Princess Half Marathon Spectator Tips

[melificent]

I figured this went best here, but someone should feel free to let me know if it belongs in the Tips forum.

Prior to leaving for the Half-Marathon, I tried to do some research for suggestions for spectators and didn't find too much information out there. So I thought I'd post what worked for me (or what I thought would work better next time), in case someone else has the same need in the future. I hope it's helpful and I'd welcome any additions y'all have.

Preparation

• Prepare sign elements ahead of time and glue them to the posterboards when you arrive. Construction paper does not work well with the humidity, but cardstock is pretty durable. I would also recommend giving them a day to really "cure."
• Sign up for runner tracking. YOU WILL WANT IT. Even with runner tracking, consider having your runner text you at certain points if they have their phone. Just a mile number will help you track them in the times between the 5K increments you’ll receive officially. (And it will help you know whether or not they've already passed your spectating spot.)
• Things to bring with you: water, snacks, sunglasses, a padded seat cushion, and anything your runner might need at a break (wet washcloths, body glide, snacks, etc.).
• Please note that there are coffee and pastries available at the TTC and Polynesian, as well as at EPCOT.
• When your runner is planning a costume, black makes them stand out more. Nearly everyone's in pink and pastels.
• When choosing which host hotel you’re planning to stay at, I have two words for you: hot. tub.
• Plan a massage for the afternoon following the half-marathon. Please note that some of the spas are cheaper than the others, so you may want to price check.
• Do not plan to go to the park the day prior to the event. Or the afternoon/evening of the event, unless it's a casual couple rides/shows. Monday is a good park day, but other than that it seemed like too much for us. You will have plenty of other things to do, between the Runner’s Expo and getting settled and having a massage.

Cheering

• Don’t make full-size posterboard signs. Instead, cut them in half. Additionally, if you want to make them easier to see over the crowds, use paint-stirrers as handles to hold them up. You might consider doubling the posters up to give them more heft—they will absorb moisture in the air and become pretty floppy by the end of the race.
• Give your posters two sides. I was glad I had a sign for my friend, but wished that I could have flipped the poster over when she wasn’t around in order to have a generic sign to cheer on the other participants.
• If you plan on cheering at one of the sections where the course is gated off (e.g., TTC, Mile 13), consider putting holes in the top of your signs and bringing string/ribbon so you can hang the sign up. (Although that WILL make it harder for your runner to see. AOBVE the crowd is better.)
• Bring a cowbell or noisemaker or horn or whistle. You will be doing all kinds of clapping for runners you don’t know, and your hands will get sore. You’ll make more noise with some sort of aid and probably still be able to wave your sign at the same time. If you get really industrious, you could attach bells to the sign.

Schedule

• Of course this will vary greatly with your runner’s speed, but this is what worked for us with a 12:30/mile runner. We took the monorail to the TTC (mile 4), walked over to the Polynesian (mile 8), took the monorail to EPCOT and walked to the bus stops (mile 12) and walked over to mile 13.
• Plan to leave your (host) resort no later than 4:30. You want to get in line for the monorail ASAP, rather than waiting at the Starting Line. The monorail will begin running around 5:30 and there will already be a substantial crowd waiting to ride it.
• Try and position yourself in a bend in the crowds so that you can spot your runner more easily and they can find you. Also, texting your runner a brief description of your location may help them pick you out if they have a chance to see the text. Letting them know which side of the road you’re on, at the very least, will help them find you more easily, as well as allowing them to get over to your side of the road ahead of time.
• From what I understand, there’s a lot going on at the Magic Kingdom, and the runners have plenty of distractions. It's the less-populated stretches where they may need more cheering.
• You have some time between miles 4 and 8 to get a snack and use the bathroom, but expect to be fairly brisk about returning to the monorail and EPCOT to meet your runner at mile 12 due to the crowds at the TTC monorail.
• Following the half-marathon, plan to meet somewhere in the giant lot rather than the family reunion tents. It’s much less crowded there.

