Official 2016 Star Wars Half Marthon - The Dark Side Weekend

[camaker]

We didn't enjoy the bankments on the course. Doing that Hollywood Studios bankment both days killed us. The left side of my body is a disaster today. My husband is hurting from the knees down hard. We don't train like that, but we live in Southwest Florida where life is pretty flat around here. I did find the hills overall to be less of an issue for me than the Princess hills since they are in the middle of the course rather than being all at the last 3.1 miles.

Aha! Thanks for the insight! The outside of my left calf has been bruised and very sore since the afternoon following the half. I couldn't figure out what I might've done to it. It was probably the banking on those on ramps, as you are experiencing. I felt it a little in my Achilles area after the 10k and the half probably just wrecked the rest of it.

 

[CynthiaC925]

Anyone have links to pics of the thursday shopping madness? I heard people would just dump dozens and dozens of pins, etc in to baskets and just bought out the place. Just morbid curiosity as to what these people look like.

Hi, I didn't take any pictures but I was in line at 6:30 am on Thursday. the expo opened at 9 since the line to get in had gotten so long. They did let too many people in all at once so it was rather frantic trying to grab the right size etc. I was purchasing for myself and two other runners who were arriving late Thursday and/or Friday. Everyone wanted pins and magnets - so since there were 11 different pins multiplied by 3 then I had 33 pins in my basket that obviously looked insane. I'm happy to share my receipt which shows 3 of each pin. There were 5 different magnets so again, purchasing for 3 people, amounted to 15 magnets in the basket. There is practically nothing up for resale on Ebay so the guesses I've been hearing on Facebook is that Disney has cut down on the quantity it orders for merchandise at the expos since so much of it is not getting sold and is ending up at the outlets and/or cast member stores.
Disney has definitely "upped" their game on the preordered merchandise. The sports bag and coffee mug are awesome as is the jacket. And those items are not offered at the expo so very unique. Any questions I'm happy to answer. I do want to say that everyone around me were runners so if there any personal shoppers or ebay sellers I didn't notice.

 

[mrrunner]

Not my first rundisney so here are my critiques in no particular order:

1. Dear RunDisney people SMILE. Has somebody new taken over rundisney? is it now outsourced? It seems they are more "grouchy" than "happy" when Disney stumbled into running.

2. The bussing back to the epcot start was a fiasco on day one for the 10k, and though shorter an absolute MISERY on day two for the half marathon. It was longer than the line to soarin' or something.

3. Anyone in the last two corrals who paced at 16 minute mph did NOT get any benefit of their entrance fee. Disney now has a 15 minute mph disclaimer if you want to pee or have a picture. not magical.

4. The costume rules are ignored. selfie sticks, cameral handles ignored. People were strolling and texting and facebooking on the course.

4a. light sablers. longer than a selfie stick and just as obtrusive.

5. In the morning you get into a line, to then get into ANOTHER line to get into your corrals. (probably 3/4 to a mile) to finish a run to wait ANOTHER HOUR on your feet in the heat to get to the bus to ride to have the fun of walking ALL the way to your car.

6. The dirt path at the back of espn was one big dirt dust cloud.

7. Bottlenecks destroyed and obliterated any running. (unless you were way in the front or way in the back and about to be picked up at the end of Hollywood studios)

8. The Disney people want to open up the roads and the parks. Roads because of the permits, the parks to make money. Perhaps they should do like some cities and pave the sides of the road for a running course. After that last hour and half slog to the auto, some of our group just wanted to eat, crash, and skip the park. That was money that was taken off the spending table.

9. From the kessel runners who came on Friday, they were disappointed at any kessel run commemoratives. (IOW they did not spend money) Turns out, non runners got to the parks soon enough BOUGHT OUT the whole inventory and are now selling it on ebay. (RunDisney may be ok with this but they don't understand about the $100,000 salt and pepper shakers.)

