Share your funny stories or warm fuzzies from marathon weekend.

[mkymsehi]

1. On Tuesday, as we were walking up to the Rock & Roll Rollercoaster in Hollywood Studios, a Cast Member manager saw our Goofy medals around our neck. She asked if we were the winners, and I flashed her my two fingers, which meant "this was my second Goofy."

Well she yells out, "Second place, that's great, maybe next year you'll win." That made my day.

But it gets better. I explain to her that we did Dopey, which is 42.4 miles over three days racing. Her eyes widen, and she says there is no way we're standing in line for the ride after running all those miles. She takes us up to the line, and hands us Fastpasses that take us right into the ride. We didn't wait one minute to get in. It was a genuine gesture on her part that had us smiling the rest of the day.

I'm smiling as I type this story.

2. I do enjoy all the "Congratulations" you get from fellow runners & walkers and cast members when walking around the parks with my medal on.

Sometimes you just nod, or wink, or wave a hand at one another, and each person just "Get's it." No words need to be uttered.

3. Did anyone else get announced as they were about to cross the finish line?

On Sunday, I hear "From Honolulu, Hawaii, Jeff Oh. Aloha Jeff. Folks that takes care of all 50 states today." The crowd cheered, and I heard some "Aloha's" being shouted my way.

Brought a huge smile to my face, and I flashed my signature "shaka" at the finish line.

 

[ms.mightyduck]

1. When we were going through security at the airport on the way down, the very tired-looking TSA guy looked at our bags on the conveyor belt and said sincerely, "Hey! You two having matching bags!" That's right, Santa bought DH and I matching LLBean duffles with our first names on them (and Santa even knew that I wanted the pink one and DH wanted the blue one! How lucky!). It made me laugh.

2. When we got to Pop, they were already lowering the gates at the food court. I ran in and asked if I was too late. "No, you still got two whole minutes," the man behind the counter said with a smile. Then they didn't rush me at all while I got all the food we needed, which took much more than two minutes (the pizza guy even offered to make my no-pepperoni special). We were tired and hungry, and the Disney magic made me feel better.

3. At the start of the 5K, I was talking with Liz and Patrick and a man asked to take our photo--AND IT WAS ALOHA JEFF! He's real, people! Seeing Jeff in person made me feel so happy--I've been reading his posts for a year and he's real! He's real! He's real! It was like seeing Mickey Mouse. You know he's real, but it's still a thrill to see him!

4. Beach Club extended our stay by another night, in the same room, when they realized we'd be tired from the race and not up to moving AGAIN to a third hotel.

5. Matt on the bridge. Nuff said.

6. Having WISHers, whether I knew them or not, call out to me when I wore my WISH green.

7. Seeing my cool WISH friends cheering me on in my first half: Judy, John, Liz.... Woohoo! I did it! But not without the help and support of all of you [and of you, honey. ].

8. ChEaring on the marathoners in the full! At the end before the sweepers, I saw a woman in a penguin shirt who seemed to be hurting. I yelled out to her that she was making the Penguin proud out there. She blew me a kiss and gestured "thank you" and teared up. It made me tear up.

9. Seeing my WISH friends at TT and getting to ride with Marcia...and AlohaJeff! Thanks, Maura!

 

[blizzard]

A kind of funny story...

I volunteered for the full marathon, and ended up with 2 of us assigned to an intersection where we got dropped off at about 4:15am and had to kill time until the race started. The man I was working with was about one generation older than me, and knew very little about marathons and running in general. He was volunteering because his daughter was running in the race. I helped to fill him in on the Disney races, but my credibility went through the roof when we were talking about when we might see his daughter at mile 5. He had told me that she had BQ'd on her second try after missing by a bit. Asking her age, and making some quick estimated calculations, I confidently predicted that she should be running by just about any time now. Literally about 10 seconds later we hear "HI DAD!", and his daughter ran by.

 

[dsnyfan21]

hmmmmmm.... warm fuzzies and good stories.

First was getting a phone call from Mr. Aloha Jeff on Wednesday while I was still at work saying he arrived in Orlando. I got to speak to Marcia also and I was so excited just talking to them. Then when I hung up I was depressed that I wasn't there yet with everyone!!

Showing up at the expo with WISHers and DisneyRunners holding space in line for the rest of us! Jeff, Marcia, Kim, Dave, Robert, Linda, Scott, Lynn and all the others!

For some strange reason I love going thru the chip check station (with my own chip) and having my name pop up. It kinda makes it real at that point for me.

Watching my Mom pick up for first race packet for her first race. She was excited.