 

[verticalchaos]

Speaking as a runner, the last thing I want to do when I'm running (a race or otherwise) is be texting. I wouldn't be too happy if someone said "Hey, text me while you're running a race so I'll know where you are." The Disney courses are crowded enough without having to worry about runners TEXTING while running. Not a smart idea imho.

 

[Saylan]

My DBF found that the race alerts were a good way to know when I was coming in, but he would probably agree with the colour comments. I was in purple with a purple tutu, and he didn't see me coming until after I had cleared the chute at the end.

I didn't use my resort's hot tub and a lot of people recommended me to not even use a hot shower for a few hours since generally you want cold on your legs and knees after a race. I'd be more inclined to say: bath tub and ice machine. It's probably more of an individual's preference though.

We went to AK and then Boma the day before and we did MK's EMH till midnight the day of the race. I saw many others who did similar. We didn't stay at the expo long, though, so again the park and expo attendance will probably vary based on the runner.

If you go to the parks, my suggestion is to wear your medal (as awkward as it might be) because the amount of congratulations I got just made my day almost more than the race. Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother in the Main Street Eletrcical Parade addressed me directly congratulating me as well as many of the performers and cast members (and characters) throughout the day.

On the topic of cheering, I agree with your suggestions for other signs for racers other than yours. I had no one to cheer me on and often I would cheer at the random supporters I saw. Some cheered back, others didn't. I may not have been their racer, but the ones who cheered me back made me feel special and helped me forget I was running alone, in another country, and my parents were only able to sit and wait for e-mails of the results. Cheer for all of us, it means the world when you do!

 

[verticalchaos]

Excellent point about the hot tubs Saylan. As a runner you do NOT want to get into something hot as your joints are already swollen and heat will just increase that. A cold or even slightly icy bath is what you want.

Some other thoughts...

Massages may be better saved for a day or two later as well. It's all about NOT getting the fluids any more messed up than they are.

Color is probably more specific for the Princess - it was a lot of blue at the regular weekend. My sister has said she's coordinating me and my running partner's shirts for DL. (Gotta say, seas of pink and purple make me NOT want to do the Princess. Ugh for gender stereotypes!!)

Going to a park in the afternoon is actually a VERY GOOD thing. The more you can move after the race, the better you'll be the next day.

Definitely cheer for everyone. EVERYONE is giving it their all, not just YOUR runner and sure as heck not just Team in Training. Sorry, nothing irks me more than a large group of people standing silently on the side of the road as runner after runner goes by only to erupt at the sight of a darn purple TNT shirt. SOOOOOOO inconsiderate. Cheer for everyone or don't bother.

 

[cewait]

This is really a good list. There are several great pieces of information for the spectator. But I want to echo the texting comment and add a couple comments.

It is the spectator’s responsibility to find the runner, not the other way. Real estate on the course is at a premium so I would also discourage texting. There are other technologies and applications that will relay runner positions near real time and fairly accurate. A specific example is RunKeeper. We used it in January and my group found that when the software said I was there…I was there. Other than that a small table of expected paces (+/- a couple minutes) will give you a read on the runner pace.

Do make sure you the spectator knows what the runner is wearing AND what the runner what you are wearing.

I would not encourage a runner to wear black if the day is a sunny day. It can be a heat attractor

Love the cow bell idea and possibly the whistle. Your fellow spectators may ask you to move with the whistle or horn.

Do yell for all runners. There is nothing worse from a runner perspective that to come upon a group of spectators looking rather board and being very quiet – only to hear them get excited with a purple jersey approaches from behind you.

What you did but did not say – stay inside the course, or on the transportation side of the course. You do not want to cross the course to get to your next location.

Listen to security. Many times they will try to keep a path or area clear. They are there you’re the runner protection as well as yours.

Leave no evidence – take with you anything you bring. Many folks will leave cups, cans and signs for the race to clean up. Remember, anything left will need to be picked up and the runners are the ones paying for that service.

Finally, I really agre with meeting in an area not in the reunion area. Mary and I meet at our special tree. I shared that location just before January and found we had several hundred friends. The reunion are is way too crowded and needs redesigned.

