Official 2016 Princess Half Marathon Thread

[SarahDisney]

So ... I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm not really against giving medals to people who are swept.
Yes, there are some people who don't train and just want the medal. And that sucks. But there are also people who do train but for some reason (either they're really slow and couldn't get their pace to be faster even with training, or they're sick or injured, or they can't adjust to Florida humidity well, or one of a million other reasons), they just can't stay ahead of the sweepers. And for those people to be lumped in with the people who signed up in July and then basically forgot about the race until the week before ... that's not fair. Yes, some of the people who are swept don't deserve a medal. But some of them worked really hard and are probably pretty disappointed that they couldn't finish, and I think those people do deserve a medal. And since there's no way to differentiate between the first group and the second group ... I'm okay with giving everyone medals.

Okay, feel free to flame me now.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

I see both sides of this and I agree that for the people who seriously train and get swept for whatever reason do deserve something. But it bothers me that there are people out there who train seriously and they can't even get in because someone who just wants the medal has taken up a spot. They should require you finish a race, not a half but maybe a 10k, before signing up for the half. I know that will probably be unpopular too.

 

[keahgirl8]

My first PHM was in 2011- the concept that you could "run through the castle" actually inspired me to start running. PHM was my FIRST race! At that point you didn't even need to submit POT- I started mid point in the corrals. I think PHM does that for MANY women!!! And for that I applaud RD. I am still running 5 years later something that would NOT have happened without PHM in 2011. Because of that my husband is now running and my older daughter is signed up for DL half with me this year. My younger one has done several 5K and declared she is not a "runner".

My mom (late 60's) came out and did the 5K with me this year. She is not a runner but has done a few with my family in Colorado before. She is has always been very self conscious and never felt like she fit in anywhere in life. She actually told me how impressed she was at all the different types of people in the races and how welcoming and supportive everyone was. She was worried she would "not fit in and would embarrass me". We had a very slow 5K with lots of photos- but she LOVED it. And since is lives near Daytona- is thinking about other RD 5K races. And she has already been out "training" walking again with her husband- since Friday.

For those of us who run regularly- PHM is not really a "runner's race" -it is just too crazy crowded. I was amazed at the difference in congestion compared to 14K (in 2011) to 25K this year. You could barely move- I was in G with a friend- 18,000 people behind us. I like to stop for some photos- those are important to me. But I use PHM to celebrate all the training runs I have done, because those long training runs in Dec/Jan suck- this weekend is FUN! I work hard for my POT so I can have fun here.

While the number of people who don't train at all is frustrating. And there are rude people everywhere. I think there are MANY more women who have been inspired to start running and need a good safe supportive non-intimidating place to spread their wings. And you see some of their posts all over FB! And that is what I think PHM is all about- unlike many of the other RD races except maybe Tink.

I will be back- I had a great time yet again! I was disappointed in some of the characters and lack of entertainment- compared to other years. And many of the rookie event errors RD continues to make - i.e. lack of bathrooms on the 10K course before Epcot. But I know it will be super busy and the Expo will be crazy - but it will also be inspiring to see MANY people you would never see running any other time.

To anyone else thinking about it- don't be discouraged- this race is not for everyone.
But train, be ready and plan for the crowds- then HAVE FUN and celebrate!
PHM has changed my family in many, many ways and I know we are not the only ones.
Bev

100% agree with all of this. It's not the reason I run,but the only way I'd do a half.

For you ladies who are thinking of doing this race next year or in the future, please do not be discouraged. This is one of my favorite race weekends and it did not disappoint this time. There are going to be rude people EVERYWHERE and just because you're at Disney does not mean that they are not there. People 'fat-shame' or bully others in general because they are so unhappy with their own lives that they have to put others down to feel better. It's disgusting, but it's everywhere. While these stories completely appall me, I can't be naive in thinking that that 1% won't be at Disney. I went by myself this weekend and saw some people looking at me funny while I was doing the Cupid Shuffle at the pre-race party, but you know what? I just kept dancing and singing to myself. Run your own race, be your own kind of beautiful. One of the reasons I love this weekend so much is because of what the Disney Princesses represent, what Walt had wanted his company to represent. You can do anything you put your mind to, never stop dreaming, have the courage to follow your dreams, etc. For every rude individual there will be two more encouraging ones. Thank you @Keels for saying something to those 'girls.' People like you make this world better. While I love the characters along the courses, I do not stop for pictures. It makes me happy just to see them there. All the little Disney touches are what makes it wonderful and are what made me decide to run this race this year. Last year the Princess weekend was the first race I had run for me and it will forever be the race the really changed my life.

