So... why do you runDisney?

[Anisum]

I started running Disney because of the entertainment and running through the parks seemed like a lot of fun. Plus, it was a race my friends were doing so I wanted to be part of it. Last year I did coast to coast because I wanted to experience it. That being said, the races are a bit pricy for me to do regularly and there are so many other places I want to travel to that making a vacation in Disney isn't always my first choice. That being said, what's bringing me back in January 2018 is the Dopey Challenge. I've done a half marathon, I've done a challenge weekend and I feel like running a marathon is the next logical step. My concern was that I would hate it but then feel I had to do another marathon because the next challenge after that would be Goofy or Dopey. So I figured I'd just train and do Dopey the first time around so I don't have to run another marathon if I hate it.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

I am not the runner but my 16 year old dd is. When she started running distances longer then a 5k I looked for races where people we knew were running and that would have a fun atmosphere. So as soon as she hit the age requirement for the 10ks she started running those and the same for the 1/2 marathons. This coming weekend she's going to do all three runs at Superheroes - shes so sad about the loss of races at DL.

For her - running through the parks is fun and she loves the on course entertainment. Sometimes she goes for a PR and sometimes she lets that go and makes tons of photo stops. She's learned a lot about "relaxing" on her runs.

For me- I like her running in race where we usually know one or two of the other runners who are usually slower then her so if something should happen they would be coming up behind her. That being said the other reason I like these races is that every single time volunteers/staff and other on course runners have been amazing to her! She's met other teens, cross country coaches, parents and so many people that give her an encouraging word as she passes them or as she's slowed and needs encouragement. This hasn't been her experience at other races.

In every race she's run with RunDisney she's come off the course with several stories of very positive interactions with other runners. its a comfort to me to know that should something happen she's not totally alone. She's older now then when she first started but she's still my little kiddo, lol.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Actually I don't think that statement is too far off. A friend of a friend is an elite runner. His half PR is 1:06 and he consistently runs sub 1:10. He's been right on the cusp of Olympic qualifying. His times are fast enough that he would be in contention to win Disney. (2016 Marathon weekend was won with a half time of 1:10) At one point we asked him why he never does RunDisney Races. His response was that RunDisney does not make this pro friendly race. There is no prize money and their travel isn't comped. For the major races he's run his travel and race entry fee's are comp'd and he wins money. As a competitive runner RunDisney isn't a great option and so it's race times tend to be slower than other races of this size. I think RunDisney purposefully switched to this model to make the race less competitive and more inclusive.

All that being said Giovanna's win at wine and dine was huge.

Back when I did the Princess Half a few years ago, I was placed in the same corral as the Elites. I couldn't believe a scrub like me with a 2:14 half under her belt was in the same corral. Like you said, it's not pro-runner friendly. I think there were only about 10-15 elites in the race that day.

 

[KingLlama]

I haven't runDisney yet, but I'm running Disney because it's gonna be my first half, and to be honest, the *extras* of a Disney race(running through the parks, characters, costumes, etc.) will hopefully be a nice distraction from the SHEER TORTURE THAT MY BODY WILL BE ENDURING OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I SIGNED UP FOR.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Simply put, because I love running and I love WDW.

 

[croach]

Disney races for me are my fun races. I don't put any pressure on myself for times unless I just want to. I enjoy the courses, the overall atmosphere of the events, seeing all the costumes, and of course character photos since I don't feel self-conscious about it like I do in the parks.

 

[IamTrike]

When I think of competitive in the sense of runDisney races (and races in general, really), I don't think of professional competition. I consider "competitive" as the mindset that runners come into the race with. Are they taking it seriously, running for PRs, trying to win an overall or age group category? Defining competitive from a professional runner's sense narrows the definition to the point of being meaningless for 99.99+% of runners not only from a runDisney standpoint, but for the vast majority of local races as well. I think runDisney provides a nice mix where you can take the race as seriously or as casually as you want to.

Sorry I wasn't trying to imply that a race is only competitive if there is professional competition there. I think RunDisney has actively tried to take a stance that is inclusive rather than competitive though. I ran with a pace group for my 3rd or 4th Disney marathon and the pacer spent the whole time railing against how the fact that Disney was ruining running because they had such lax time limits that a lot more people could do a marathon. That's actually something that I really value. I like that fact that RunDisney makes running more accessible. It doesn't mean that people can't go there and try and PR (although I'd wager that there are a fair number of people that are running there without a PR or time goal.)