10. HORRIBLE course maps. The only map was in the guide. What happed to a link for the certified map.

11. Parking for race day instructions for transportation was as clear as mud. You found it eventually.

12. Kudos for brining in the 501st! They need more respect in their placement. The photo-op was all away across the running path at espn. (I don't know if that was also them at Hollywood studios)

13. Since this was an inaugural, I have a feeling we all were paying for the privilege of being experimented.




a few happy points:

A. top of the list: Jeff Galloway. Disney better not screw this up. He took time to answer questions, give tips, answer last minute concers. (BTW he ran on his anniversary with his wife! 40 years!) He is a real runDisney Asset. Any lecture at the expo he is presenting is worth listening.

B. Volunteers. They were wonderful.

C. GLOVES on the water station handlers.

D. Medical tent people after the race were wonderful and did not take no for an answer if somebody looked "off".

E. The photopass pop up tents were amusing, don't know why but they were.






and for no particular reason:

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[tkbk]

So unhappy with photo pass right now and don't know how or if it can be corrected. The only medal picture we took after the half had an "I did the 10k" splashed across the whole bottom part of the picture and it was the half!!!! Ugh! I screen shot it and placed it on the rundisney fb page to see if I can get an answer in what to do.

 

[Wink25]

This was our first WDW race (I do at least 2 DL races every year) and we definitely enjoy DL more! The crowding was horrendous! We finally gave up trying to run at mile 6 and walked the rest because we were using more energy weaving than actually running. There also seemed to be less overall enthusiasm from both runners and spectators.

Did anyone else see the black flag posted at the last medical tent? It was definitely hot by then.

I've read on here that the early corrals were fine but can anyone tell me at which corral did it start getting so congested? If I come back to do another WDW race I want to make sure I have a good enough POT to be ahead of the crowds. Should have been in H but didn't enter my POT in time...would that be enough?

And of course ditto on all the merchandise complaints.

All that aside, I love my medals and I'm glad I did it, just wish it had been a more pleasant run.

 

[opusone]

Dark Side Challenge Results

So, since they only list the Dark Side Challenge results alphabetically on the race results website, I copied the list into Excel and sorted based on overall net time (10k plus half marathon). I then calculated rankings for each person based on gender as well as the normal runDisney divisions. On the far right, I also calculated rankings for Masters runners (which runDisney doesn't do). Just like the real results, you cannot get two awards, so if you were one of the top 3 overall, you are not a part of your age group results, etc. Since the file is too big to post on the DIS Boards, just click on the link below for the .pdf file (84 pages which lists 6,783 challenge finishers)...

Dark Side 2016 Results with Rankings

 

[camaker]

If anyone is interested in some late, limited merchandise, disneystore.com has I DID IT shirts for the Half and Challenge available to order.

Thanks, @opusone! Woohoo! I'm number 1021! Or is it Darn! Missed the top 1000 by THAT much! I'll have to think on that one...

 

[opusone]

Thanks, @opusone! Woohoo! I'm number 1021! Or is it Darn! Missed the top 1000 by THAT much! I'll have to think on that one...

That's only 50 seconds off of top 1000!

 

[camaker]

That's only 50 seconds off of top 1000!

That darn Ghirardelli sundae-induced potty break in the half strikes again!! Lost 1:30-2:00 there! Oh, well, poop happens.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Dark Side Challenge Results

So, since they only list the Dark Side Challenge results alphabetically on the race results website, I copied the list into Excel and sorted based on overall net time (10k plus half marathon). I then calculated rankings for each person based on gender as well as the normal runDisney divisions. On the far right, I also calculated rankings for Masters runners (which runDisney doesn't do). Just like the real results, you cannot get two awards, so if you were one of the top 3 overall, you are not a part of your age group results, etc. Since the file is too big to post on the DIS Boards, just click on the link below for the .pfd file (84 pages which list 6,783 challenge finishers)...

Dark Side 2016 Results with Rankings

Congrats @opusone on the awesome stat line. Top 100 challengers, 12th in your age division, and 29th in Masters. I'd say you should be pretty happy about that!

 

[opusone]

Congrats @opusone on the awesome stat line. Top 100 challengers, 12th in your age division, and 29th in Masters. I'd say you should be pretty happy about that!

Thank you @DopeyBadger! Yes, I am very happy with my performance this past weekend. And more importantly, it was a fun time! Of course, I now wish I had taken it just a little faster on the 10k (given I was only 39 seconds over a nice round overall time threshold), but I was a little nervous about conserving enough energy for the half. Hindsight is 20/20.

