OFFICIAL January 2012 5K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Goofy or Dopey Challenge Thread

[buckeyecinderella]

Dad - You always encouraged me and told me to do my best, so I am dedicating my Disney Half Marathon to you!

So very sorry for your loss. This will be a very special race for you.

 

[randc]

We are running the relay on Sunday and staying at Bay Lake Towers. Can the person running the second half of the relay go directly to the exchange point in the MK parking lot? I'm running the first part and am not a fast runner so I really hope my husband can go straight to the exchange point about 30-45 minutes before I finish instead of waiting around for 3-4 hours waiting.

 

[cewait]

We are running the relay on Sunday and staying at Bay Lake Towers. Can the person running the second half of the relay go directly to the exchange point in the MK parking lot? I'm running the first part and am not a fast runner so I really hope my husband can go straight to the exchange point about 30-45 minutes before I finish instead of waiting around for 3-4 hours waiting.

Yes,

Just take the monorail from the BLT/CR to the TTC and then walk towards the Poly. There is a crosswalk to the MK parking lot just as you hit the Poly complex. Take that and hug the fence on your right down a couple of parking lot sections.

He could stand out in front of the CR and watch you go by. If he does spectate, he should not have his bib visible...

 

[randc]

Yes,

Just take the monorail from the BLT/CR to the TTC and then walk towards the Poly. There is a crosswalk to the MK parking lot just as you hit the Poly complex. Take that and hug the fence on your right down a couple of parking lot sections.

He could stand out in front of the CR and watch you go by. If he does spectate, he should not have his bib visible...

Coach
Thanks for answering my question. When I emailed WDW Sports they didn't answer my questions, just kept saying if you start your day at Epcot, you must be there between 5-7. Thanks again.

 

[lovesdumbo]

Today I probably ran a tougher route than necessary for my 8 mile taper run, but I felt real emotional need to run my Dad's favorite trail. You see, we lost him Thursday evening after a long battle with Alzheimer's. The double loop run on that quiet trail really helped me.

My dad loved Disney and used to go to Magic Kingdom all by himself in the early 70s whenever he was in central Florida for business. We took family trips and than extended family trips as my sister and I married and had kids. One of the last memories that remained clear for my dad was being Veteran of the Day in the Magic Kingdom on Feb 1, 2007. In the last few years he couldn't recognize me, but if I would say something like "I understand you really like Disney" he would tell me in great detail about being Veteran of the Day.

Dad always supported me in everything I wanted to try and starting running at age 45 was no different. When I started racing in 2005 Dad came to the first couple of 5ks with me to take pictures. Then he realized that many of our local races are walker friendly so he would say "Sign me up!" It became a family joke that he was the best racer in the family because he would often win his age group....because he was the only one entered. Dad had a wonderful sense of fun and humor. He loved to tease my cousin who was a sub 3 hour marathoner and 20 time Boston finisher that he had a better "winning percentage" .

Dad - You always encouraged me and told me to do my best, so I am dedicating my Disney Half Marathon to you!

So sorry for your loss.

 

[flatlandcycle]

I'll throw this out there for what it's worth. Last year at the Princess 1/2 the monorail, spectator, lines at TTC for return to EPCOT were very long, longer than I have ever seen for the EPCOT monorail. It took over 40 minutes, maybe as much as an hour to get through the line. I would suggest that Relay Runner #1 return to EPCOT via shuttle bus rather than Monorail.

 

[paxsarah]

So twirling around is better after 16 miles?

Have fun if you decide, just understand that things that seem fun when coming from a walk may have differing results after running 16....

It's moot anyway - I looked again at the race day instructions and I'd had 6:03am stuck in my head for the start - which I now see is the time of the last wave and not my likely start wave. Hopefully I'll be past well before the park opens - and if I'm not, I probably won't feel like stopping for a ride at that point.

 

[cewait]

Coach
Thanks for answering my question. When I emailed WDW Sports they didn't answer my questions, just kept saying if you start your day at Epcot, you must be there between 5-7. Thanks again.

They 'kind of' answer the question in the final instructions. Well allude to it without out right saying it. I would think that if they were to say something too out right that they would end up with folks all over the place. Just use common sense and allow time to react to heavier than normal traffic.

I actually predict a cluster mess in the area of the relay exchange due to it being the first year. Everything from full runners ducking into the relay finish chute to relay runners not understanding they need to turn in, to runner 2 not understanding that they need to leave the Epcot parking lot at some point in time, to who knows.

 

[dmott33]

Hey everyone. The days are counting down and raceday is almost here! Hope everyone's training has been going well and that taper has started well. (Can these next 12 days hurry?!) This will be my first marathon. First Half was at last year's Disney!

Anyways, I apologize if this has been asked, but I couldn't find it on the search. Last year they allowed runners family to get text updates. And many races do this as well. Are they doing this again or is there a link to sign up fo this?

Thanks and good luck to everyone!

 

[Ronda93]

Anyways, I apologize if this has been asked, but I couldn't find it on the search. Last year they allowed runners family to get text updates. And many races do this as well. Are they doing this again or is there a link to sign up fo this?