The people I encountered over this race weekend were excited and encouraging. I'm thankful I did not experience some of rudeness that others are talking about and that is truly unfortunate that you did. Do not let it ruin your weekend or your race. If you could be that one encouraging voice for someone, you should be proud of yourselves. You should be proud that you had the courage to cross the starting line, whether or not you were there to run or just get a medal. I find it rude that someone would sign up to just get a medal, but that is apparently what is important to them and I feel sorry. Isn't that what Disney is all about, believing in yourself?

I guess I would just rather look at the bigger picture than focus on how many characters were on the course. There are no other races like RunDisney races, we know that. Some of us come because we love Disney, some come because we love running, and some of us come because this is going to be our defining moment. I had a fantastic 2-days of running and completed something that I wouldn't have thought I could do two years ago.

If any of you watched 'The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60' last night, I think I cried a little when they sang Rainbow Connection. I just felt in that moment that I had really met my goal.

This too. Also, Rainbow Connection always makes me cry.

At the WDW Marathon in 2015 it became a running joke that my wife and I just couldn't get an action photo together! Someone would slide in front of just before we reached the photographer, or someone would slow down drastically and we'd have to dodge, or a large group would diagonally jump ahead of us. This went on for miles and miles. Finally, it seemed like our chance had come! This was in World Showcase, so we were nearing the end. We had some open space, with just one couple ahead of us, but there was lots of room between us. As they reached the photographer, they came to a sudden, DEAD STOP to pose. I had to slam on the brakes not to bowl them over, and I did have to hang onto one of them not to fall over.

I've always wanted to see that picture. It must have been amazing: a 6'3" bearded man with an expression of sheer terror towering over two tiny chimney sweeps...

This is exactly what happened to me! So annoying!

