Marathon

[HJL413]

I am looking for others running the Disney World Marathon in January. This will be my first Disney Marathon and I am so excited. I think it will be fun to run in all 4 parks

[A Big Kid]

I am not running ti this year but I wish you the best of luck!

If you have run marathons before, this one is a little different.

There is a neat web site that has reports, pictures, and other information. Disney running dot com or something like that.

Good Luck!

[HJL413]

I have run a few before and think this will be a much more fun experience. The idea of running so much of Disney World is very exciting

[irish1967]

I am speed walking the half marathon! Does that count?

This is the second time around for me - there is nothing like going through the Castle! It is hard to believe but I am more excited about this year than I was about last year (my 1st half marathon, ever!:mickey:)

[teambricker04]

I am not running, but I will be cheering on my DH :mickey: This isn't his first marathon, but his first since we have been married and have kids. He is doing really well on his trainning... the end is near! He is hoping that the high altitude trainning will have a good effect for the marathon.

Our two DSs (3 and 1yo) will be running in the kids races on Saturday --- uh, 100m dash. We are going to dress them up like little marathoners, but with funny sweatbands. We have been practicing the race.

I think the best thing about running through the parks is that you will know where you are going! Do you have supporters coming? I think we will have some bright colors on and signs for DH.

[boo425]

This is our first experience at speed walking the 1/2 marathon...does anyone have any advice? How strict are the "sweepers"?? (for those of us who might fall behind the 16 minute mile...);)

[teambricker04]

I have heard from other posters that the sweepers are pretty strick. They have to adhere to a schedule, I suppose.

boo425, have you been trainning? I bet you will be just fine if you have. My DH has his last long run on Saturday... We are all very excited for this weekend. Good luck to you!!!

[Melanie]

My husband has run this one twice, and loved it! Good luck to everyone participating!!! :walk:

[irish1967]

This is our first experience at speed walking the 1/2 marathon...does anyone have any advice? How strict are the "sweepers"?? (for those of us who might fall behind the 16 minute mile...);)

They are strict about the pacing but they also want you to finish the race so they definitely let you know how you are doing. From what I experienced and heard, it isn't as if you will suddenly be told "you are done" and that will be that.

We were told that we were 10 minutes ahead of pace somewhere around the Grand Floridian (in other words, you are ok but don't slow down much!) And were able to get additional updates along the way.

We talked with someone at dinner on Sunday night who was really close pace-wise - I don't remember the exact details, but she essentially was told that she had to get to the next mileage marker within a certain amount of time or she would be swept - she ended up running part of the way, but made it, picked up her pace a bit and managed to finish with a few seconds to spare.

We also talked to another woman who was told she had so much time to get to the next mileage marker and was 2 or 3 seconds late and was swept.

My best advice would be to believe that you can do it! Wear a watch so that you have an idea of how you are doing.

And remember, no matter what happens, the victory is in the fact that you had the courage to start...

[teambricker04]

Have any of this years racers figured out their transportation to the start line?

We are staying at FW and they have buses from the resort to the start, but DH has to get through the resort to the buses. We are wondering how to handle it. We have a rental car and I told him just to take it to EPCOT and park it, but he doesn't want to carry the key. I told DH to call FW directly and see what they have in the resort for in the middle of the night transportation.

So now it is crunch time and I think he is worried because he has to worry about something... especially since his trainning is going really well.

Good luck to all the racers!!!

[boo425]

And remember, no matter what happens, the victory is in the fact that you had the courage to start...
Thanks for the encouraging words Irish! I will have a hard time with the pace b/c of an illness which has prevented me from training properly, but I'll just give it my best shot! :blush:
Does anyone have any advice as to whether it is better to drive to Epcot that morning, or is the bus a better way to go?

[teambricker04]

Does anyone have any advice as to whether it is better to drive to Epcot that morning, or is the bus a better way to go?

We are still debating this too! From what my DH and I have been reading and hearing, it is better to be on the bus. We have a conflict since he has to get to the front of FW the day of the race and we don't know if there will be a bus running at that time... I think he'll have to call to find out.

