Inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - January 15-18, 2015 (Disneyland)

[Texas84]

@Texas84, I have a couple of questions since I'm considering running in the 2018 Light Side.

1. Do most runners stay on property? If not, is DLR as **** as WDW about guests walking to the corrals from their nearby hotels? I gather runners staying in DLR resorts walk to the corrals, at least for the 5k and 10k races...

2. Are the challenges as popular as the ones at WDW?

3. Are there really only 2 hydration stations during the 10k? I found the guide from 2017 and was surprised to see that.

4. If staying on site or nearby hotel, is the finish line and area within a short walking distance from your hotel? I'm not familiar with AR Transportation and don't want to find myself with a longer walk than I can handle to get back to my hotel.

5. Did you stay on property or at a hotel nearby? I understand the Courtyard Marriott that opened a year or so ago is really nice...and close.

6. Is the Expo really in the Disneyland Hotel? DLR races must have fewer participants....

I'm considering running just the Half and maybe the 5k for a warmup.

Thanks!

1. I doubt most stay onsite. Not enough rooms. I noticed getting out of the parking garage is a disaster after races and it impacts ART. Lots of locals. The start/finish is very close to the Disneyland Hotel. The walk to the corrals is shorter but they make everyone go through a narrow gate and that causes an annoying bottleneck.

2. My feeling is no. Not really sure.

3. I didn't run 2017 but 2016 had at least 3.

4. All three onsite hotels are walking distance as is Harbor. Anywhere else you will need to take ART. They do a good job in the mornings and you get a free weekend pass at the Expo. ART will be impacted by race traffic afterwards.

5. I stay at the Holiday Inn on Walnut & Ball and it is walking distance. They are also on ART. IMO this is the best offsite location for race day access, but not great for park access. Sometimes I walk to the parking garage and take the tram in. If you are by yourself, Harbor might feel like a safer walk because of all the other runners. Walnut feels safe but it's dark and not as many people going to the race.

6. Yes and yes. It can get crowded.

Hope that helps. I'll be running next year.

 

[LAKid53]

1. I doubt most stay onsite. Not enough rooms. I noticed getting out of the parking garage is a disaster after races and it impacts ART. Lots of locals. The start/finish is very close to the Disneyland Hotel. The walk to the corrals is shorter but they make everyone go through a narrow gate and that causes an annoying bottleneck.

2. My feeling is no. Not really sure.

3. I didn't run 2017 but 2016 had at least 3.

4. All three onsite hotels are walking distance as is Harbor. Anywhere else you will need to take ART. They do a good job in the mornings and you get a free weekend pass at the Expo. ART will be impacted by race traffic afterwards.

5. I stay at the Holiday Inn on Walnut & Ball and it is walking distance. They are also on ART. IMO this is the best offsite location for race day access, but not great for park access. Sometimes I walk to the parking garage and take the tram in. If you are by yourself, Harbor might feel like a safer walk because of all the other runners. Walnut feels safe but it's dark and not as many people going to the race.

6. Yes and yes. It can get crowded.

Hope that helps. I'll be running next year.

@Texas84, thanks!

I misspoke...it was the 2016 guide I looked at...and it stated only 2 water stations. Glad to know the guide was incorrect.

So ART buses park in the garage? That's right next to Paradise Pier, correct? I visited DLR last April for the first time in 30 years. Took me some time to get my bearings because Paradise Pier, Grand Californian, and DCA used to be a huge parking lot. If I don't stay on property, it will probably be that new Courtyard.

Thanks again.

 

[Texas84]

@Texas84, thanks!

I misspoke...it was the 2016 guide I looked at...and it stated only 2 water stations. Glad to know the guide was incorrect.

So ART buses park in the garage? That's right next to Paradise Pier, correct? I visited DLR last April for the first time in 30 years. Took me some time to get my bearings because Paradise Pier, Grand Californian, and DCA used to be a huge parking lot. If I don't stay on property, it will probably be that new Courtyard.

Thanks again.

The DLR area ART busses all run to a drop-off area on Harbor east of the park gates. They don't go to the Disneyland Hotels or the garage. They just serve 'neighbor' hotels.
http://rideart.org/

I took ART from the Holiday Inn after the half one year and we got stuck in garage traffic from local runners going home. Would have been faster to walk. The Holiday Inn is behind the big garage in the northwest corner. There is a tram from the parking garage to the gate area, just like the trams at WDW. Sounds strange, but yeah.

 

[LAKid53]

The DLR area ART busses all run to a drop-off area on Harbor east of the park gates. They don't go to the Disneyland Hotels or the garage. They just serve 'neighbor' hotels.
http://rideart.org/

I took ART from the Holiday Inn after the half one year and we got stuck in garage traffic from local runners going home. Would have been faster to walk. The Holiday Inn is behind the big garage in the northwest corner. There is a tram from the parking garage to the gate area, just like the trams at WDW. Sounds strange, but yeah.

Oh, okay. Thanks for the link.

I noticed the tram and thought "wouldn't it have been easier to just walk through Downtown Disney to the Plaza?" One of the CMs at the front desk (staying at Paradise Pier) gave me the most convoluted directions to the parks - perhaps because they realized I was from Florida and they trashed talked WDW? After the first day, I figured out all I had to do was walk out the front door, cross the street and go through the GC. Imagine if we had that easy access to the MK - other than CR or BLT....

