Official Avengers Super Hero Half Marathon Weekend 2014 Thread!

[StarGirl11]

We didn't have 3k but there were 2k in the back corrals at ToT and there were no issues.

Yeah you have to keep in mind these are different races with different courses, on different coasts. I heard stories about a lot of crowding in the back.

I personally was okay because I'm more of a mid-pack runner now a days. But if you go through the reviews of the Disneyland Half from this year apparently it was worse then normal.

Honestly the thing I'm worried about the most for everyone involved including the back corrals. Is the run on the Santa Ana Trail. That thing is narrow for a big race (and yeah even though its smaller than other Disney races this is still big) as heck and were going to be on it for close to two miles for this race.

 

[transformer67]

bib 10098 , last corral!!!

 

[Chiomaca]

Wow! Those are big corrals! I wish they were smaller too--hoping for about 500-1000 or so.

FWIW, I ran a race last weekend (not Disney, the Army Ten Miler in Washington DC) and we had about 4,000 in each corral (they used the term "waves.") I was in the second wave, and it was pretty tight for about the first mile, but after that it was ok.
Whatever corral you are in, just try to be towards the front.

Hey, I ran the ATM last weekend, too! And the darn Marines keep e-mailing me like I have a marathon in 8 days. (Oh, wait...I do.) Sort of concerned about running Avengers so close to MCM, but figure as long as I take it easy the week following, I'll be good.

I was much further back that you corral-wise and you're right, it opened up after the first mile or so. I look at it as an opportunity to keep myself at a slow pace until I'm totally warm.

 

[kirstie101]

Wow with the time I submitted I thought for sure I'd be further up in the corrals. 2nd to the last is even further back that I was for Tink and my time is way better than it was back then. Oh well.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Hey, I ran the ATM last weekend, too! And the darn Marines keep e-mailing me like I have a marathon in 8 days. (Oh, wait...I do.) Sort of concerned about running Avengers so close to MCM, but figure as long as I take it easy the week following, I'll be good.

I was much further back that you corral-wise and you're right, it opened up after the first mile or so. I look at it as an opportunity to keep myself at a slow pace until I'm totally warm.

Good luck at MCM! I ran it last year and it was an amazing experience!

I'm running the Baltimore marathon this weekend....
First weekend of Oct. :TOT 10 miler
Second weekend of Oct: ATM
Third Weekend of Oct: Baltimore marathon
Fourth Weekend of Oct: Urban Bourbon half in KY
1st Weekend of Nov.: BREAK (though I am SO tempted to register for Marshall University's half!)
2nd Weekend of Nov.: Wine and Dine
3rd Weekend of NOv.: Avengers

Somehow that all seemed like a good idea when I was registering for everything this past spring/summer....

 

[Reelirish]

Hi guys!
So this is my first half marathon,and I'm in corral G. For those of you that were In corrals that size, what should I expect? I'm kind of concerned now with some saying that it's not safe to run in groups that big. The last thing I want is to get injured, so are there any tips you guys can give me so that I make sure that doesn't happen?
Thanks in advance!

 

[oohykitten]

Hi guys!
So this is my first half marathon,and I'm in corral G. For those of you that were In corrals that size, what should I expect? I'm kind of concerned now with some saying that it's not safe to run in groups that big. The last thing I want is to get injured, so are there any tips you guys can give me so that I make sure that doesn't happen?
Thanks in advance!

Woot for Brentwood!

You will be OK, if you have a nice pace and your "smart" about your areas around you. I always say watch your feet and those around you. I am slow as pie. I don't mind being in the back…truly don't. Im honest with those around me in my corral and tell them my race plan and my pace. If i know someone next to me is going for a PR and can do 2:30 half (which with this corral G VERY easily could happen) then I say here, move up. If someone is a run walker and about the same intervals as me, I stick with them. I did that at DDD and it worked well. I don't think they knew they were being "followed" but it kept me from weaving around people for 13.1 miles.

 

[SnowMonkey]

So, unsurprisingly DH qualified in corral G. That does not look like a fun corral to start from, and I'm starting to mentally prepare for impossibly long lines at photo stops, but given that corrals G and H cover more than half the participants, I don't think we could really expect anything else.

My bib is for corral E, but barring someone being terribly injured I'll be moving back to start with DH, so we can run through the parks together.

 

[wilkeliza]

So, unsurprisingly DH qualified in corral G. That does not look like a fun corral to start from, and I'm starting to mentally prepare for impossibly long lines at photo stops, but given that corrals G and H cover more than half the participants, I don't think we could really expect anything else. My bib is for corral E, but barring someone being terribly injured I'll be moving back to start with DH, so we can run through the parks together.

As much as I want to do characters I think it will be run bys for me sadly.

 

[poppinspal]

I guess I expected to be up a corral further at least but I'm in E. I'm hoping and planning to at least get a picture with Thor (assuming he will be on the course) as he's my absolute favorite and I'll be dressed as him. I don't normal wait in lines more then a couple of people for characters during races but this will have to be my one exception. I'm mentally preparing for how that will affect my time.

 

[Fellowship9798]

Well, time to jump back into this thread. It's getting exciting now with the waivers up. I've got a very good corral placement but I may drop myself back a bit as I've been unable to keep my training at the level that got me the qualifying time due to some restrictions in time available. We'll see how things feel in a few weeks I guess.

I'm very much looking forward to this trip with my kids, my parents, and my sister. We'll be stopping in San Diego for a few days first, then moving on to the Grand Californian (DVC points) a few nights before the race.

I hope there will be some unique entertainment on the course and some Marvel characters to see and maybe take a quick picture with.