Where are you staying at? DH may just get over to the TTC and then take the monorail, but he doesn't want to carry the car key with him.

Good luck! I can't wait to hear all about it!

[betteratmk]

My 11 year old son is a runner, can anyone tell me how long (distance ) the half marathon is? He would be 12 for next years.

[Damon18]

My 11 year old son is a runner, can anyone tell me how long (distance ) the half marathon is? He would be 12 for next years.

A half marathon is 13 miles. It still takes a lot of training to run that distance.

As far as the sweepers go, the clock on that starts when the last person crosses the start line. So if you are not right at the back of the pack you will have a little wiggle room over the 16 min/mile pace. It takes a good 10 to 12 minutes for everyone to cross the start line. Good luck to all those running this year.:thumbsup:

[irish1967]

Have any of this years racers figured out their transportation to the start line?

We are staying at FW and they have buses from the resort to the start, but DH has to get through the resort to the buses. We are wondering how to handle it. We have a rental car and I told him just to take it to EPCOT and park it, but he doesn't want to carry the key. I told DH to call FW directly and see what they have in the resort for in the middle of the night transportation.

So now it is crunch time and I think he is worried because he has to worry about something... especially since his trainning is going really well.

Good luck to all the racers!!!

If I were your DH, I wouldn't worry too much - I would imagine he is not the first runner with this concern!

But, maybe he could drive the car to the main building, park it and leave it at the front desk for you?

[teambricker04]

My 11 year old son is a runner, can anyone tell me how long (distance ) the half marathon is? He would be 12 for next years. There are also some other shorter races... Like the Goofy Challenge and family fun run. Our little boys are running in some of the kids races next Sat... the 100m dash!


If I were your DH, I wouldn't worry too much - I would imagine he is not the first runner with this concern!

But, maybe he could drive the car to the main building, park it and leave it at the front desk for you? I really think he just needs to worry about something :) His trainning has gone so well that he has to worry about something. I don't know about you, but if it were me I would be more worried about the actual race. I am glad he is prepared. I think I am going to make him take the car to the TTC and take the monorail to EPCOT. Then when we are at EPCOT after the race, it will be easy to get to the TTC and back to FW.

[irish1967]

I really think he just needs to worry about something :) His trainning has gone so well that he has to worry about something. I don't know about you, but if it were me I would be more worried about the actual race.

It is hard to explain, but what your husband is doing makes sense to me. At this point, I get vaguely ill if I actually think about the race itself, so I am focusing on the other things that I need to do to prepare for the trip!

Your plan makes sense - does your DH have a pocket that he can zip the key in so he doesn't need to worry about it?

Off to pack my carry-on!

[Damon18]

Off to pack my carry-on!

Make sure you pack your running shoes in your carry-on bag. That is about the only thing you can't replace for race day if your luggage gets lost. I cringe to think how running a marathon in new shoes would feel. Good luck and have a great time!

[irish1967]

Make sure you pack your running shoes in your carry-on bag. That is about the only thing you can't replace for race day if your luggage gets lost. I cringe to think how running a marathon in new shoes would feel. Good luck and have a great time!

LOL! Damon18, I WEAR my running shoes on the plane just in case something happens to my carry-on!

Been through the lost luggage route more than once - the first time was miserable (think broke college student who spent all of her money on the airfare so couldn't buy anything to wear until the airline got the luggage to me!)

I learned my lesson and since then, always carry on the necessities (in this case, I'll have my race clothes in the carry-on - which as you point out, can be easily replaced with a quick taxi ride to the nearest Sports Authority if necessary :mickey:)

[A Big Kid]

Have any of this years racers figured out their transportation to the start line?

We are staying at FW and they have buses from the resort to the start, but DH has to get through the resort to the buses. We are wondering how to handle it. We have a rental car and I told him just to take it to EPCOT and park it, but he doesn't want to carry the key. I told DH to call FW directly and see what they have in the resort for in the middle of the night transportation.

