First Disney Half Marathon....please help with questions!

Myworldisjam

New Member
Original Poster
I am so excited to finally be able to sign up for a Disney Half Marathon. We have decided on the Wine and Dine in October 2019 (hoping we can get in). I have so many questions I hope someone can help me with. First, I’d like to say that I am completely in it for fun (and to finish of course). I love characters and I love pictures. It will be a short weekend as my boys don’t want to miss any school (nerds!). We’ll be coming all the way from Michigan, so I want to make the most of what little time we have (coming in late Friday, staying till Monday afternoon).

(1) POT – We have never run a half Marathon before. Just 5k’s. What do I put down? And if I put that we don’t have any are we going to be in the back with the walkers? We don’t plan on walking.

(2) Memory Maker – is it worth it to get it just for the race? Or would I be better off just buying the pictures individually? There will be four of us (and like I said, I love pictures). We won’t be going to any parks.

(3) Do they come out with maps of the course showing where the characters are and who? I’d like to know which ones to stop for and ones to skip. Same thing with the after party……will you know who will be there before we go?

(4) Is it 10am registration officially opens?

(5) What is the weather like in the morning for that race in October?

(6) Gear bag….if we are going right back to the hotel after the race is it really necessary to bring anything with us other then the things we will need during the race?

Thanks so much for your help!!!!
 

Texas84

Well-Known Member
(1) Run a local 10K where they post results online. You can send a link when you sign up as proof of time. No proof, go to the back.
(2) Don't know, I get them with my AP.
(3) Nope
(4) Thought it was noon?
(5) Muggy, 50s-60s I think. Rained a few times.
(6) I don't ever use a gear bag. Run with your Magicband if you're staying onsite. I wear a running belt to carry ID, credit card, and chews.
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
(1) Run a local 10K where they post results online. You can send a link when you sign up as proof of time. No proof, go to the back.
(2) Don't know, I get them with my AP.
(3) Nope
(4) Thought it was noon?
(5) Muggy, 50s-60s I think. Rained a few times.
(6) I don't ever use a gear bag. Run with your Magicband if you're staying onsite. I wear a running belt to carry ID, credit card, and chews.

It's now 10AM
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
  1. Agree with @Texas84. Part of your training program - see Jeff Galloway's - will include increasing miles each week. Why not make one of them a 10K? But be prepared to still be in the last corrals as this will be your first Half.
  2. Depends on if you have time for photo opportunities along the course. As you may be starting towards the end, you don't want to risk getting swept. Lines will be long for the more popular characters.
  3. Course maps don't indicate character spots - just the route and hydration stops. Characters at the after party would be the standard Epcot & WS characters. Google and see if you can find the guide from last year's W&D.
  4. Yes
  5. Usually on the warm side, like low 70s. The Half is actually in November, but the 2 days between it and the 5k won't make a difference, unless a front moves through.
  6. I bring my gear bag. In it are a pair of flip flops (trust me, your feet will be a tad sore and swollen) and a fresh shirt, just in case it rained during the race. I return to my resort after completing the race, but the Florida weather is unpredictable, to say the least.


I'd read the last 5-6 pages of the existing W&D thread. Lost of discussion about course, characters, etc. And encouragement.

The course guide and waivers come out about 2 weeks before race weekend. Lots of info - course for each race, staging area, transportation, etc.

It's a fun race and hopefully the parks will be decorated for the holidays.
 

Myworldisjam

New Member
Original Poster
If I do a 10K or half over the summer can I go back in and change my POT? It's dead of winter here in Michigan so not a lot of races to do.
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
If I do a 10K or half over the summer can I go back in and change my POT? It's dead of winter here in Michigan so not a lot of races to do.

As long as you do it by the deadline, yes. Make sure to also uncheck the "this is my 1st Half Marathon" if you run a Half.
 

Swissmiss

Premium Member
I can only give insight to your question on the gear bag and say “it’ll depend”. Sometimes I’ve brought one and regretted it, sometimes I’ve not brought one and regretted it, sometimes I brought one and was grateful, sometimes I haven’t brought one and have been glad not to have to go out of my way to pick it up. When I’ve run races in the rain or cold weather, I was usually really grateful for the change of t-shirt or sweatshirt, but sometimes less happy about the extra distance to get to the gear bag. Although I too like getting out of my shoes, I can wait for a bit if it means not having to detour to get a gear bag. I usually play it by ear until the night before the race - if weather conditions are such that a change of clothes will be welcomed, I take one, if not I just take what fits in my pockets.
 

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
I don't run as many Disney races as my friends here so I will leave the race-specific advice to them, but as a long-time runner I just wanted to say congrats on preparing for your first Half Marathon. It will be a wonderful achievement and you will love running with other Disney fans.
 

