Marathon Weekend 2026

[Mr_Incr3dible]

No use doing another long run now. There’s two weeks left, so it won’t help, only hurt. You should be fine with 19 miles! The atmosphere will push you through.

I concur. 19 miles is waaaay plenty. Better to rest and recover in the interim.

 

[JediKnightXan]

Thank you all for the pacing tips! Got some thinking to do.

If you get to Hollywood studios to early will they let you hang out for a while so you can go rope drop a ride (Rise of the Resistance) even if you don't have a park ticket?

I have never been to Galaxy's Edge, closest I got was the coming soon sign from a May 2019 trip. The two trips since then have been EPCOT/MK trips, and this one is AK/EPCOT/MK. Its very high on my want to do list getting a couple of hours in the park to do Rise walk around and then Olgas is very tempting. Puts a lot more on my wife though to have to entertain the kid by herself at the hotel for a couple of extra hours. Fortunately we are already talking about the next trip possibly this fall, that would include HW studios since it would be a larger family trip and my nephew is/was big into Cars and Toy Story. (Kid is 5 and in Kindergarten and it feels like he has already moved past Disney its weird, in my head this should be PRIME TIME but feels like we already missed it. Fortunately my kiddo (4) is all about the princesses)

Instead of the time pacers, RunDisney needs ride pacers.. Let me follow someone holding up an Everest Flag...

 

[matt and beth]

I’m zero from an expert. Ran a few marathons and ultras. Had a top 5 finish once. Just once . Many moons ago. Ready for my senior citizen discount now . Everyone is freaking out 2 weeks until the race. Injuries, life, undertrained, etc. 100% understandable. You can’t fix Pooh at this point. It’s a mental game at this point. You will all be okay. Enjoy the race, push yourself within reason, and have a great time. None of us are taking home a trophy in 2 weeks.

 

[The Expert]

If you get to Hollywood studios to early will they let you hang out for a while so you can go rope drop a ride (Rise of the Resistance) even if you don't have a park ticket?

In theory you could stall on the course, but it doesn't go anywhere near Rise. You'd have to cross the entire park to get there, so I doubt they'd let you get all the way over there but ymmv.

 

[JediKnightXan]

In theory you could stall on the course, but it doesn't go anywhere near Rise. You'd have to cross the entire park to get there, so I doubt they'd let you get all the way over there but ymmv.

Thank you! The talk of Olga reservations got me thinking it might be possible to get that far down, where previously I hadn't really thought about it or any other rides in Hollywood Studios, as it looks like we barely even enter the park.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Thank you all for the pacing tips! Got some thinking to do.

If you get to Hollywood studios to early will they let you hang out for a while so you can go rope drop a ride (Rise of the Resistance) even if you don't have a park ticket?

Prepare for the detention block, rebel scum!

 

[Disneyhanna]

I’m hoping to hit Everest, Tower, and if the fates allow, RnRC this year! I usually start out of B and have a moving pace in the realm of 11 minute miles. I stop at most characters, I skip the first couple if lines are long but usually hit just about every character around mile 4 and beyond. I think my average pace ends up being around 13-14 minute miles with all the stopping. I would love to do cosmic rewind but since the course doesn’t go directly by it I’m a bit too nervous. I don’t train back to backs so all the stopping is what gets me through Dopey on tired legs. Sometimes I wonder how much “easier” I’d find the WDW marathon if I did it as a standalone and not after 4 nights of 3-4 hours of sleep

 

[fatmanatee]

I’m hoping to hit Everest, Tower, and if the fates allow, RnRC this year! I usually start out of B and have a moving pace in the realm of 11 minute miles. I stop at most characters, I skip the first couple if lines are long but usually hit just about every character around mile 4 and beyond. I think my average pace ends up being around 13-14 minute miles with all the stopping. I would love to do cosmic rewind but since the course doesn’t go directly by it I’m a bit too nervous. I don’t train back to backs so all the stopping is what gets me through Dopey on tired legs. Sometimes I wonder how much “easier” I’d find the WDW marathon if I did it as a standalone and not after 4 nights of 3-4 hours of sleep

I know one guy did Guardians during the marathon (he recorded himself doing what felt like every ride that seemed feasible) but not sure if he got LLSP. I’m super tempted to try it but I’m less concerned about going off route than I am about the impact of that ride at mile 25.

 

[fatmanatee]

Thank you! The talk of Olga reservations got me thinking it might be possible to get that far down, where previously I hadn't really thought about it or any other rides in Hollywood Studios, as it looks like we barely even enter the park.

It’s unfortunate but I think the issue is partly that the park is too crowded at opening and directing traffic would be a nightmare.