Just got home after flying in last night and have finally read through all the posts and will chime in.
1. I thought race transportation was great. We were staying at Coronado Springs. We walked onto a bus to go to the Expo. We waited about 10 minutes to get a bus back to the hotel after the Expo. There were several buses waiting for us when we left for the race a little before 3:00am on Sunday. We waited about 5 minutes to get a bus back to the Hotel after the race around 9:30am.
2. We went to the Expo around 1/1:30 on Thursday. Bib pickup was quick and easy. Dooney and other pre-purchased items pickup was also quick and easy. The Expo itself was very busy but manageable. We got headbands to wear for the race (bondis, I think). I'm OK with the half shirt - would have preferred teal or emerald but it's fine. I got some new havaianas. My sister got cute shirts for her kids ("My favorite princess is my mom!"), Beast and Belle raw thread shirts for her DH and herself, and some magnets. I wish we had seen a speaker schedule in advance so we could have planned to attend one. Was anything posted anywhere?
3. Race day went smoothly. We were among the first people to arrive at Race Retreat and got a quick picture with Tiana, Naveen and Louis before breakfast. They had a nice spread set out - bagels, bananas, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, etc. There were toasters. We plopped down on some bean bags and watched Hercules until it was time to head to the corrals. It was super dark in the porto-potties. They need more lighting!
4. It was a really long walk to the corrals. A lot of people seemed surprised by it and were late. I ran with my sister in Corral H (I was assigned to E). We got there with just enough time to chill for a bit before we started moving up to the starting line. We started right around 5:55.
5. It was definitely a little congested - especially where the course narrowed. This caused us to start out a little slow and slowed us down at few points along the course which was a little frustrating. We didn't stop for any characters as the lines were long but they were fun to see. I think one issue is faster runners who stop for character pictures then have to navigate back through runners who are going at a slower pace. But, if you want the picture, I think that's the price you pay.
6. I didn't see any outright rudeness but there was some inconsiderate or oblivious behavior. Nothing major though and certainly nothing like @Keels witnessed. Overall, everyone seemed to be working hard and enjoying the experience. There were a lot of people doing walk/run intervals in our corral but most were good about signaling or you could hear their alarms to warn you. The spectators and signs were great! Best was - "Run like Steve Harvey is trying to take your tiara!"
7. We finished in 2:40. This was a very comfortable pace for me and I could have gone faster. Would have loved to have broken 2:30 but I really wanted to run with my sister and at the end she said she probably wouldn't have run the whole time without me. We only stopped for one bathroom break and to get water. When we got to the last ramp we saw the 2:45 pace group and that motivated my sister to pick it up a little so we could pass them.
7. We liked the snack box! My sister is in love with that coconut puffed whatever.
8. Race Retreat breakfast was nice - eggs, sausage, pastries, potatoes, etc. Plenty of food and no lines. They had a small tent set up with towels and benches to get changed in which was really appreciated. The little towel we got as our souvenir seems kinda chintzy but I'll probably use it in spin class!
9. There was certainly an army of workers and volunteers. Everyone seemed nice and helpful.
10. I agree that people who don't finish shouldn't get a medal. Maybe something else but not a medal. This was my first half marathon and I followed the training plan almost to the letter and that allowed me to finish feeling strong. My sister had some bumps in her training but even with two young kids and two jobs she got a lot of it done was able to finish upright and with a smile. We both live in New England and were able to get the training in. We were committed to it. I'm proud of the accomplishment. If I flaked out on the training and got swept because of that I wouldn't take a medal. I don't know how I would feel about it if I got injured or something like that but if it was purely my lack of commitment - no way.
11. I think this is a great race for first time half marathoners. There's a low intimidation factor. The course is pretty easy. Overall, I'm really glad I did it. I would do it again.

People who didn't train aren't the only ones who get swept. I don't know what the answer is, but that's just not always the case.

I will say I am a run/walk person normally. I have nothing against those who walk, but I wish there was a designated corral for walkers. There are people who go into it knowing they are going to walk it.

I walked the 5K and passed people who were running, so no...that will not work.

So ... I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm not really against giving medals to people who are swept.
Yes, there are some people who don't train and just want the medal. And that sucks. But there are also people who do train but for some reason (either they're really slow and couldn't get their pace to be faster even with training, or they're sick or injured, or they can't adjust to Florida humidity well, or one of a million other reasons), they just can't stay ahead of the sweepers. And for those people to be lumped in with the people who signed up in July and then basically forgot about the race until the week before ... that's not fair. Yes, some of the people who are swept don't deserve a medal. But some of them worked really hard and are probably pretty disappointed that they couldn't finish, and I think those people do deserve a medal. And since there's no way to differentiate between the first group and the second group ... I'm okay with giving everyone medals.

Okay, feel free to flame me now.

I don't know what the answer is, but this is very very true. I have a friend who falls into this category and it was absolutely not her fault. In fact, another runner was to blame.

 

[srauseo]

Okay, feel free to flame me now.

I totally get where you are coming from, even though I mostly disagree. And maybe that's what Disney is thinking as well. That they want to encourage the people who try and fail for whatever reason and the slackers, as so often happens, get to skate by as well. But I'd be in favor of the DNFs getting something, just not a finisher medal.

 

[elleherself]

I'm not against giving everyone the medal either. I don't really care about that. 25000 people run this thing, it's not exactly rare. My medal is about my journey. I see them on ebay all the time, they're not that hard to get.

