Tinkerbell Half Marathon = Crowds?

[Eclectic Goddess]

My DF and I just came back from DL in October, but the parks were very crowded, and we decided we wanted to make another trip down when it wouldn't be. We decided to go sometime in January, avoiding the first week and the holiday, and eventually settled on the 16th through the 19th. We've already started the planning and booked our flights.

Then DF remembered the Tinkerbell Half Marathon is that weekend. Eek.

All the crowd predictors I can find still say that it will be pretty dead during the week, and pick up slightly on the weekend. But it seems to me that the marathon must bring in a significant number of people on Friday and Saturday.

Has anyone been previously? How crowded did it get, and when did the marathon crowds arrive? We might still be able to move our trip up or back a week, but I'm wondering if it's really worth worrying about.

 

[BayAreaMom]

I was there last year- yes, it does get really crowded. This year it is a holiday weekend- monday the 21st is MLK day which is state/fed holiday.
I suspect most people will arrive on Friday- we are actually arriving Th and then leaving Sunday. Most runners don't like to travel the day before a race (too much time in a car, IMHO).

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

Thanks! That's what I was afraid of. I think we're going to try to move our trip up or back a week. The cost of changing our flight will probably be worth it.

 

[Lucille1963]

I was there for the marathon last year. It was crowded during the weekends but nice during the week. When changing flights consider if there is a difference in hotel price too. The money you save on a hotel might make a hotel change fee a wash.