New Star Wars half at WDW announced

[Mad Stitch]

The 5k pin is nicer than the actual medal it's based of off.

I wonder if the Challenge medal changed. Look at the pin, the round gun part is off center toward the right, but picture we saw of the medal has the round gun at the center. The Death Star is also more detailed on the pin and looks closer to the one in the movie than the one on the medal. I really hope the medal looks more like the pin. I always thought the Death Star on the medal looked a bit off. Even the pin for the half looks a little different than the medal.

 

[MickeyMomV]

The 5k pin is nicer than the actual medal it's based of off.

I wonder if the Challenge medal changed. Look at the pin, the round gun part is off center toward the right, but picture we saw of the medal has the round gun at the center. The Death Star is also more detailed on the pin and looks closer to the one in the movie than the one on the medal. I really hope the medal looks more like the pin. I always thought the Death Star on the medal looked a bit off. Even the pin for the half looks a little different than the medal.

I didn't even notice the changes. You are right the Death Star on the pin does look better. It should almost have a little tilt to it as well, its too level. The Millennium Falcon also looks to have more depth to it on the pin.

So, I just noticed that there seems to be 2 pins for every race. So if you pre-ordered a pin I wonder which one they give you? The mini medal or the badge?

 

[LAKid53]

Wow. I'm wondering about logistics of clearing the 5K runners/staging with Epcot opening at 8am.

Any ideas on how staggered the corrals will start? Every 5-10 minutes?

When I did the Princess 5k in February, the time between each corral was around 10 minutes. I was in E and got to the start line about 6:40 - the race started at 6:00. But the Princess weekend races may have more runners than the DS, being its first year.

 

[LAKid53]

Just leave some bling for me... we're not arriving until Thursday, so won't be at the expo until Friday. All I want is a 10k magnet for my car because I don't have enough Disney magnets on my car and one of the "I finished...." t-shirts.

 

[Greenlawler]

Dang it missed coral A by 5 numbers hahahaha Coral B it is.

 

[Texas84]

I didn't even notice the changes. You are right the Death Star on the pin does look better. It should almost have a little tilt to it as well, its too level. The Millennium Falcon also looks to have more depth to it on the pin.

So, I just noticed that there seems to be 2 pins for every race. So if you pre-ordered a pin I wonder which one they give you? The mini medal or the badge?

It's always been the badge when I have pre-ordered. For this one, don't know.

I might be spending some $$$ on this race.

 

[Figment82]

Amazing weather this morning - low humidity, high 60s, and a cool breeze. I got a late start but still felt great after 11 miles. I'm praying it's like this in two weeks!

 

[dreamfinder]

So, I just noticed that there seems to be 2 pins for every race. So if you pre-ordered a pin I wonder which one they give you? The mini medal or the badge?

It's usually not the medal. Those are typically a set LE, while the ones based off the logo tend to be limited release.

 

[Mad Stitch]

It's the week of the race and still no certification. Very odd. What are the benefits from certification? I know if you want to qualify for Boston it needs to be on a certified course, but since that's not the case here why would we care if the course is certified?

 

[LAKid53]

2 more days!!!!!! Gotta go get my last run in before we leave on Thursday (and finish my taxes). See y'all there!

 

[Texas84]

Corral A for 5K and 10K. Then D for the half.

Disney is cleaning up on merchandise today. Registers lost power for a few minutes and the checkout line backed up big time. But once power was restored they cleared that line fast. Much better than DLR.

 

[dreamfinder]

It's the week of the race and still no certification. Very odd. What are the benefits from certification? I know if you want to qualify for Boston it needs to be on a certified course, but since that's not the case here why would we care if the course is certified?

Mostly for using it to qualify for any race. Boston is obviously the biggie (but they won't take anything shorter than a full), but alot of the races that use qualifying times require them to be from certified courses. The certification allows you as the runner to know you will be running the prescribed distance. I've done 5k's that were 1/2 mi short, up to 1/2 mi long (based on my GPS watch). We can all expect some difference as it's certified using ideal point to point and no one ever runs that, but it's nice to get it as close as possible. And it helps us to track realistic PRs. If someone used their time from the last W&D as a PR, no way in heck they can realistically hit that in a proper distance 1/2.

 

[Chet Dakota]

Mostly for using it to qualify for any race. Boston is obviously the biggie (but they won't take anything shorter than a full), but alot of the races that use qualifying times require them to be from certified courses. The certification allows you as the runner to know you will be running the prescribed distance. I've done 5k's that were 1/2 mi short, up to 1/2 mi long (based on my GPS watch). We can all expect some difference as it's certified using ideal point to point and no one ever runs that, but it's nice to get it as close as possible. And it helps us to track realistic PRs. If someone used their time from the last W&D as a PR, no way in heck they can realistically hit that in a proper distance 1/2.

