Official Disneyland ½ Marathon & 5k

[pilgrimr]

For those of you that have run the race before what are the character greets like. I have done the WDW races and wanted to know if they are similar, if they are only in the parks, and if there are any popular ones. I have watched some videos and it looks like they have some floats with the characters. I was just curious as meeting them is one of the draws to the races.

 

[kim3339]

It's kind of similar to the WDW races w/ the characters and pics, except it's only in the parks. If the course is similar to the past races, the 1st mile is around the outside of DCA and into DCA and then DL. At the begininning, we're in the resort from about Mile 1.25 to a little after 4 I think. The part of the race outside the park are on city streets, so no characters. There will be cheerleaders, a couple of hs/college bands, hula dancers, a mariachi band w/ dancers, and a dj. I think there are others, just can't think of them now. Before we enter Angel Stadium, they have girl and boy scouts lined in the parking lot along the course. Once we go in the park, there are a ton of spectators in the seats along right field/1st base line. There have also been the Angels Crowd guys and girls. (Sorry, don't know what they're called)

Specifically for the characters, in the DCA parking lot close to the backstage entrance area and end of the race they've had a float and Toy Story, Incredibles and Monsters. Inside DCA, they have/had High School musical performers. Last year at DCA they added a night club type thing for Tron and are changing it to Alice in Wonderland, so I would think they'd be out, they were for Tron. They've also had Flick from Bug's in that area.

In DL, they have floats in the backstage area and close to IASW and the Hub. They have pirates/Jack over in NOS by Tom Sawyer's Island. They've also had other characters by IASW and Princess and the Frog in Frontierland. One of the cooler places, in my opinion, is right at the beginning of the backstage area from IASW. It's the "home" for the trains and the monorails and they pull out of the train engines and the conductors are ringing the bell and blowing the horn. (They love taking pics too!) The waits are similar to what they are for the WDW races. At Tink in Jan, they had Rapunzel and she had a longer line than others in the past, but she's really popular in the park so that could be part of it too.

I also would think they would have some of the cars guys out w/ the opening of the Land in DCA and fingers crossed, us running through there.

Hope that helps a little!

 

[VickiHD]

For those of you that have run the race before what are the character greets like. I have done the WDW races and wanted to know if they are similar, if they are only in the parks, and if there are any popular ones. I have watched some videos and it looks like they have some floats with the characters. I was just curious as meeting them is one of the draws to the races.

The characters are at the start, finish and in both parks. Other entertainment throughout the rest of the course includes: Hawaiian dancers, high school bands, cheerleaders, 4 H kids, girl and boy scouts cheering you on. It's a lot of fun. Can't compare to a WDW race--I have not done one yet. Hope this helps.

 

[pilgrimr]

Thank you VickiHD and kim3339 for the information. It helps me a lot to get an idea of what the race will be like. I know I will be spending time taking pictures and know where I can focus on making up time.

 

[wdwpluto]

What sort of time do ya'll think we need for decent corral placement? My 2:36 1/2 had me in corral C for the princess, but I'm guessing that, since there will be more men at the DL 1/2, that'd have me further back?

I'm waffling about running a local 10k tomorrow, but not sure it's worth the $$ because I have no idea what time to shoot for. FWIW, I'd like to run a sub-2:30 at DL.

Anyone have any thoughts and/or insight?

Thanks!

 

[kim3339]

I had a 2:45 time last year, and I was in Corral E. I did 2:45 the year before and was in D. I did read that they added an extra 2000 spots this year as well. I doing another race before hand so I can hopefully break 2:35/40 to move up into closer corrals as well.

 

[wdwpluto]

I had a 2:45 time last year, and I was in Corral E. I did 2:45 the year before and was in D. I did read that they added an extra 2000 spots this year as well. I doing another race before hand so I can hopefully break 2:35/40 to move up into closer corrals as well.

Thanks, Kim!

Apparently the 10k is next weekend. Don't ask me how I found that out

 

[TMcDwyer]

Okay DL's experts. I need a babysitter at the hotel while DH and I run the 1/2. How do I arrange that???

 

[lifeasiseeit]

Good morning!

Question for those of you that have submitted new times after you have registered. I know to send in the race information (including where to find the official results!), but do I also send in an updated projected finish time? Or do the folks at runDisney take care of that as well?

Basically, I had a kick @ss race yesterday and given that there are 5 ish months left until the half, I want to up my projected finish time.

