Official 2014 Disneyland Dumbo Double Dare, Half Marathon, 10k, and 5k Thread!

[annmarieda]

The OP has already confirmed that they have not submitted a time so they WILL be in the last corral. And they are doing the 10k, not the half.

That is what I get for not reading more thoroughly. Sorry bout that. I missed it.

I'm thinking that we'll be fine in the last corral, but may have to ditch the character stops if the lines are too long. Just because we're in the last corral it doesn't mean we'll get swept. I'm sure there are many people before us who have started in the last corral and manage to finish the run But I'm still going to aim to be at the beginning of the last corral, just for a bit of buffer.

I really hope I didn't offend. I hope you didn't think that I was saying people in the last corral get swept. Far from it. There are people in the last corrals that are able to run and make such good time they finish well before people in earlier corrals. (I would not be one of them... but fast runners who can do that do exist) So yes... the only reason someone in the last corral would be at risk for being swept is if they were one of the last to cross the start AND do not maintain a 16 minute mile. Everyone outside of that group of people will be just fine. Because ultimately even if you are in the last corral but have say a 1000 people behind you - you have a buffer and will likely be able to finish with greater than a 16 minute mile. (my first ever disney race I had a greater than 16 minute mile pace yet did not get swept)

My main point was to say that one should anticipate their time will be a bit slower. Maybe not as much as mine is (mine is about 2 minutes per mile slower for a half than it is for a 10k even though I do not stop for characters.)

 

[zanzibar138]

I really hope I didn't offend. I hope you didn't think that I was saying people in the last corral get swept.

I'm not that easily offended Just wanted to clarify so there was no confusion.

 

[annmarieda]

I'm not that easily offended Just wanted to clarify so there was no confusion.

It would not be unheard of me to write something and come across in a way that I completely did not intend.

 

[Outonarun]

12 weeks to go...

...the perfect time to commit to a 12-week half-marathon training schedule

 

[SgtTibbs]

if a perfect storm of sorts should happen (you are in a corral in the back and the weather and or distance affect you in a negative way) just be mindful that you may have to forgo some character stops.

I'm not planning to make any character stops. I start the race, I run/walk, I reach the end. That's about as complicated as I'm willing to deal with that early in the AM.

I'm still going to aim to be at the beginning of the last corral, just for a bit of buffer.

Be sure to look for me, I'll be the tall guy in front of you in the corral.

 

[SgtTibbs]

Now I'm curious, how does the sweep actually work? I'm hoping it's a bunch of guys dressed up as Bert from Marry Poppins "sweeping" the course while whistling a happy tune.

 

[Kathymford]

Now I'm curious, how does the sweep actually work? I'm hoping it's a bunch of guys dressed up as Bert from Marry Poppins "sweeping" the course while whistling a happy tune.

IF ONLY!!

 

[annmarieda]

I'm not planning to make any character stops. I start the race, I run/walk, I reach the end. That's about as complicated as I'm willing to deal with that early in the AM.

Sounds about my speed too. That early in the morning I am just lucky to be upright let alone think about what I am doing. Believe me... I have found myself at a disney race and thought "what? my corral was called?? Oh no "

 

[StarGirl11]

Now I'm curious, how does the sweep actually work? I'm hoping it's a bunch of guys dressed up as Bert from Marry Poppins "sweeping" the course while whistling a happy tune.

I wish! The last couple of times I've a DLR race they've had bright orange flags attached to them when I've gotten enough to see them. Thankfully, it's always been always well past the "all clear" zone at Mile 10 in the half-marathon (long story for me on how I know about that). They used to use balloons to mark the last pacers but then they switched. I have no clue why, its annoying.

The OP has already confirmed that they have not submitted a time so they WILL be in the last corral. And they are doing the 10k, not the half.

I'm thinking that we'll be fine in the last corral, but may have to ditch the character stops if the lines are too long. Just because we're in the last corral it doesn't mean we'll get swept. I'm sure there are many people before us who have started in the last corral and manage to finish the run But I'm still going to aim to be at the beginning of the last corral, just for a bit of buffer.

Starting at the front of a corral is always good. Can't believe how much kick off speed I get from having only 20-30 people in front of me max. Doing Tink last January I managed to wiggle my way to the front of my corral. And I kicked off so fast I not only caught up with the E corral (I started in F), I caught up with C! All before I hit the 5k mark and while still making a bathroom break.

Curious to see what happens this time around since my kick off speed has increased to by September (I had a kick off speed at Tink of around 10:15-10:30 min mile for the first minute according to my Garmin, at my last race it had me going around 7:50-8:00 in that first minute will probably have jumped even more by DLH).