5K in the am getting on the bus at the Poly with my Mom. She was so excited and happy to be doing a race at Disney.

Watching my Mom during the race and then seeing her after with her medal on!!

Eating Breakfast with Liz, Patrick, Noah and Jen. Thanks for inviting me and would love to make it a tradition - even if we don't all run the 5K.

Test Track with WISHers and friends - thanks Maura.

Finally getting all the Hats/Visors sold at the WISH meet!!!!!!!!!!!
Meeting and talking at the WISH meet - everyone is great!!!

Like Jeff - wearing your medals around the parks and getting the little wave - head tilt or congrats from people passing.

Lunch on Saturday after the Half with Jeff and Company. I have to say that Jeff is a real great person and Marcia is also awesome. So nice for him to invite us along. It was great! Can't wait to hang with him and Marcia again - even though I will never be in there league - I know they will always be there at the end waiting for me!

Volunteering through the Disney Sports group at Water Stop #11 was such a great experience. One of the better Disney experiences I've had. Loved handing out water and shouting out to WISHers and all others with words of incouragement.

Thunder Matt the Official WISH Cheerleader at WDW races . It's just amazing what he did on the Half - for not even doing that race and then for making sure that all the WISHers finished the Full, not even thinking about his own time. He and Cheryl (I hope that's right) are just great people!!
THANKS AGAIN MATT FOR BEING AT THE OVERPASS!!!

The WISH desert party is a nice warm fuzzy memory. I have never been in "one of those" closed off parties at EPCOT and it was nice to relax some, eat some brownies, talk and watch my favorite WDW fireworks - IllumNations!!!

All in all I have a great time and WISHed I could've stayed longer!!

Until next time we WISHers gather again under the sign of a disney race,

Tracy

 

[WDWFLgal]

Although my times were not exactly the greatest, this was perhaps the best race experience I've ever had!
I had the privelege of meeting Jeff, Marcia, Tracy & her Mom at the Pop meet; Windwalker Dave, Mike & Kathy, Matt, Anne & so many others who totally rocked with support throughout the race! Having my family there to share it with was just the icing on the cake.

 

[mkymsehi]

3. At the start of the 5K, I was talking with Liz and Patrick and a man asked to take our photo--AND IT WAS ALOHA JEFF! He's real, people! Seeing Jeff in person made me feel so happy--I've been reading his posts for a year and he's real! He's real! He's real! It was like seeing Mickey Mouse. You know he's real, but it's still a thrill to see him!


9. Seeing my WISH friends at TT and getting to ride with Marcia...and AlohaJeff! Thanks, Maura!

Oh my, Jen, nobody compares to Mickey. Now I know what the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus feel like in front of their fans. Love you Jen.

 

[mkymsehi]

Yadda Yadda Yadda...

So nice for him to invite us along. I was great!

Tracy

Yeah, I agree, you are great Tracy!

 

[MomofCKJ]

Wearing that WISH shirt and hat and even though I really didn't know anyone by name just saying "Hey WISHer" as you passed me or I passed you and feeling like I was a part of something so cool. I loved the support I got from the others in the lime green.

At Mile 12 my friend who I was running with said "Let's run the rest" and I said I didn't think I could. Some random person behind me said "You CAN do it". I didn't but it felt good to get that encouragement anyway!

Finishing with David Cook's "Time of My Life" on my iPod. Couldn't have been more perfect for me, that was a big song on my playlist during training, my sort of go to song.

At MK wearing my medal and we (DH and our friends and I, who didn't wear their medals, still not sure why) met up with Pinocchio. He pointed at it and started running in place. I said that yes we had all run today and we got high 5s. It was very cute!

Getting a text from my friend at home after the race with her holding up a homemade sign that said "You Rock". So nice to have supportive people thinking of you when you attempt something like this!

And a funny thing was seeing people's t-shirts. There were some cute ones out there. One that made me chuckle said on the back something like "If you are reading this you were just passed by a fat guy".

Another that I loved said something like:

Running Shoes: $65
Race Fee: $100
Running with my grandchildren: Priceless


Allyson

 

[dsnyfan21]

Yeah, I agree, you are great Tracy!

OK, Ok, .... I fixed it ... JEFF, YOU ARE GREAT!!!

 

[gsu1988]

For me the number one memory that I will take from this year's event has to be the honor of running with both of my parents in the Half on Saturday. I got to run with both mom and dad in their first half marathon. Dad stayed with us until Frontier land in the MK and I paced mom to a first finsih of 2:27:59. Dad ended up finishing in 2:45. What an honor it was to be able to shar in the experience with them.

