Marathon Weekend 2026

[smileyanna]

SAFD: I haven’t worn costumes but trying to dip my toe this year for the half.

I’m running with a group of friends and my husband, and we have fundraised thousands for the muscular dystrophy association. Our friends have a son with muscular dystrophy and his favorite Disney show is Lilo and Stitch. We all got different lilo and stitch Mickey ear themed visors. I just can’t imagine my husband wearing one of these but I hope we all do it.

I did a long training run with my visor, and I can’t say it’s my favorite feeling. It was heavy! I don’t know how y’all put up with elaborate costumes for the long runs. (Please don’t stop though! It’s part of what makes these races so special!!)

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Since I'll be driving, I just back the car up near the front door of the house and load all my running shoes and clothes.
Race shoes, walking around shoes, resort shoes, plus extra shoes just in case.
Race costume or clothes, clothes for in the park, clothes around the resort: both cold weather and hot weather in each category. Plus extra clothes if it rains, plus the throwaway stuff for the corals.
It's like Monica's towels on Friends. IYKYK.....
Plus my toiletries, meds, hats and other sun protection, tablet, phone, charging cords, etc....
I can be by myself and still wind up with several trips from the car to the room in the resort.
After typing all that, I realize that I need to start packing soon.

 

[sandam1]

Since I'll be driving, I just back the car up near the front door of the house and load all my running shoes and clothes.

This is what I do for local races as well. After having done only runDisney races for a number of years, there is a sense of freedom to being able to think "I might need that" and being able to throw it in the car without a second thought.

 

[KCO5988]

Since I'll be driving, I just back the car up near the front door of the house and load all my running shoes and clothes.
Race shoes, walking around shoes, resort shoes, plus extra shoes just in case.
Race costume or clothes, clothes for in the park, clothes around the resort: both cold weather and hot weather in each category. Plus extra clothes if it rains, plus the throwaway stuff for the corals.
It's like Monica's towels on Friends. IYKYK.....
Plus my toiletries, meds, hats and other sun protection, tablet, phone, charging cords, etc....
I can be by myself and still wind up with several trips from the car to the room in the resort.
After typing all that, I realize that I need to start packing soon.

Everyday use, fancy, guest, fancy guest..

 

[Dopey 2020]

Since I'll be driving, I just back the car up near the front door of the house and load all my running shoes and clothes.
Race shoes, walking around shoes, resort shoes, plus extra shoes just in case.
Race costume or clothes, clothes for in the park, clothes around the resort: both cold weather and hot weather in each category. Plus extra clothes if it rains, plus the throwaway stuff for the corals.
It's like Monica's towels on Friends. IYKYK.....
Plus my toiletries, meds, hats and other sun protection, tablet, phone, charging cords, etc....
I can be by myself and still wind up with several trips from the car to the room in the resort.
After typing all that, I realize that I need to start packing soon.

Don’t forget slippers for the hotel, flip flops by the pool, dress shoes for the celebration dinner…. What am I forgetting?

 

[RuntheMouse]

Don’t forget slippers for the hotel, flip flops by the pool, dress shoes for the celebration dinner…. What am I forgetting?

Water shoes for Typhoon Lagoon!

 

[Naomeri]

This was something that I hadn't considered before someone mentioned it before this last year's races (I have a rental car so I had never used gear check before) and it was the best thing EVER (particularly after the 5K) to have a warm layer to put on.

I used a windbreaker right after my 10 miler a week and a half ago, even though it was warm enough for yellow flag conditions (and potentially red flag by the tail end of the full marathon time limit) because that wind got cold as soon as I stopped moving. And then it was cold on the train back to my car, too.

 

[3princesandaprincess]

SAFD: Late reply here, but I love costumes!!!

DH and I are planning coordinating ones for each race.
5K- Toy Story alien & Pizza Planet delivery guy
10k - Chip & Dale
Half- Mickey & Minnie
Full - Dopey themed

I managed the full last year in a tutu and crown, so hopefully we can pull off most of these. Definitely need to start testing things soon though!

Love all the weather tips! Last years cold front surprised me. Arm sleeves and throw away sweatpants were definitely a win!!!

 

[nekonekoneko]

Don’t forget slippers for the hotel, flip flops by the pool, dress shoes for the celebration dinner…. What am I forgetting?

