Princess Half Marathon Weekend 2025 (Feb 20-24 2025)

[Herding_Cats]

I haven’t posted on the DIS in a long time but I’m so happy to have found my way back and see so many familiar names. Life has been dark and really really HARD. This will sound cliche but I’m working on finding “me” again and runDisney has been a big part of that, so here I am.

I had a couple of friends running Dopey this year and I was cheering them on from home and trying to get excited for my own upcoming races. I’m currently registered for the challenge for both Princess and Springtime Surprise, but I’m not 100% sure yet if I’ll be able to make Springtime happen.

I hope to be back to regularly posting and reading here again. This community was a huge reason why I loved runDisney and helped me with my greatest running accomplishments to date!

I was thinking about you this past race weekend! Glad to see you back!

 

[nancipants]

We've got race courses y'all!

5k
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10k (best course too )
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Half
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Looks like the courses are standardized now. Don't know how I feel about that. It's nice to know what you're signing up for, but also, surprises are fun!

 

[Naomeri]

Looks like the courses are standardized now. Don't know how I feel about that. It's nice to know what you're signing up for, but also, surprises are fun!

At least until the next round of construction (or finished construction) forces another change

 

[FanforDisney]

Looks like the courses are standardized now. Don't know how I feel about that. It's nice to know what you're signing up for, but also, surprises are fun!

Don't like the 10k route. At least we get to do the 2 elevations done in the first 1-2 miles. No fan of running around the resorts.

 

[fatmanatee]

Yeah I'm expecting it to be this way until Villains Land opens up. On the plus side once it does maybe they'll be able to run courses through there?

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I love this 10k course. I’ve done the other course three times now and I’m tired of so many highway miles before hitting a park. This is also cuts out the International Squeezeway.

 

[sandam1]

I will tell you, having just done this half marathon course last weekend, Miles 10-12 were just about the most brutal as far as crowding that I have ever done. I don't know what was different about them (maybe I was further back in the pack, maybe more people were walking due to Dopey), but there was absolutely no where to run other than the grass on the side of the road. It was walkers the entire width of the road. I finally wound up falling in with a pace group, even through it was faster than I wanted to run at that point, but they were able to "clear the way" to some extent.

The other two choke points were the water stop by the Grand Floridian (probably designed by the same person who insists on putting the one along the International Squeezeway for W&D and SS) and coming out of the Magic Kingdom when it is another brutal version of the traditional cone alley.

I had hoped that they would look at the feedback from Marathon Weekend and tweak some of the problem areas before releasing the Princess courses, but apparently not.

 

[fatmanatee]

I will tell you, having just done this half marathon course last weekend, Miles 10-12 were just about the most brutal as far as crowding that I have ever done. I don't know what was different about them (maybe I was further back in the pack, maybe more people were walking due to Dopey), but there was absolutely no where to run other than the grass on the side of the road. It was walkers the entire width of the road. I finally wound up falling in with a pace group, even through it was faster than I wanted to run at that point, but they were able to "clear the way" to some extent.

The other two choke points were the water stop by the Grand Floridian (probably designed by the same person who insists on putting the one along the International Squeezeway for W&D and SS) and coming out of the Magic Kingdom when it is another brutal version of the traditional cone alley.

I had hoped that they would look at the feedback from Marathon Weekend and tweak some of the problem areas before releasing the Princess courses, but apparently not.

I think they've had some iteration of that stretch for awhile now, I almost rolled my ankle veering onto the grass in 2022.

 

[sandam1]

I think they've had some iteration of that stretch for awhile now, I almost rolled my ankle veering onto the grass in 2022.

I know, which is why I'm not sure exactly why it was memorably bad this time.

 

[azrivest]

That really is a blip through Epcot to finish the half, isn't it...

 

[Zutroy]

I love this 10k course. I’ve done the other course three times now and I’m tired of so many highway miles before hitting a park. This is also cuts out the International Squeezeway.

This is the traditional W&D course, and while I too love it, mile 4 is rough. All the resorts on the Boardwalk are getting breakfast ready, and the smell of bacon hits just wrong at the point where a fast 10k starts sucking. I’ll take AK rhino enclosure over that, lol.

 

[jpholic]

Looks like the courses are standardized now. Don't know how I feel about that. It's nice to know what you're signing up for, but also, surprises are fun!