So now it is crunch time and I think he is worried because he has to worry about something... especially since his trainning is going really well.

Good luck to all the racers!!!


I have run it in years past while staying at the FW cabins, and there has always been a bus.

[DizRunner]

My wife has been kind enough to allow me to do a trip to WDW alone every other year to run. My trips are always on even years so I'll be missing this year's. I've done the full, the half and then was planning on doing the half but developed bronchitis two weeks prior. Since my trip was already planned and paid for my wife suggested I go ahead and go, but I did not run. (She knows how much I love Disney.)

Since I'm not running this year, I'm reading this thread wishing I was. Love reading about everyone's thoughts and plans for the marathon weekend. It's getting my psyched to count the days until Marathon Weekend '10.

To all running...good luck and have fun!!! I've done four marathons and 11 halfs. When I've done Disney, I never cared about time. I just took it easy and took in all of the sights of the parks. It's incredible to see parts of the parks that you wouldn't normally see on a normal day.

With regards to bus versus driving, I would seriously suggest using the bus. When you ride into EPCOT for the start, the bus just zooms right in...right past this long, long, long line of cars.

Again, good luck to all running\jogging\walking. You'll do great. And I'll be with you in spirit.

(Do me a favor, please. When you run past the Haunted Mansion, wave 'Hi!' to the cast members for me. That's my favorite attraction and will always have that mental picture in my head of doing that. Thanks!)

[teambricker04]

I have run it in years past while staying at the FW cabins, and there has always been a bus.

A bus through the campground?? or just the front... We know there will be one at the front.

Irish1967... Oh my! I just read DH your last post. He is now wearing his shoes on the plane LOL... He thought that is a GREAT idea. He may wear his waist pack and that would solve key issues. Or leave it at the front desk like you stated earlier...

[SAHDad]

My 11 year old son is a runner, can anyone tell me how long (distance ) the half marathon is? He would be 12 for next years.

As others said, the half is 13.1 miles (technically, it's a bit longer, and a marathon is more than 26.2, but I digress). I am almost positive that Disney would not let him run the half - I think the minimum age is 16. (And, FWIW, I would strongly advise against anyone that age running a half marathon.)

There are several races on marathon weekend, however.

5k Family Fun Run. This event is timed, but not chipped, nor are awards given, so it doesn't really matter how fast you run it.

Kids races - Ages 13 and under. There is a Diaper Dash (under 12 months), 100m (1-3), 200m (4-6), 400m (7-8) and Mickey Mile (13 and under).

Half marathon - 13.1 miles.

Marathon - 26.2 miles

Goofy's Challenge - Half-marathon on Saturday, marathon on Sunday.

(Unofficial) Dopey - 5k on Friday, half-marathon on Saturday, marathon on Sunday.

[SAHDad]

A bus through the campground?? or just the front... We know there will be one at the front.

Irish1967... Oh my! I just read DH your last post. He is now wearing his shoes on the plane LOL... He thought that is a GREAT idea. He may wear his waist pack and that would solve key issues. Or leave it at the front desk like you stated earlier...

I didn't wear my shoes on the plane for the 2008 race, but I did pack all of my running gear (and precious little else) in my carry-on. I believe that you can get a temporary room key at most resorts (in case you accidentally forget yours in the room, etc), so your husband should be able to get one at FW (especially if he is still in running gear).

Good luck to all the runners and walkers!

[A Big Kid]

A bus through the campground?? or just the front... We know there will be one at the front.

Irish1967... Oh my! I just read DH your last post. He is now wearing his shoes on the plane LOL... He thought that is a GREAT idea. He may wear his waist pack and that would solve key issues. Or leave it at the front desk like you stated earlier...


I walked right to the end of my cabin loop, sat on the bus stop bench and the bus promptly picked me up at 3:00 am as advertised! I did that at least twice.