 

[LAKid53]

So I've decided to run in the 2018 Light Side. Not sure if I'm going to do the Challenge or just the Half. I've made my train reservation and won't be able to leave LA until the Wednesday following the races, which will give me time to enjoy the two parks. Arrive early Friday, which gives me plenty of time to get to the Expo that day.

Why the train, you ask? The Sunset Limited is a great trip through the South. Hopefully, the National Park Service still boards in Texas and does the guided tour as the train runs though the hill country, Texas' version of area 51 and the site of the last train robbery in the US. Didn't know there were prehistoric caves in Texas until we took our first ride on the Sunset.

 

[Texas84]

Early registration Thursday March 9.

Regular Tuesday March 14.

Times noon EST

 

[LAKid53]

Early registration Thursday March 9.

Regular Tuesday March 14.

Times noon EST

Advice needed, my friend. Trying to decide if I want to run the Rebel Challenge or just the half. I get into LA on the train early AM on Friday and then will take the shuttle that runs between Union Station and Anaheim. Are the challenges at DLR as big a deal like they are at WDW? And what's the course like for the 10k? Mainly park or lots of running around Anaheim like the half?

Thanks!

 

[Chet Dakota]

Advice needed, my friend. Trying to decide if I want to run the Rebel Challenge or just the half. I get into LA on the train early AM on Friday and then will take the shuttle that runs between Union Station and Anaheim. Are the challenges at DLR as big a deal like they are at WDW? And what's the course like for the 10k? Mainly park or lots of running around Anaheim like the half?

Thanks!

The 10k is all parks and backstage area.

Saw a tweet today where they were postponing registration for 2018 Light Side.

 

[LAKid53]

The 10k is all parks and backstage area.

Saw a tweet today where they were postponing registration for 2018 Light Side.

Thanks, Chet.

Yes, there's a statement to that effect on the race's page. Hope they don't open registration while we're on a cruise next month.

 

[Texas84]

Advice needed, my friend. Trying to decide if I want to run the Rebel Challenge or just the half. I get into LA on the train early AM on Friday and then will take the shuttle that runs between Union Station and Anaheim. Are the challenges at DLR as big a deal like they are at WDW? And what's the course like for the 10k? Mainly park or lots of running around Anaheim like the half?

Thanks!

Challenges? I think the logistics are much easier at Anaheim if that's what you mean. Everything is close together. The only negative to me is the merchandise area. Impossible to move around. And what Chet said about the 10K.

 

[Texas84]

Yeah, I'm actually OK with this:

UPDATE: Registration for the 2018 Star Wars™ Half Marathon at Disneyland® Resort has been temporarily postponed and will open at a later date. Updated information regarding early and general registration dates to come.

 

[LAKid53]

Any thoughts on the announced delay of registration? Could the construction of SW Land in Anaheim be responsible - would potential race routes be impacted and thus need to be moved to more off property and thus approval from the City?

 

[Chet Dakota]

Challenges? I think the logistics are much easier at Anaheim if that's what you mean. Everything is close together. The only negative to me is the merchandise area. Impossible to move around. And what Chet said about the 10K.

I really like the 10k course at Disneyland. It is the best 10k course I have run. With that said, I liked the 2016 Light Side course better than the 2017 course. I did not run 2015, so not sure what the 10k course was then.

Agree on the access. As long as you stay at one of the DLR hotels, or any of the other local hotels within walking distance, I don't think you can beat the logistics on race day(s).

Since I am doing the WDW Marathon next January, I may skip Star Wars at DLR in 2018 and do Marvel instead later in the year.

 

[psherman42]

I was hoping to do the Kessel Run in 2018, but yeah..I signed up for the marathon as well so I might hold off on that until 2019.

Also, I ran the Dumbo Challenge in 2015 and I loved the 10k course. While I've only done Wine and Dine (2015 and 2016), it's by far my favorite race course. I hope to do it again sometime.

 

[LAKid53]

This popped up in my Google news feed this morning. runDisney still has the registration on hold, the race page doesn't reflect a name change and the SW Light Side isn't listed as a upcoming race in Active.com. Interesting....

Here's the link to the article. Not familiar with this particular blog...


https://blogmickey.com/2017/03/rundisney-renames-star-wars-light-side-half-marathon-resistance-run/

 

[Chet Dakota]

This popped up in my Google news feed this morning. runDisney still has the registration on hold, the race page doesn't reflect a name change and the SW Light Side isn't listed as a upcoming race in Active.com. Interesting....

View attachment 193309

Here's the link to the article. Not familiar with this particular blog...


https://blogmickey.com/2017/03/rundisney-renames-star-wars-light-side-half-marathon-resistance-run/

This makes sense. Episode 8 will be released by then and they will be heavy in promotion/marketing mode of the new trilogy.

Wonder what the 2018 Dark Side will be called? First Order Run? Run of the First Order?

 

[LAKid53]

Registration still on hold.

Any educated guesses when they will open it?

Registration for 2018 Dark Side is in May, so I hope we know something by mid-April.

 

[Texas84]

No word on registration. Re-grouping for the name changes.

 

[LAKid53]

Waivers, corral placement and race guide just released for Dark Side. But still no word on registration for this race....

 

[Texas84]

Maybe this opens up after Tink Weekend wraps up.