Running Wine & Dine 5K for the 1st time...Anyone else?

[brookmey]

I'm running in the Wine and Dine 5k this year for the first time ever. In fact, that race will only be my 2nd 5k. My first one will be over the 4th of July. I've checked out many of the other 5k/marathon threads and there seems to be so many experienced runners that I feel out of place. So....I'm hoping to find some "amateur" racers who are learning the ropes the same way that I am!

I was a 3 sport athlete in high school and ran track, but hated the running part. I never got into running for the enjoyment of running. I only did it because I had to, like for sports. But in the past 2 years I've lost 72 lbs (and counting), so now I feel like challenging myself in new ways and running has peaked my interest. My mom ran in the Disney 1/2 marathon this past January and after hearing her experience, I have become obsessed with getting a medal from a Disney race. It's something I know I'll regret if I don't do. We have been planning a trip to WDW this fall, so when we picked our dates, I realized that the Wine and Dine 5k will be held while we're there. It's like a sign from above that this is the time for me to do this!

Anyone else with a similar story?

 

[AUdisneyDad]

I'm not running the wine & dine, but I have ran 5 Disney races. It becomes an addiction so beware. Also congrats on the weight loss that's awesome. Good Luck with your training

 

[DCbride]

I am definitely not a runner and neither is DH but we are both signed up for the W & D 5K- so you are not alone.

This will be my 3rd race (only did Disney races) and DH's 1st and maybe only he is doing it as a favor to me. Before I did my first one (the Princess 5K the first year it began) I had only made it to 2.5 miles, never even ran 3 miles. But everyone is so great and running through the parks is so much fun. The 2nd race was the Expedition Everest and I ran with a friend who had to walk after only a half mile. In fact as we were entering the AK (the race began in the parking lot) the fast runners were passing us coming the other way.

I was really surprised the fist time how many people had cameras and stopped the race to take pictures. When we did the EE we stopped at every mile marker to take a picture just in case she didn't make it all the way to the end.

Yes, there are a lot of real racers, but I bet there are more of us who are just doing it for fun.

 

[Twinklee]

Hubby is running the Wine and Dine half marathon for the first time. He ran the derby marathon in Louisville and Disney had a booth at the race expo. Once he saw the medal he was convinced. We made all our arrangements last week. I can't wait for my Disney fix.

 

[rundisneymom]

Last year's W&D 5K (which was billed as Mickey's Halloween 5K) was my first 5K. I was surprised by how many walkers there were. Like DCbride said, many people have cameras and take pictures with characters along the way.

Its fun and non-stressful. There are serious racers there (the man who came in first was approaching the final stretch before those of use in the back of the pack barely passed the mile 1 marker!)

You will be fine! Its a great experience. But like the others have said, Disney races are quite addictive!

 

[robinb]

I am *thinking* about doing the Wine & Dine 5K myself. I am currently still doing C25K and have my first 5K tentatively planned for June 4th. I am a pretty slow runner/walker though and I see that the pace is a 16-minute mile. I ran/walked 2 miles at a 17 minute pace yesterday on a treadmill. Does anyone know when they sweep the course?

 

[Sarah_Rose]

Disney does not sweep for the "family fun" 5K's.

I walked the January 5K with my parents and my son in his stroller this past year (their first 5K!) and it took us 52 minutes to finish, and there were PLENTY of people behind us. In fact, my mom was kind of annoyed because she had seriously TRAINED to finish in under 45 minutes, but couldn't go any faster because we were caught in a clump of people and I couldn't safely pass with the stroller.

 

[kaj1436]

I was wondering about that. So you can walk it with your kids in a stroller? Is that what the stroller division means? Is that what you registered for when you did it last year?
I was thinking of doing that with my kids. The race says it's at 7am. Does it really start at 7am? We have breakfast reservations for 920am at Ohana and was wondering if that gives us enough time? Once one completes the race what happens? Is there something going on or does everyone just leave when they are done.
I have not been to any race before so please excuse my ingnorance with all these questions.

 

[rundisneymom]

I was wondering about that. So you can walk it with your kids in a stroller? Is that what the stroller division means? Is that what you registered for when you did it last year?
I was thinking of doing that with my kids. The race says it's at 7am. Does it really start at 7am? We have breakfast reservations for 920am at Ohana and was wondering if that gives us enough time? Once one completes the race what happens? Is there something going on or does everyone just leave when they are done.
I have not been to any race before so please excuse my ingnorance with all these questions.

At the finish line, once you get your medal andgrab your bag if you left one at bag drop, you are free to hop on the buses back to the resorts. There are always character photo ops at the finish lines, but the lines can be very long. a 9:20a breakfast ressie may be cutting it close if you have to wait for a bus back to your resort, shower / dress, then catch a bus over to the Poly. If you're staying at the Poly, you should be able to make it

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I was wondering about that. So you can walk it with your kids in a stroller? Is that what the stroller division means? Is that what you registered for when you did it last year?

If you register for the stroller division, you can run/walk with your little ones in your stroller, and your child will get their own finisher medallion at the finish line.

 

[kaj1436]

I'm wondering how young they have to be..and I have two children. Can it be a double stroller? They are 6 and 3 so maybe that is too old and perhaps too much weight to push 5k?