Good luck with the final weeks of training everyone. Anyone else on the road to the Dopey Challenge in January too?

 

[Chiomaca]

Good luck at MCM! I ran it last year and it was an amazing experience!

I'm running the Baltimore marathon this weekend....
First weekend of Oct. :TOT 10 miler
Second weekend of Oct: ATM
Third Weekend of Oct: Baltimore marathon
Fourth Weekend of Oct: Urban Bourbon half in KY
1st Weekend of Nov.: BREAK (though I am SO tempted to register for Marshall University's half!)
2nd Weekend of Nov.: Wine and Dine
3rd Weekend of NOv.: Avengers

Somehow that all seemed like a good idea when I was registering for everything this past spring/summer....

I did MCM last year as well. They've changed the course again this year and it looks like the final mile and a bit will be slightly more pleasant than the run along 110, it's pretty much the same as for the ATM.

Your schedule is insane! I'm still working through a hip injury, so am planning to take it relatively easy between MCM and Avengers. I'm doing the National Race to End Women's Cancer 5k and the Veteran's Day 10k, the following two weeks, then Avengers.

After that, training re-starts in earnest for Goofy.

 

[kirstie101]

As much as I want to do characters I think it will be run bys for me sadly.

This is my thought too. At least no characters in the parks. If they do have ***-players outside of the parks I might be able to get a few pics with them. Really wishing I had signed up for the 5K to use it for pics. Oh well. I'm still running through Disneyland and thats what really matters.

 

[longhorns2]

At dlh I was in H corral. I don't see how any of us back of the mid packers to back of packers can get pics because the lines were crazy long and the course very crowded when we hit the parks.

I just wanted to be done as soon as I started so it wasn't even a consideration this time. But it's crazy to me that the back is being lumped so tightly together.

Not worried just preparing for more compact running conditions.

 

[happysummer]

Well I am in the last corral, that sucks. I guess no pictures for me. Are the characters at the beginning or end of the race?
I hope the morning is not as cold as tink race was I froze.
This is my first half and I just hope I am not swept. I wanted to do my first half in Disneyworld, but Dh said we could only afford disneyland.
Is everyone running in a costume?

 

[wilkeliza]

Well I am in the last corral, that sucks. I guess no pictures for me. Are the characters at the beginning or end of the race? I hope the morning is not as cold as tink race was I froze. This is my first half and I just hope I am not swept. I wanted to do my first half in Disneyworld, but Dh said we could only afford disneyland. Is everyone running in a costume?

There will be a mix of costume and non-costume no characters at beginning at least never at WDW and sometimes characters at the end depending on the event. Usually the ones on the course are not the super special only for this event ones so I imagine Hulk, Thor and Captain will be at the end with on course being normal Disney characters.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Well I am in the last corral, that sucks. I guess no pictures for me. Are the characters at the beginning or end of the race?
I hope the morning is not as cold as tink race was I froze.
This is my first half and I just hope I am not swept. I wanted to do my first half in Disneyworld, but Dh said we could only afford disneyland.
Is everyone running in a costume?

From the course map, it looks like "all in park running" will be within the first 3 miles of the race.
I'm just so excited that we will be running through Angels stadium!

I would really like to dress as Captain America. Sparkleskirts has a skirt called "USO Girl" that I would LOVE to get--but it's $75 and realistically, this will probably be the only time I will wear it--or maybe for a 4th of July race? I"m just not sure I can justify spending that kind of money for something I will only wear once or twice...I already have an expensive snow white themed running tutu in my closet that's only been worn once...

 

[wilkeliza]

From the course map, it looks like "all in park running" will be within the first 3 miles of the race. I'm just so excited that we will be running through Angels stadium! I would really like to dress as Captain America. Sparkleskirts has a skirt called "USO Girl" that I would LOVE to get--but it's $75 and realistically, this will probably be the only time I will wear it--or maybe for a 4th of July race? I"m just not sure I can justify spending that kind of money for something I will only wear once or twice...I already have an expensive snow white themed running tutu in my closet that's only been worn once...

I have the USO girl skirt and love it!

 

[poppinspal]

I would really like to dress as Captain America. Sparkleskirts has a skirt called "USO Girl" that I would LOVE to get--but it's $75 and realistically, this will probably be the only time I will wear it--or maybe for a 4th of July race? I"m just not sure I can justify spending that kind of money for something I will only wear once or twice...I already have an expensive snow white themed running tutu in my closet that's only been worn once...

Have you ever made a tutu? Or looked at how to make one? I make them all the time and there some really cute ways to make a Captain America one! I have two Sparkle Skirts and while I love them they are plain ones, I can't justify the money for their specialty ones. (Though I do love them.) I make tutus when I want something specific (like Wonder Woman for another race I did) or they'll get trashed (like at the mud runs I do). They can be made pretty cheap.

I decided I didn't want to make a tutu for my Thor costume so I'm buying a little fabric to doctor up a black running skirt and top. Hopefully it comes out halfway decent.

 

[kirstie101]

Well I am in the last corral, that sucks. I guess no pictures for me. Are the characters at the beginning or end of the race?
I hope the morning is not as cold as tink race was I froze.
This is my first half and I just hope I am not swept. I wanted to do my first half in Disneyworld, but Dh said we could only afford disneyland.
Is everyone running in a costume?

If you're worried bout being swept then I wouldn't worry about stopping to take pictures with characters. It eats up a lot of time!

Im running in a non elaborate, aka cheap, costume. Mostly made with things I already own. There will be lots of people in costume and plenty not in costume. Costumes are definitely part of the fun but they can get pricey. Like another poster said, I'm not willing to spend a lot of money on something I'm only gonna wear once.