Maybe the reason that can't get it "certified" is because about a half-mile of the course was a gravel/dirt road and another dirt trail stretch on the baseball fields.

Seriously, if this gravel dirt road a standard part of the WDW courses?

 

[LAKid53]

Mostly for using it to qualify for any race. Boston is obviously the biggie (but they won't take anything shorter than a full), but alot of the races that use qualifying times require them to be from certified courses. The certification allows you as the runner to know you will be running the prescribed distance. I've done 5k's that were 1/2 mi short, up to 1/2 mi long (based on my GPS watch). We can all expect some difference as it's certified using ideal point to point and no one ever runs that, but it's nice to get it as close as possible. And it helps us to track realistic PRs. If someone used their time from the last W&D as a PR, no way in heck they can realistically hit that in a proper distance 1/2.

I noticed that the mile makers on the 10k course course yesterday didn't coincide with the GPS on my watch either.

 

[LAKid53]

Maybe the reason that can't get it "certified" is because about a half-mile of the course was a gravel/dirt road and another dirt trail stretch on the baseball fields.

Seriously, if this gravel dirt road a standard part of the WDW courses?

I was also surprised that the route entering the ESPN complex was down a dirt road through trees. Just like Epcot, there's a back road entry into the complex. Could runDisney not have mapped a course that would have entered though the back? Imagine if the thunderstorms that had been predicted to occur Saturday morning actually did. That would have been one sloppy path to run on.

 

[dreamfinder]

Maybe the reason that can't get it "certified" is because about a half-mile of the course was a gravel/dirt road and another dirt trail stretch on the baseball fields.

Well, the full marathon uses the stretch around the baseball diamond, and that course is certified. And I've done full marathons in IL and VT that had stretches on gravel hiking path type stretches that were also certified. And I don't recall them being any different than the stretch out back of WWoS other than being much narrower. (Admittedly I haven't run that stretch since the ToT 13k, so it's been a few years and my memory ain't what it used to be)

Seriously, if this gravel dirt road a standard part of the WDW courses?

Standard, no. Have they used it before, yes. As long as it's the one I'm thinking of.

 

[LAKid53]

Heard from the member of our group who ran the half that 21,000 runners participated in the half. Wow.

Two of us ran the 10k and there were spots so congested (we were in corral E) that you had to walk...or run outside the cones...

All in all, it was a great weekend, we meet so many SW nerds who were also passionate runners (even met a D23 member on the bus going to the expo and had a lengthy conversation on Marvel), the weather for the races was perfect (Sunday was beautiful). However no magnets left at the expo, so no 10k magnet for my car.

 

[Chet Dakota]

Imagine if the thunderstorms that had been predicted to occur Saturday morning actually did. That would have been one sloppy path to run on.

VERY poor planning on their part. They really lucked out with the weather or this would have been a mess. I really laughed as I was running to see the wrecked AT-AT and Speeder Bike in that area as if they thought it was a great idea to disguise this area as "Endor", like people/runners would have thought that this was "creative".

The Star Wars Courses in DLR really blew the WDW version away. Not even close.

These were my first runDisney events at WDW, and if this is the standard for Florida, I will not run another WDW race.

 

[Chet Dakota]

the weather for the races was perfect (Sunday was beautiful).

However no magnets left at the expo, so no 10k magnet for my car.

Yes, the weather Sunday was almost perfect.

As for the Expo Merch, I got there about 2pm on Friday (about four hours after it opened I guess) and all of the Mens Kessel Run shirts were gone. All of them. There were a few Ladies left, but that was it. What were they thinking? They had to know that it would be a popular design shirt just because of the Falcon image, and that nearly all of the Kessel Run runners would want one.

 

[LAKid53]

Yes, the weather Sunday was almost perfect.

As for the Expo Merch, I got there about 2pm on Friday (about four hours after it opened I guess) and all of the Mens Kessel Run shirts were gone. All of them. There were a few Ladies left, but that was it. What were they thinking? They had to know that it would be a popular design shirt just because of the Falcon image, and that nearly all of the Kessel Run runners would want one.

We got there Friday around 11:00 and there were both plenty of Kessel and Half shirts available. However, there were only 2 10k shirts, both in blanket size and the shirt was plain ugly compared to the Kessel and Half shirts...a thick ugly grey cotton. But at least I snagged a banner. Plenty of the Half and Kessel medal pins, but the 10k were gone. So glad I bought the runner's bundle. That gym bag is my new gym bag and I will use it with pride.

I hear that those who completed the Kessel now also got the Coast to Coast medal. Glad runDisney changed their mind.

On to the Wine and Dine.