Marathon Weekend 2026

[accm]

SAFD: I love just the noise and energy from spectators. Doesn’t have to be anything specific (except the “you’re almost there”) I also love the funny signs.

Saturday 1/10: High 64, Low 42, 5% chance of rain
Sunday 1/11: High 62, Low 42, 25% chance of rain

How do we lock this in? Im avoiding obsessing over the weather this trip, and will do what I always do - pack for any and all weather options. Just placed an amazon order for throw away clothes

 

[sandam1]

Ahem… is this my cue?

In a word - YES!

PREPARE FOR ANY CONDITIONS!!!!!!

I was doing some organizing this weekend and started a pile of things that I might need to pack. I added everything that I came across and eliminated nothing. I am a good student!

 

[Goofed98]

SAFD: As others have mentioned, hearing my name snaps me out of my trance, and I really enjoy that. Also, clever signs, or signs that make me think about things ((Only 24 more laps around a high school track to go!) ((I do math in my head the whole time to pass the miles).

As for SPECIFIC spectators, we stay at BWV, so dad coming down to meet me with a cold beer during the marathon is always nice. Doing Dopey this year, so my first time doing the 10k. Working on mimosas for that meeting.

ETA: It's been a few years since I've done MW (2020), but shouldn't we be getting corral assignments pretty soon?

 

[3princesandaprincess]

SAFD: Totally agree with everyone’s answers here. Funny signs are great! A name call or at Disney a character callout is awesome, as are high fives, drinks, bubbles, anything to distract!

What a throwback thinking about the lime green Mickey heads. I wasn’t a runner back then, but posted on other boards. We had them on our stroller and diaper bag/backpack! Wonder if I have any left somewhere with old souvenirs??

 

[AZMermaid]

That's a bummer. But it really is crazy how pricey the games have become. When the Raiders moved to Vegas and we were still in Salt Lake, DH and I considered season tickets since both our teams are in the same division and would play there every year. Then the pricing came out -- $50K just to have the CHANCE to buy season tickets, which were then tens of thousands on top of that. Ridiculous!

Holy cow! That’s insane! Ours were nowhere near that much and pretty good seats, home side 35 yard line, row. 21. But we are priced out nonetheless!

As a Falcons fan since childhood (yes, ask me about self-inflicted angst....) I was happy to see the Falcons win yesterday. OTOH, they've strung together two straight wins exactly 1 game after being eliminated from the post-season. In other words, they can't even successfully play for a higher draft pick...

You’re welcome. The Cardinals find many, many ways to lose!

Yep, lime green is the official DIS identifying color. There was (maybe still is?) a Disney line of paint and you could get the lime green swatches at HD in the shape of a Mickey head. We’d laminate those and wear them on a bag or lanyard to find each other in the parks.

blast from the past!! I absolutely laminated some paint chips back in the day!

I was doing some organizing this weekend and started a pile of things that I might need to pack. I added everything that I came across and eliminated nothing. I am a good student!

I’ve thought about starting my piles. Does that count?

 

[The Expert]

I was doing some organizing this weekend and started a pile of things that I might need to pack. I added everything that I came across and eliminated nothing. I am a good student!

My MIL is coming tomorrow and will be here through the weekend, but after that, the guest room becomes my MW prep space!

ETA: It's been a few years since I've done MW (2020), but shouldn't we be getting corral assignments pretty soon?

They no longer give you corral assignments on the check-in pass. You'll get your bib number, but you won't know your corral for sure until you pick up your bib at the expo.

 

[sandam1]

I’ve thought about starting my piles. Does that count?

Admittedly, I'm not the final arbitrator, but I'm going to say yes.

My MIL is coming tomorrow and will be here through the weekend, but after that, the guest room becomes my MW prep space!

I grabbed a laundry basket and just started tossing things in it. I probably won't start sorting anything until the weekend after New Years, but it didn't make sense to put things away, just to take them back out.

 

[rick1zoo2]

One of the things we use our 'office' for is to stage items we will need for race weekends. There is a big table in there that we put all the random things leftover from the Wine and Dine weekend plus things that were shipped recently from The Feed and amazon. Gels, mylars, belts, toss away layers, etc. Then we also used it to keep all the gifts we bought. So I just went on a present wrapping binge in there and now it looks a lot emptier than it was this morning, so I am thinking that Erika may be getting some random things to open for Christmas... We will take stock afterwards to figure out what we need for Marathon Weekend, last year we had an extra suitcase just for race things - extra layers, shoes, etc.

