Official 2019 Star Wars Rival Run Weekend

[Sleepless Knight]

Finished my first half and first rundisney event. Definitely think the experience was worth it. The humidity destroyed me yesterday. I was pacing okay up until mile 8. I have no idea how folks are able to do the dopey challenge. I am so sore today.

Congratulations. I remember how exhausted and sore I felt the day after my first half at Disneyland and wondered how it was even possible for the runners in front of me in the line to meet Chip and Dale to have run a marathon at all, let alone Goofy. Suffice it to say, more experience at runDisney events including running a half near the end of a full on Disney World vacation wound up teaching me how such a thing might actually be possible. With a lot of encouragement from this community, I decided to go for my first marathon as part of Dopey.

The other point is, that you trained for a half marathon and completed it. Those who do Dopey, train for Dopey and can complete it. So you may be sore today, and think how can I possibly? But if you put in the prerequisite training, then I certainly believe you can do it regardless of how sore you may feel today.

This statement is completely and entirely true. A well thought out Dopey plan well followed will absolutely lead one to cross that finish line all 4 races. I'm living proof of this.

I hope who ever gets a survey for this weekend provides that feedback to them.

And email them if they don't get a survey. After the ill fated decision to have no characters on the course during the 2017 Tinker Bell 5K, runDisney got a lot of very well deserved criticism and did not repeat that decision during the 10K and Half Marathon races that same weekend.

 

[BigEeyore]

SW challenge #4 is done - another fun race weekend! I didn't do the 5k this year, but props to those of you who stuck it out to get it done! Yes, the humidity was awful, but at least the temps weren't too bad and some cloud cover delayed the sun coming out on Sunday. Some thoughts:
1) As has been the trend the last few race weekends, the expo merch was a big let down. Saved me a lot of $$ but disappointed anyways. No Dooneys this year either. Race shirts were decent this year.
2) Characters were fantastic! I loved that there were some different ones at start and finish. The 501st is the BEST too! And they had K2SO
3) 10k course was meh - loved the extra Epcot time but the first almost 4 miles were bo-ring. And the TV screens weren't working when I went by either.
4) Love the half course - same as W&D - minus the water treatment plant which was extra stinky yesterday
5) Medals look awesome - I liked them more in person.
6) Really pleased with the amount of medical support out on course on Sunday - the folks on bikes making sure everyone was OK. You don't see that at most other races.
7) I didn't notice the lack of crowd support so much, but I don't like the decision by rD to limit spectator viewing spots.
8) One of these years rD will get it together and project the Death Star on Spaceship Earth! WAKE UP rD!

Congrats to everyone who ran this weekend! We will plan on returning next year for #5 to keep up the legacy status! Hoping to see a trailer for episode IX this weekend maybe....

 

[1lilspark]

Hoping to see a trailer for episode IX this weekend maybe....

I believe it’s dropping at celebration

 

[Nole95]

Definitely email rD about anything you did not like about the weekend. Especially the spectator issue. I also noticed it was pretty barren.

Only other complaint was that I personally thought the DJ in the corral area pre-race was bad. Since we were doing the challenge, we got to listen to his stuff both days. He played the exact same set both days without any difference that I could tell. Think he even read from the same script. Dude needed to mix it up some. I’d rather he just play the various Star Wars dance mixes.

10K course was also not a favorite of mine. Saw the course from last year that went through DHS and the Boardwalk prior to Epcot. I would have preferred that one much more. Maybe once Galaxy’s Edge opens, they will have both course run through that area. It definitely better happen for the half next year.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Only other complaint was that I personally thought the DJ in the corral area pre-race was bad. Since we were doing the challenge, we got to listen to his stuff both days. He played the exact same set both days without any difference that I could tell. Think he even read from the same script. Dude needed to mix it up some. I’d rather he just play the various Star Wars dance mixes.

