Princess Half Marathon

[alrightythen]

I'm really wanting to do this next year. I noticed that a big portion of it is along the highway. Does this detract from the excitement at all? Is there entertainment, characters, etc along the way on that part of the race? Can someone tell me a bit about it, please? Thanks!!!

 

[cewait]

It’s Disney! The race is chalk full of entertainment. You will have stretches where you are on roadways but you will always see or hear something on the horizon. Thinking on the setup you will usually have something to entertain you between mile 1.5 and 4 if not multiple spots. Once in the parking lot there are usually 2-3 areas of entertainment. The TTC is full of spectators. Between TTC and the contemporary there is little, other than the reverse hill under the Seven Seas Lagoon. Then you have a mile of MK. You leave MK around mile 6 and the next mile can be difficult as you just left MK and are now facing a stretch of little entertainment. Then comes the GF, Poly, Shades of Green stretch. From there the Hess Station will have something then it is a repeat through mile 11. Mile 12 is in Epcot Parking and the excitement builds. Epcot is a nice run then you are finished.

 

[joan4mickey]

The Princess is a great race!

 

[alrightythen]

It's definately one I'm wanting to do. And not make a PR race, just a fun long run, if that makes sense. Especially w/ the hills (I despise hills!!!). I would for sure want to stop along the way and take pics w/ the characters. My kids want to do the kids races as well the day before and my dh mentioned doing the 5k as well, so I'm hoping to make this a fun, activity filled long weekend for us.

 

[joan4mickey]

My DD did the 5K this year and took 11 pixs with 19 different characters in 29:29. Her goal was to finish in under 30 min. I think she sprinted from character to character and had so much fun.

 

[PrincessAndrea'sMom]

I am doing this next year too! It will be my first race.

Check out my blog about training for it marathon. Its packed with health and fitness tips, tricks and reviews!

http://pumpkintoprincess.blogspot.com/

I hope to meet some other runners before we get down there.

 

[monte]

I'm participating in the Princess in 2012 too! I also plan to do the DisneyLand half that same year to earn my Coast to Coast medal! Iam so looking forward to that race.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

All the Half Marathons including the Princess (at WDW at least) are very scenic. There are a couple of dull spots but they are very, very short on the way back to Epcot. If you want some dull spots, do the WDW Marathon, you have miles of dull even with entertainment...but the Princess kept my attention nearly the entire time. The end was just the hardest but in my experience so far, getting back to Epcot regardless of the race is always the least entertaining. The best thing about the Princess are those around you - the morale there is unlike any of the other races so far...it is far from competitive, and frankly most of the runners are about reaching some sort of goal and are not career runners. It is so inspiring and was the perfect first ever half marathon for me.

I would highly recommend it to anyone...and one day - when the WDW Marathon and the Princess get a bit more space, I am sure that we may see Coach and other Perfectly Goofy runners there too! Why Disney has that race so close to the WDW Marathon is beyond me!

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

That sounded kind of rude against Coach - he has run a lot at Disney and frankly the course for the Princess isn't much different than the WDW Half...in fact, I am pretty sure it is the same! If there is anyone that knows about these courses well, it is Coach. Maybe you didn't mean your comment as telling Coach off, but that is the way it came across to me.

Coach, have you run this race? I thought not, but you do know lots about it.

There has been a small music group just before mile 1, then a water stop. This year they had a big ship around mile 3 with "heros" and then entertainment every mile or less. I like going through the MK pay to park arches. The TTC does have lots of people and it is uplifting. Most people hate the "hill" near the Contempary Hotel, but you are almost to the MK. Tons of people on Main st and much in park entertainment and the train is on the track as you exit by Splash Mtn. They have characters "back stage" and then a short boring stint. They have had Princesses set up every mile or less during mile 7-10. Then the sweeping onramp (ugg) and then onto Epcot and more characters. There has been a gospel choir with less than .1 before finish line-I find them awesome. It is a lot of fun and I just got to relive it one more time and am excited to go for my third year in a row in 2011.

You must come join the fun and get fit while preparing!!!

 

[DizGirl20]

Sorry to butt in, but can someone tell me if there is a "master list" somewhere of all the Disney races? I am new here to the WISH Boards and would like to run a 5K and then maybe a half in about a year. Thanks and again sorry to interrupt...

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Sorry to butt in, but can someone tell me if there is a "master list" somewhere of all the Disney races? I am new here to the WISH Boards and would like to run a 5K and then maybe a half in about a year. Thanks and again sorry to interrupt...

Rundisney.com has a listing of all the races. There are many options that would fit your plan! Good Luck!!

 

[queen mimi]

That sounded kind of rude against Coach - he has run a lot at Disney and frankly the course for the Princess isn't much different than the WDW Half...in fact, I am pretty sure it is the same! If there is anyone that knows about these courses well, it is Coach. Maybe you didn't mean your comment as telling Coach off, but that is the way it came across to me.

Rupert:

I agree. I hope that the poster didn't intend it to be rude. Coach has been a tremendous help to so many of us over the years. I specifically look for his posts to see what advice he is offering. So, Coach, you're very welcome to join the Princesses any time you want!

Meg

 

[longhorns2]

Ahh, the joys of message boards.

I didn't think she was even remotely implying anything rude to Coach- just asking if he had ever run it. No rudeness came across to me, until other posters implied it.