In the case of my DW a few years ago: actual shoes for running

 

[WDW 4 ME]

SAFD: I haven’t worn costumes but trying to dip my toe this year for the half.

I’m running with a group of friends and my husband, and we have fundraised thousands for the muscular dystrophy association. Our friends have a son with muscular dystrophy and his favorite Disney show is Lilo and Stitch. We all got different lilo and stitch Mickey ear themed visors. I just can’t imagine my husband wearing one of these but I hope we all do it.

I did a long training run with my visor, and I can’t say it’s my favorite feeling. It was heavy! I don’t know how y’all put up with elaborate costumes for the long runs. (Please don’t stop though! It’s part of what makes these races so special!!)

Have you seen the new brooks stitch shoes?

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

We are back from an amazing weekend in Boston, and we have a new daughter-in-law!! ‍

On the morning of the wedding, she presented her mom, me, and six bridesmaids with beautiful gift bags, filled with INDIVIDUALIZED presents. I had to share a pic of one of my gifts:



Are these hair clips not the cutest????

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

SAFD: I love a good race costume! I have always tried to sew my own, but in the last couple of years, I have not had enough time to go as elaborate as I’d like. (You can read that as “I procrastinated until it was too late.”)

I’m doing the half for MW, and the half for PW, so I need two costumes. My dilemma is that I bought a pair of the Brooks Minnie shoes, but I did Minnie for the 2016 marathon, and I don’t want to repeat a character. I really like it when the shoes work for the costume, though. I have a different pair that will work well if I want to do Daisy in purple, and I’m leaning toward that for MW, even though Donald and Daisy aren’t my favorites. I need to get going soon, one way or another.

 

[scrowl]

Since I'll be driving, I just back the car up near the front door of the house and load all my running shoes and clothes.
Race shoes, walking around shoes, resort shoes, plus extra shoes just in case.
Race costume or clothes, clothes for in the park, clothes around the resort: both cold weather and hot weather in each category. Plus extra clothes if it rains, plus the throwaway stuff for the corals.
It's like Monica's towels on Friends. IYKYK.....
Plus my toiletries, meds, hats and other sun protection, tablet, phone, charging cords, etc....
I can be by myself and still wind up with several trips from the car to the room in the resort.
After typing all that, I realize that I need to start packing soon.

Picturing you loading up a bunch of shoes in your car makes be both envious and curious... this is my first Dopey and I'm wondering what everyone's approach is to rotating shoes over the weekend. I am planning on taking my Mizuno Neo Vista (great for easy pace) and my Nike Alpha Fly (great for speed). I was thinking I would do the Mizunos for the 5k and 10k and the Nikes for the half and full, but wonder if I should just save the Nikes for the full. I'm planning on taking the first three races slow and having fun, then just see what happens on Sunday. Any advice from experienced Dopeys? Thanks!

 

[jrsharp21]

Picturing you loading up a bunch of shoes in your car makes be both envious and curious... this is my first Dopey and I'm wondering what everyone's approach is to rotating shoes over the weekend. I am planning on taking my Mizuno Neo Vista (great for easy pace) and my Nike Alpha Fly (great for speed). I was thinking I would do the Mizunos for the 5k and 10k and the Nikes for the half and full, but wonder if I should just save the Nikes for the full. I'm planning on taking the first three races slow and having fun, then just see what happens on Sunday. Any advice from experienced Dopeys? Thanks!

I usually bring two pairs of shoes and wear them every other day. One pair for the 5k and half, the other pair for the 10k and full. That way it gives the shoes a day to decompress and recover it's cushioning. I usually bring a pair of easy running shoes and a pair of race shoes. I think this year I am going to try to bring two pairs of race shoes with plates and see how that effects my legs come marathon day.

 

[scrowl]

I usually bring two pairs of shoes and wear them every other day. One pair for the 5k and half, the other pair for the 10k and full. That way it gives the shoes a day to decompress and recover it's cushioning. I usually bring a pair of easy running shoes and a pair of race shoes. I think this year I am going to try to bring two pairs of race shoes with plates and see how that effects my legs come marathon day.