Seriously. Pretty sure he played the same stuff/same routine at either the Princess 10k or Half too (maybe both). Snooze fest. Just crank up a mix real loud and leave it alone! And no, I don’t want to hear Baby Shark at 4am.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

BTW, do y’all remember the runner with the Jar Jar Binks headgear/costume they interviewed pre-race? I was running near him for awhile before/through DHS. It was funny to see CM reaction and comments.

 

[jaxonp]

SW challenge #4 is done - another fun race weekend! I didn't do the 5k this year, but props to those of you who stuck it out to get it done! Yes, the humidity was awful, but at least the temps weren't too bad and some cloud cover delayed the sun coming out on Sunday. Some thoughts:
1) As has been the trend the last few race weekends, the expo merch was a big let down. Saved me a lot of $$ but disappointed anyways. No Dooneys this year either. Race shirts were decent this year.
2) Characters were fantastic! I loved that there were some different ones at start and finish. The 501st is the BEST too! And they had K2SO
3) 10k course was meh - loved the extra Epcot time but the first almost 4 miles were bo-ring. And the TV screens weren't working when I went by either.
4) Love the half course - same as W&D - minus the water treatment plant which was extra stinky yesterday
5) Medals look awesome - I liked them more in person.
6) Really pleased with the amount of medical support out on course on Sunday - the folks on bikes making sure everyone was OK. You don't see that at most other races.
7) I didn't notice the lack of crowd support so much, but I don't like the decision by rD to limit spectator viewing spots.
8) One of these years rD will get it together and project the Death Star on Spaceship Earth! WAKE UP rD!

Congrats to everyone who ran this weekend! We will plan on returning next year for #5 to keep up the legacy status! Hoping to see a trailer for episode IX this weekend maybe....

You summed up the weekend perfectly. This is my 3rd year, missed the inaugural and I can’t wait to do it again next year after Galaxy’s edge opens. You know it’ll sell out!

And ditto on the merchandise. I’ve been complaining about it for the last two years. Many posters on here disagree with me but it’s nice that other people are starting to acknowledge the weakness in design, quality and uniqueness of the merchandise offerings. Whomever is in charge, needs a kick in the butt or replacement.

On to next year!

 

[cincystamper]

Just wanted to report in on my first 10k, first live runDisney race.... I didn't die!

Seriously though, I had a tough time. Started in the last wave of the last corral because I didn't figure out how the corrals fed into the start and I just picked the wrong spot. Got one picture on the course, was in line for another when I saw the balloon ladies. Decided finishing was more important than getting pics, so I kept moving.
Ended up being just in front of them for most of the race....until they passed me at mile 5. By then we were well into Epcot and I was just determined to FINISH. And I did!!!

So thanks again for everyone's support and advice!!!!

 

[Nina0126]

Finished my first half marathon. 2017 SWDS 5K and 2018 SWDS 10K built up to this (we can all thank rD SWDS series for getting me into running in the first place - and run/walk method for making it accessible ).

Because I've been dealing with some recent knee/ITB issues, I had to make the tough decision to basically walk the entire thing with very limited short run intervals. And in the end, I was pretty much hobbling through Epcot anyway. It was far from the race I wanted to run and my time was absolute garbage, but none of that changes the fact that I FINISHED - and with a ridiculous grin on my face too.

There was a time when idea of completing a half marathon seemed impossible. But I DID IT - its still surreal.

Reading all the posts on here building up to the two races I did before and during these past few months really encouraged me and gave me confidence that I could actually do this. So thank you all for that.

(Yeah, I've been lurking on here for a long time before finally joining two weeks ago lol)

I have no idea how folks are able to do the dopey challenge. I am so sore today.

I usually volunteer for rD in January and am always amazed by the people who finish Dopey in the morning and are in the parks in the afternoon like nothing happened. I worked bonus medals this year, so I got to see it even more first-hand. Most of the finishers looked unfazed. So I understand the sentiment. My legs are dead. Right knee/ITB so angry. But I'm incredibly excited to do it all over again next year.

Challenge...maybe?