Sooner or later, maybe a week out from the races a link should show up on the runDisney site. Look under spectator resources.

Good luck!

Ronda

 

[flatlandcycle]

I actually predict a cluster mess in the area of the relay exchange due to it being the first year. Everything from full runners ducking into the relay finish chute to relay runners not understanding they need to turn in, to runner 2 not understanding that they need to leave the Epcot parking lot at some point in time, to who knows.

Yes, it will be prudent to stay to the right, if you are running the full, from about the Polynesian Resort until well after the exchange area. There will be runner #1, finishers, who will be on the right side of the road. They will suddenly stop, cut and take out the entire mid section of runners. If they are running in a group it will feel like pulling guards; just watch for chop blocks. There will also be the potential for disparate paces. Some runners#2 will be trying to 'personal best' and be married to the slow pace of runners around them, especially if their runner#1-teammate is much slower than them.

The final instructions for the relay are vague. I think what they want is for runner #2 to be on the shuttle by 7:00 a.m.

It would have been nice to have a map showing the location for relay runner #2 to catch the bus to TTC/MK parking. I don't see a bus route that isn't part of the marathon course, maybe Woodpecker Lane? If I was runner #2, and needed transportation from EPCOT to MK/TTC/exchange I would use the monorail.

Unfortunately, volunteers will not know were to direct you. There will a tent with higher level problem solving, but the run-of-the-mill-volunteer will just shrug, or tell you with complete authority the wrong place to go. This is not the fault of volunteers.

 

[cewait]

Yes, it will be prudent to stay to the right, if you are running the full, from about the Polynesian Resort until well after the exchange area. There will be runner #1, finishers, who will be on the right side of the road. They will suddenly stop, cut and take out the entire mid section of runners. If they are running in a group it will feel like pulling guards; just watch for chop blocks. There will also be the potential for disparate paces. Some runners#2 will be trying to 'personal best' and be married to the slow pace of runners around them, especially if their runner#1-teammate is much slower than them.

The final instructions for the relay are vague. I think what they want is for runner #2 to be on the shuttle by 7:00 a.m.

It would have been nice to have a map showing the location for relay runner #2 to catch the bus to TTC/MK parking. I don't see a bus route that isn't part of the marathon course, maybe Woodpecker Lane? If I was runner #2, and needed transportation from EPCOT to MK/TTC/exchange I would use the monorail.

Unfortunately, volunteers will not know were to direct you. There will a tent with higher level problem solving, but the run-of-the-mill-volunteer will just shrug, or tell you with complete authority the wrong place to go. This is not the fault of volunteers.

Back in the good ole days, the half marathon buses would roll out of a northern gate (just across from the cabbie stand) They would then inch their way along Seven Seas Dr to World, to Vista and finally Bonnet Creek. If one was a slower runner, the buses would just head across the parking lot and exit through a gate directly to World.

It is not going to be fun and I can see where a slower Runner 1, coupled with a faster runner 2 may end up arriving Epcot about the same time as Runner 2. (30 minutes to get on the bus + 20 minutes dwell time waiting for it to fill + 45 minutes to get to Epcot + 10 minutes to get to the family reunion area = 1:45)

Oh, and I have met that volunteer/cast member... most every race weekend.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Does anyone have any insight on what it's going to be like trying to get back to AKL from the finish line?

 

[cewait]

Does anyone have any insight on what it's going to be like trying to get back to AKL from the finish line?

Not all that bad. Possibly a little slower than normal due to rubber necking. The real issue is getting from AKL and AK out to the rest of the world. The issue is that the race takes over all but one lane of Osceola away from these places - then forces that one lane to exit at Buena Vista (All Star McD Exit).

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Not all that bad. Possibly a little slower than normal due to rubber necking. The real issue is getting from AKL and AK out to the rest of the world. The issue is that the race takes over all but one lane of Osceola away from these places - then forces that one lane to exit at Buena Vista (All Star McD Exit).

Do you mean I'm going to have issues getting to the start of the full? Or is this something I just need to be aware of the morning of the half?

 

[cewait]

Do you mean I'm going to have issues getting to the start of the full? Or is this something I just need to be aware of the morning of the half?

No, speaking specifically for traffic leaving AKL during the late morning of the marathon only (i.e. post race traffic for you)

 

[buckeyecinderella]

It looks like there is a link to runner tracking up on the marathon website now!

 

[walkdmc]

I started a thread asking for a link for information about getting from my resort (Grand Floridian) to the starting line for the 5K at Epcot. I just came across this thread and thought one of you marathoners might have such a link.

Thanks!

 

[flatlandcycle]

I started a thread asking for a link for information about getting from my resort (Grand Floridian) to the starting line for the 5K at Epcot. I just came across this thread and thought one of you marathoners might have such a link.

Thanks!

Page2 of the following:
http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/media.../2012-final-race-instructions-Fiesta5kFRI.pdf

bus every 20 min....

 

[walkdmc]

Nice! Thanks, Flat.