Marathon Weekend 2027

[nancipants]

I selfishly want you to hand me a coke on the race course

If @The Expert ditches me for spectating ( ), I will still be there! Cokes ahoy!

 

[accm]

As an unplanned experiment, I had a taste of waiting around for hours for a race to start this past weekend… and it sucked. My race didn’t start until 9:15am, but the race before it started at 6am and I was worried about finding parking later, so I got there a little before 6. I killed time walking around, watching the earlier race’s finish line a bit, eating 2nd breakfast, listening to podcasts, watching the sun rise… by the time my race was staging to start, I was tired and just wanting to be done already. All pre-race energy and excitement was gone. If rD really expects people to show up by 4am for a race starting at 7:30, I’ll never sign up for that.

The way they have it written it sounds like they'll have more than one arrival time:

The first group of runners for the 2027 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 5K will start at 4:30 a.m., 30 minutes earlier than before. Participants’ start times will range from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., based on assigned start groups. Arrival times will vary depending on your start time.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

But do you really want to wait until the 7:30 start groups?

If I have to get there early, no. But I’d rather not do 4:30 AM when I probably have a flight at 5 AM on Wednesday and the marathon starts earlier too. I will take all the sleep I can get!

If @The Expert ditches me for spectating ( ), I will still be there! Cokes ahoy!

Okay, @The Expert , you’re allowed to do Dopey now. My coke is secured!

 

[KCO5988]

I may be in a very small minority of people who would want to be in the 4:30 AM start group . I find the early first wake up of the 5k day a good way to get myself to fall asleep early that night and get closer to the 7-8 hours of sleep for the longer races. Plus, then I can be ready to rope drop at one of the parks.

 

[Dopey 2020]

I’ll take the 4:30 start. As team drive my own car I like to get the 5k out of the way and be at the resort and showered by daylight. Back to bed for about an hour and a half and it’s like it never happened, ready for the next three days.

 

[PrincessV]

The way they have it written it sounds like they'll have more than one arrival time:

I don’t trust that rD marketing and I have the same definition of “arrival” lol - I view that as the time I must be parked at EP, while they may consider it the time you have to be walking into your corral. I likely won’t ever do another 5K regardless, but I’m very curious to see how they arrange this.

 

[accm]

I don’t trust that rD marketing and I have the same definition of “arrival” lol - I view that as the time I must be parked at EP, while they may consider it the time you have to be walking into your corral. I likely won’t ever do another 5K regardless, but I’m very curious to see how they arrange this.

True, although I hadn't thought of it like that. I'm glad I'm not running Wine and Dine and being their guinea pigs, because if I can count on one thing, it's runDisney screwing something up the first time.

 

[Disneyhanna]

I'm so curious what they're going to do about the 5K. Glad to be a guinea pig at W&D in case it helps me plan better for Marathon. In theory I'd prefer the late time to sleep, but in reality I'd probably just want it over with and regardless of a 4:30 or 5:00 start I get up at the same time. I do like being done in time to rope drop since I'm never usually up early enough to do that.

 

[jrsharp21]

I am curious to what type of traffic the later start groups will run into. I imagine it is going to be a mess. I think they are going to find that even though people have later start times, they are still going to show up early to take in the environment, root for friends before they start, etc.

 

[jmasgat]

I think they are going to find that even though people have later start times, they are still going to show up early to take in the environment, root for friends before they start, etc.

Unless they go the (more complicated) route of having specific bus times based on your start time. They do this for the infinitely more professional/managed races like NYC and Boston. But then, of course, this wouldn’t apply to people who drive.

 

[mtnmjd]

SAFD: I’ve been happily in Saucony Triumphs for a LONG time now but this newest model is absolutely shredding my feet! I’ve never had an issue with blisters but WOW—-I think I had them on every toe and both the inside AND outside of my feet. Bizarre.

So……happily reading all these posts to get some ideas for a dif shoe going forward!

I had the same issue with the new Triumph, I am glad that it wasn't just me. It forced me to explore new options after years of being a Saucony guy.
Tried the Brooks Adrenaline, they were ok and also irritated the inside of my big toe (maybe I didn't let my Triumph induced issues to heal?).
I have since moved on to Asic Novablast and Gel-Nimbus. I really like the Novablast.

 

[Naomeri]

Unless they go the (more complicated) route of having specific bus times based on your start time. They do this for the infinitely more professional/managed races like NYC and Boston. But then, of course, this wouldn’t apply to people who drive.

And what’s going to happen with people who want to run together, but get different groups? Especially people like little kids that can’t run alone?

They’ll need some kind of mechanism for people who need to move back, while still preventing everyone who would prefer extra sleep from moving back. W&D is gonna be nuts.

 

[marty3d]

And what’s going to happen with people who want to run together, but get different groups? Especially people like little kids that can’t run alone?

They’ll need some kind of mechanism for people who need to move back, while still preventing everyone who would prefer extra sleep from moving back. W&D is gonna be nuts.

I've been thinking the same thing. I'm glad I likely won't be running a rD 5k until Dopey 2028 so that will give them some time to figure things out

 

[KCO5988]

Expo Day 1 - "Sign up for your starting group at bib pickup" Joking...

 

[accm]

Unless they go the (more complicated) route of having specific bus times based on your start time. They do this for the infinitely more professional/managed races like NYC and Boston. But then, of course, this wouldn’t apply to people who drive.

The people who coordinate the buses barely know what's going on as it is, I really don't trust them to check who's getting on buses.

There are so many variables with this change that it makes it impossible to predict what they'll do. I really hope they make an announcement ahead of Wine and Dine so people can plan accordingly.

 

[The Expert]

I'm doing just the 5K at W&D as tribute to figure this all out!

 

[PrincessV]

Oooooh, it just hit me… what if they do a digital check in type of thing to get a 5K start time? Think like boarding groups for GOTG or Rise. Maybe a few days out from race day… maybe the evening before. Maybe at 3am! How do you get all your group a time together? Who knows?! It could be chaos! Oy.

 

[Naomeri]

Oooooh, it just hit me… what if they do a digital check in type of thing to get a 5K start time? Think like boarding groups for GOTG or Rise. Maybe a few days out from race day… maybe the evening before. Maybe at 3am! How do you get all your group a time together? Who knows?! It could be chaos! Oy.

Don’t give them any ideas!

 

[WDW 4 ME]

what I was spending on one Disney marathon weekend would net me 2-3 race weekends elsewhere in the country.

This is so true! And as the only runner in my family, I feel very guilty about spending our family’s fun budget on a Disney race weekend for me. Even when they come with me. It’s just a different type of Disney trip and we all feel it. Its easier for me to justify local races, or maybe a few with hotel stays that are still closer to us, so I don’t have as much guilt.

 

[WDW 4 ME]

I have a pair of Cumulus 27s sitting in my bedroom, trying to decide if I can ever get used to them or if I need to send them back! They feel so big to me, despite fitting my feet properly - like I’m clomping around in them. Running in them feels much better than walking, but I need to do both so I think they're going back.

That how I felt about the ghost max 3! They feel fine to walk in and I did run my marathon in them, so didn’t hate them. But I felt so clunky in them. The cumulus 27s have a lot of room in the toe box, which I look for in all my shoes ( no blisters or missing toenails for me, please!) but fit a very comfy snug everywhere else. They fit my arch really well. I feel like the max 3 did not fit my arch at all, though it didn’t cause me any issues. Just didn’t have much of a shape and kinda flat.