Great start of a good list.

 

[Saylan]

Coach and Beth, you are so right. I was cheering at a lot of spectators, sometimes because they seemed so down, and of those, most of the ones who didn't cheer back were TnT. I had one cheer at me since I was in purple, only to quiet down when they noticed it wasn't a TnT member...

As for colour, Beth you're right on that too. I was in purple cause I was Rapunzel. If you really want to stand out, do something different. I never mistook the lady who went as Princess Leia for any other racer. She was great and I'm stilli n awe that she ran in a ground-length dress with those hair buns and didn't overheat.

As for meeting up with people, I'd never done the race before and so I had no idea how the end staging area was set up. They had some maps and suggestions at the Expo, so that's a good place to start to figure out a spot.

However, if you're like me (never done it and travelling with a person who has never been to Disney), the map really didn't help much. We knew there would be a stage. We knew there would be a meeting area. And we knew there would be signs. We didn't end up connecting where we said we would but we decided we'd meet at the family reunion sign. And if there was more than one? DBF would stay put and I would move from sign to sign till I found him (that way we weren't both moving looking for each other).

Something that many, including Disney, forget is that international (and cellphone-less) people need to connect too. Many places suggested calling your party afterwards to connect. I don't have a cell phone and roaming to the US is not ideal. Check with your local carrier, sometimes they'll offer a cheap low-use plan for a small fee (ours was 15$ and included 20 minutes of calling and something small for internet usage). My DBF used that to check for the race alerts and letting my parents know I didn't collapse on the course or anything.

 

[melificent]

Excellent point about the hot tubs Saylan. As a runner you do NOT want to get into something hot as your joints are already swollen and heat will just increase that. A cold or even slightly icy bath is what you want.

Some other thoughts...

Massages may be better saved for a day or two later as well. It's all about NOT getting the fluids any more messed up than they are.

These are probably, in fact, excellent points for runners, but you'll note that my list is specifically for spectators.

 

[Saylan]

These are probably, in fact, excellent points for runners, but you'll note that my list is specifically for spectators.

I did, but I guess I thought you were making suggestions in how a spectator/supporter could help their racer with prep as it was listed with suggestions for clothing colours.

I realize that being a spectator takes a lot of dedication and long hours sitting or moving from spot to spot but hot tubs and a massage? I just kind of assumed that was for the person who was running the race. I'm sorry for misunderstanding.

 

[cewait]

These are probably, in fact, excellent points for runners, but you'll note that my list is specifically for spectators.

Actually, a dose of Tylenol before heading out the door would be a good add. Standing in one spot for a long period is very tiring on the lower legs and feet.

So add a great pair of shoes

Also, Add "be careful in your comments" Runners will hear things that you never think that we would. If you are late in an event and see a runner with bloody nipples, or are leaning, do not point it out to your fellow spectators. Just yell stay strong, keep moving or other supportive comment.

In the line of comments… Do not yell “almost there” at mile 1. Really, runners know the truth. Refrain from yelling anything about distance left unless you are sure. Comments at mile 10 of a half along the line of 5k left are really great to hear.

Most large races print names on bibs. Connect with runners by calling out their name. They may be 20 feet past you once it clicks but it add tremendously.

Again, great list. I would not obsess about having a generic sign for ‘other’ runners. If your sign says Run, Sally, Run, I will be Sally for a few moments as it pull energy from that sign.

 

[bearlyanne]

Thank you so much for starting this thread. I will be chEARing on my friend this year and I can not wait!

I look forward to hearing more comment from both spectators and runners!

Did you do the official chEAR package or did you wing it?

 

[mamacate]

I was doing some searching on this topic because it looks like my 9 year old will be joining me for the princess and I'll be hiring a sitter and will need to tell her where to go when, and I came across this post. There's some great stuff in here that should be helpful for those supporting princesses like me and the marathon weekenders who are getting ready to go. So I'm bumping! Thanks all!