Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

[LAKid53]

It works OK for the first few (fast) corrals. Down the back there is a certain amount of elbow jostling to get as far away from the Balloon Ladies as possible. Every second counts back there so everybody wants to be at the front of the corral for an early start. (Reported to me by my DW who's finish time wanders close to the max time limit for the races.)

Oh, so very true.

 

[werac]

Does anyone know if there is a list of Host Hotels? I am reading the even guide now and seeing that the Bus only goes to host hotels and am not sure where to see what hotels are host hotels. Thanks!

 

[kevlightyear]

Kinda sad they couldn't work out a path through Pandora. That would have been a nice boost half way through the marathon.

 

[LAKid53]

Does anyone know if there is a list of Host Hotels? I am reading the even guide now and seeing that the Bus only goes to host hotels and am not sure where to see what hotels are host hotels. Thanks!

All the Disney resorts are host resorts. Not sure if Swan and Dolphin are included.

 

[LAKid53]

Kinda sad they couldn't work out a path through Pandora. That would have been a nice boost half way through the marathon.

Yeah, Pandora early in the AM, with NO crowds was nice for the W&D 5k. Still dark, so you got to see all the illuminations.

 

[Joe_90]

In past years, I've been in B, C, D corrals for half & full. My concern this year is I'm running the half w/ my fiance - it'll be her first half and she did not run a race long enough to submit a proof of time until after the deadline. I'm afraid we'll get stuck in corral H.

Yup. You will most likely be in the last corral. My wife submitted a time almost on the max time limit for her last WDW marathon and was in the second last corral because of all the people who submitted no time at all. (or submitted one late)

All the Disney resorts are host resorts. Not sure if Swan and Dolphin are included.

Yes they are.
I think that possibly some of the partner hotels are as well, the ones close to Disney springs like Bonnet Creek.

Edit: Nope
"Guests staying off property will have to arrange their own transportation to all race weekend events."

All Disney hotels plus the Swan and Dolphin Yes. Anywhere else No.

 

[Texas84]

In past years, I've been in B, C, D corrals for half & full. My concern this year is I'm running the half w/ my fiance - it'll be her first half and she did not run a race long enough to submit a proof of time until after the deadline. I'm afraid we'll get stuck in corral H.

Two years ago it was randomly the last three corrals for those with no proof of time, or in my case those whose proof of time was lost and were told by runDisney "Sorry you don't like our rules." I was in second to last corral with a lot of other runners wondering what happened.

 

[Joe_90]

Two years ago it was randomly the last three corrals for those with no proof of time, or in my case those whose proof of time was lost and were told by runDisney "Sorry you don't like our rules." I was in second to last corral with a lot of other runners wondering what happened.

Paris 5K was the most confusing corrals. Slow runners at the front, fast runners at the back. Whaaaat?
One of the race organisers told us it was to give the small children enough time to get through the park.
I don't think they considered the trampling of small children underfoot.
They certainly didn't count the number of runners and the number of medals, or they wouldn't have run out of medals

 

[dreamfinder]

Does anyone know if there is a list of Host Hotels? I am reading the even guide now and seeing that the Bus only goes to host hotels and am not sure where to see what hotels are host hotels. Thanks!

As mentioned, for Marathon weekend in January, all WDW hotels are host hotels. They keep that verbage as some of the other events only have some hotels that participate depending on registration numbers.

 

[dreamfinder]

The event guide has been posted. In the past they've added more information closer to the event, but this one looks pretty complete already:
http://rodale-usa.instantmagazine.com/rundisney/dwmar18

Assuming the maps are correct, the Half and Full will enter MK through the bus loop and main entrance, rather than backstage as in the past. The rest of the courses appear to be unchanged (including no Pandora).

Presumably we'll see waivers posted next week. The corrals for the Half and Full only go through H, so they'll likely release us in smaller waves like what they did at Wine & Dine and Paris to help break up the crowds

Those are the only changes from previous years I've noticed (other than previously announced schedule changes for the expo & 5K)

Interesting to see that the runDisney merch has been moved to the HP Field House. They always had a small display over there, but that looks to be the main location this time.

Yeah, I'm guessing they are having us enter MK through the bus loop/main entrance due to the construction for the Main Street Theater.