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I'm wondering how young they have to be..and I have two children. Can it be a double stroller? They are 6 and 3 so maybe that is too old and perhaps too much weight to push 5k?

I don't think anyone would give you a hard time about it... in fact, now that I think about it, there was no way for the people handing out medals at the end of the 5K to know that I had registered for the stroller division, but they gave my son a medal (he was 5 months old at the time so he just thought it was a really fabulous chew toy!) without asking any questions. If you can push a double stroller with a 6 and 3 year old, then I think you guys deserve as many medals as you want!

 

[kaj1436]

One more question. If both my husband and I want to do the race but we only have one stroller should we both enter into the stroller division or one of us register for the regular race. What I am basically asking is will we be starting at the same time and doing the same course if we are in two different divisions? Or perhaps we should both register into the stroller division so that way we are guarenteed two medals each so both our children will get one.
And I do hope that whom ever said they don't sweep the course is the truth for I'm sure that we will be walking the whole thing and we don't want to get booted off. I just think the kids will get a kick out of the whole thing and it would be such a great memory to have for a first trip to WDW.

 

[brookmey]

I'm not running the wine & dine, but I have ran 5 Disney races. It becomes an addiction so beware. Also congrats on the weight loss that's awesome. Good Luck with your training

Thank you!

Last year's W&D 5K (which was billed as Mickey's Halloween 5K) was my first 5K. I was surprised by how many walkers there were. Like DCbride said, many people have cameras and take pictures with characters along the way.

Its fun and non-stressful. There are serious racers there (the man who came in first was approaching the final stretch before those of use in the back of the pack barely passed the mile 1 marker!)

You will be fine! Its a great experience. But like the others have said, Disney races are quite addictive!

So even though the 5K is billed as a run, there are people who walk it instead of running? I don't care if I walk/run it, I just don't want to come in dead last or get picked up by the Disney race police!

If so many people walk and then stop to take pictures with characters, they must be pretty fast walkers to make it under a 16 minute mile pace!

Disney does not sweep for the "family fun" 5K's.

I walked the January 5K with my parents and my son in his stroller this past year (their first 5K!) and it took us 52 minutes to finish, and there were PLENTY of people behind us. In fact, my mom was kind of annoyed because she had seriously TRAINED to finish in under 45 minutes, but couldn't go any faster because we were caught in a clump of people and I couldn't safely pass with the stroller.

To make sure I understand, Disney doesn't sweep for the stroller division of the 5K, but they still do for the running division? Is that right? Or am I misunderstanding what you're saying?

 

[brookmey]

One more question. If both my husband and I want to do the race but we only have one stroller should we both enter into the stroller division or one of us register for the regular race. What I am basically asking is will we be starting at the same time and doing the same course if we are in two different divisions? Or perhaps we should both register into the stroller division so that way we are guarenteed two medals each so both our children will get one.
And I do hope that whom ever said they don't sweep the course is the truth for I'm sure that we will be walking the whole thing and we don't want to get booted off. I just think the kids will get a kick out of the whole thing and it would be such a great memory to have for a first trip to WDW.

I forgot to mention this in my previous reply, but did you know that they have races for the kids? It's at WWOS around 10 am, I think, on the same day. I know you said you ADR after the race, but if you're able to change it, the kids might really enjoy the races. They have different age divisions and each kid gets a medal. DD is 7 and DS will be 5 when we go, so they're both doing it. It's about $10 per kid.

 

[kaj1436]

Thanks! I will look into that as well.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

One more question. If both my husband and I want to do the race but we only have one stroller should we both enter into the stroller division or one of us register for the regular race. What I am basically asking is will we be starting at the same time and doing the same course if we are in two different divisions? Or perhaps we should both register into the stroller division so that way we are guarenteed two medals each so both our children will get one.

It's an extra $5 for the stroller division, and the only difference is that they will give you an extra medal for your little one - ... there was literally nothing on my bib or anything to show that I had registered for the stroller division, so they were just handing out medals to the kids in the strollers on the honor system. They didn't ask me if I had registered in the stroller division at all, they just put a medal around my son's neck and we went on our way. If you wanted to register both your husband and yourself in that division to feel "fair", then that's your choice, but it isn't going to make any difference to Disney. Everything else is exactly the same. Disney does ask that the strollers start in the back, so that they don't cause bottlenecks, but your husband would be able to start with you in the back as well.

So even though the 5K is billed as a run, there are people who walk it instead of running? I don't care if I walk/run it, I just don't want to come in dead last or get picked up by the Disney race police!

To make sure I understand, Disney doesn't sweep for the stroller division of the 5K, but they still do for the running division? Is that right? Or am I misunderstanding what you're saying?

Disney does not sweep AT ALL for the family fun 5K's, as long as you're making a good effort to finish. I've even heard people on the DIS posting about it taking them 1:15 to finish (they took a lot of pictures in the England phone booths ) and they still finished and got their medal. The 5K is untimed and is truly just a "family fun" run/walk.

 

[Desi_001]

The Wine and Dine/Halloween 5k will be my first race. I'm really excited, We had already been planning our vacation when race info was released so I decided what the heck.I'm at a 12minute mile right now and my goal is to do this 5k in just over 30mins. I can't wait!! Does anybody know when they might release the coarse map?