I think the event is just oversold, period. I think they should change the course. Is love to run through Fort Wilderness. There's got to be a better way to do it than sending 25000 people through one lane roads. Let the walkers walk, but at least allow space for running! For all but the very first corral there wasn't that. I think moving the finish away from the start would be great! Allow a more interesting, WIDER course. The park miles, while brief, offered an actual opportunity to move, but they were short lived! They had plenty of signs directing traffic, what about a few signs every few miles reminding participants to walk on the right? A few volunteers with bullhorns every so often? It wouldn't be difficult! I don't want to feel "rude" for having the audacity to actually RUN a half marathon! And I know it's not always the fault of the other runners, many many people were forced to walk just due to congestion.

My first race was the Tower of Terror 10 miler and that was awesome. Plenty of room to move, a great starter race length, and a fun after party. The Princess half marathon should take a leaf out of the old book.

 

[pclvnmcky88]

So ... I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm not really against giving medals to people who are swept.
Yes, there are some people who don't train and just want the medal. And that sucks. But there are also people who do train but for some reason (either they're really slow and couldn't get their pace to be faster even with training, or they're sick or injured, or they can't adjust to Florida humidity well, or one of a million other reasons), they just can't stay ahead of the sweepers. And for those people to be lumped in with the people who signed up in July and then basically forgot about the race until the week before ... that's not fair. Yes, some of the people who are swept don't deserve a medal. But some of them worked really hard and are probably pretty disappointed that they couldn't finish, and I think those people do deserve a medal. And since there's no way to differentiate between the first group and the second group ... I'm okay with giving everyone medals.

Okay, feel free to flame me now.

This is a sticky subject because you are spot on. For a lot of people that get swept, I believe, the fact that they got swept is a very discouraging experience. Those that are there to get the medal but not to try, well, I'd like to say some words to them that are not Disney-appropriate I was one of those people who participated in the half of a half at Wine & Dine, and I still cringe a little when I look at that medal hanging on my rack because it wasn't a half marathon. I don't think I'd want a medal if I didn't complete the race to be honest; however, on the other side of things, Disney is all about encouraging everyone to have the courage to push their limits, so shouldn't that mentality of the races be supported?

 

[pclvnmcky88]

I'm not against giving everyone the medal either. I don't really care about that. 25000 people run this thing, it's not exactly rare. My medal is about my journey. I see them on ebay all the time, they're not that hard to get.

I think the event is just oversold, period. I think they should change the course. Is love to run through Fort Wilderness. There's got to be a better way to do it than sending 25000 people through one lane roads. Let the walkers walk, but at least allow space for running! For all but the very first corral there wasn't that. I think moving the finish away from the start would be great! Allow a more interesting, WIDER course. The park miles, while brief, offered an actual opportunity to move, but they were short lived! They had plenty of signs directing traffic, what about a few signs every few miles reminding participants to walk on the right? A few volunteers with bullhorns every so often? It wouldn't be difficult! I don't want to feel "rude" for having the audacity to actually RUN a half marathon! And I know it's not always the fault of the other runners, many many people were forced to walk just due to congestion.

My first race was the Tower of Terror 10 miler and that was awesome. Plenty of room to move, a great starter race length, and a fun after party. The Princess half marathon should take a leaf out of the old book.

I disagree with this. I was in corral I last year and PR'ed. I was in corral F for the WDW Half and for Princess on Sunday again and PR'ed again in each race respectively. Each time I had plenty of space and time to run. Yes, some moments throughout the course got crowded, but I just looked for an outlet or waited until I had just enough room to pass through a gap. During the 10k on Saturday I was able to run the entire thing. So many races are like this where they vary between tightened spaces and large open roads. My first half marathon had kind of the same route as Princess and it was in the boonies of North Carolina. Part of Disney's mantra is that anyone can do anything if they have the courage to do so, so why would they not allow a hefty amount of people to participate in these races? There are those that want to PR, those that want to run their race and meet the characters, those that just want to finish, and for some this is the defining moment in their lives to say they finished a half marathon whether it was walking or running. Just because it's a 'race' doesn't automatically mean everyone has to race. I like the corral system and I think it's a good judge of your running/walking pace on the course.