[irish1967]

Irish1967... Oh my! I just read DH your last post. He is now wearing his shoes on the plane LOL... He thought that is a GREAT idea. He may wear his waist pack and that would solve key issues. Or leave it at the front desk like you stated earlier...

Absolutely admitting that I can be decidedly type-A about certain things (my race shoes being one of them :mickey:)

Everyone, please be sure to post when you get back home and let us all know how your race went!

[csmith157]

Great information on marathon weekend. I will be running in the half on Saturday.

I have a question for any previous runners. Since we have to get on the buses so early, will they have food at the race start (i.e., bananas, bagels, etc.)? I am used to eating about 1 hour before I run and I am trying to figure out if I need to take food with me or what I need to do. If I eat at 3am, I won't make it from the 6am start time and through the whole race. I would love to eat something around 5-ish. I don't mind taking it with me on the bus.

Thanks,
Connie

[teambricker04]

Great information on marathon weekend. I will be running in the half on Saturday.

I have a question for any previous runners. Since we have to get on the buses so early, will they have food at the race start (i.e., bananas, bagels, etc.)? I am used to eating about 1 hour before I run and I am trying to figure out if I need to take food with me or what I need to do. If I eat at 3am, I won't make it from the 6am start time and through the whole race. I would love to eat something around 5-ish. I don't mind taking it with me on the bus.

Thanks,
Connie

I am not sure if they will or not... DH is taking his own brown bag breakfast with him. He is really particular about what he eats before he runs. They do offer cliff bars and such at the food stations during the race.

[irish1967]

Great information on marathon weekend. I will be running in the half on Saturday.

I have a question for any previous runners. Since we have to get on the buses so early, will they have food at the race start (i.e., bananas, bagels, etc.)? I am used to eating about 1 hour before I run and I am trying to figure out if I need to take food with me or what I need to do. If I eat at 3am, I won't make it from the 6am start time and through the whole race. I would love to eat something around 5-ish. I don't mind taking it with me on the bus.

Thanks,
Connie

Connie - yes, you need to take food with you to eat. They provide stuff during the race (it was clif shots :ack: around mile 9 last year) and then after the race. We are taking sandwiches which will be easy to pack the night before and carry on the bus.

Good luck!

[DizRunner]

Thank you, A Big Kid for posting that site. I never knew about it. It's now my second favorite next to intercot. Love reading all of the posts there from people getting ready to run. Even though I'm not running this year, it's getting me in the mood. And getting me to look forward to 2010.

Thanks again.

[SAHDad]

Great information on marathon weekend. I will be running in the half on Saturday.

I have a question for any previous runners. Since we have to get on the buses so early, will they have food at the race start (i.e., bananas, bagels, etc.)? I am used to eating about 1 hour before I run and I am trying to figure out if I need to take food with me or what I need to do. If I eat at 3am, I won't make it from the 6am start time and through the whole race. I would love to eat something around 5-ish. I don't mind taking it with me on the bus.

Thanks,
Connie
Take it with you. At some of the resorts, the CS is open, with a very limited selection, but I wouldn't even count on that. If there is a certain food you need before your run on Saturday, either take it down there with you, or purchase it on Friday.

(FWIW - my prerace food is Twizzlers. I've tried bagels, bananas, oatmeal, toast, etc, and for me, Twizzlers stay down and don't cause any GI problems at, say, mile 8. I brought my own bag with me for the 2008 races, because I wanted something that worked for me.)

[csmith157]

Thanks for the replys. I will be bringing my banana and bagel with me then. I agree with you on Cliff shots :ack: I prefer to carry the Luna moons with me in my fuel belt pack. I do like the idea about Twizzlers though. I will make sure I have it on Friday night so I am not worried with trying to find something on Saturday so early.

I know the buses start at 3 and go until 4. Any recommendations on when to be at the bus stops? Also, how bad is the corral area and wave start? I have never been in a race that had so many people that I had to do that.

Connie

[SAHDad]

Thanks for the replys. I will be bringing my banana and bagel with me then. I agree with you on Cliff shots :ack: I prefer to carry the Luna moons with me in my fuel belt pack. I do like the idea about Twizzlers though. I will make sure I have it on Friday night so I am not worried with trying to find something on Saturday so early.