 

[ANIM8R]

Just wanted to report in on my first 10k, first live runDisney race.... I didn't die!

Seriously though, I had a tough time. Started in the last wave of the last corral because I didn't figure out how the corrals fed into the start and I just picked the wrong spot. Got one picture on the course, was in line for another when I saw the balloon ladies. Decided finishing was more important than getting pics, so I kept moving.
Ended up being just in front of them for most of the race....until they passed me at mile 5. By then we were well into Epcot and I was just determined to FINISH. And I did!!!

So thanks again for everyone's support and advice!!!!

Awesome! Congrats!
I hope you had a fun time running.

 

[Princess KP]

Just wanted to report in on my first 10k, first live runDisney race.... I didn't die!

Congratulations!!!

Finished my first half marathon.

Yay you!!!

 

[hauntedcity]

Hey, everybody, my wife and I set a PR this weekend. Granted, that record was for our SLOOOOOOOWEST half marathon ever, but... I appreciate any kind of record.

My wife is still getting over bronchitis and has been feeling pretty puny, so our plan was to take it very easy, and the only goal was to cross the finish line. She was feeling pretty bad before the start, and thought about dropping out, but she stuck with it, and was feeling better once we got going. I think the crush of the corrals was getting to her a bit.

We took oodles of photos, pulled waaaay back on our intervals, paused when she needed to, and had a great time. There were lots of great characters stops, and we always love seeing the 501st.

I think other folks have already commented on the 10K course. It was kind of bland, but we had lots of good Epcot time.

I really liked the Half course. It's kind of like the full Marathon, but cutting out the boring parts (like World Drive and the ESPN WWOS). We hadn't done a Star Wars race since the inaugural Dark Side, and this course was a big improvement. The Ewok battle at the beginning was so much fun! I think we ended up waiting 15 minutes for the Wampa photo, but I regretting missing that in 2016, so it's all good. I'm not quite sure how long the pause was, because my Apple Watch actually ran out of battery at mile 11, and I lost all detail. Yeah, as I said, we were not fast.

 

[ars0525]

2nd year doing the 10k. Unfortunately with injuries from the last 2 months knew I wouldn't be able to run but ended up running maybe about 1/2 of it? I took advantage of doing more character stops & pictures then normal so I made it a different experience than last year. Loved getting to meet the Ewok which I missed last year!

I much preferred the course in 2018--not happy with not going in HS or along the Boardwalk. The major issue with this year's course was as you left World Dr onto the ramp it basically all narrowed down to 1 lane winding around until we got to the overpass going into Epcot (what I believe is normally the vehicle exit ramp) and more lanes opened. After the 1st overpass I ended up on the grass a lot to avoid walls of people walking next to each other. And the people sniping & griping at each other about where to walk or run or how to. GOOD LORD! I really thought it might come to blows at some points. I ran sometimes to get away from certain clusters. I don't think anyone listens or reads the RunDisney rules so they were fighting about that. Running around Epcot was all right, but I missed seeing other parts of WDW. Plus it always just felt so congested and lines of people. I really hope they don't use this course again.

I did think they did a much better job of having characters & entertainment along the race route especially in the start. Last year I felt like they just dumped us in the dark after the start line & gas station area to run down World Dr. This year it was lit up & stuff along the way to see cause let's face it that's a pretty boring section of the race. And in the dark last year I felt slightly dangerous running into people.

RunDisney needs to put out more signage or people ahead of water stations or character spots announcing what's coming so people can prepare & shift lanes ahead of time. Especially as the lines get longer so you don't have to backtrack into oncoming runners after you see who's there. Those areas had some traffic collisions as people suddenly changed directions or running sideways across the road.