 

[maw]

Hello friends! We just got back from our first Run Disney experience and from finishing our first half. We ran the 5k and the 1/2. I have a lot of thoughts.

But first, the bus for the 5k. We were at Yacht Club and boarded right around 4. The bus took a wrong turn on the way to Boardwalk. Turned in to a lot clearly (clearly) marked "Cast member Parking Only." Got bus stuck on the curb, broke the gate arm. We sat there for a while, eventually he moved the bus back and forth enough to get it off the curb. Drove into the lot and turned around. Nearly didn't make it out. Got to Boardwalk, the gate there wouldn't open. Finally it did, and after a 50 minute trip we got to EPCOT.

I'm still processing everything but I was overwhelmed with the expo and the race. I'd trained really hard and really stuck to the schedule. I just felt like I couldn't get my act together for the first few miles. I was convinced I was going to get swept. Eventually my husband and I just decided we were going to finish, that we weren't going to get swept, and that we were going to enjoy the experience. Once I decided that, the running/walking got easier.

I feel a lot better now that I got the first one out of the way. I'm all set to try it again, and trying to convince DH to give it another go. We didn't have time to do POT so we were in corral K.

Congrats to all of the finishers! I told someone today that I'm not sure I was that thrilled about how the half went for me, but that I really enjoyed the whole race experience. So much fun with so many runners at the HS dessert party last night. Great pics with our medals and different characters. The jawas tried to trade me a princess 5k medal for my star wars one, and when that didn't work they tried to trade me the princess medal for my 1/2 medal, um, no. I earned that baby. Might even wear it to work tomorrow

 

[Docmom]

So unhappy with photo pass right now and don't know how or if it can be corrected. The only medal picture we took after the half had an "I did the 10k" splashed across the whole bottom part of the picture and it was the half!!!! Ugh! I screen shot it and placed it on the rundisney fb page to see if I can get an answer in what to do.

Was wondering about that. This was our first runDisney race and our first 5K. The photo we took with our medal after the race on PhotoPass also says "I did the 10k". One day maybe but I want something that says what we actually did! Please let us know if you get an answer. Fortunately he took a photo with my phone also so no need to get the Disney one.

 

[DOOM1001]

Really enjoyed the whole weekend,probably more than I expected,the only knocks I have are how can they run out of merchandise so quickly,the 10K,Half and Dark Side magnets were all gone at 10-11am on Friday!!Out of all the shirts that Darth Vader run shirt was the coolest item we saw,luckily my mom was able to get one.The next day a couple at MK asked her about it and they said they were at the expo on Friday at 1pm and didn't see it,we weren't surprised as there were only a few sizes left when we were there,it's like if you're not at the expo on Thursday you're risking stuff being gone,(is this Disney's way of getting people there an extra day early???).They could probably improve the transportation out of WWoS,I finished early enough that the waits for the buses weren't bad but after finishing I like sticking around and seeing the rest of the runners in the final mile,after that the waits get crazy long,I realized that but I think the signage for the locations of the buses could be better,I stayed offsite and could see the longest wait was for the Epcot shuttle to go back to my car,instead of taking it I just looked for the shortest resort bus line,got on it and ate breakfast at that resort to then take the regular buses back to Epcot.On Saturday for example the Epcot shuttle looked like at least a 90 minute wait,instead I got on the Caribbean Beach bus in like 10 minutes.I had plans to go see Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Busch Gardens Food and Wine festival on Sunday but the whole getting out of WWoS was so time consuming I decided to skip it and head to Epcot instead to catch Blood Sweat and Tears with Bo Bice and see leftover Dappers from Saturdays Dapper Day,Epcot was pretty fun that day so no regrets there.I was more than happy with both the 10K and half courses,the only dud section for me was during the half the Osceola pkwy section heading towards AK and the section running in the AK parking lot,on the way back to WWoS on Osceola was a bit better seeing all the runners on the opposite side of the road.There were a few impatient runners trying to pass other runners on the crowded path between the Boardwalk and DHS,but for the most part most runners realized there just wasn't much room to pass until you got out of the path.I definitely see myself doing this challenge frequently,I'll definitely be back next year!!!

