WDW Marathon Time Schedule

[Robynemcb]

Hi, I will be running the WDW marathon on January 7, 2018 for the first time. I am trying to book flights. I would like to fly out in the late afternoon on Sunday (I understand this may not be the best idea right after running a marathon...unfortunately, logistics/scheduling are the major factor in this decision)...does anyone know about what time I could feasibly be at the airport that afternoon? I plan to run about a 5 hr marathon (I'm allowing for a little extra time with that assumption)...I'm just trying to figure out when I should expect to start the marathon if I'm in one of the middle/back queue's and what time I could plan to leave the marathon after running (for example, does it take a long time to walk back to cars? does it take a long time to receive medals, etc.) I will not be using Disney transportation and will have a rental car parked at the marathon. Since this is my first time, I just want to make sure I'm thinking everything through. Theoretically I'd like to make a 5pm flight, but wasn't sure if it's realistic to think I could run a 5 hr marathon and make it to the airport by about 3ish (to return car, etc.)? Please understand I'm not asking for running advice because I know flying home hours after a marathon isn't ideal...I'm asking for logistics advice. Any thoughts?

 

[rteetz]

I ran a 5:34 marathon and finished at about 12:00. Getting medals after and such takes maybe an extra 5-10 minutes after that. If you want photos you'll have to add more time. Timing will also depend on what corral you are in. I was in corral L. Corrals go from A-P.

 

[JohnRPG]

Not quite the same, but - in April, I ran the SWDS half. Starting from Corral D, I took 2:28. I made a 2:30 flight from ORD with no problem. In fact, I felt that I arrived at the airport pretty early. That's allowing time to go back to my hotel room, clean up, recover for around an hour, grab breakfast, and then take DME back to MCO.

I think the biggest issue might run into is whether you'll be able to go back to the hotel room and get cleaned up without having to pay a late checkout fee.

 

[pixarmom]

I think the biggest issue might run into is whether you'll be able to go back to the hotel room and get cleaned up without having to pay a late checkout fee.

I agree - it's the late check-out issue that is tough. We flew out same-day when I ran the Princess Half Marathon in 2014. I ran in a little under 2 hours, and getting back to shower and pack up by 11am was a little rushed but entirely possible. With the marathon, it would not have been possible.

We stayed at BWI for the marathon this year, and felt terrible for a CM who was assisting a guest wanting late check out on marathon day. The guest was very angry because she had not submitted a POT, was in a back corral and would not have enough time to shower and pack up before 11am check-out. The CM said no late check-outs were available that day - not even for an additional fee. Not sure if requesting the late check-out early in your stay would help increase the odds of getting one.

 

[WhereInFlorida]

A couple years ago I had a flight out of MCO for a business trip on Sunday afternoon and was a 4:15ish marathoner.

I was able to make it back to the room after the race in time for a shower and short rest before just making the 11:00 checkout. My flight was not until 4:00 so was able to go to lunch and make it to MCO in plenty of time. I think getting to MCO by 3pm will not be an issue, the bigger issue will be if your room checkout is 11:00 and getting back there and cleaned up will be tight.

BTW I was miserable on the trip (2 hr flight) and the walk through the airports, so am trying to avoid that scenario again if I can. YMMV

 

[DOOM1001]

The latest I ever started the marathon was around 6:25-6:30 in 2013 in my first marathon where I started in the second to last corral,since then I've been in middle corrals and have started in the 5:55-6:10 range.To protect yourself tell yourself you'll be starting at 6:30 and it'll take you 5:30 hours so you'll be finishing around noon.After finishing getting your medal,food box and drinks and getting back to your car should take no longer than 30 minutes,so 12:30,from there just calculate the time to get back to your hotel,shower,gather your stuff and drive to the airport.For a 5pm flight I see no reason to be concerned about not making your flight unless your hotel is located out of the way,just make sure your hotel is near Disney or at least between Disney and the airport like maybe the south end of International Drive near Sea World and the convention center.

 

[bumbershoot]

I plan to run about a 5 hr marathon...