I know the buses start at 3 and go until 4. Any recommendations on when to be at the bus stops? Also, how bad is the corral area and wave start? I have never been in a race that had so many people that I had to do that.

Connie

I'll admit that I don't mind Clif Shots, though I prefer Gu - so I pack my own if I am worried about it.

For taking the bus - in 2008, I got up at 3, and was down at the bus stop by about 3:30. It didn't make much difference, since my bus got lost, and we circled Epcot twice, AK once, and Atlanta, Georgia (I think). I still got there in time, but it was probably 4:30 or so.

The corrals can be pretty crowded, depending on which one you are in, and where you place yourself in it. If you are at the front of your corral, it tends to be more crowded. Likewise, the end may be fairly empty, but all the people in the corral behind you are going to be crowding you when you get moving. Heck, it's going to be crowded almost everywhere, but most of that will start to thin out in the first 2 miles or so. By mile 4 or 6, it's probably about as thin as it will be - you can run alongside someone if you want, or you can space yourself out and get some elbow room. The only choke points will be in MK (particularly along Main Street and going through the castle), and at the water stops.

Remember to smile triumphantly at the finish line - after all, you earned it!

[teambricker04]

We leave on Thursday morning... ooooh! We are all so excited. DH is starting to get a little more on edge, but I know that he will be relieved once we get there.

I wish you all luck!

[irish1967]

Any marathoners back to reality like me yet?

My race was great. I shaved a couple of minutes off of my personal best half marathon time - so that made me happy. The only thing I would have done differently would be to bring gloves on race morning. My hands were COLD!

Our trip was great too! I was ready to come home on Monday - I had accomplished what I set out to accomplish and was ready to see my DH and two DS by then - but if I had to be away from them, at least it was at WDW!

The pilot on the plane congratulated all of the participants of the weekend races - that was pretty cool.

Hope everyone else had a great race/trip.

[teambricker04]

Hi irish1967!!! I am glad to hear that your race went well!!!! Hooray!

We had a great time... we just got back today. It was our first trip to WDW that we were all ready to come home... weird.

Anyways, DH did a GREAT job! He shaved some time off his last marathon (13 minutes!) but didn't come exactly to where he wanted to be because he got terrible cramps (legs) at miles 16. It took him just as long to run the last 6 miles as it did to run the first half! I got the text messages and he was CRUISING. He was at the front of corral d and said the excitment made him get ahead of himself. I thought we would miss him, but as it turned out between my last text and him passing by where we stood for 1.5 hours he had slowed down so much that I figured I must have missed him... My DS who is 3 was super crabby the entire time and I kept having to bend over to get him in line. He was determined to "run with daddy". Urgh... I digress....

We all had an awesome time. I am not a runner... in fact far from it, but seeing all the people out doing it has me teettering to get on the treadmill. I was impressed that all ages and shapes could accomplish such a goal.

The little boys did the 100m dash at the kids races... it was fun and now the older one is excited for his next "running race".

I should mention that DH's legs are back in full force. We went to the parks the day of the marathon and everyday after only moving slowly on steep grades and stairs. Today he said he feels like running tomorrow!

[boo425]

Well, I tried!! Due to a variety of illnesses , my training took a major hit, but I still gave it my best shot. I was able to finish the 5K in 56 minutes, but got swept at the hard cut they do at mile 4. I was pretty happy I made it even that far, until I got back to Epcot. I was a little surprised that myself and others who were on the bus had basically no access to water or food. I realize I wasn't able to finish, but I gave it all I had, and was taken aback by the fact that we had to ask for the volunteers to hand us something to eat or drink over the fence. :confused: It seemed the bus driver wasn't quite sure where to park the bus, so I guess its possible we should have been dropped somewhere else, but it was a bit demeaning to have not been acknowledged at all. Oh well, I am now in treatment for my illness, and have already signed on for the 2010 half-marathon!