 

[tschaan]

Ok, I agree with most of what has been said about the weekend. We got to the expo around 2pm on Friday and almost everything was gone. I was able to get the I did it shirts and the Tervis water bottle! I was expecting this as the same thing happened at the Rebel Challenge last year. I had to buy my magnet on eBay. This is so disappointing to me. Doesn't rundisney realize the amount of money they are leaving on the table not having enough merchandise? 10k pins and magnets completely sold out. I totally agree that the 501st should've been on Osceola parkway. They were in awkward spots for the 10k and the half. Loved having them there and the high school band was awesome too. Still don't understand why they close the prerace character lines so fast. We were on the first bus out of AKL for the 10k and they were closing the lines as we got there. We did get a pre photo with Jabba and a post photo with Boba Fett at the 10k but they were about to close those lines too. I was in Corral D for the 10k and had to line up outside the corral. That was ridiculous. They really need more corrals. There was a lot of congestion with that one. For the half I was in G and I just headed straight to the corrals when I got off the bus. I was at the front of G and had no idea what a difference that makes. I'm always in the middle/back of the corral but learned yesterday that the front is the place to be. There was absolutely no congestion. Everyone took off and the corral in front of us was spaced properly so that it took a few minutes to catch up to the them. By then we were all pretty well spaced out. I will now make sure I'm in the front for all my races.
I noticed a sign for merchandise at the after party but I was ready to get to the buses. Does anyone know what they had there? I can imagine there was any race specific stuff left.

 

[DOOM1001]

I heard tschann mention they took the first bus for the 10K and got there as they were closing the character lines,since I drove in both days I noticed how creepily empty the staging area felt when I got there around 3:40am for the 10K,I then realized the resort buses apparently didn't start running until 3:30am for the 10K,is it just me or is that kind of late,for January marathon weekend the half and full both start at 5:30 just like this 10K and the buses start at 3am.I mean the half started at 5am (which is insanely early by the way) but the buses started at 2:30 which makes sense.This is the first time I stay offsite for a morning RunDisney race to save some money and both days from hotel to Epcot parking lot it took me like 10 minutes.I love staying on site but I also make a point to get there early and if the buses don't start early enough where you don't even have time to get in character lines it would make me rethink staying in a Disney resort for the perk of taking the buses to the race.

 

[cavepig]

So unhappy with photo pass right now and don't know how or if it can be corrected. The only medal picture we took after the half had an "I did the 10k" splashed across the whole bottom part of the picture and it was the half!!!! Ugh! I screen shot it and placed it on the rundisney fb page to see if I can get an answer in what to do.

You need to contact Photopass directly (their contact info is on the site) and they'll fix it I've heard. RunDisney will not notice your Facebook comment, they don't ever respond on there as far as I know.

 

[EEsloveDis]

Did anyone see the light blue zip up that had the "Join Us and We Can Run the Dark Side" or did I imagine this? I saw the dark blue one at the expo Friday morning but I swear I saw 2 people wearing a light blue zip up that looked like a tech material.

 

[BDK33]

I took off work and went Friday at opening to the expo and the magnets were already gone. Asked a cast member and they said they sold out before lunchtime Thursday. Already seeing them pop up on ebay and the prices are ridiculous. Big fail from Disney. I already wrote a complaint to them as I hope many others of you will as well.
For my wife and I, this was the first and maybe last half marathon we will ever do, and all we wanted was that magnet to remember the accomplishment. Whether it be re-sellers or just a complete disregard of demand, Disney let me down big time for the first time ever.

 

[dta87]

So unhappy with photo pass right now and don't know how or if it can be corrected. The only medal picture we took after the half had an "I did the 10k" splashed across the whole bottom part of the picture and it was the half!!!! Ugh! I screen shot it and placed it on the rundisney fb page to see if I can get an answer in what to do.

I had the same issue on the half with 2 of the 4 people in my group. I contacted photopass by email and with the online contact link at the bottom of the photopass page (they answered me by the contact link submission not the email) and they fixed both of our photos by the end of the day yesterday.