The other thing is all the great support on the course from the Green Team. They always seemed to be in just the right places during the full to give that little boost I needed.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

The stories are all fun to read. Great idea Jeff.

I love the comraderie of training then getting to meet the WISH Team as we are there exchanging the pure enjoyment of the moment.

Matt, you are an amazing giving man. Having you walk me around the world as I struggled to put one foot in front of the other is something I will never forget. This moment is also preceded by the WISH Team who was cheering me along the way calling ahead to tag off to the next part of the team so I could be handed off along the way. It was a struggle to finish this one. WISH Team really is special and the pleasure of giving and being on the receiving end of that giving in all sorts of ways give me great pleasure. Thanks to you too Cheryl. You played a huge role in coordinating Matt and his efforts to meet up with us to walk as we made our way along the course.

It was fun to cheer others along the way as well as being cheered by not only for WISH Team but others who supported throughout the journey.

It was fun to have the WISH Team shirt and hear comments of how inspiring the back of the shirt was. Hey, someone was behind me!

Wearing the medal and getting the recognition and recognizing others is always a good memory.

Thanks to all who had a part in this during our WISH Team training weekly threads and at the event as well. The whole year's journey is a special one to remember for me.

 

[Hockeychic]

Definatley Matt on the bridge. Gave me the boost I needed to get through that really sucky part of the 1/2.

Maura, thank you so much for test track!!!

The gang that was first in line at expo, that is always my fav part, seeing everyone for the first time since the last time

Thursday night pizza party!!!! Thank you Scott, Lynn, Liz and Patrick

Meeting new life long friends

Seeing all my old friends!!!!

Best part was seeing my husband of almost 22 years and best friend of 27 years complete his first marathon!!!!!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hmm ... let's see ... The good (in no particular order):

- Meeting WISH'ers! It's always nice to put a face to name or nickname

- Chatting with Tracy (dsnyfan21) and Sue (Wilbur) just before the start of the race! Really helped to calm my nerves.

- Jeff yelling "Go Vicky!" just before that uphill back into Epcot! That was cool!

- Running with Jeff and Marcia! Thanks guys! My foot was hurting so badly, I'm so glad they were there to keep me going at a reasonable pace. I definitely would have walked a lot more if I was just by myself. I was able to finish in under 2:30!

- Going up to the GM employee lounge at Test Track! Thanks Maura

- Getting lots of congrats from CMs and other people in the park after the race!

- The dessert party at Epcot was a blast! It was really cool being part of a private party and having our own area to watch Illuminations.


Next time ...
- I'll make it on time for the WISH group photo at Pop. I got there just as everyone was finishing up and couldn't stay because we had dinner reservations.

- I won't stand in line for an eternity for pins. Not a good idea after waking up at 3AM for an early morning flight.

- I'll run faster so I can take a picture with Jimminy Cricket just before the finish I saw him in some of the videos on Youtube (and me too!!!) so I guess he must have been there earlier. Say ... where are the characters after the race? I missed out because I couldn't stick around.

 

[MouseDogMom]

Test Track with Jeanne & DH, Wendy, Jeff & Marcia & mom - thank you so much Maura! Who knew how gorgeous the view was from up there?

The POP meet - seeing all the WISHers, and finally getting to meet Mouse Skywalker Dave after all these years.

Volunteering at water stop #1/11 Saturday during the Half with DH, Jeanne, Debra and DOOD, and getting to see all the WISHers during the race. Also, don't know how many of you realized it, but Danny Dreyer (of Chi Running fame) ran the Half on Saturday - thought I recognized him as he came through our water stop, but only just remembered to check the results and confirmed that it really was him!

Watching my DD18 do the Indy Car Ridealong Experience at the Speedway Saturday afternoon. The look of sheer joy on her face when she got out of the race car after doing laps with Davey Hamilton around the track at 155mph was PRICELESS. As a parent, you can only hope to give your child a present that they enjoy as much as she enjoyed that 30 minutes at the racetrack.

Walking the marathon on Sunday with Debra (deekaypee). The 26 miles didn't exactly fly by, but they went a lot quicker with someone to talk to, and laugh with, and pose for pictures with. Stopping to walk with Lily when she was struggling, only to have her leave us in her dust later on! Seeing all the WISH team members at the water stops and on the sidelines. It's been said many times, but Anne - you're amazing! And all the rest of you at HS, and BC - it meant so much to know you'd be there.

An adult-only dinner with DH at Artist Point on Monday night, with drinks before and after in the lounge. It was the perfect end to a great marathon weekend!

