Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

[wdwjmp239]

Congrats on your first Half! All good lessons learned. As for your question, @Mad Stitch and @dreamfinder pretty much covered it. Unless you have a time goal (which you shouldn't for your first Marathon), there's no need to cover more than 20 miles beforehand.

No time goal. I just want to finish the marathon and say, "Hey! I did it!" and fall flat face first at the finish line.

 

[wdwjmp239]

Congrats on your first Half! All good lessons learned. As for your question, @Mad Stitch and @dreamfinder pretty much covered it. Unless you have a time goal (which you shouldn't for your first Marathon), there's no need to cover more than 20 miles beforehand.

I'm already eyeballing another half marathon in November down in Naples, Florida (I live in Fort Myers - so it's pretty close to home).

 

[Rteetz]

25th is next year I believe. It'll be a double anniversary, 25th for the full, 5th for the Dopey.



Yeah, I like the XX better than some of the past anniversary designs, the colors really tie in Donald. It almost seems like they went plain medal for the normal races, with color reserved for the challenges and anniversaries.

Dug on eBay for a pic of the old marathon medal for comparison, this one is from year 2 just to show how similar it is. Font change, with a more 3D Mickey, but otherwise it's pretty darn close.

2018 is 25th for the Full marathon and 5K, 5th anniversary for Dopey and 10K.

As for the marathon medal its an exact replica with just a change in wording of the one and only Disneyland Full Marathon.

 

[dreamfinder]

2018 is 25th for the Full marathon and 5K, 5th anniversary for Dopey and 10K.

Yeah, sorry. I'm thinking of Jan 2017 as this year since that is the "end" of my race calendar with the new year picking up in late March/early April. (Jan - April is my off season) So I think of 2018 as being next year. Even though numerically it's 2 years away.

 

[Texas84]

No time goal. I just want to finish the marathon and say, "Hey! I did it!" and fall flat face first at the finish line.

That's the way to do it. Have fun at the first one. Get a time goal for marathon #2. I set a time goal for my first and crashed and burned at mile 22. Had to walk to the finish but I did it.

 

[ejsanta13]

Anyone have any recent experience with getting corral assignment changed at the expo? Have been putting off registering for the Marathon to see how I felt during long run training as I am still on the fence of running it again. Proof of time just passed and runDisney said the only way to update corral assignment was to talk to someone at the expo. So if I register, that will be the only way to get out of the last corral. Don't really want to start that far back....

 

[dreamfinder]

Anyone have any recent experience with getting corral assignment changed at the expo? Have been putting off registering for the Marathon to see how I felt during long run training as I am still on the fence of running it again. Proof of time just passed and runDisney said the only way to update corral assignment was to talk to someone at the expo. So if I register, that will be the only way to get out of the last corral. Don't really want to start that far back....

Recent policy is no corral adjustments at the Expos. At at least one of the races since the policy change, somehow peoples proof of times were apparently lost/incorrectly applied/maliciously changed so runners who had screenshots showing they had uploaded the correct time were accommodated, but as a general rule if you missed the proof of time cutoff date, you are in the last corral.

 

[wdwjmp239]

That's the way to do it. Have fun at the first one. Get a time goal for marathon #2. I set a time goal for my first and crashed and burned at mile 22. Had to walk to the finish but I did it.

That's what I did for my half marathon...I got about 8 miles into it....walked the other 5 miles. The longest walk.....EVER! LOL!!

 

[ejsanta13]

Recent policy is no corral adjustments at the Expos. At at least one of the races since the policy change, somehow peoples proof of times were apparently lost/incorrectly applied/maliciously changed so runners who had screenshots showing they had uploaded the correct time were accommodated, but as a general rule if you missed the proof of time cutoff date, you are in the last corral.

So, based on that, does anyone have any experience starting in the last corral when if submitting proof of time would have gotten them in an earlier one. Just want to know what it is like trying to make way through the crowds in the larger corrals that are not at the same pace. I know that even the earlier corrals are slow during the first couple of miles.... TIA.

 

[wdwjmp239]

So, if I submitted my half marathon time to RunDisney for a faster corral, when will I know what corral I'll be in? Or, is that all figured out when I'm checking in?

 

[Flippin'Flounder]

Does anyone know what day I'm able to get fastpasses? My first day is the Friday (January 6), but I can't figure out if the day is November 6,7, or 8. I'm hoping for 8 (Election Day), because I don't have school, and I need some good news that day....