Thank you! I was also considering rotating to let the shoes recover along with my legs

 

[accm]

Picturing you loading up a bunch of shoes in your car makes be both envious and curious... this is my first Dopey and I'm wondering what everyone's approach is to rotating shoes over the weekend. I am planning on taking my Mizuno Neo Vista (great for easy pace) and my Nike Alpha Fly (great for speed). I was thinking I would do the Mizunos for the 5k and 10k and the Nikes for the half and full, but wonder if I should just save the Nikes for the full. I'm planning on taking the first three races slow and having fun, then just see what happens on Sunday. Any advice from experienced Dopeys? Thanks!

I would have a backup pair of shoes in case it rains. If you wear the Alpha Fly for the half and it rains, what will you do for the full?

 

[PrincessV]

Picturing you loading up a bunch of shoes in your car makes be both envious and curious... this is my first Dopey and I'm wondering what everyone's approach is to rotating shoes over the weekend. I am planning on taking my Mizuno Neo Vista (great for easy pace) and my Nike Alpha Fly (great for speed). I was thinking I would do the Mizunos for the 5k and 10k and the Nikes for the half and full, but wonder if I should just save the Nikes for the full. I'm planning on taking the first three races slow and having fun, then just see what happens on Sunday. Any advice from experienced Dopeys? Thanks!

I’m old and slow and mostly used s similar shoe for all 4 races, but never the same pair for all. A couple years, I used one pair for the 5 and half, and another for the 10 and full. One year I happened to have scored a bunch of the same model in different colors on clearance, so I used a different pair for each race to coordinate with outfits (I drive, so yep - just had a bag full of shoes I threw in the car lol!) My advice is twofold: 1. Definitely have at least two pairs so if something happens (like rain), you have options; 2. Test it out in back-to-back training runs - I quickly found that a shoe I had no quarrels with using regularly wasn’t my preference on day 3 of b2b2b runs.

 

[Baloo in MI]

Picturing you loading up a bunch of shoes in your car makes be both envious and curious... this is my first Dopey and I'm wondering what everyone's approach is to rotating shoes over the weekend. I am planning on taking my Mizuno Neo Vista (great for easy pace) and my Nike Alpha Fly (great for speed). I was thinking I would do the Mizunos for the 5k and 10k and the Nikes for the half and full, but wonder if I should just save the Nikes for the full. I'm planning on taking the first three races slow and having fun, then just see what happens on Sunday. Any advice from experienced Dopeys? Thanks!

I follow the every other day pattern. I bring two pairs, wearing one for the 5k and half and the other for the 10k and full. Even if not going hard (which for Dopey I usually don't) giving your shoes a day to recover does make a difference, especially between the half and full.

I race in the same style of shoe for all four races so I recognize that makes it simpler for me and more complicated if you are trying to incorporate different styles of shoe based on race/intended effort. But I would suggest however you decided to set you shoe pattern go with a fresh pair for the marathon.

 

[scrowl]

I follow the every other day pattern. I bring two pairs, wearing one for the 5k and half and the other for the 10k and full. Even if not going hard (which for Dopey I usually don't) giving your shoes a day to recover does make a difference, especially between the half and full.

I race in the same style of shoe for all four races so I recognize that makes it simpler for me and more complicated if you are trying to incorporate different styles of shoe based on race/intended effort. But I would suggest however you decided to set you shoe pattern go with a fresh pair for the marathon.

I think you're all convincing me to join team every-other-day!

 

[sandam1]

this is my first Dopey and I'm wondering what everyone's approach is to rotating shoes over the weekend. I am planning on taking my Mizuno Neo Vista (great for easy pace) and my Nike Alpha Fly (great for speed). I was thinking I would do the Mizunos for the 5k and 10k and the Nikes for the half and full, but wonder if I should just save the Nikes for the full. I'm planning on taking the first three races slow and having fun, then just see what happens on Sunday. Any advice from experienced Dopeys? Thanks!

2. Test it out in back-to-back training runs - I quickly found that a shoe I had no quarrels with using regularly wasn’t my preference on day 3 of b2b2b runs.

I'm going to echo the "try it out on your simulation weekend" comment. Those weekends aren't there just to train your body for multiple days. It is your best test what your equipment (clothes, shoes) should look like, what you fueling (days leading up to, pre-run, during, and post-run) should be, and what works best to recover properly by the next day. My goal for the final simulation is for it to a complete simulation and where I put everything together and do a final check. If I've tested everything on previous runs, I should be able to walk away with a complete plan.

Then the hard part is the self-control to stop overthinking and resist the urge to tinker with the plan.