 

[KellyKateri]

Just wrapped my final simulation. We decided to start our sim on Friday to ensure we could get all the miles in (plus I’m off work today!)

Friday: 3.8 miles
Saturday: 5 miles
Sunday: 10 miles
Monday: 20 miles

Feeling really good post this 4-day sim and am excited to taper.

As for SAFD: I’ve never spectated so not too much help there. But oddly enough, I don’t love spectator engagement. Maybe I am on my own with this, but having people watch me run / do my intervals is more nerve racking then just running on my own. I actually have learned I prefer rundisney races to races with more spectators, simply because I just get to tune everything out more. I do run with family though and we are usually talking the whole time, so maybe that helps too haha

 

[jrsharp21]

I grabbed a laundry basket and just started tossing things in it. I probably won't start sorting anything until the weekend after New Years, but it didn't make sense to put things away, just to take them back out.

This is similar to what I did. I had a rubber maid tub. Anytime something would come in from Amazon or the mail, I would just toss it in the tub. That way I know that everything for MW is in there.

 

[PrincessV]

I actually have learned I prefer rundisney races to races with more spectators, simply because I just get to tune everything out more.

I totally get this. My favorite parts of the WDW Marathon were Bear Island Rd and Osceola - at some point I realized I’d probably never do a road race again if long trail races were available near me because I really just want to be away from people and stuff and noise lol! I love the EP energy at the end, but also cherish all the quiet highway mile in rD races.

 

[Herding_Cats]

this was posted yesterday. I do not know if any are still available:

 

[Novatrix]

That's a bummer. But it really is crazy how pricey the games have become. When the Raiders moved to Vegas and we were still in Salt Lake, DH and I considered season tickets since both our teams are in the same division and would play there every year. Then the pricing came out -- $50K just to have the CHANCE to buy season tickets, which were then tens of thousands on top of that. Ridiculous!

How is it again that only Disney has the bad rap of being unnecessarily expensive in the public consciousness, yet the sports world and concerts can have even more obscene markups?

 

[WDW 4 ME]

Still too early but those Saturday/ Sunday temps are at the very low end of comfortable for me. I'd prefer a +10 on both the min/max.

AGREED. It’s fine if I start running the second I get outdoors. But sitting in a corral for hours that temp just stinks! It makes me tired mentally and physically before even start!

 

[WDW 4 ME]

I am really hoping they don’t start repainting the castle until after marathon weekend. I guess there’s no real great time for those sort of things, but…

 

[Zutroy]

How I feel during taper . . .

 

[FlyingDonut]

SAFD
1. Like others, I enjoy a funny sign, particularly with some sarcasm or sass. I also will attempt to wave to people riding the monorail and get excited if they wave back. In past runs around the monorail results, it's been funny to watch families proactively wave to runners on the walking paths earlier in the morning, and then get more *locked in* as rope drop time approaches.
2. no questions for runners.

For people who have stayed at BLT / Contemporary: can you take the path to MK to spectate? My family wants to see me on main st but would probably cheer from the contemporary if they’d have to wake up early to use race transportation and then monorails to MK.

 

[The Expert]

For people who have stayed at BLT / Contemporary: can you take the path to MK to spectate? My family wants to see me on main st but would probably cheer from the contemporary if they’d have to wake up early to use race transportation and then monorails to MK.

I've stayed at Bay Lake and you can NOT take that path over to MK. You have to take the monorail, and they'd need to get there EARLY to get a decent spot. DH has come down to spectate in front of Contemporary many times, just wandering down when I text him to tell him I'm entering MK. The runners are on one side of the road and spectators on the other, but you can easily see one another and exchange greetings.

ETA: If you are hoping for hugs or to exchange items (which they won't allow you to do at Contemporary), they could easily take the monorail one stop to TTC and see you there. There's a lot more room and less crowds than at MK, so they wouldn't have to get there super early.

 

[Herding_Cats]

but you can easily see one another and exchange greetings.

And be "Ma'am!"'ed multiple times by the security officers if you dare to cross the median.

 

[The Expert]

And be "Ma'am!"'ed multiple times by the security officers if you dare to cross the median.

Yes maybe don't plan on being able to exchange any items or physically cross over to your family or