Marathon Weekend 2026

[FFigawi]

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 have pretty much the same plan as most years and that’s to have as much fun as possible.
5k - every character stop, though we might get them at different times as we’re toying with running it twice
10k - every character stop and hopefully another PW like last year's 2:28
Half - might race it if the weather cooperates. If not, it’ll be DLS and every character stop
Full - every character stop, Everest, Thirsty River, ToT, RnRC, Oga's, Mexico margarita

 

[jpholic]

SAFD: i really want to have some fun. my brain, however, is wired competively. i am going to focus on taking it easy for the 5k, 10k, half and attempt a party pace. i wanna push for the full, a sub 4 with character stops is doable but kinda worried about the knee and hip. i am going to tape it up, lather on some biofreeze and throw some prayers to all the dieties for a little grace.

 

[Goofed98]

I know this has only been asked and answered about eleventy-billion times, but, we're within two weeks, and the mind does crazy things.

I'm typically a Goofy guy, but my brother is doing the 5k and 10k, so I'm running my first Dopey.

Do I need to worry about completing the 5 and 10k in any certain time (I don't think the 5k is even really timed?), or do I just need to cross the line before they shut it down on Thursday and Friday?

 

[Herding_Cats]

I know this has only been asked and answered about eleventy-billion times, but, we're within two weeks, and the mind does crazy things.

I'm typically a Goofy guy, but my brother is doing the 5k and 10k, so I'm running my first Dopey.

Do I need to worry about completing the 5 and 10k in any certain time (I don't think the 5k is even really timed?), or do I just need to cross the line before they shut it down on Thursday and Friday?

the 5k is "untimed" although dopey bibs *do* have a timing chip in them, while the 5k-specific bibs do not. I have generally completed it in about 90min or so. According to reports I've read, they will kind of shoo you along if you are taking longer than they would like. There has been no verification step for earning the Dopey/Goofy medals aside from completing the marathon on Sunday (no pic, no one checks your bib number for avg pace or if you even finished the other races) since I've started running there in 2022.

The 10 *is* timed, and there are balloon ladies. Finish before the balloon ladies/without getting swept.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

SAFD: I am doing Dopey and my plan as always is to finish and have fun- hopefully feeling generally good afterward. I am as prepared as I have been in the past. The main factor I worry about is heat. Last year for the full I rode Everest and ToT and would like to do that again. Character stops are always a spur of the moment decision. Hoping they’ll have animals outside DAK again. I am probably running with someone who is pretty undertrained so we will see how that goes.

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

I had that happen to me my first marathon attempt- I was undertrained and started even though I knew I’d be swept. The people were nice, and I had warnings from the bike sweeps that I would need to pick it up. I told them I couldn’t and understood I’d be swept. I got in a bus after MK, and the only weird part was the bus back to my resort where I was clearly with people who were much much faster than me and it was obvious I didn’t finish. I don’t know your circumstances or why you’re feeling that way, but for me I learned a lot from the experience.

 

[smileyanna]

SAFD: I’m in the best shape of my life (knock on all the wood), and lately thinking that I might take advantage of the Galloway pacers to try for a big PR on the half, and taking it very easy (and fun) for the full. But I don’t know how much “racing” the half would impact my ability to enjoy/finish the full marathon.

So I’m letting the weather decide for me, if it is ideal for racing on half marathon day, or not.

 

[Sakura1017]

my goal is to survive my 1st dopey. I haven't trained much from food and wine races coming off of tendonitis. So hoping muscle memory will remember. Have done cross fitness with cycling as a backup. I was hoping to get more character pictures but now I need to keep expectations low. 5k, every picture. but 10 k, half, and marathon will depend on lines and times. Also if I stop at the parks before/after races to get character pics as well.

 

[marty3d]

SAFD: Doing Goofy this year. Definitely looking to PR in fun. Hoping to start in B for the first time so goal is to stop at as many photo stops as possible and ride Everest and ToT again while finishing ahead of the balloon ladies. I am sorely tempted to try Oga’s but think it’s too far off course. Will aim for a beer somewhere in Epcot again.

 

[KCO5988]

SAFD: My plan is:
5k & 10k- take super easy and stop at all character stops to ensure I do so, except maybe the first one so I can get ahead of the lines
Half- easy pace but not as easy as the 5k and 10k. Stop for whatever characters I want, walk through water stations (I usually run through) and possibly walk the last two miles unless my legs are feeling really fresh.
Full- using it as a marathon pace workout. Plan calls for 18 w/14 at marathon pace. So 4 mile warm up and then 14 at pace. What I do after that will depend on how my legs feel. But likely some easy running mixed with walking and character stops. And stopping for a breakfast sandwich at boardwalk deli during the last mile!