 

[liesel]

Thanks! And I have an actual theory concerning runDisney and that last corral if you've run previously with them. But I have no way of actually physically proving it. Like you at this past Tink I had no way of proving that I didn't belong in the final corral so I didn't submit proof of time at time of registration. And despite repeated efforts to get a proof of time to move up corrals I fell flat. And yet when the corrals came out I wasn't in the very last corral but in the corral before that. So I think that runDisney takes the fact that you have run a Disney race as proof that you can run a half marathon and possibly run it in a sub 3:30 and puts you in the second to last corral and not the back one. But I can't 100 percent prove that theory. Though the fact this happened to me and now appears to be happening to you backs it up.



Hmmm will keep that in mind as an option when things are a bit less crazy. Right now I'm alternating regular biking/lap swimming/weight lifting on my off days. I mean I don't work out every day because my legs do need a break every once and a while. But I might try it sometime. Especially since I got a YMCA membership again.

I've had this theory too. I think Run Disney does reward you for demonstrating that you can finish a half marathon with their corral placement. They've also let me put a slightly faster finish time than what my proof of time would support.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

In the hopes of offering some encouragement to the corral concerns, let me offer my own experiences in runDisney events.

Disneyland 2011 was my first distance event of any kind. My only goal was to finish. I wasn't going to do any character stops because they could keep me from achieving my goal. I started out in the last corral. I literally trained on a treadmill at a 15 minute per mile pace.

About 1/2 a mile in to the actual race, probably after letting adrenaline, excitement, and fears about not finishing get the best of me and running too fast, I experienced severe shooting pains that felt like shin splints. I quickly realized that I could not possibly keep up with this kind of pain and had to slow down. Now I had to really trust in my training and hope that I could walk fast enough to keep pace.

At mile one, they told us that we were doing great because we were roughly one minute ahead of pace. On this day, that would be the last time I heard about where I was in relation to pace. With no breaks whatsoever, I finished in 3:05.

Fast forward now to 2012. I trained at the same pace for 2012 as 2011 and my 2011 time was good enough to put me in the second to last corral. Feeling more confident in my ability to take some "breaks" in the park, I singled out two character photos. Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora in front of the castle and Darth Vader and the stormtroopers in Tomorrowland. I also had to throw in a restroom break while in DCA.

I checked my watch during the "breaks" to see how much time I might need to make up. In the end, I probably lost about 11-12 minutes for these "breaks" most of which were spent waiting for Darth Vader. My finish time was 3:07. At the end of the race I pushed a little bit harder than I wanted to in the event that a finish above 3:15 would push me back a corral for the Wine & Dine.

Looking back, I could have done more character stops than those two. For the 2012 Wine & Dine, I had 3 character stops and finished in 3:11. All of my finish times are essentially power walking the entire course. And keep in mind that runDisney may post a character guide so you can choose if you need to make priorities. Even in the last corral, you can still pause for character photos as long you keep your pace up.

 

[zanzibar138]

Thanks Sleepless Knight, that really helps I'm not so much concerned about getting swept as I am about not having time for characters and photo opportunities! I started stressing after I read a couple of reports from others who started in the last corral that the lines for characters would be too long by the time we got there.

Whereabouts were you in the last corral? Were you right at the front, or more in the middle of the pack?

 

[Sleepless Knight]

It was 3 years ago, but I think I was fairly close to the front or in the middle. Definitely not near the back. While I didn't do any character stops in the 2011 race, my final time clearly showed that I could have.

Thinking back to 2012 when I did the character stops, I don't think any of the lines were that bad except for Darth Vader and the stormtroopers. And even at 8 minutes that line wasn't terrible. I remember seeing maybe 5 people in line for Cinderella and other princesses near It's a Small World. As I mentioned above, the line for Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle right after running through it was very short. And Prince Phillip is a rare character at Disneyland and while I've often seen Aurora, the only time I have seen her in front of the castle nearly front and center is from that race.

Keep in mind too that in 2012 I was in the second to last corral. While the races sell out a lot faster now, I don't think they've dramatically increased the number of bibs.

I will share one final thought about meeting the characters during the race. While I have done it and it's a nice break from the physical challenge of a 1/2, I also remember that my most treasured character photos tied into the 1/2 marathons I've ran are the character photos from after the race when I'm wearing my medal. The characters really make a big deal about that. Mickey got very excited to see it, Chip and Dale made runner poses with me, Merida said I was brave, Ariel asked if I swam or ran, and Aurora congratulated me on my accomplishment. On the final leg of the C2C, she thanked me for coming to show her and Phillip my medals.

The magic of your first runDisney event of any kind, especially when you're new to the special kind of magical insanity it brings, is earning that medal.