Jackie

 

[hockeygirl]

First of all, this is a great thread..I love reading everyone's posts!

Here is what I think of (in no particular order)

-the awesome WISH support during both the half and the full--especially the group just outside DHS...that was the point in the race where I was ready to shut down, and I saw you guys and it gave me that little boost I needed to make it to the end!

-meeting everyone at the POP meet. Last year, I was a little shy and "afraid" to go since it is such a large group. But this year, I went and got to meet a lot of great people!

-hanging out before the half with Corinna and Carol--it was great talking with you ladies!

-hanging out before the full with Ken-- for two years Ken has kept me calm before the race! Ken--you better go back next year...if you don't who am I going to hang out with in the corral before the race!!

-Having Matt come along and run with me for a little ways and giving me an extra boost to push through the race. After running with him, I was determined to run hard and get a PR, which I did!

-For me the ultimate highlight of the weekend for me was walking into the Goofy tent after the race and getting that Goofy medal....(I cried!). When that volunteer put that medal around my neck, I realized that I am truly stronger than I thought I was. There were many times the past few months that I doubted that I could do it, and I wondered if I would be able to finish both races. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to do so well, let alone set a PR in the marathon. For me, I learned that I could push myself and that means so much to me! So, for those of you that have any doubts about doing any of these races..don't ever doubt yourself, just work hard and your dreams will come true!

 

[Buckalew11]

Jeff, I just wanted to pop in here and say I saw you finis on Sunday!! I heard them announce you, but had no idea who they were talking about but that stuck out in my mind! I did see a man in a W.I S.H. shirt at that time too! Those W.I.S.H. shirts stand out!

DH did the Goofy this year (his 4th and he said his last). When he did all 3 races he called it the "Stupid Goofy". I like The Dopey better!

 

[bubba73]

What were my warm fuzzies....

Being able to meet and put a face with all of these wonderful people that I have been talking with online for the last year or more.

Doing the 5k thru AK when it was still partially dark and seeing EE in a foggy haze and finishing the race with Liz.

Doing my first half ever and even with adversity hitting me, knowing that I had soooo many people pushing me along the way made it where I couldn't give up.

Seeing Debra and Jeanne at Water Stop 11 during the Half. (I had been seeing Matt everywhere during the day but I really didn't know him. I had met with Debra and Jeanne and their presence is one of the things that got me to the finish.)

Working Water Stop 11 during the Full. I wasn't able to see many of the WISHers to really cheer them on but one thing I did see, changed me forever. One man walking in the Full with crutches made me realize that I have no room to complain about pain or discomfort. That is a vision that I will never loose.

Bryan

 

[Hessie628]

I didn't run in any of the events, but I was in WDW. (I had wanted to do the the half-marathon, but had some minor health issues last year and couldn't "train" for it.) I was able to speak with some runners and watch the marathon at the AK. It was awesome! Everyone was cheering and being supportive. I got to see some WISHers in their lime green shirts. It was a great experience just to watch for a short amount of time and then see everyone walking around wearing their shirts and medals afterwards. Congrats to all those that particpated!!!!!!!!!!
-Jessica

 

[Cruella de mom]

My weekend didn't start out to great. My plane had to be jump started (I didn't even know they did that to airplanes) so we were over an hour late leaving ATL. Then we got to the expo and they were sold out of all the women's Goofy shirts. I was so disapointed. It took forever too because they kept sending me on wild goose chases to find my size. I was so upset! Finally a couple of the managers checked some back stock but they didn't have any there either.
Then we got to our room only to discover the floor was soaked because the airconditiner was leaking. So there went our groud floor room within easy walking to the restaurants. By this point I am tired and cranky and not a happy camper. Even worse, all the delays made me miss the Pop Meet.

So after changing rooms, we get a call that they found me a Goofy shirt. One of the managers at the expo is holding it for me. So we go BACK to the expo and she hands me a bag. It has a maroon Goofy shirt in it and three gold pins. She says "Have a great race!" and then PUSHES me out the door. Wait I didn't pay. She says its been taken care of... I didn't argue. The pins are little replicas of the medals? I never saw those for sale either. I strongly suggext that you go to the expo on Thursday since most of the Goofy stuff was sold out by noon on Friday.

Cecilia

 

[Caseydilla]

What a great thread. I enjoyed reading these. Glad everyone had such a wonderful race weekend at DW.

I am cracking up at "Jeff is real, people!!!!" He's like a WISH celebrity. I felt the same way when I met Jeff and Marcia at the Disneyland 5K last year. They are both wonderful people.