Myworldisjam

New Member
Original Poster
I don't run as many Disney races as my friends here so I will leave the race-specific advice to them, but as a long-time runner I just wanted to say congrats on preparing for your first Half Marathon. It will be a wonderful achievement and you will love running with other Disney fans.
Thank you! This Michigan weather has been brutal this year......I am really looking forward to getting started!!
 

wdwjmp239

Well-Known Member
Having done a couple of Disney Marathons (at least attempts at them), you'll find that Disney does a runDisney event very well. The course is set out nicely. There are characters on the course you wouldn't normally see inside the parks. And, while that's all well and good, you need to maintain a 16:00 min/mile requirement. Now, to answer your questions. My answers are in Bold Italics:

(1) POT – We have never run a half Marathon before. Just 5k’s. What do I put down? Usually at the half marathon distance (13.1 miles), you would need to submit an official proof of time from a 10K race. You cannot use any training runs or virtual races. And, you're going from a 5K to a 13.1 mile race? You're a better person than I am! I did a few 10Ks just to get to the half marathon distance. Let me know how your legs feel afterwards. :)

And if I put that we don’t have any are we going to be in the back with the walkers? We don’t plan on walking. runDisney's algorithm for where they put runners in the corrals is one for the mystery books. If you submitted a PoT and it was a really fast pace, you'll be up front, but more than likely you'll be in the back with the "walkers" (truth be told - there's runners back there, too. They're pretty nice peeps.....there's also run/walkers.....they're pretty cool, too....ask about the Jeff Galloway run/walk/run training program - it'll save your legs...you're welcome) :)

(2) Memory Maker – is it worth it to get it just for the race? Or would I be better off just buying the pictures individually? There will be four of us (and like I said, I love pictures). We won’t be going to any parks. I'm going to answer this one by saying this - there will be photographers on the course. They will get your picture and will probably post it based on your bib number and on the back of your bib, there's a code you'll enter to retrieve your photos. So, make sure you keep your bib afterwards.

(3) Do they come out with maps of the course showing where the characters are and who? Usually Facebook groups like "Joyful Miles" or Team #runDisney have veteran runners who know who the characters are where they are on the course. I’d like to know which ones to stop for and ones to skip. Same thing with the after party……will you know who will be there before we go? Again, usually Facebook groups like "Joyful Miles" or Team #runDisney will have gatherings pre and post race. These are fun to attend, especially if you're an active member in those Facebook Groups. I had a chance to meet Gerald Reznick (RezRuns on YouTube) at a meetup in 2018 and a whole other bunch of peeps including Heather Jergensen (Running with Grace on YouTube).

(4) Is it 10am registration officially opens? Check the runDisney website to find out when registration opens.

(5) What is the weather like in the morning for that race in October? Florida weather can be a little weird in October. Sometimes, Florida forgets its fall and will stay in summer mode. I ran a non-runDisney/local half marathon in the first weekend in October in Sarasota back in 2016 and was near dead by mile 12 because it was so hot. The event was so poorly organized that they failed to put a water station towards the end. Thank God I had something on me at the time in the event something like that happened.

(6) Gear bag….if we are going right back to the hotel after the race is it really necessary to bring anything with us other then the things we will need during the race? The less you bring...the happier you'll be. Just collect your medal and your runDisney post-race snack box at the end and enjoy the cheese. :)

Hope this helps! Have fun! :)
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
I can only give insight to your question on the gear bag and say “it’ll depend”. Sometimes I’ve brought one and regretted it, sometimes I’ve not brought one and regretted it, sometimes I brought one and was grateful, sometimes I haven’t brought one and have been glad not to have to go out of my way to pick it up. When I’ve run races in the rain or cold weather, I was usually really grateful for the change of t-shirt or sweatshirt, but sometimes less happy about the extra distance to get to the gear bag. Although I too like getting out of my shoes, I can wait for a bit if it means not having to detour to get a gear bag. I usually play it by ear until the night before the race - if weather conditions are such that a change of clothes will be welcomed, I take one, if not I just take what fits in my pockets.

With the runDisney races at WDW, you'll walk right by the gear bag pick up tents after getting your photo taken with your medal.
 

Swissmiss

Premium Member
With the runDisney races at WDW, you'll walk right by the gear bag pick up tents after getting your photo taken with your medal.

Thanks, I was trying to remember what it was like at WDW. At DLP you have to go back to where you pick up your bib, which is next to the start... but not the finish. So while it is convenient when you are going to the starting corral, it isn’t when you’ve finished and need to pick up your gear bag. Plus, after the first year they’ve made it so that you have to go half way around the building again to go in and have large security agents blocking you from trying to walk in the door they now deem the exit.
 

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