Marathon Weekend 2010

[Jer Solo]

I will be coming to Disney for the first time in 15 years and running the 1/2 marathon on Jan 9. Anyone have any advice for the morning of the race and getting there one time, etc. I will be staying at the Poly. Will the monorail be running that early in the morning?

[KH]

I'll be running the half as well. It will be my first, but we go to WDW often, and I think I can help with some things. First, there is transportation (bus) specifically for the marathon events that runs from each of the resorts. From what I've read on the WDW website and this and other forums, the last bus leaves each resort at around 4am, and that one is often very crowded. So for peace of mind, I'll try to leave my resort (WL) by about 3:30. That leaves quite a bit of down time before the start, but I won't be stressed. I do not know whether the monorail will be running that early in the morning, and it is not mentioned on the WDW website.

I hope that helps, and please, if anyone else has more or better information, let us know!

Good luck with your training!

[Jer Solo]

Thanks for the info Kevin. The thought of leaving the resort at 3:30am is a bit intimidating, but this is such an exciting race. Is this your first 1/2 or just your first at Disney?

[KH]

It's my first race of any kind. I saw the race last year and thought it looked fun, so my brother-in-law and I are running to celebrate our 50th birthdays. We're both martial artists, but endurance running is a new thing. We live in different cities, so we're not training together, but both of us are on what seems to be a good schedule. I run 3-4 miles three times per week, plus one extended run that right now is in the 5-7 mile range. It was a real chore at first, but I've had a bit of a break through and I'm actually starting to enjoy it!

How about you?

[teambricker04]

The monorail will be up and running at that time. The poly is a great location to get to the race! Make sure you have your breakfast before you leave or packed to eat. The people the come to watch you can sign up for text messages of your locations... I did this last Jan and it was great because I knew ahead of time that DH was WAY ahead of where we had paced him at. Also, I found the crowds at the finish line overwhelming so we waited for him by the exit from EPCOT and we found my right away.

Good luck with your training!!!

[Jer Solo]

Thanks teambricker...I am glad to know the monorail will be running then. The text messages are such a great idea as my partner will not want to be up from the start and I know that the race goes very near the poly, and then a short ride to the finish. What was the weather like the week of the race? We will be down there for 9 days and as long as it doesn't rain alot I don't mind cool temps.
J S

K--
This will be my third half. I have done a few shorter distances in the past few years. Your training sounds fine and since you have the discipline to contiune with it you are on course. I use the "Smart Coach" option on runnersworld.com to create a training schedule. What an awesome way to celebrate your 50th. :thumbsup:
J S