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Sorry I wasn't trying to imply that a race is only competitive if there is professional competition there. I think RunDisney has actively tried to take a stance that is inclusive rather than competitive though. I ran with a pace group for my 3rd or 4th Disney marathon and the pacer spent the whole time railing against how the fact that Disney was ruining running because they had such lax time limits that a lot more people could do a marathon. That's actually something that I really value. I like that fact that RunDisney makes running more accessible. It doesn't mean that people can't go there and try and PR (although I'd wager that there are a fair number of people that are running there without a PR or time goal.)

I don't understand why people get so upset and angry that runDisney has somehow made running more accessible. They still have time requirements for the 10K and beyond distances. Whatever you think of their generosity in handing out medals, they do not hand out the respective challenge medals if you fail to finish one of the challenge races.

I have to finish a half marathon in under 3 hours. Maybe I never will. That will never make me an elite runner. But it will never take away from what I have learned about doing something difficult. It will never take away from the physical benefits I've found in training to run half marathons. Training helped me finally overcome back pain that had plagued me for years likely because it was the first time since high school that I took exercise seriously. So what if running is now more accessible to everyone? That doesn't take away from whatever accomplishments a serious runner has earned. And none of that would have happened if runDisney did not choose a generous, yet challenging enough to require training pace for runners.

 

[IamTrike]

I don't understand why people get so upset and angry that runDisney has somehow made running more accessible. They still have time requirements for the 10K and beyond distances. Whatever you think of their generosity in handing out medals, they do not hand out the respective challenge medals if you fail to finish one of the challenge races.

I have to finish a half marathon in under 3 hours. Maybe I never will. That will never make me an elite runner. But it will never take away from what I have learned about doing something difficult. It will never take away from the physical benefits I've found in training to run half marathons. Training helped me finally overcome back pain that had plagued me for years likely because it was the first time since high school that I took exercise seriously. So what if running is now more accessible to everyone? That doesn't take away from whatever accomplishments a serious runner has earned. And none of that would have happened if runDisney did not choose a generous, yet challenging enough to require training pace for runners.

Yeah I really didn't understand it. I had no idea why someone like that would choose to be a pacer at Disney. I really like that I was able to convince my wife to train and run two half's with me and that wouldn't have happened without Disney.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Yeah I really didn't understand it. I had no idea why someone like that would choose to be a pacer at Disney. I really like that I was able to convince my wife to train and run two half's with me and that wouldn't have happened without Disney.

There are elitists and purists everywhere, including this sport. I know a few people who do not consider a person moving slower than 10 minute miles or taking walk breaks to be runners. To them, they are joggers, not worthy of the "runner" label.

 

[cashda]

I originally ran Disney to get into shape and hit my weight loss goal. I continue to run Disney because of the community and because they are well runned, origanized and well supported

 

[camaker]

Sorry I wasn't trying to imply that a race is only competitive if there is professional competition there. I think RunDisney has actively tried to take a stance that is inclusive rather than competitive though. I ran with a pace group for my 3rd or 4th Disney marathon and the pacer spent the whole time railing against how the fact that Disney was ruining running because they had such lax time limits that a lot more people could do a marathon. That's actually something that I really value. I like that fact that RunDisney makes running more accessible. It doesn't mean that people can't go there and try and PR (although I'd wager that there are a fair number of people that are running there without a PR or time goal.)

I don't understand why people get so upset and angry that runDisney has somehow made running more accessible. They still have time requirements for the 10K and beyond distances.

There are elitists and purists everywhere, including this sport. I know a few people who do not consider a person moving slower than 10 minute miles or taking walk breaks to be runners. To them, they are joggers, not worthy of the "runner" label.

Does a race have to be either "competitive" or "inclusive"? I don't see those as mutually exclusive absolutes, especially in the case of runDisney. One of the reasons I really enjoy the events is that you can choose to be as competitive or as casual as you want in your approach. Want a PR? You've got a certified, chip-timed course that you can take as fast as you want to. Worried about the crowding with "casual" runners? There's a PoT system to help you get clear of a majority of them. Age group and category awards await if you're good enough. Want a fun run with character stops and mid-race rides? Go for it! RunDisney provides a product that can cater to both.