The smaller number of corrals is a disappointment to me. Yeah, the mini waves work ok, but I can imagine alot more jostling in the later corrals to get towards the front. Since they halved the number, I'd hope they split them up into at least two batches per.

 

[LAKid53]

Paris 5K was the most confusing corrals. Slow runners at the front, fast runners at the back. Whaaaat?
One of the race organisers told us it was to give the small children enough time to get through the park.
I don't think they considered the trampling of small children underfoot.
They certainly didn't count the number of runners and the number of medals, or they wouldn't have run out of medals

They ran out of medals?! Not good....

 

[werac]

As mentioned, for Marathon weekend in January, all WDW hotels are host hotels. They keep that verbage as some of the other events only have some hotels that participate depending on registration numbers.

Thank you! My first RunDisney event so I got nervous that I was staying at a hotel that wasn't going to have a bus transportation. Thanks again!

 

[RunningKoen]

Paris 5K was the most confusing corrals. Slow runners at the front, fast runners at the back. Whaaaat?
One of the race organisers told us it was to give the small children enough time to get through the park.
I don't think they considered the trampling of small children underfoot.
They certainly didn't count the number of runners and the number of medals, or they wouldn't have run out of medals

Have to disagree. The 5K was randomed corrals if I had to take a guest., probably based on alphabet, same as in 2016. I had B corral for the 5K both years. Even for the 2017 one, while having a approved PoT for the half marathon, combined with an expected time for a 5K that would directly label me as a fast runner. However, I wasnt placed in C.

I saw quite a lot of small children during the entire course. Letting them start in the front has little to no effect. As soon as they take a long wait for a photo stop, they are within the crowds. I assume runDisney is smart enough to figure that out aswell.

I had A corral for both 10 and half marathon, based on proof of time for the half marathon. Cannot complain about the corrals for those races, I have lot of runners with the same pace.

They ran out of medals?! Not good....

Strikes at custom prevented some of the imported medals to arrive on time. Some races in the Netherlands had no medals at all, due to the same reason.
@Joe_90 wants to use this as an argument to prove how faulty the corral assignment of the 5K was, but the problem about medals wasn't related to the corral assignment. Another thing I have to disagree about.
Btw: Kids races ran out of medals aswell, but I had no one complain about corral assignment of that race (there were other problems though xD)

 

[the.dreamfinder]

As mentioned, for Marathon weekend in January, all WDW hotels are host hotels. They keep that verbage as some of the other events only have some hotels that participate depending on registration numbers.

Too bad staying at a host hotel doesn’t allow you pick up your packet at the hotel lobby.

 

[Joe_90]

They ran out of medals?! Not good....

They ran out of medals for the 5K and the kids races. They had to many half marathon medals. They gave out some of the extra half marathon medals to finishers of the kids race.

Have to disagree. The 5K was randomed corrals if I had to take a guest., probably based on alphabet, same as in 2016. I had B corral for the 5K both years. Even for the 2017 one, while having a approved PoT for the half marathon, combined with an expected time for a 5K that would directly label me as a fast runner. However, I wasnt placed in C.

I saw quite a lot of small children during the entire course. Letting them start in the front has little to no effect. As soon as they take a long wait for a photo stop, they are within the crowds. I assume runDisney is smart enough to figure that out aswell.

I had A corral for both 10 and half marathon, based on proof of time for the half marathon. Cannot complain about the corrals for those races, I have lot of runners with the same pace.



Strikes at custom prevented some of the imported medals to arrive on time. Some races in the Netherlands had no medals at all, due to the same reason.
@Joe_90 wants to use this as an argument to prove how faulty the corral assignment of the 5K was, but the problem about medals wasn't related to the corral assignment. Another thing I have to disagree about.
Btw: Kids races ran out of medals aswell, but I had no one complain about corral assignment of that race (there were other problems though xD)

Feel free to disagree. The man I was chatting to was one of the French race organisers. Not a race official or volunteer. He was on the committee that decided that was how they were going to start the race. Slowest at the front. If the races were arranged alphabetically why was I not in the same corral as my wife either year? Both of us had PoT she is much slower, she was in the first corral I was at the back. (For the 5K only, other way around for the rest).

