Marathon Weekend 2026

[garneska]

We are home. Drive not too bad. Whisky still had major anxiety at night. I was hoping to go to the office tomorrow. I will try but expecting she won’t let me. We had made a tiny bit of progress but that was all ruined with Christmas. She did get a bath and looks pretry.

 

[The Expert]

Dopey looks like a weird deformed baby, like something from the movie Nothing But Trouble. He’s not even a top-3 Dwarf.

THANK YOU for finally saying it! I really can't stand Dopey and it annoys me he's the mascot of that challenge.

 

[Herding_Cats]

As we lined up to board our first flight to get home, who spots us (on the same flight!)? It was @Kerry1957 and his DD (and her partner.) It’s a small world.

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

We’re not home yet, but in the final stretch. We’ll have to go straight to pick up the dog, and should just make it before they close at 7:00.
It was such a fun weekend! I’ll have more to post later after I’ve had some sleep, but it was a pleasure, friends! Safe travels!

 

[camaker]

This is always a bittersweet post to write. I’m sitting at the gate getting ready to board the flight home and the post-race blues have well and truly set in.

I want to thank everyone here for contributing to a fantastic Marathon Weekend. I think this will go down as one of my favorites due to the sheer number of folks who attended meet-ups, gave words of advice and said hello (or more) on the course itself, lifting spirits when they might be flagging with the distance.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen our meet-ups quite so large in the mornings and we literally took over Hurricane Hannah’s, the turnout was so large. And we got to close it all out with a great DATW, complete with terrorizing the world’s most thorough and patient PhotoPass photographer.

I loved all of it and can’t wait for us to reconvene next year. Thank you all and, most importantly:

Viva la Team Toasty!!

 

[lookingforsunshine]

Counterpoint: I would rather give away all my Dopey stuff.

Oh, believe me, if I could have my way the challenge would be rethemed! I like the colors and gems, but Dopey as a character is not my fav.

 

[Fenway1970]

I really can't stand Dopey and it annoys me he's the mascot of that challenge

I hear you but is there another character whose name is a more accurate descriptor of the Challenge’s participants?

 

[Fischstick]

Such a fun weekend with all you incredible people! Excited to do it all again…….but happy that it’s a year away.

 

[marty3d]

This is always a bittersweet post to write. I’m sitting at the gate getting ready to board the flight home and the post-race blues have well and truly set in.

I want to thank everyone here for contributing to a fantastic Marathon Weekend. I think this will go down as one of my favorites due to the sheer number of folks who attended meet-ups, gave words of advice and said hello (or more) on the course itself, lifting spirits when they might be flagging with the distance.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen our meet-ups quite so large in the mornings and we literally took over Hurricane Hannah’s, the turnout was so large. And we got to close it all out with a great DATW, complete with terrorizing the world’s most thorough and patient PhotoPass photographer.

I loved all of it and can’t wait for us to reconvene next year. Thank you all and, most importantly:

Viva la Team Toasty!!

I agree with all of this - and I just got a second dose of post run blues sitting here in Houston and realizing I was still wearing my magic band!

Quite a few golden Mickey Ears to be spotted as well.

Proud member of the inaugural #TeamToasty

 

[Disney at Heart]

You know, I made it through the weekend without that much FOMO til I saw these pictures!

And I missed you! Running SS or W&D? Would love to see you then!

 

[Novatrix]

I hear you but is there another character whose name is a more accurate descriptor of the Challenge’s participants?

The Cheshire Cat challenge? After all, we're all mad here!

 

[marty3d]

The Cheshire Cat challenge? After all, we're all mad here!

Love it! For more reasons than 1!

 

[jmasgat]

And I missed you! Running SS or W&D? Would love to see you then!

No…..regardless of any fomo, I have pretty much exhausted the rD/Disney experience. I may selectively do things in the future solely to meet back up with people, but in general, don’t plan to be a regular.

But to quote the title of that truly dreadful Bond film do over….”Never Say Never Again”.

 

[Stitch&Co.]

I hear you but is there another character whose name is a more accurate descriptor of the Challenge’s participants?

Not from a G-rated movie

 

[Naomeri]

My belief is that they use yellow powerade because nobody actually wants to buy it.

The races up here in MN are often sponsored by Old Dutch, and for like, a year and a half, every race had ketchup-flavored potato chips for finisher snacks. I was chatting with a volunteer at one event, and she told me they can't even give the dang things away.

The Cheshire Cat challenge? After all, we're all mad here!

Yes!! I would love this so much!

 

[1GoldenSun]

I hear you but is there another character whose name is a more accurate descriptor of the Challenge’s participants?

The Beast? It doesn't really describe the participants, just the Challenge.

I would go with Mr Toad's Wild Ride but that's not a character.

 

[apwoodr]

I made it home last night but wanted to thank everyone for welcoming me on my first Dopey. It was great to meet everyone in person after lingering here for a few years. A special thanks to @Z-Knight for the awesome Dopey Challenge coin! Its better than anything I could have bought at expo...and I didn't have to wait in multiple lines for hours!

I accomplished what I wanted by getting my redemption for my injury plagued marathon in 24, lots of character pics, and riding ToT. Overall it was a very fun experience, but I'm not sure I'd do another Dopey. I felt like I missed a lot of park time with the family due to my sleep schedule, but I may come back for a half or full again! Thanks again to everyone here for adding to the Disney magic!

Aaron

 

[The Expert]

I hear you but is there another character whose name is a more accurate descriptor of the Challenge’s participants?

I'd love to see them expand the challenges. It's very odd to me that both include the marathon when rD is known for accessibility. I'd propose:

10K + HM = Minnie Challenge (this matches other race weekends)

HM + Marathon = Goofy Challenge

5K + 10K + HM + M = Go the Distance Challenge

 

[Z-Knight]

I'd love to see them expand the challenges. It's very odd to me that both include the marathon when rD is known for accessibility. I'd propose:

10K + HM = Minnie Challenge (this matches other race weekends)

HM + Marathon = Goofy Challenge

5K + 10K + HM + M = Go the Distance Challenge

5K + 10K = Five and Dime

Or since you only completed half the races and not the goofy ones and its closer to half distance then you "Half Assed It Challenge"

 

[PrincessV]

The “Dopey” moniker came to be when runners started using it to refer to doing the WDW 5K plus the half and full when it debuted in 2006 with Goofy (which I think had also been an unofficial challenge name before rD made it official)- there was no official challenge for doing all three at the time. “Dopey” stuck around unofficially until rD added the 10K in 2014(?) and officially named it Dopey with a separate registration for doing all four races.

I think Dopey is problematic for a number of reasons, not least of which being that it can be seen as poking fun at real disabilities, but alas - we have only our own running community to blame for naming the challenge!