 

[hauntedcity]

So ... I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm not really against giving medals to people who are swept.
Yes, there are some people who don't train and just want the medal. And that sucks. But there are also people who do train but for some reason (either they're really slow and couldn't get their pace to be faster even with training, or they're sick or injured, or they can't adjust to Florida humidity well, or one of a million other reasons), they just can't stay ahead of the sweepers. And for those people to be lumped in with the people who signed up in July and then basically forgot about the race until the week before ... that's not fair. Yes, some of the people who are swept don't deserve a medal. But some of them worked really hard and are probably pretty disappointed that they couldn't finish, and I think those people do deserve a medal. And since there's no way to differentiate between the first group and the second group ... I'm okay with giving everyone medals.

Okay, feel free to flame me now.

You make sense, which is why I like having a separate RunDisney "participant" medal. Something nice, and maybe RunDisney-branded (instead of the race weekend), to commemorate the event, while still maintaining the integrity of the finisher medal.

 

[srauseo]

People who didn't train aren't the only ones who get swept. I don't know what the answer is, but that's just not always the case.

I totally get that. I was speaking purely about the making excuses/flaking out crowd.

 

[Warm Hugs]

You make sense, which is why I like having a separate RunDisney "participant" medal. Something nice, and maybe RunDisney-branded (instead of the race weekend), to commemorate the event, while still maintaining the integrity of the finisher medal.

That would add costs to make another medal. Rundisney doesn't care if you finish or not. They just want people to sign up and sell out the race. whether you are there to just get the medal and get swept or not, its the same amount of money to them.

But should they go the route of giving people swept participant medals, they should also put out "I tried!!" Shirts along with the "i did it!!" Shirts.

 

[BelleWannabe4]

This was my very first half and I wasn't able to submit a POT before November so I ended up in Corral M. Overall, I have to say that I really had a great time. I loved seeing all of the participant's costumes - everyone was so creative and looked so amazing! The runners' costumes were really better than the characters Also, I loved seeing whole families on the course or mother/daughter or even mom/daughter/grandma groups. What an encouragement!

My biggest problem was that I was so far back that I could never get around the large number of people walking. I do run/walk intervals and ended up spending almost the entire course in the grass trying desperately not to get elbowed. I run in a city and generally think I'm pretty good at dodging tourists/strollers/dog walkers but this was a true challenge because there was nowhere to move. I think it would be great if there was a small bit of room for jogging/walking on the actual course. I checked my mile tracker and, due to my weaving, I had gone 17 miles during the actual race.

But you know what? It was still really fun and I plan to do the GSC next year. I will just definitely plan to submit a time and hopefully end up in a corral that will leave me with some room to run.

Congratulations to everyone who ran this weekend!

 

[cavepig]

So ... I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm not really against giving medals to people who are swept.
Yes, there are some people who don't train and just want the medal. And that sucks. But there are also people who do train but for some reason (either they're really slow and couldn't get their pace to be faster even with training, or they're sick or injured, or they can't adjust to Florida humidity well, or one of a million other reasons), they just can't stay ahead of the sweepers. And for those people to be lumped in with the people who signed up in July and then basically forgot about the race until the week before ... that's not fair. Yes, some of the people who are swept don't deserve a medal. But some of them worked really hard and are probably pretty disappointed that they couldn't finish, and I think those people do deserve a medal. And since there's no way to differentiate between the first group and the second group ... I'm okay with giving everyone medals.

Okay, feel free to flame me now.

I agree with you! I was so sick during the marathon this year and by golly if I had been swept I would have taken my medal ( I know I wouldn't have gotten my challenge medals), but for me that day just making it to the starting line was a big deal. Cheaters and people who just don't train at all are annoying but I just let it go as life's too short to dwell on stuff like that. I laugh about the stuff people do but don't get mad about it. It's not like I'm winning it or anything... those are the age group awards...which how cool would that be to win

 

[Fruto76]

@SunDial It's great to hear you had a fantastic weekend with your daughter. Your costumes were ahhmazing!

You make sense, which is why I like having a separate RunDisney "participant" medal. Something nice, and maybe RunDisney-branded (instead of the race weekend), to commemorate the event, while still maintaining the integrity of the finisher medal.

