How are the heats decided?

[CinderellyKelly]

DH and I are running the Disney Half Marathon in 2011.

This is our first race, so we don't have a qualifying time. I know this means we will be placed in one of the last heats.

How are those heats without qualifying times decided?

Is it by registering earlier and you get an earlier heat, or by checking in at the Expo earlier?

Thanks so much!

Kelly

 

[thegoof]

The corrals are determined way ahead of time. Your bib number will let you know what corral you will be in. If this is your first race and do not have a previous time, you will be in the last corral. Don't let that bother you. It is the largest corral. If you want, get in the corral early and move to the front of it. There will still be hundreds that start behind you.

If you could run a 10k before the 1/2, bring proof of time with you to the expo and ask if you can be moved up to a faster corral.

 

[Donald Duck]

You can email the proof of time from a previous race to disneysports@trackshack.com.

This is in the FAQ section of the Marathon Overview.

 

[lukacseven]

I've actually found that bib numbers for non-elite runners seem to be based on registration time and race (marathon or half), so that the same number doesn't occur for both races. Corral assignments do not necessarily correspond by number. I've seen people in the same group as I was in and the bib numbers are all over the place. I've also been in the second corral and encountered walkers at that early stage of the race. Either they greatly overestimated their projected finish time, or there is some degree of randomization. I know people with much slower proof of times that were seeded in the more forward corrals. I'm not sure what the explanation is, but I can say that the corral assignments are policed very well. If you plan to run with someone in another corral, someone will have to drop back - they will give you a colored sticker at the Expo. They will not allow you to move up. Even if you provide a new qualifying time, you cannot request a specific corral - they will place you based on your new time. 2 years ago, they switched to multiple start times, which helped the faster runners in the further corrals out alot.

 

[dreamfinder]

I've actually found that bib numbers for non-elite runners seem to be based on registration time and race (marathon or half), so that the same number doesn't occur for both races.

Ayup. Last year I think the marathon numbers were < 25k and the 1/2 were > 30k. Or something in that range.

Corral assignments do not necessarily correspond by number. I've seen people in the same group as I was in and the bib numbers are all over the place.

They should be close. But it also depends on when the registered racer got their info in. They have a cut off date for the custom bibs, and as such, also the corral. If someone gets their time in late, they will still seed them appropriately, but their number will be way out of whack with the others.

I've also been in the second corral and encountered walkers at that early stage of the race.

Second corral on which side? The slower corrals actually follow the elites. So if you were in that second corral behind the elites (Corral E on the Red Course), I can easily see some power walkers or walk/runners over there. If you were in the second corral on the other side (Corral B on the Blue Course) then I would agree that some people were misplaced.

 

[lukacseven]

I have never been on the marathon course that enters Epcot near the Seas and goes around World Showcase - I believe that is the start with the elites. I've always been on the start that enters under Spaceship Earth.

I think walkers are more prevelant on the half course in the forward corrals. I can remember being in the first start time in corral C and D and having to dodge a significant amount of walkers throught the first mile. I'm guessing that a few people are misplaced and most of them are newbies who snuck into the wrong corrals.

 

[Fcruns]

I've been following this board for a bit but haven't jumped in yet. I'd like to offer a suggestion that would maybe help some of the first timers.

As was suggested, if you can run a 10K or longer to get a qualifying time, do it. Anything that will keep you out of the last corral and last wave will be a bonus. Don't think you have to be super speedy. You only need to prove that you can run the half in under 2:45. They have a tool that will calculate what you might be able to run the half in based on a 10K or longer time.

Even if you submit proof of time at registration or by email after, bring a copy of the results with you to packet pickup. I've seen a few people disappointed when their proof of time was not recorded.

 

[dreamfinder]

I have never been on the marathon course that enters Epcot near the Seas and goes around World Showcase - I believe that is the start with the elites. I've always been on the start that enters under Spaceship Earth.

If you have always gone under Spaceship Earth that is the Red course. So you do actually have the elites starting in front of you. The Blue course runs around behind The Land, comes in over by England, and then exits out back of World Showcase.

Having the elites in front of the slower runners actually makes sense to a point. The other fast runners may be able to pace the elites for a while and throw them off. But the other runners should in theory let them get a little further away from the pack before the merge. (Which is chaos in my opinion)