The purists and elites that are upset about "lax" time limits and walk breaks are pretty short-sighted. Growing a sport requires enticing new participants into trying it out. Today's newer runners, enticed by the Disney experience, may be tomorrow's elites once they catch the running bug. But if you turn them off now with that kind of elitist attitude, you're helping to kill your sport in the long run. That's not limited to Disney races, either, being snobby to the masses and turning them off at local races has the same effect. Also, RunDisney represents a miniscule portion of the race market. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of local races for every runDisney race that can be considered "more competitive".

 

[Anisum]

The purists and elites that are upset about "lax" time limits and walk breaks are pretty short-sighted. Growing a sport requires enticing new participants into trying it out. Today's newer runners, enticed by the Disney experience, may be tomorrow's elites once they catch the running bug. But if you turn them off now with that kind of elitist attitude, you're helping to kill your sport in the long run. That's not limited to Disney races, either, being snobby to the masses and turning them off at local races has the same effect. Also, RunDisney represents a miniscule portion of the race market. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of local races for every runDisney race that can be considered "more competitive".

I think this is really the issue with the people who feel this way. At runDisney if someone is going for time or to be competitive they're probably done before people who are running for fun or who aren't as fast are. Does that mean people behind them in the corrals don't deserve the chance to participate? They're still completing the same 26.2 or 13.1 or 6.2 or 3.1 miles. How long it takes them to do it and whether they run the whole thing or use Galloway or even walk it doesn't affect the person who is already done and has their medal.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

I think this is really the issue with the people who feel this way. At runDisney if someone is going for time or to be competitive they're probably done before people who are running for fun or who aren't as fast are. Does that mean people behind them in the corrals don't deserve the chance to participate? They're still completing the same 26.2 or 13.1 or 6.2 or 3.1 miles. How long it takes them to do it and whether they run the whole thing or use Galloway or even walk it doesn't affect the person who is already done and has their medal.

I think the only thing that can affect people looking to get PRs on a Disney race versus a regular race is all the entertainment. Even when I was at the top of my running skill and managed to be in the first corral, I still had people see something cool on the side of the road, stop dead in their tracks (whether or not anyone was behind them) and then scramble off to go get a picture taken with Minnie or whatever. That can make it hard to get a PR if you're constantly worried about people stopping in front of you. Plus there's also major congestion areas too (Cinderella's castle ie), and half of Disneyland for any of the DL races. The fun stuff makes it more difficult for people to PR!

 

[Anisum]

I think the only thing that can affect people looking to get PRs on a Disney race versus a regular race is all the entertainment. Even when I was at the top of my running skill and managed to be in the first corral, I still had people see something cool on the side of the road, stop dead in their tracks (whether or not anyone was behind them) and then scramble off to go get a picture taken with Minnie or whatever. That can make it hard to get a PR if you're constantly worried about people stopping in front of you. Plus there's also major congestion areas too (Cinderella's castle ie), and half of Disneyland for any of the DL races. The fun stuff makes it more difficult for people to PR!

I see that, but I guess my argument would be that's not so different from other distance races. There are always people stopping dead at water stops and depending on the location there can certainly be congestion areas. There is definitely more of it at Disney but at the same time, if someone is that serious about their efforts to PR I would hope that's something they would take into account. Serious runners looking to PR often look at courses and conditions in advance. Many wouldn't try and run a trail race up a mountain expecting to PR when they only trained on flat sidewalks. Those looking to PR at Disney should be considering the conditions the way they would any race. People can PR at Disney and many do, but just like any race there are conditions that may make it difficult to do so. In that regard though I will say there is some difficulty when some are there for fun while others are there to PR simply because the two goals don't both amount to run directly to the finish.

My point in my previous post was more with regards to the elitist attitude @camaker was discussing such as those who complain that Disney's lax requirements make it accessible to those who aren't as fast though. Allowing slower people to run a race generally doesn't affect your experience because of the corral system. That's not to say there aren't exceptions (corral jumpers, those who get friends to run their PoT races, etc.) but most people are properly placed and they complete the same event. Just because it takes them longer doesn't mean they aren't as worthy of the accomplishment.

 

[courtneybeth]

Orange County doesn’t get a lot of running events - you either have to go to San Diego or Los Angeles. Having a race series that was 20 mins from my apartment made rundisney a no-brainer. Combining that with beautiful medals and my love for Disney, Disneyland was perfect.