I love this idea! It's a perfect solution to cut back on the people they have zero intentions of training/finishing. And.. if they give out the same generic participant medal for every race throughout the year, it really doesn't have to be an extravagant cost. Make a bunch early in the year and take them to each race. They have a general idea of how many DNF's to expect each race.

This was my very first half and I wasn't able to submit a POT before November so I ended up in Corral M. Overall, I have to say that I really had a great time. I loved seeing all of the participant's costumes - everyone was so creative and looked so amazing! The runners' costumes were really better than the characters Also, I loved seeing whole families on the course or mother/daughter or even mom/daughter/grandma groups. What an encouragement!

My biggest problem was that I was so far back that I could never get around the large number of people walking. I do run/walk intervals and ended up spending almost the entire course in the grass trying desperately not to get elbowed. I run in a city and generally think I'm pretty good at dodging tourists/strollers/dog walkers but this was a true challenge because there was nowhere to move. I think it would be great if there was a small bit of room for jogging/walking on the actual course. I checked my mile tracker and, due to my weaving, I had gone 17 miles during the actual race.

But you know what? It was still really fun and I plan to do the GSC next year. I will just definitely plan to submit a time and hopefully end up in a corral that will leave me with some room to run.

Congratulations to everyone who ran this weekend!

4 extra miles! My total mileage was 13.33, from corral F.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I got 13.3 miles from Corral N. I weaved some.

My husband got 13.32 in Corral B, he said he didn't weave a bunch.

 

[keahgirl8]

I totally get that. I was speaking purely about the making excuses/flaking out crowd.

I know you were. There's just no way for them to determine that.

 

[Ariel484]

I feel like what to do with the medals is an endless debate...it will never be solved in a way that makes everyone happy.

In my opinion...for participating, you get the shirt. For finishing, you get the medal (hence runDisney calling it a *finisher* medal).

The decision to defer/not start is not an easy one (as I now know firsthand), but sometimes it's the right decision if you're just not ready.

 

[SarahDisney]

I feel like what to do with the medals is an endless debate...it will never be solved in a way that makes everyone happy.

Good point.
I don't know why I brought it up (or tried to start a debate about it). I've been bringing a lot of stupid controversy to this thread lately. I'm sorry, guys, I'll try to stop that.

 

[Ariel484]

Good point.
I don't know why I brought it up (or tried to start a debate about it). I've been bringing a lot of stupid controversy to this thread lately. I'm sorry, guys, I'll try to stop that.

No worries!! It's not the first time the discussion has come up, and it certainly won't be the last!

EDIT: Wait, you didn't bring it up first! Even if you did, everything's good!

 

[preciouspups]

Now that I have tackled the 10k, I think I will keep that distance as my long run every week. With my Star Wars race a year away, I can work on speed and getting a better corral so dh and I can do pictures.

 

[MaMa3Princess]

I hate to say this, but ...
I was thinking about doing Princess at some point in the future, and you guys are kinda scaring me off.
I did the 5K last year and loved it, and most of the runners I met in the parks were really sweet and encouraging, which is part of why I figured it would be a good race for me (the other part is the princess thing). But from some of the things I've seen here, it sounds like those sweet and encouraging runners are in the minority.

I know this is a decision that I have to make for myself, but ... am I misreading, or do you guys really feel like the Princess Half is not a good experience?

I use to do this race yearly from 2012, my experience has been like Joan and others. It is just hard to wrap your mind around what this race has become when you know what it use to be. Even as frustrating as Wine and Dine was to not complete a half, I still enjoyed the race and did not feel wall to wall crowded or just frustrated. When I heard about how the expo went down, and now what I sort of expected the rude behaviors and just utter congestion. I am sad that the my beloved first half I ever ran has turned into this. Sarah, take everything with a pro's and con's and really way what your expectations to be out. As for me..... I think I will be moving on. The price of these races are going through the roof and I cant simply see this new RUNDisney attitude when you know just 5 short years ago this race was truly worth the money.