Thanks!

 

[Bursley2010]

Good morning!

Question for those of you that have submitted new times after you have registered. I know to send in the race information (including where to find the official results!), but do I also send in an updated projected finish time? Or do the folks at runDisney take care of that as well?

Basically, I had a kick @ss race yesterday and given that there are 5 ish months left until the half, I want to up my projected finish time.

Thanks!

I don't think it could hurt to also submit an updated projected time- Can't imagine why they wouldn't be able to update it for you as well. If they use it like we think, awesome, if not, then you still did everything you could do.

Congrats on your awesome race yesterday!

 

[Spottedprincess]

Okay DL's experts. I need a babysitter at the hotel while DH and I run the 1/2. How do I arrange that???

Sent you a PM with some info. Hope it helps

 

[TMcDwyer]

Sent you a PM with some info. Hope it helps

Thanks!!!

 

[TisBit]

So my wife and I signed up for the Disneyland 1/2, I ran the WDW 1/2 and wanted the Coast to Coast. My wife had just finished recovering from an upper femoral stress fracture so couldn't run WDW with me. Just found out she has another upper femoral stress fracture in the other leg! She took her time training this time thinking that wsa the problem, but apparently while she is totally athletic, she cannot distance run!

Ugh, so guess I will be running alone again But the good news is we will still have a great vacation in California and I will still get my Coast to Coast!

 

[rebapple]

So I bruised my toe at the Princess and the nail fell off a couple days ago. It is still attached at the very bottom, but i trimmed the rest off Should I do anything special? I've never had this happen and I want to make sure it comes back in ok while I am training for DL. Also what is your trainig schedule looking like right now since the galloway plan starts on May 1. On last question I submitted a time of 2:46, and I'm running a 10k in a couple weeks. What kind of time should I shoot for to submit and move up in corrals?

 

[StarGirl11]

So I bruised my toe at the Princess and the nail fell off a couple days ago. It is still attached at the very bottom, but i trimmed the rest off Should I do anything special? I've never had this happen and I want to make sure it comes back in ok while I am training for DL. Also what is your trainig schedule looking like right now since the galloway plan starts on May 1. On last question I submitted a time of 2:46, and I'm running a 10k in a couple weeks. What kind of time should I shoot for to submit and move up in corrals?

2:46 is about a 12:37 split per mile so for the 10k in order to move up you should be aiming for somewhere around 12:00-12:30 splits with a finish time of around 1:15.

As for the nail, I would just leave it. That's what I did whenever I got black toenails. It will eventually come off on its own. But if you start getting multiples of them definitely check and make sure your shoes are fitted right.

 

[runr]

I just want to make sure I'm reading this right re: proof of time for post Jul 1, 2012 times. My sister and I want to run together and plan to turn in proof of time (about 10min/mi for a 10k) she already has proof of this, but I won't be able to get a race in until July/first wknd in August. We plan to run whatever 10k I find together and will turn in identical times and as long as we bring this info with us to the packet pickup they will change our coral?

What should we bring? A print out of the race results?

(she did not list a time at registration even though she has pretty current results, so that won't be an issue).

 

[kim3339]

Just bring a print out of the race results w/ your time and you should be fine. The July date is for the correct corral to be on your bib. When you get to the bib pickup area, it is to the far left of the 1/2 bib # pick ups in the corner and it'll say Runner Information or something like that. They'll just put a pink sticker w/ your updated corral over your old letter.

 

[runr]

Kim - thank you!

 

[Fellowship9798]

I just want to make sure I'm reading this right re: proof of time for post Jul 1, 2012 times. My sister and I want to run together and plan to turn in proof of time (about 10min/mi for a 10k) she already has proof of this, but I won't be able to get a race in until July/first wknd in August. We plan to run whatever 10k I find together and will turn in identical times and as long as we bring this info with us to the packet pickup they will change our coral?

What should we bring? A print out of the race results?

(she did not list a time at registration even though she has pretty current results, so that won't be an issue).

You can always run together as well by just lining up in the furthest back corral that it assigned between you both. You can go back but not forward. For example if you are in corral C and your sister is in E, you can go back to E with her. She just can't come up to C.

Of course, running something together for a new qualifying time to get the best corral placement for both of you works too.

 

[luvdumbo]

I am registerednfor the DL half and me and my daughter will be running the 5k together! This will be my first RunDisney race! But by the time I run this I should have at least 6+ half marathons done!