Mile 24 crowds?

[cewait]

Did anyone think that the marathon course was more crowded this year late in the race? I found the strtch from the mile 24 water stop through the end of the side walk over crowded; a new spot for feeling that. I am not sure if the cold breeze or added runners was the cause. I have finished 3 of the last 5 marathons in the same pace range and this was a first.

Thoughts?

 

[gsu1988]

Charles,
I agree. It did seem more crowded in this section. It may have been that there were more spectators out lined up on the cement wall where that have not been before and that made it feel more closed in. Whatever it was I agree that this year that area felt more congested than in the past.

 

[sue2]

yep...I had to "excuse me" "little room, please" my way through a few large groups of walkers in that stretch. It did seem more crowded to me.

 

[jmasgat]

I felt like the whole course was crowded--and I don't know why. Maybe when you're running well, it doesn't take too much mental and physical energy to go around people, but when you're not at your best, every little bit of focus or energy is noticeable.

Maura

 

[jessily]

I don't have any previous years to compare it to, but I thought it was very crowded. I was doing a lot of weaving the last few miles to try to reach my time goal. More people were walking at that point and because the course was narrow it got a lot tougher to move around groups or bottleneck areas.

 

[TnTsParty]

I actually didn't think it was too bad in the Boardwalk area - last year I remember it being very crowded as you came off the sidewalk toward the Yacht Club. Either that or after 37 miles I just wasn't really paying attention anymore. I do remember being somewhat out of it in those miles - I was just focusing on the finish line in my mind.

 

[lolafrances]

I thought I read somewhere that walkers should not walk more than two abreast. Do people just not abide to this guideline? If so, that really stinks.

 

[cewait]

I thought I read somewhere that walkers should not walk more than two abreast. Do people just not abide to this guideline? If so, that really stinks.

That's pretty much a no no that many simply do not get at all. I followed a small group of run walkers (small = 20) that had half of Bear island road blocked at any given time. I finally got away from that group.

Unfortunately Disney and Cliff sponsor one of the worst offenders of two abreast rule. That would be pace groups. Pace groups tend to go down the course in a v shaped wedge; kind of like a flock of geese. Since they do not really know one another and many if not most of the pace group are ananomous to the group they can be either a boulder or a block depending if they are catching or passing.


As far as the BW stretch, the water stop used to be near Atlantic Dance Hall. I wrote Jon and told him I thought the stop location needed to be evaluated due to crowding. Hopefully his team will look it over and Disney will give a permit for the move to a wider section of the course.

 

[Mark214]

I was with the 3:50 pace group most of the way and never found the course congested. I did not find the runners in this pace group took up too much race course real estate. The final stretch after leaving Hollywood Studios required no weaving.

Given how many people jog/walk the 1/2 and full, Disney could do a better job letting people know about race etiquette. Announcements while people are in the corrals waiting for the start might help a bit.

 

[cewait]

I was with the 3:50 pace group most of the way and never found the course congested. I did not find the runners in this pace group took up too much race course real estate. The final stretch after leaving Hollywood Studios required no weaving.

Given how many people jog/walk the 1/2 and full, Disney could do a better job letting people know about race etiquette. Announcements while people are in the corrals waiting for the start might help a bit.

I think that a repeating voice recording at various points would help, also.

Mark, you were through the tight areas before the last groups started.
Seriously, I should have couched my pace group criticism as folks faster than a 4:30-5:00 marathon understand race etiquette for the most part. Also, Disney tends to be skewed about 20 -40 minutes slower on average than many other races. I know that I place much better in my age group at the mouse races than I do locally.

 

[Duanerice]

From leaving DHS until I made it to the Boardwalk was extremely crowded. I wasn't the only one that said so. There was a small running lane in the middle of the sidewalk. By this time many of the runners turned into walkers so they were crowding it a bit.

Duane

 

[syko]

I was following an elite from the HS to Epcot.
I thought about passing him, but didn't as I knew I would have to slow down on the broadwalk because of the wood.
I got passed him in Epcot.

The only trouble I had on the broadwalk was the ice!!!!!

I was surprized at how many people where out watching on the broadwalk when I went through.

 

[sue2]

I didn't notice congestion at the water stop as much as I did on the sidewalk along the canal before we got to the Boardwalk. The guys broadcasting from the motorboat along there was very cool, I thought.

My friends who came from New York and England to run last weekend are not liking my reports that it was 63 degrees when I ran this morning. Amazing what changes can happen in a week.

 

[ultramickeymouse]

I did notice it was more crowded in that section too. More so that any of the other 4 Goofy's.