We stayed at All Star Music. Buses ran great! I was expecting a mob scene & maybe 4 people were at the stop. We walked out about 3:35 Saturday as 1 bus pulled away but another was pulled right up. Loaded up the few people standing there & off we went (they had more buses waiting). Even when we pulled in the MK parking lot very organized. No bags so we walked right thru security & got in line to meet the Ewok. They were very good about warning people the characters were leaving at 5am & who would be at the finish line. But honestly that was the FASTEST character line I have ever stood in!!! What they said was a 50 minute wait took maybe 30 minutes of that! Too bad they can't all be that fast for pictures lol After the race I met Darth. Again the line sign said 45 minutes, but maybe 25? Really cool! Bus back to the hotel was super easy.

Thanks to people who stood along the Epcot parking lot area cheering before we went in the park. You're awesome!

As someone who lives down here I did get a chuckle listening to people complain about the humidity or the hills (the ramps for the overpass lol). I was just so happy it didn't rain after seeing the people return from the 5k while we checked into the hotel.

The packet pick up / expo--we went 1st thing Friday. Was all very organized. Started at the merchandise area about 9:35am waiting in line. Got inside & didn't see anything we cared for. I wasn't paying $45 for a Chewy tank top. I felt like last year had some better shirt options? Walked around to packet pickup which was a breeze. We then went to the expo for our shirts & cruised thru the booth areas. Again I felt last year the booths offered sales or discounts & this year nothing. We actually went back Saturday around noon for my friend to look at a pair of shoes. Even with the kids events going on it was all still very manageable & not swarms of people.

Does anyone know if it ever sold out? I saw they still had openings available a week or so before. The dates for 2020 don't work for me, but I am hoping to return in 2021!

 

[txdisneygrl]

I had a wonderful time. Set Disney PR's for 10k and half- by significant margins while still stopping for a few photos. I was a bit worried because after the 10k my right knee (I am fairly sure it's my IT band) was feeling horrible and I could barely bend my knee. I taped it, took advil, and took it easy in MK, and decided to at least try the half (#4 for me) and walk more if needed and it turned out I was able to pace myself well enough that I was able to run/walk the whole thing! I loved the half course, I've only ever done princess and the three parks and smaller crowd was a nice change. The 10k course was pretty much the back part of princess half, but with more epcot so at least it was familiar! Huge thanks to all the volunteers/501st/Rebel Legion/Mandos and Droid builders out to cheer us on. I also felt like they had great on course entertainment with the big screens playing movie clips, and that battle of Endor stretch was totally awesome!! The new spectator restrictions were a bit of a bummer so I hope they end up changing that.

My friends want to do Princess again next year but I'm going to try to talk them into trying this one instead. I loved it so much more.

 

[michigandergirl]

And no, I don’t want to hear Baby Shark at 4am.

Omg, I thought the same thing. I don't need to hear Baby Shark ever again...ever.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Woohoo!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Omg, I thought the same thing. I don't need to hear Baby Shark ever again...ever.

During the 10k, some lady was singing it over and over again out loud. It made me want my headphones!

 

[dodukes]

This being my first race I really loved the 10K course. For me I was happy with the wide open "boring parts" because personally i have no issues with the first 3 miles so I was very happy that right when I would be tired and wanting this to end, it was time to enter epcot. Really enjoyed the running last 2-3 miles through epcot, was a big boost. It's just funny to read the different perspectives people have about the courses. Not having any other (first race) , i was thrilled when I saw the route. Really looking forward now to the half in November and see how I feel about it then. I have to agree with PP, it would be nice to get advanced notice of the water stops and also a sign as to who was there for pictures, I wasn't stopping anyway but might consider it for the half and would hate to run past and then backtrack just to get in line. Not sure I would randomly get in line not knowing who was at the photo stop LOL

 

[SheHulk]

Omg, I thought the same thing. I don't need to hear Baby Shark ever again...ever.

I had never heard baby shark before! People mention it all the time so I knew it was a thing but never actually heard it until that moment. It was an interesting choice.

 

[ars0525]

I had never heard baby shark before! People mention it all the time so I knew it was a thing but never actually heard it until that moment. It was an interesting choice.

I also was a Baby Shark newbie when they played it but standing in the bathroom line I saw quite a few people dancing to it. I still have no idea what it is. lol