 

[kermit116]

In the hopes of offering some encouragement to the corral concerns, let me offer my own experiences in runDisney events. Disneyland 2011 was my first distance event of any kind. My only goal was to finish. I wasn't going to do any character stops because they could keep me from achieving my goal. I started out in the last corral. I literally trained on a treadmill at a 15 minute per mile pace. About 1/2 a mile in to the actual race, probably after letting adrenaline, excitement, and fears about not finishing get the best of me and running too fast, I experienced severe shooting pains that felt like shin splints. I quickly realized that I could not possibly keep up with this kind of pain and had to slow down. Now I had to really trust in my training and hope that I could walk fast enough to keep pace. At mile one, they told us that we were doing great because we were roughly one minute ahead of pace. On this day, that would be the last time I heard about where I was in relation to pace. With no breaks whatsoever, I finished in 3:05. Fast forward now to 2012. I trained at the same pace for 2012 as 2011 and my 2011 time was good enough to put me in the second to last corral. Feeling more confident in my ability to take some "breaks" in the park, I singled out two character photos. Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora in front of the castle and Darth Vader and the stormtroopers in Tomorrowland. I also had to throw in a restroom break while in DCA. I checked my watch during the "breaks" to see how much time I might need to make up. In the end, I probably lost about 11-12 minutes for these "breaks" most of which were spent waiting for Darth Vader. My finish time was 3:07. At the end of the race I pushed a little bit harder than I wanted to in the event that a finish above 3:15 would push me back a corral for the Wine & Dine. Looking back, I could have done more character stops than those two. For the 2012 Wine & Dine, I had 3 character stops and finished in 3:11. All of my finish times are essentially power walking the entire course. And keep in mind that runDisney may post a character guide so you can choose if you need to make priorities. Even in the last corral, you can still pause for character photos as long you keep your pace up.

Thanks for this report - it's very helpful for first-time RunDisney people like me!

 

[Kathymford]

RunDisney just posted the medals on Twitter!

 

[CynthiaRebeca]

They're so pretty! I"ve been looking forward to the "D" for so long and it's been the same for a couple years but I like this year's floating aspect

 

[Belle Ella]

I was so excited to see that on Twitter this morning! I wasn't expecting the medal to change for the half, but I'm definitely not complaining! It's not a big change, but it's enough.

Just another sign that we're getting close to race weekend.

 

[Gryhndmom]

after[/I] the race when I'm wearing my medal. The characters really make a big deal about that. Mickey got very excited to see it, Chip and Dale made runner poses with me, Merida said I was brave, Ariel asked if I swam or ran, and Aurora congratulated me on my accomplishment. On the final leg of the C2C, she thanked me for coming to show her and Phillip my medals.

The magic of your first runDisney event of any kind, especially when you're new to the special kind of magical insanity it brings, is earning that medal.

I totally agree with you that I think my pics with the characters after the race were better ! I was so worried last year about not finishing the race in the time limit since we were doing coast to coast that I really didn't stop much during the race. DH and I ordered the coast to coast frames and proudly have our accomplishments on full view!

 

[zanzibar138]

Are there character opportunities at the end of the run, or are you talking about just in the parks? What I like about the characters on the course is the possibility of shorter lines. How long do you usually have to wait for a character on the Saturday afternoon of Labor Day/Half Marathon weekend? I don't usually bother if it's more than about a 10 minute wait.

With the official announcement of the medals being Stitch themed, I'm starting to think about what sort of characters we might see on course. I know Lilo and Stitch, but who else is likely? Maybe more classic characters in 'Hawaiian' attire?

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Thanks for this report - it's very helpful for first-time RunDisney people like me!

You're welcome. I well remember my fear mixed with excitement leading up to my first race. The encouragement I received from runDisney veterans helped so much. As it so happened, I met a couple finishing their coast to coast on Saturday morning before my first. They reassured me I could do it and would love. As fate would have it, I would see them again very close to the finish line. So I hope to pass on what I learned.

I totally agree with you that I think my pics with the characters after the race were better ! I was so worried last year about not finishing the race in the time limit since we were doing coast to coast that I really didn't stop much during the race. DH and I ordered the coast to coast frames and proudly have our accomplishments on full view!

I know that feeling. I'm contemplating one for the Rebel Challenge. Maybe I'll go for one that displays the bib as well this time. My C2C is me with characters from my favorite movies during the race. Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip at Disneyland and Darth Vader at DHS. Vader wound up being the only character I saw in each race and it was fun to meet Phillip and Aurora during MVMCP after the race so I could get pictures of me and them with my medals since in a way they were there when I started that experience.

Are there character opportunities at the end of the run, or are you talking about just in the parks? What I like about the characters on the course is the possibility of shorter lines. How long do you usually have to wait for a character on the Saturday afternoon of Labor Day/Half Marathon weekend? I don't usually bother if it's more than about a 10 minute wait.

I always make it a point to high five Mickey and one of the chipmunks when I finish the Disneyland 1/2. They'll also have others from the fab five in there, but the finish line does not offer posed photo opportunities. There will be more posed photo opportunities in the parks at the very beginning of the race.

As for after the race character lines in the parks, they're probably about on par with what character lines normally are if there isn't a race.