Star Wars Virtual Half: What are your plans?

[Kazrak]

I've never done one of the Disney virtual races before, and am curious what other people are planning for the virtual half marathon. (I'm doing this as part of the Kessel Run.)

My plan at the moment: there's a local race organization (Brazen Racing, for those in the SFBA) that has a nice flat half-marathon along the bay in mid-February. Probably going to be a bit chilly but should be a good race. If that doesn't work, I'll probably split it up as part of my training and count a couple 10k-equivalents. (They do say you can run it over multiple days.)

Anyone else?

 

[kywyldcat03]

This year, I ran the Tom King Half Marathon here in Nashville back in March and used that as my virtual. I am planning to do the same in 2019.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

This year I extended a 12.5 mile training run for Dark Side up to 13.1. However, since I can't make Rival Run in 2019 I'm running Dopey instead so I think I'll use the WDW Half or full as my "virtual" race.

Unless of course, I manage to talk friends into doing the virtual half in which case who knows.

I have mixed feelings about virtual runs. I think they certainly have a place and love that runDisney offers them. I'm just not sure if I like them for me. I find that I really enjoy the race atmosphere and virtual runs may not offer that.

Of course my feelings might change for the better when I do a virtual 5K with my nephew for his birthday as part of the August Incredibles virtual series.

I wanted to note here that while the Star Wars virtual race can be done over multiple days, Kessel only comes if you finish the Walt Disney World race in the prescribed time requirements. If a runner is swept during the Star Wars Half at Disney World, then Kessel is not achieved and the medal would not be awarded.

 

[Kazrak]

I wanted to note here that while the Star Wars virtual race can be done over multiple days, Kessel only comes if you finish the Walt Disney World race in the prescribed time requirements. If a runner is swept during the Star Wars Half at Disney World, then Kessel is not achieved and the medal would not be awarded.

Noted, yes. I've done the Kessel Run before at about 3:13 for each race, and I'm about 50 pounds lighter now with seven months to train. But it's important to keep in for anyone else who catches this thread.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Noted, yes. I've done the Kessel Run before at about 3:13 for each race, and I'm about 50 pounds lighter now with seven months to train. But it's important to keep in for anyone else who catches this thread.

Awesome. Nice job on the weight loss.

There's a decent chance that a lot of people here already know the runDisney rules regarding races, but it's always a good idea to post them in case someone doesn't know. Because while runDisney will give out the individual race medal to a swept runner, a swept runner will not receive the challenge medal if they were registered for it because the rules clearly state that a runner must finish all challenge races to receive the challenge medal.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

If my son decides to run the SW marathon in April, I will register for the challenge and run the virtual. I would just run the virtual as a regular training run.

Does rD require that you prove that you completed the virtual if it is a part of the challenge? If so, how would they do that? I am running the virtual NYC marathon in November and they require that you submit a GPS tracked run synced with Strava.

 

[Poutine]

I'll complete my virtual race during the princess half, 2 birds.

 

[Bree]

If my son decides to run the SW marathon in April, I will register for the challenge and run the virtual. I would just run the virtual as a regular training run.

Does rD require that you prove that you completed the virtual if it is a part of the challenge? If so, how would they do that? I am running the virtual NYC marathon in November and they require that you submit a GPS tracked run synced with Strava.

Nope. It’s on your honor that you ran it. You get your medal either way.

 

[stitchloversith]

I plan on doing a two medals for the price of one race. Here in NC we have a race series called BAM and I am planning on running the full at Oak Island. This way I get my Pirate Booty, the Oak Island Medal os a pirate skull, and complete the first half of my Kessel Run challenge. I am also hoping to move up a coral or two with the finishes from some races I am doing before the time submission cut off. Right now I think I would be placed in the 1:55 coral. This will is a big weekend for me as I am celebrating college graduation. I am graduating on May 4th, and I am huge Star Wars Dweeb.

 

[Kazrak]

I plan on doing a two medals for the price of one race. Here in NC we have a race series called BAM and I am planning on running the full at Oak Island. This way I get my Pirate Booty, the Oak Island Medal os a pirate skull, and complete the first half of my Kessel Run challenge. I am also hoping to move up a coral or two with the finishes from some races I am doing before the time submission cut off. Right now I think I would be placed in the 1:55 coral. This will is a big weekend for me as I am celebrating college graduation. I am graduating on May 4th, and I am huge Star Wars Dweeb.

Mm. The one problem I have with the timing is that it's really hard to use your virtual half for POT, since the virtual race starts on the 1st and POT submissions have to be in by the 15th. I'm looking at an early-February half, so I'll need to run the New Years' Eve 10k for POT. (The Brazen New Years' Day races are brutal hills, really bad for POT; the NYE races are flat.)

 

[stitchloversith]

Mm. The one problem I have with the timing is that it's really hard to use your virtual half for POT, since the virtual race starts on the 1st and POT submissions have to be in by the 15th. I'm looking at an early-February half, so I'll need to run the New Years' Eve 10k for POT. (The Brazen New Years' Day races are brutal hills, really bad for POT; the NYE races are flat.)

I guess I wasn't clear, I have other races in the coming months that I am going to try to get a faster time. It would be nice if I could use a 5K from Indoor Track as a POT but its not long enough. My current POT is from an outdoor meet I ran last year but Disney said its valid because seacrhable online. I have a half marathon in Oct, BAM again, and Space Coast Marathon in Nov. I run Cross Country and Track for my university so hopefully I will have good fitness. Though Florance has canceled almost a week of practicing as a team as my school shut down yesterday in preparation. I have workouts but it is just not the same.

 

[Nole95]

I am planning on doing a 13.1 mile training run a few weeks before Rival Weekend. Figure I will already be up in that mileage range anyway.

 

[Disney at Heart]

I'm training for W&D, Goofy, and Rival Run, so somewhere in there I'll designate a training run of 13.1 miles or more to be my "Virtual Half."

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I still need to actually register for the Star Wars Virtual Half.

 

[christhn]

They haven't posted the medal for this yet right?

 

[GrandAdmiralStrife]

They haven't posted the medal for this yet right?

I know it's been two months, but just fyi the rundisney page is still showing the medal from 2018. I have not seen anything yet about the 2019 medals, actually came here to see if anyone had seen them yet

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I know it's been two months, but just fyi the rundisney page is still showing the medal from 2018. I have not seen anything yet about the 2019 medals, actually came here to see if anyone had seen them yet

I'm guessing the medal will be revealed shortly before marathon weekend. That's when they revealed it last year. I'm still not registered for the virtual half. And honestly at this point, I think I'll just wait for the medal reveal to decide. If I don't love the medal, that's a lot of money for something I don't actually love.

 

[christhn]

The event already started... Do we still not know what the medal looks like or did I miss the announcement?

 

[BigEeyore]

They did release a t-shirt for the virtual half that is apparently on the shop Disney parks app - someone posted a picture in the race thread. It has R2D2 on it, so the speculation is that this will be what the medal will look like (fingers crossed!)

For my virtual half - I am taking the easy way out and just using the WDW half next weekend (I'm doing Goofy).

Virtual races in general are not my thing, but I am a sucker for that Kessel Run medal - I have two of them but it is one of my favorites

 

[Jeff Morris]

Well, I'm kind of ticked--pretty sure I saw the 2019 medal at the Wine & Dine Expo, but it would seem I didn't take a picture of it. Poot.

I'm doing mine in 2-mile stages. Got two down and if the weather holds up I should be done by end of February.