Official 2016 Dopey Challenge Thread

[FFigawi]

As far as resorts are concerned, I thought I read that the Epcot resorts were recommended because after some of the Dopey races that end at Epcot, you can walk thru Epcot to get back to your resort rather than wait for a bus. And that some of the races run by YC/BC, making it a good spot for spectators. True? So is it "wortj" the added points to stay at BCV rather than OKW?

We've stayed at BW the last two times we've been at marathon weekend and think it's very much worth it. It's a very easy drive to the start on race mornings, and it's also easy for people not running to come out and cheer and hand out beer at mile 24 of the full. The 10k runs right past BW and YC/BC too, which is good for people who want to be up at 6am cheering. It's not so good for people who want to be sleeping at 6am instead.

 

[Keels]

We've stayed at BW the last two times we've been at marathon weekend and think it's very much worth it. It's a very easy drive to the start on race mornings, and it's also easy for people not running to come out and cheer and hand out beer at mile 24 of the full. The 10k runs right past BW and YC/BC too, which is good for people who want to be up at 6am cheering. It's not so good for people who want to be sleeping at 6am instead.

Now you're talking!!

 

[MJbroksan]

Does anyone know if the registration prices include taxes?

 

[FFigawi]

The only extra charges I've ever seen are the active.com fees. They hit with those at the end.

 

[MJbroksan]

Active.com fees?

 

[FFigawi]

Yes. The fees you pay to the company that handles the registration process.

 

[MJbroksan]

Oh, thank you!

 

[Ariel484]

Active.com fees?

6.5-7% of the registration fee added onto your total cost at the end of registration.

 

[DOOM1001]

Wine and Dine was $190 and came out to $202 and change after the fee.

 

[StarGirl11]

I'm going to post this here and hopefully someone will actually answer my question instead of just telling me I can move back corrals to be with other family member I'm running with for 5k (all ready knew that regardless I still want this answered so I know just where I'm going to land in the corrals). How does the 5k/10k corral placement work for Dopey? I get that there's seperate bibs for the shorter races. But how do they figure out corrals they place you in time wise. Is it based on the same PoT you submit for the longer races?

 

[Ariel484]

@StarGirl11 yes. I was in I for the half/marathon and B for the 5K/10K.

 

[Barca33Runner]

I'm going to post this here and hopefully someone will actually answer my question instead of just telling me I can move back corrals to be with other family member I'm running with for 5k (all ready knew that regardless I still want this answered so I know just where I'm going to land in the corrals). How does the 5k/10k corral placement work for Dopey? I get that there's seperate bibs for the shorter races. But how do they figure out corrals they place you in time wise. Is it based on the same PoT you submit for the longer races?

As Ariel confirmed, it is based off the PoT for your longer races. It seemed to me that Dopey Challenge participants may have been placed a corral or two back from where they would have been with the same PoT for an individual race, particularly for the Half/Full. I have no concrete proof of this, but it seemed that way standing in the corrals.

 

[Ariel484]

As Ariel confirmed, it is based off the PoT for your longer races. It seemed to me that Dopey Challenge participants may have been placed a corral or two back from where they would have been with the same PoT for an individual race, particularly for the Half/Full. I have no concrete proof of this, but it seemed that way standing in the corrals.

Agree with this. Really, I was pleasantly surprised to be in B for the 5K and 10K. I felt they put me in the exact right corral for the marathon. For the half, if I was doing that race alone, I think I would have been up a corral or two from where they placed me.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Agree with this. Really, I was pleasantly surprised to be in B for the 5K and 10K. I felt they put me in the exact right corral for the marathon. For the half, if I was doing that race alone, I think I would have been up a corral or two from where they placed me.

Their logic seemed to play out in 2014 - those running the full marathon the next day were not going to run the half at full effort, so they moved them back.

If you normally run a 9 minute mile pace for the half, and your submitted time was 2 hours flat for a half marathon run earlier in the year, would you run a 2 hour half knowing that you had a full the next morning? Or would you run at your easy pace instead of your race pace and stop for pictures.

 

[Ariel484]

Their logic seemed to play out in 2014 - those running the full marathon the next day were not going to run the half at full effort, so they moved them back.

If you normally run a 9 minute mile pace for the half, and your submitted time was 2 hours flat for a half marathon run earlier in the year, would you run a 2 hour half knowing that you had a full the next morning? Or would you run at your easy pace instead of your race pace and stop for pictures.

Doesn't really matter to me. I stop for ALL of the pictures ALL of the time.

 

[John VN]

Doesn't really matter to me. I stop for ALL of the pictures ALL of the time.

Not one for pictures or rides but I must stop and get my M&M McFlurry

McFlurry John

 

[FFigawi]

Their logic seemed to play out in 2014 - those running the full marathon the next day were not going to run the half at full effort, so they moved them back.

If you normally run a 9 minute mile pace for the half, and your submitted time was 2 hours flat for a half marathon run earlier in the year, would you run a 2 hour half knowing that you had a full the next morning? Or would you run at your easy pace instead of your race pace and stop for pictures.

I guess it depends on if 9 m/m is your normal half pace or your bust-a-gut-for-a-PR half pace. Once or twice a year, I will put everything I've got into a half or a full, leave it all out there, and try to lower my PR by another few minutes. The rest of the time, I'll just run what I consider to be my normal pace and just enjoy the scenery. At Disney, I'll usually run that pace for the half and the full with picture taking happening along the way during both races. This year was an exception because I had to hit a certain time for the full, so my only stop along the way was to slow down and get a beer from my wife at mile 24 at BW.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Their logic seemed to play out in 2014 - those running the full marathon the next day were not going to run the half at full effort, so they moved them back.

If you normally run a 9 minute mile pace for the half, and your submitted time was 2 hours flat for a half marathon run earlier in the year, would you run a 2 hour half knowing that you had a full the next morning? Or would you run at your easy pace instead of your race pace and stop for pictures.

I have run the half at about 85% both years and think I am the exception to the rule. I have had to do a pretty good amount of dodging for the first few miles the last couple years, so the number of people walking large portions of the Half from the corals ahead of me was pretty noticeable. Unfortunately it is a hard thing for anyone to predict with such a diverse field and unique event. I am planning a few half marathons this year to hopefully improve my PoT and move up 4-5 corrals next year and will hopefully avoid a little bit of traffic. Made the mistake of submitting my marathon time from the 2014 Dopey and never amending it last year; probably cost me 2-3 corrals.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I guess it depends on if 9 m/m is your normal half pace or your bust-a-gut-for-a-PR half pace. Once or twice a year, I will put everything I've got into a half or a full, leave it all out there, and try to lower my PR by another few minutes. The rest of the time, I'll just run what I consider to be my normal pace and just enjoy the scenery. At Disney, I'll usually run that pace for the half and the full with picture taking happening along the way during both races. This year was an exception because I had to hit a certain time for the full, so my only stop along the way was to slow down and get a beer from my wife at mile 24 at BW.

Agreed, but most people are submitting their best times, not their "take it easy" times.

 

[FFigawi]

Of course. Submit your best time & run at normal pace in hopefully a higher corral. That's the best strategy.