runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend

[LAKid53]

That’s true. I’m a local, so thankfully I don’t have the issue of transporting them home, but the recent production quality has definitely made them significantly more delicate. I do like to receive them in-person so I can do a quick check to make sure everything looks good and exchange if needed. But if supplies are low this weekend, they might not be allowing that even if they do have some in-hand to give out.

Hopefully they’ll either ensure they have enough to give every finisher one or hold off and ship them all. Say they only had enough for the top 75% - could you imagine what the outcry would look like?

That was my thought.

 

[Surferboy567]

That’s true. I’m a local, so thankfully I don’t have the issue of transporting them home, but the recent production quality has definitely made them significantly more delicate. I do like to receive them in-person so I can do a quick check to make sure everything looks good and exchange if needed. But if supplies are low this weekend, they might not be allowing that even if they do have some in-hand to give out.

Hopefully they’ll either ensure they have enough to give every finisher one or hold off and ship them all. Say they only had enough for the top 75% - could you imagine what the outcry would look like?

I doubt they would do that for the reason you just mentioned.

I wonder how that would even be implemented?

EDIT: How would this work for challenges? Do they check if you finished all the races?

 

[pdude81]

That’s true. I’m a local, so thankfully I don’t have the issue of transporting them home, but the recent production quality has definitely made them significantly more delicate. I do like to receive them in-person so I can do a quick check to make sure everything looks good and exchange if needed. But if supplies are low this weekend, they might not be allowing that even if they do have some in-hand to give out.

Hopefully they’ll either ensure they have enough to give every finisher one or hold off and ship them all. Say they only had enough for the top 75% - could you imagine what the outcry would look like?

Would make the character lines shorter!

 

[pdude81]

I doubt they would do that for the reason you just mentioned.

I wonder how that would even be implemented?

EDIT: How would this work for challenges? Do they check if you finished all the races?

Depend on what the hassle costs them. They could send people down a chute to get medals and photograph bibs to record who got them for a given race. Still tricky and prone to error. However, shipping out thousands of medals is not cheap.

At marathon weekend they only checked to see if you had a challenge bib and you finished the marathon to get both medals. However I believe this may have had to do with staffing issues at the time.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

RE: Medal delays - oof. I know ya'll are fine but please please PLEASE be kind to cast and volunteers this weekend if the medals do NOT arrive in time

 

[pdude81]

RE: Medal delays - oof. I know ya'll are fine but please please PLEASE be kind to cast and volunteers this weekend if the medals do NOT arrive in time

It's a little funny that it's called Springtime Surprise and also April Fool's Weekend.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Depend on what the hassle costs them. They could send people down a chute to get medals and photograph bibs to record who got them for a given race. Still tricky and prone to error. However, shipping out thousands of medals is not cheap.

At marathon weekend they only checked to see if you had a challenge bib and you finished the marathon to get both medals. However I believe this may have had to do with staffing issues at the time.

I would assume as long as your chip registers that you crossed the finish line for all 3 races you'll get your challenge medal.

 

[LAKid53]

Depend on what the hassle costs them. They could send people down a chute to get medals and photograph bibs to record who got them for a given race. Still tricky and prone to error. However, shipping out thousands of medals is not cheap.

At marathon weekend they only checked to see if you had a challenge bib and you finished the marathon to get both medals. However I believe this may have had to do with staffing issues at the time.

I was surprised that at W&D Expo, those of us running the challenge didn't get our photo taken with our bibs. And that we just walked over to a line to get our challenge medal after completing the half. No checking if we were us.

 

[LAKid53]

I would assume as long as your chip registers that you crossed the finish line for all 3 races you'll get your challenge medal.

I think the bad optics of not having sufficient medals for every runner who crossed the finish line...or didn't...for each of the 3 races will outweigh the cost of shipping the medals to everyone who registered.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

I think the bad optics of not having sufficient medals for every runner who crossed the finish line...or didn't...for each of the 3 races will outweigh the cost of shipping the medals to everyone who registered.

i mean mailed to you. someone asked how rD would know they finished all 3

 

[LAKid53]

i mean mailed to you. someone asked how rD would know they finished all 3

Given that you don't have to finish a race to receive a medal, rD would mail medals to everyone whose bib chip indicated they crossed the starting line. But no challenge if you didn't finish each race.

I had to pull myself out of the 2019 W&D half as I wasn't well (probably shouldn't have even attempted). I got the half medal but not the challenge.

