find out that it wouldn't be open. Was also on VQ at the time and having reliability issues so I ended up not getting to see it.

On the plus side you can always get in early and do the stuff not on the list during regular park hours.

 

[sandam1]

After Hours dates were announced for 2026. There will once again be a Magic Kingdom Event for the Monday after the Marathon on January 12.

We did this last year and had a great time, although it was mildly disconcerting to be heading to bed around 2 a.m. instead of waking up at 2 like I had been all weekend for the races.

I also wound up changing my plan for Monday on the fly. My original plan was to do rope drop, stay at the parks for until around noon (~4 hours) and then get a long nap and pack (our flight home was Tuesday morning) before heading to the MK. I think that I survived about 2 hours of park time before I bailed and went back to the hotel to sleep the rest of the day away. I think that the extra sleep definitely helped me survive the AH event, but I felt like I wasted a park day. I have an AP so it wasn't a big deal, but it's just something for people to keep in mind.

 

[Herding_Cats]

DH and I did the AH last year as well and I was underwhelmed. And it rained for a good chunk of it.

Granted, I ran Dopey, am a person that needs a decent amount of sleep to function, AND did DATW that day. We had a hard time finding the carts for food/drinks during the event, and I don't really care for Enchanted as a fireworks show (compared to HEA. Disney fireworks are great in general, I'd just rather get a bonus show of HEA without all of the crowding.)

 

[Barca33Runner]

DH and I did the AH last year as well and I was underwhelmed. And it rained for a good chunk of it.

Granted, I ran Dopey, am a person that needs a decent amount of sleep to function, AND did DATW that day. We had a hard time finding the carts for food/drinks during the event, and I don't really care for Enchanted as a fireworks show (compared to HEA. Disney fireworks are great in general, I'd just rather get a bonus show of HEA without all of the crowding.)

I’m team HEA all day long, but I realized the main thing I don’t really like about Enchanted is that it isn’t HEA. I now really appreciate it for what it is and enjoy it quite a bit.

I’ve never done an AH event after spending a full or even partial day at the parks. I’ve always planned for them as a standalone event that basically replaced buying a park ticket for the day (I don’t have an AP). I would anticipate, based on my current parks habits/likes/dislikes, that I would find far less value in my AH ticket if I had already spent considerable time in the same or other parks earlier that day.