I dunno, maybe you could hang near the entrance until they let people in and try to blend with the early entry crowd? They aren’t going to let you go over there before that though. FWIW i don’t think i’ve heard of anyone doing any HS ride outside of Tower and RnRC, which are both way closer to the course.

 

[Baloo in MI]

I think sometimes the Taper period is the hardest part of the training block. With just a few weeks to go we struggle with questioning our training, anxiously noting strange twinges in a knee, a hip or an ankle, fear of getting sick or actually getting sick. But as so many have said at this point the hay is in the barn, the best you can do for yourself now is to rest up, heal up and know that you can do this. So few people have the courage to toe the line for a 5k, let alone the 10k, half, full, Goofy or Dopey. And win, lose or draw that fact that you are gong t try is really cool!

So as we walk into the taper, ease up a bit on distance and speed in remaining runs. Rest adn get good sleep, this will do you so much good! For those dealing with more than a twinge, listen to your doctors and I am wishing the best for you!

This fall and earlier winter has been a difficult one for me. I lost four weeks to a very achy hip after an October Half. I anxious hung up my Hokas for the four weeks and rebuilt a training plan that went from time goals to finishing with a smile. Today I completed my final long run, 16 miles. That will be my longest run of the training block. I will go into this Dopey planning to cross the finish line. I can do it, and so can you! I am a bit anxious, but very excited. We all got this!

 

[FFigawi]

Thank you! The talk of Olga reservations got me thinking it might be possible to get that far down, where previously I hadn't really thought about it or any other rides in Hollywood Studios, as it looks like we barely even enter the park.

It’s a long detour but it is possible to get there. ToT and RnRC are much easier to do since they’re pretty much on the course.

 

[Zutroy]

I’m zero from an expert. Ran a few marathons and ultras. Had a top 5 finish once. Just once . Many moons ago. Ready for my senior citizen discount now . Everyone is freaking out 2 weeks until the race. Injuries, life, undertrained, etc. 100% understandable. You can’t fix Pooh at this point. It’s a mental game at this point. You will all be okay. Enjoy the race, push yourself within reason, and have a great time. None of us are taking home a trophy in 2 weeks.

One of the most disappointing things about Disney races is no one goes home with a trophy. A couple weeks after the race they mail you a little plaque. It’s not even personalized, so I don’t know why they wait that long. I’ve done much smaller races where they hand out awards. Now that RD doesn’t even do age group awards, you’d think they could at least hand out the top three men and women plaques.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Have they been doing a separate post for the weekend shoes from the weekend merch/shirt one?

The whole family is out for bowling and lunch for DS3's birthday today, and since I cannot stand upright or walk in any manner that resembles normalcy, I'm sitting at home trying to iron out the minutia.

 

[camaker]

Good afternoon RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week's edition of Sundays are for Disney (SAFD). We're starting to get close at this point, so let's talk about race plans. Do you have anything special planned for your races? PR attempts or PRing in fun? Getting all the character photos? Riding rides? Let's hear about your plans.

SAFD: I don't really have any race plans other than getting through them and making up for last year's Dopey DNF. This has been a disappointing year of running and I'd just like to get 2026 started on a better foot. Slow and steady finishes the race, I hear.

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD:
I just want to finish. That's it. I've never been less prepared for a race weekend than I am right now. I'm already working through the mental gymnastics of what a DNF or DNS might look and feel like for the marathon so I'm less of a ball of emotion if it happens.

 

[RuntheMouse]

SAFD: I’m all over the place. Initially this was supposed to be my PR in fun marathon. Well the DNF I had this fall changed that. I’m not in as good of shape for this race as I was that one but still had a decent training block so…. I have a loose time goal and a loose picture stop goal but I’m going to let the day tell me what I should do.

 

[garneska]

SAFF: Well my answer in May would have been to sub 2:30 the half, then the left knee decided it should do some damage. That meant 8 weeks off . When the knee was finally ready to start with one week of running came down with Covid. Ended up with almost another month off. My new plan is to finish the half and not be wrecked so that I can enjoy Epcot on Saturday and Monday.

 

[pluto377]

SAFD: My only plan is to finish all the races. This is my Dopey redemption tour after a DNF in 2022. I hope to get a few pics in each race and I'd love to do Everest but we shall see. Of course I came down with the flu yesterday (thanks DS9) but I'm starting on Tamiflu today and praying that helps clear it out fast enough. I have had the worst luck with health this year.

 

[matt and beth]

SAFD: Plan is to hang with DD and DW for the shorter distances. Depending on how I feel I might run a little harder for the marathon. My energy is inconsistent the older I get. If I’m feeling it I’ll take a stab at a decent finish

 

[WDW 4 ME]

SAFD: First marathon! Finishing it would be nice!