I’ve since expanded on to other race series and goals - but Disney races will always hold a special place in my heart. I guess the timing of the Disneyland cancellation comes when I don’t have to feel so obligated to run them with my busy training calendar. Now I can run Dopey and transition to other full marathons like Tokyo and Boston in 2018.

But yeah - really hoping Disneyland comes back in a few years. Not holding my breath but stranger things have happened.

 

[The Expert]

runDisney is the reason I started running. As many of you know, I did the Princess 5K on a whim in 2016. We had already booked a DVC trip that happened to line up with that date, and it was one of the few Disney experiences I hadn't had. I figured I would just walk it and check it off my list, but I had so much fun I ended up (awkwardly) running about half of it and immediately started researching other races. When I saw the Kessel Run medal, I FREAKED and decided I HAD to have it. My family decided they wanted to do Princess with me in 2017, so I decided Princess/Tink and pink C2C would be my goal this year (ended up adding on Paris when I found out about it) and Kessel Run would be 2018. ::sigh::

My point is, runDisney made running accessible to me. ME! A then 46-year-old woman who had spent her entire life HATING running. It actually gave me a reason to really, truly give it a try. I was athletic as a kid and through my early 20s, but then just stopped. I wasn't exactly sedentary but not super active either. I just didn't have much motivation. I wasn't great at it (in fact, I'm pretty awful and slow) but I am extremely goal oriented and loved the fact that it gave me a whole new skill to learn and a great new community of people to get to know. (And a chance to shop for lots of fun gear!) Sure, it may not be as great as it used to be for those of you who have been around a while, but for us relative newbies, it still has its charms. And training for the Disney runs has given me a reason to try smaller local races and even sign up for others (I'm doing RnR Vegas this weekend).

I just hope the Kessel Run comes back soon.

 

[IamTrike]

There are elitists and purists everywhere, including this sport. I know a few people who do not consider a person moving slower than 10 minute miles or taking walk breaks to be runners. To them, they are joggers, not worthy of the "runner" label.

Yeah I've never really understand that. I am not sure why someone's pace is any reflection on anyone else's accomplishments. I think that's one of the things that I always liked about Disney Races. In general everyone is really supportive.

To me that pacer being at Disney is akin to someone who hate's Nickelback volunteering at a Nickelback concert.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I think this is really the issue with the people who feel this way. At runDisney if someone is going for time or to be competitive they're probably done before people who are running for fun or who aren't as fast are. Does that mean people behind them in the corrals don't deserve the chance to participate? They're still completing the same 26.2 or 13.1 or 6.2 or 3.1 miles. How long it takes them to do it and whether they run the whole thing or use Galloway or even walk it doesn't affect the person who is already done and has their medal.

See, this is where they get upset. They believe that there should be some different award for finishing a marathon than a medal. I guess that it goes back to the infancy of the sport, when only the best runners got medals. Each race had criteria for the medals, but they generally went to the top X number of finishers or finishers who completed the course within a specific time frame. Some races gave finisher shirts to those who did not meet the medal criteria, but who still finished within the maximum time allowed, but even that was pretty rare. Essentially, only a very small percentage of runners ever got a medal. It was a true prize - like a trophy.

So how does that effect the purists? They feel like a lot of people feel today about our "everyone deserves a trophy" culture, and they resent that it has taken over the sport of running. So it is not so much that they resent slower runners as they resent the "medal" philosophy. I get it because I used to be one of them. It made sense to me then. I still understand, though my views have changed and I now like the idea of a finishers medal. I do wish, however, that events with finishers medals should have separate and different medals for those who meet certain finishing criteria. I think that it would create a more competitive atmosphere in all races, the way that races used to be. And I hate the idea that rD awards finishing medals to people who do not actually finish the races. It devalues the medals completely.

 

[croach]

Also, RunDisney represents a miniscule portion of the race market. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of local races for every runDisney race that can be considered "more competitive".

Disney races are plenty competitive to me. A lot of fast times are posted. You don't get the big stars but like someone said there's no pay day for them so they don't show. Same thing happens for Marine Corps/

Yeah I've never really understand that. I am not sure why someone's pace is any reflection on anyone else's accomplishments. I think that's one of the things that I always liked about Disney Races. In general everyone is really supportive.

I always felt the same support that I see for Disney races at other races of all sizes. I always enjoy the encouragement random strangers will give each other on the course or from the side of the course no matter where I am. (I don't mean that to be combative or anything, just like the support in the overall running world).