 

[Rteetz]

Supposedly, MW weekend medals arrived just in time otherwise it would’ve been the same thing.

 

[Demarke]

Given that you don't have to finish a race to receive a medal, rD would mail medals to everyone whose bib chip indicated they crossed the starting line. But no challenge if you didn't finish each race.

I had to pull myself out of the 2019 W&D half as I wasn't well (probably shouldn't have even attempted). I got the half medal but not the challenge.

I bet they would ship all the medals along with the challenge medals, regardless of whether you finished the races, if the medals aren't there this weekend. I doubt they want to pay anybody to sort through finish times and remove medals when they could just send them out in a more automated fashion like they do with the virtuals.

 

[LAKid53]

I bet they would ship all the medals along with the challenge medals regardless of whether you finished the races if the medals aren't there this weekend. I doubt they want to pay anybody to sort through finish times and remove medals when they could just send them out in a more automated fashion like they do with the virtuals.

Maybe you will also get your Club jacket too.

 

[Demarke]

Maybe you will also get your Club jacket too.

 

[Demarke]

Supply chain issues are very real no doubt (I work in supply chain) but there seems to be more to this.

With the expected forecast to include lots of rain and the potential for lightning, it probably just comes down to a safety issue. All that metal in one place could attract a strike and it wouldn't be good PR to BBQ too many of the paying guests

 

[LAKid53]

With the expected forecast to include lots of rain and the potential for lightning, it probably just comes down to a safety issue. All that metal in one place could attract a strike and it wouldn't be good PR to BBQ too many of the paying guests

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Or the volunteers.

 

[Surferboy567]

Despite all these unfortunate factors, I am still extremely excited for this weekend. I have been though so much training, have coordinated my group to this race weekend.

I’m sure it will be a fun experience. All my virtual runs have a been building to an in person race.

The only thing that really worries me, and I didn’t want to mention it is the weather. More specifically the potential for races to be cancelled. The rain really doesn’t bother me since I am sure the heat will take care with most of the problems I would have with rain. It’s more about the chance for cancellation that worries me. I don’t think the races will be cancelled I have however, thought about the possibility.

I am arriving late to the expo. So I am not expecting lots of merch to be available. Hoping it becomes like Princess though where it seemed their was plenty of merch to go around.

We also have the parks in between and after the races.

 

[Swissmiss]

That’s true. I’m a local, so thankfully I don’t have the issue of transporting them home, but the recent production quality has definitely made them significantly more delicate. I do like to receive them in-person so I can do a quick check to make sure everything looks good and exchange if needed. But if supplies are low this weekend, they might not be allowing that even if they do have some in-hand to give out.

Hopefully they’ll either ensure they have enough to give every finisher one or hold off and ship them all. Say they only had enough for the top 75% - could you imagine what the outcry would look like?

There was a medal shortage for one of the DLP races one year. The truck transporting some of the medals got stopped at the border (I assume it was transporting more than just the medals) and the issue could not get sorted out in time. @RunningKoen may have read posts of FB about it - I am only remembering vague details of things I heard that weekend.

 

[LAKid53]

Despite all these unfortunate factors, I am still extremely excited for this weekend. I have been though so much training, have coordinated my group to this race weekend.

I’m sure it will be a fun experience. All my virtual runs have bene building to an in person race.

The only thing that really worries me, and I didn’t want to mention it is the weather. More specifically the potential for races to be cancelled. The rain really doesn’t bother me since I am sure the heat will take care with most of the problems I would have with rain. It’s more about the chance for cancellation that worries me. I don’t think the races will be cancelled I have however, thought about the possibility.

I am arriving late to the expo. So I am not expecting lots of merch to be available. Hoping it becomes like Princess though where it seemed their was plenty of merch to go around.

We also have the parks in between and after the races.

Lightening in the area will delay the start of the race. Based upon weather forecasts, I see the only concern to be the morning of the 10K in Epcot on Saturday. Maybe Sunday, depending on Saturday evening's weather and how quickly the storm moves through.

If I remember correctly, only 3 races have been either cancelled or cut short due to weather: 2009 Everest Challenge, 2015 W&D Half (the infamous Half-Half or Quarter Marathon) and the 2017 Half during Marathon weekend.

Be prepared to run in the rain...and bring an extra pair of running shoes. And cheap ponchos