I was thinking that earlier. Variation is nice but so is knowing exactly what I am getting into.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

So the same courses from the first three Dopey races, right?

I loved the 5K. Excellent EPCOT time. 10K seemed to be the usual. The half… not a fan due to the course crowding. I had the same experience:

but there was absolutely no where to run other than the grass on the side of the road. It was walkers the entire width of the road.

except it was for much longer of the course. And given how Princess usually is, I can’t imagine it’s going to be much better. I’m just doing it for fun so will try to have a positive attitude.

 

[DisneyDad0315]

What time does the 10K run start? I will be staying at the Swan and Dolphin and my daughter and I want to cheer on the runners on the boardwalk. The runners will be on the boardwalk around the 4K mark. What time would that be, approximately? I want to make sure we are outside on time. Thanks all

 

[KCO5988]

All the talk of course crowding in the half last weekend has me worried for Princess. I was able to convince DH to sign up to run with me, but snagging him a spot using telegram was impossible if I also wanted to put a POT for him. I opted, with his agreement, to just try to get him in with no POT and try runner relations at the expo knowing it's unlikely they'll move him. Was luckily enough to get him a spot on Christmas Eve but now I'm worried if he gets put in a later corral and it never opens up, he won't ever agree to do another with me!

 

[azrivest]

What time does the 10K run start? I will be staying at the Swan and Dolphin and my daughter and I want to cheer on the runners on the boardwalk. The runners will be on the boardwalk around the 4K mark. What time would that be, approximately? I want to make sure we are outside on time. Thanks all

The 10k will start at 5am and will release runners until about 6am.


So runners on the boardwalk should be there anytime after 5am for the fastest runners until about 6:30-7am ish? for the last people in the field.

 

[sandam1]

All the talk of course crowding in the half last weekend has me worried for Princess. I was able to convince DH to sign up to run with me, but snagging him a spot using telegram was impossible if I also wanted to put a POT for him. I opted, with his agreement, to just try to get him in with no POT and try runner relations at the expo knowing it's unlikely they'll move him. Was luckily enough to get him a spot on Christmas Eve but now I'm worried if he gets put in a later corral and it never opens up, he won't ever agree to do another with me!

The good news is that there are a lot of highway miles for the Princess half. The bad news is that there are a lot of highway miles for the Princess half.

The reality is that the first mile is going to be crowded - no matter what non-POT corral he gets. He should probably accept that and move on. Once he gets on the highway, that is his opportunity to push it. Around the Magic Kingdom, he should try to just enjoy the experience. This is what makes Disney special. Eventually, it will open back up to the highway and he can go if he wants to. The hardest stretch IMHO is Miles 10-12 with the crowding. But if he is fast enough - and able to push hard enough during the highway miles - he might be free of the worst of the "back of the pack" crowding. But I suspect that managing expectations is the best way to go here.

Instead of waiting to talk to Runner Relations at the Expo (which is a painfully long and slow line at times), I would suggest sending an email to runDisney now and asking.

 

[KCO5988]

The good news is that there are a lot of highway miles for the Princess half. The bad news is that there are a lot of highway miles for the Princess half.

The reality is that the first mile is going to be crowded - no matter what non-POT corral he gets. He should probably accept that and move on. Once he gets on the highway, that is his opportunity to push it. Around the Magic Kingdom, he should try to just enjoy the experience. This is what makes Disney special. Eventually, it will open back up to the highway and he can go if he wants to. The hardest stretch IMHO is Miles 10-12 with the crowding. But if he is fast enough - and able to push hard enough during the highway miles - he might be free of the worst of the "back of the pack" crowding. But I suspect that managing expectations is the best way to go here.

Instead of waiting to talk to Runner Relations at the Expo (which is a painfully long and slow line at times), I would suggest sending an email to runDisney now and asking.

Yeah, I tried emailing already and got a generic "no" email. I'll hang back with him in whichever corral he ends up in to keep him company so at least there's that. But thanks for the heads up on those specific crowded areas. I'll warn him for sure.

 

[Naomeri]

Here's your merch preview, runners! Shiny jacket alert!!

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[DisneyParrothead]

Why white? I’m too much my mother’s daughter and that white jacket would not stay white