Running out of medals is in no way connected to the corral placements. It is however indicative of the "not quite thought all the way through" and lack of experience of the French Run Disney organisers. (It is a different company to the one that organises WDW events) Every year they will learn a little more and organise a little better. For example they learned that some people didn't sign up for the half in 2016 because they could run through the castle on the 10k. So people only did the 10k. So in 2017 the 10k didn't go through the castle. They were on a steep learning curve. Organising a Disney race has it's own quirks compared to organising other races.

 

[Swissmiss]

For example they learned that some people didn't sign up for the half in 2016 because they could run through the castle on the 10k. So people only did the 10k. So in 2017 the 10k didn't go through the castle. They were on a steep learning curve. Organising a Disney race has it's own quirks compared to organising other races.

I don't disagree that there is a learning curve - there is with ANY major event, but I don't think they learned some of the things you are attributing to having been learned in 2016, because in 2016 there was no 10 km run - only a 5 km and half marathon (plus kids races). The 10 km race was new to this year's event.

And having participated in both years, I did see several changes between the two - some that worked better, some that worked about the same, and some that still need improvements. Hopefully one that they will improve on is the finish line - I loved that the finish was in a much more attractive location than last year's parking lot finish, but this year it was rather narrow and there were too many idiots who stopped to take selfies of the finish banner (before actually crossing over the finish line). I'm not a particularly fast runner, but I had to quickly put on the breaks to avoid running a few over.

 

[surfsupdon]

Welp, the corrals and waivers are posted. I will be in A for my first ever Dopey.

Now just in a panic for weather. I hate the cold. Lol

 

[dreamfinder]

Welp, the corrals and waivers are posted. I will be in A for my first ever Dopey

Congrats. I missed A by that much! (Holds up fingers just a smidge apart) Not surprised, my training has been crud this year.

As I expected based on the map in the guide, G&H are being used as people who didn't provide proof of time. Worked out to keep them separate from those who did. Interesting to see if this new setup helps to weed out the people who are walking 2 minutes in. Not people doing a crazy run/walk pace that deserved to be in A, but people just walking.

 

[RunningKoen]

Feel free to disagree. The man I was chatting to was one of the French race organisers. Not a race official or volunteer. He was on the committee that decided that was how they were going to start the race. Slowest at the front. If the races were arranged alphabetically why was I not in the same corral as my wife either year? Both of us had PoT she is much slower, she was in the first corral I was at the back. (For the 5K only, other way around for the rest).

I had no idea he was on the commitee, so that could be true. However, if corrals were based on slow first, why were my sister and I in the same corral, B? Her estimated time was way slower than mine, and as I said, I had a accepted proof of time for sub 1:30 on the half, so that would definitely be a C corral for me, following that logic.
Still interesting.

Running out of medals is in no way connected to the corral placements. It is however indicative of the "not quite thought all the way through" and lack of experience of the French Run Disney organisers.

As I said, It was caused by custom strikes. I wouldn't label that as lack of experience or any fault at runDisney France.
I mentioned it before, but some races in the Netherlands had no medals at all due to the same reason. And those were companies that are experienced.

(It is a different company to the one that organises WDW events) Every year they will learn a little more and organise a little better.

It might be a different company, but there's lot of support from the official runDisney. I saw and spoke several people who worked at the event that came from runDisney USA. The castle to chateau booth at the expo was completely run by americans to ensure and support all the americans (most of the challengers are americans).

For example they learned that some people didn't sign up for the half in 2016 because they could run through the castle on the 10k. So people only did the 10k. So in 2017 the 10k didn't go through the castle. They were on a steep learning curve. Organising a Disney race has it's own quirks compared to organising other races.

As said by @Swissmiss , there was no 10K in 2016. The 5K course changed a lot, but I think the main reason was that the old 5K course couldn't be used as a evening run.
The 5K in 2016 was in the morning, before the main parc was open. At night, studio's close earlier while the main parc is still open.

Starting times in the US aren't because they like to be that early. (No one can love waking up at 2). It's just to release the course before parcs are open.

Rerouting the course to up the sales might be a reason. Just the best one I guess.

 

[Texas84]

Corral C. I'll take it!