 

[Texas84]

So, if I submitted my half marathon time to RunDisney for a faster corral, when will I know what corral I'll be in? Or, is that all figured out when I'm checking in?

Your bib number will be on your waiver and that determines your corral. Waivers are usually released 2-3 weeks out. I'm sure someone will post the corral assignments here.

 

[dreamfinder]

So, if I submitted my half marathon time to RunDisney for a faster corral, when will I know what corral I'll be in? Or, is that all figured out when I'm checking in?

As @Texas84 said, it's based off your bib number. Usually around when they release the waivers (showing your bib number), they will release a chart showing what corral each bib is in. It's actually usually several charts since they need to show Dopey, Goofy, as well as regular runners for each race.

 

[kevlightyear]

Has anyone thought about how the marathon course might change this year? With all of the construction at and around the Studios, I assume that section will have to change. They wouldn't eliminate the Studios all together like they did with Wine and Dine, would they?

 

[dreamfinder]

Has anyone thought about how the marathon course might change this year? With all of the construction at and around the Studios, I assume that section will have to change. They wouldn't eliminate the Studios all together like they did with Wine and Dine, would they?

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if they ended up bringing us in over by RnRC/ToT and just doing a small stretch to then go back out the front gate. Means a bit more out/back somewhere, or more zig zags around WWoS to make up for the shortage. Doing some of the Fantasmic overflow queue area is possible (seem to recall that from one of the early ToT races) but would be tough for the crowd flow. But that last few miles through the parks/resort area is kinda key as it helps to get all the runners off the roads so they can reopen them.

 

[kevlightyear]

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if they ended up bringing us in over by RnRC/ToT and just doing a small stretch to then go back out the front gate. Means a bit more out/back somewhere, or more zig zags around WWoS to make up for the shortage. Doing some of the Fantasmic overflow queue area is possible (seem to recall that from one of the early ToT races) but would be tough for the crowd flow. But that last few miles through the parks/resort area is kinda key as it helps to get all the runners off the roads so they can reopen them.

Good point about the roads needing to be reopened. I actually wouldn't mind running past RnRC/ToT and down Sunset. You're right, though, that would necessitate making up the difference somewhere before the Studios. Another option is to have us run ALL the way around the studios on Cypress Drive, and then enter the park near Star Tours. That might cut off construction routes, though.

 

[Mad Stitch]

What is the #Race Director Challenge on the registration page?

 

[dreamfinder]

What is the #Race Director Challenge on the registration page?

Tried to figure that out back in August when I first spotted it. Couldn't find anything about it then but apparently my Google-fu is working better today, and I found this page (http://www.runkarlarun.com/2016/01/08/walt-disney-world-marathon-2016-by-the-numbers/) talking about it last year

Plus, runDisney brought together 100 race directors, media execs, and former Olympians for the first State of the Sport forum at the new runDisney Race Director Series on January 7, held at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

Highlighting the event was a panel discussion with race directors from all of the World Marathon Majors, including Peter Ciaccia (TCS New York City Marathon), Tom Grilk (B.A.A. Boston Marathon), Tad Hayano (Tokyo Marathon), Hugh Brasher (Virgin Money London Marathon), Carey Pinkowski (Bank of America Chicago Marathon) and Juergen Lock (BMW Berlin Marathon), and moderated by Runner’s World editor-in-chief David Willey.

The State of the Sport forum kicked off runDisney’s new Race Director Series, which brings race directors from around the U.S. to the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend for special access and insight into the operations of the four-day event. And it wouldn’t be runDisney without a challenge thrown in—the Race Director Challenge, a friendly competition during the Walt Disney World Half Marathon.

So sounds kinda like I would expect, a private challenge between race directors, just never knew who was there, or why there were there. Surprised they didn't take it offline, seems strange to shove it in there for only 100 or so entries, unless they are expecting a much bigger turnout.

 

[Jane Doe]

I'm currently looking at taking part in the 2018 WDW Marathon. Could someone tell me a rough date as to when registration opens?

 

[Greenlawler]

I'm currently looking at taking part in the 2018 WDW Marathon. Could someone tell me a rough date as to when registration opens?

Usually around the last Tuesday in April.

This year the 5k was sold out within 30 minutes, the 10k within an hour.

The half was I believe full by the end of the next day.

But the Marathon, Goofy, and Dopey are still open for this year.