I don't feel this is running advice, but the *starting* point for making this decision. Have you run a marathon before? Have you run a 5 hour marathon? If you haven't, and/or if 5 hours is pushing it for you, do you know how your body is going to FEEL by the end? I've done quite a few Halfs, and each time I feel different at the end. From being OK walking back fairly quickly to the resort (least trained for half), to thinking my calves are going to literally explode and screeching with each step, to (and this was one of my more trained half marathons) stupidly sitting down in the DLH parking lot and not being able to get up without huge amounts of help.

So do you know your body well enough to KNOW that you'll be able to do this and then continue to move forward through your day in order to get to the airport to stand in line to stand at the gate to stand to board and then SIT for I don't know how many hours?

I'm not sure from your post if that's the place you're starting from or not, so I needed to make sure.


As for the rest of it, time it. I usually go in reverse. Flight time is "a". I need to walk into the airport 2 solid hours prior to that, so, "b". I need to get to the rental car facility at "c". The drive needs to start at "d", but I need to leave 20 minutes or so before that, to make sure I can put gas in the car (so you really leave at "e"). I need to shower, so where will that take place, and how long will it take for me to get from the car to that place, shower, and get back to teh car to leave? That's time "f". How much recovery time do my feet need after I finish (I'm kind of losing the thread of the alphabet here LOL)? Do I hobble out, or do I stride purposely out? Will there be a long slow-moving line of people through the "no pictures" chute (like there was at Princess 10K this year) with NO room to pass at all?

It goes on and on.

 

[marn913]

Last year, I had to fly home the same day as the marathon too. I stayed at the Bonnet Creek Hilton that weekend as they had a runner rate and guaranteed 2pm checkout. I was able to return via the hotel shuttle, shower and have lunch before taking a cab to the airport for a 5pm flight. Kids and I were home and everyone got up for school the next morning!

 

[DOOM1001]

What exactly are the recommendations of running a marathon and flying afterwards to avoid getting blood clots?First of all is the problem based on not moving your legs very much or the altitude of the plane and does it matter if its a half or a full and are certain people just more prone than others to get them.There's only been one half marathon I ran in Ft.Lauderdale where I immediately got in a car and drove for 3-4 hours to Orlando,there's been several half's and a couple of fulls that have been an hour drive away and all my Disney fulls I've always left on Monday to do the 3-4 hour drive back when I lived in Miami and I always made a pit stop halfway to eat and walk around some.It seems to me like blood clots are pretty serious and this information should be more common knowledge to all runners so if anyone knows the facts post let us know.

 

[DopeyBadger]

What exactly are the recommendations of running a marathon and flying afterwards to avoid getting blood clots?First of all is the problem based on not moving your legs very much or the altitude of the plane and does it matter if its a half or a full and are certain people just more prone than others to get them.There's only been one half marathon I ran in Ft.Lauderdale where I immediately got in a car and drove for 3-4 hours to Orlando,there's been several half's and a couple of fulls that have been an hour drive away and all my Disney fulls I've always left on Monday to do the 3-4 hour drive back when I lived in Miami and I always made a pit stop halfway to eat and walk around some.It seems to me like blood clots are pretty serious and this information should be more common knowledge to all runners so if anyone knows the facts post let us know.

Here's a quick synopsis on a research paper I found: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22342849

It does appear a biomarker for DVT was elevated in those who flew more than 4 hours vs those who drove 2 hours. However, the "flying" group also had higher biomarker levels after the race initially finished with a very large STD bar. So while the authors conclude a possible connection, I'd love to see the raw data to evaluate these 6 subjects with +500 values as discussed in the synopsis to see where they were in relation post finish but before flying. I think with the subjects in the study it may have been appropriate to show change in biomarker instead of raw values.

Edit to add - While the comparison was between flying and driving on the same day, I think one thing that is clear from this paper is that both groups were elevated over their pre-race DVT biomarker levels. This would seem to suggest that both groups were at higher risk for DVT after racing the marathon regardless of flying or driving post race. It would have been interesting if they had another group that waited to fly and drive until the next day as well (so a no travel at all group, like a very local race).