[wjrhw]

I ran the marathon in 4 hours and 30 minutes. This was my first race of any kind and I was happy with the outcome.

Just 3 weeks before the marathon I fell on some ice and re injured my knee. Because of this, I was trying to baby my right leg and my knee actually lasted until about mile 22. At that point I had to walk a little, run a little until I reached Epcot where I forced myself to run to the finish line. During the last four miles I also was getting muscle cramps in my left leg after all those miles of extra work trying to protect the right knee.

I would love to run it again with no injuries, but I'm not sure when I'll get the chance.

[joanna71985]

I am considering signing up for one of the marathons next year. I'm just nervous that I won't be able to finish.

[irish1967]

Congratulations to everyone who made the decision to try - regardless of the outcome!

We have already registered for 2010 half (I am aiming for 7 minutes less next year) anyone else?

[DizRunner]

joanna71985, if you've never run a half marathon, then I'd start with that. If you have done some halves, then go for the full marathon. Both are quite the experience. You wouldn't regret it. Plus it's so early, you'll have practically all year to train.

I did the Disney full in 2004 and the half in 2006. Because of time constraints, I'm only doing half marathons. I'm registering soon for the 2010 half. For me, I get just as much enjoyment in doing the half. Running through Epcot and the MK, for me, are the highlights of the course. You get that with the half as well as the full.

If you get serious about training, then go for it. You won't regret it.

Brian

[joanna71985]

Thanks! I have just about decided to go for it. Now I just need to register. :)

[crazyred11588]

I'm hoping to run the full this coming january...call me crazy but I've never run a marathon before! I'm really excited, my mom and I have talked about doing this for several years now and this year we decided to go for it. Is anybody else planning to run it? Any tips about training?

[DizRunner]

Tips on training for first full marathon?

#1 - your one and only goal is to finish. Do not worry about time (with the exception of staying ahead of the minimum pace requirement).

#2 - I've done 4 marathons and I've a very non-competitive person. I do a walk\jog throughout. For the 4 marathons I've done my times have been between 4:50 and 5:28. That being said, I feel that for someone to complete a marathon it's 65% physical 35% mental. To be constantly running\jogging\walking for 4, 5, 6 hours you've got to have the right frame of mind. It IS a long time.

#3 - You can do anything you put your mind to. If you run across nay-sayers, embrace them. It is those people who will make you even more determined to finish a marathon.

A full marathon is a huge mountain to climb. But it can be done with the right training. Again both physical and mental.

Training for a full marathon takes a lot of time. But the reward of crossing that finish line definately makes it all worth it.

As far as training goes, there are a lot of good websites and books out there with schedules, even for first marathons. Pick one that's good for you and go for it. You CAN do it.

You never know, I might run into you in January 2010. I'll be doing the half.

Good Luck,
Brian

PS An inspiring and fun read is a book called "First Marathons". Pick one up and read it also throughout your training. May want to check ebay for cheap copies.

[joanna71985]

I'm hoping to run the full this coming january...call me crazy but I've never run a marathon before! I'm really excited, my mom and I have talked about doing this for several years now and this year we decided to go for it. Is anybody else planning to run it? Any tips about training?

I'm not doing the Full, but I am going to be doing the Half. And it will be my first-ever marathon! I hope I can do it. :blush:

[teambricker04]

I am not a runner. My DH.... he's a runner. BUT... After seeing all the runners for the marathon, I have been inspired to step up onto the treadmill for the first time. It is going slowly, but going well. I really like Dizrunner's #3... If you have, or have the chance to see a race you will know that ANYONE can do a marathon if they put their mind to it. I really think it is about desire and willpower.

Oh. and. I still think Goofy Race runners are CRAZY! Now THAT is some desire and willpower:mickey:!!!!

[crazyred11588]

I am so excited! I'm starting a simple conditioning program this coming week and then planning to do the 18 week marathon training program closer to time. I hope to see all of you guys next January! :) :mickey: