Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

[Rose&Crown]

It’s interesting how WDW is trying to get everyone there early. 3:30 for a 5am start with some time groups much later? Most races I have run recently have moved to a just in time arrival to minimize crowds in the start area. Asking people to arrive no earlier then 30 minutes before group start time and enter corral 15 minutes before group start time.

Ya I really don’t understand why they need us there so early to just stand around. @DznyGrlSD if someone shows up at 4-430 what happens? I just don’t follow the logic besides hoping they spend money at the concession stands

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Ya I really don’t understand why they need us there so early to just stand around. @DznyGrlSD if someone shows up at 4-430 what happens? I just don’t follow the logic besides hoping they spend money at the concession stands

Wine/dine weekend we had people arriving/going to the corrals after start group 1 had already started. I guess it's at your own risk to not get there early?

ALSO - there will be a LOT of walking race mornings due to some changes on how everyone arrives at EPCOT & gets into the staging areas and then the FOREVER long walk to the start groups.

Could also be related to the road closures (world drive and western way to name 2 major roads) and the clusterf*** that is getting into EPCOT race morning. Road closures start at 4am.

 

[LAKid53]

Wine/dine weekend we had people arriving/going to the corrals after start group 1 had already started. I guess it's at your own risk to not get there early?

ALSO - there will be a LOT of walking race mornings due to some changes on how everyone arrives at EPCOT & gets into the staging areas and then the FOREVER long walk to the start groups.

Could also be related to the road closures and the clusterf*** that is getting into EPCOT race morning

All 4 mornings or just the mornings of the Half and Full? I assume the starting corrals for those two mornings will be the same place as the Princess Half.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

All 4 mornings or just the mornings of the Half and Full? I assume the starting corrals for those two mornings will be the same place as the Princess Half.

how you get from parking/transportation into the staging areas will be the same every morning and will involve more walking than usual. I can't share specifics.

The 5k & 10k start in the Explore lot. The half/full are the forever-long walk to Woodpecker/EPCOT Center Dr.

 

[LAKid53]

how you get from parking/transportation into the staging areas will be the same every morning and will involve more walking than usual. I can't share specifics.

The 5k & 10k start in the Explore lot. The half/full are the forever-long walk to Woodpecker/EPCOT Center Dr.

Okay, thanks for the info.

 

[Rose&Crown]

I guess I’ll wait and see what group I’m in but if it starts at 5 I see no reason to be there at 330. That’s kinda crazy

 

[Lilofan]

I guess I’ll wait and see what group I’m in but if it starts at 5 I see no reason to be there at 330. That’s kinda crazy

Perhaps the many many busses have to get to Epcot transporting runners prior to race start? Can't see thousands of runners coming in at last minute to run a race.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

I guess I’ll wait and see what group I’m in but if it starts at 5 I see no reason to be there at 330. That’s kinda crazy

I'm the nerd that's always on the 1st bus from the resort to the start area coz I don't want to be late. I know there have been issues in the past with buses getting lost, stuck in road closures, etc. on race mornings. Typically the drivers are 3rd party and not used to driving around Disney property - especially at 3am.

 

[Lilofan]

I'm the nerd that's always on the 1st bus from the resort to the start area coz I don't want to be late. I know there have been issues in the past with buses getting lost, stuck in road closures, etc. on race mornings. Typically the drivers are 3rd party and not used to driving around Disney property - especially at 3am.

I've known runners go to bed at 7pm wake up at 1am , get ready then get there by 330am. I think they said there was some sort of entertainment ? Guys and gals with music on a makeshift stage near the start line at 330am getting the runners doing stretching , exercises to get the blood flowing ?

 

[DznyGrlSD]

I've known runners go to bed at 7pm wake up at 1am , get ready then get there by 330am. I think they said there was some sort of entertainment ? Guys and gals with music on a makeshift stage near the start line at 330am getting the runners doing stretching , exercises to get the blood flowing ?

there are photo opportunities in the staging areas, food trucks (if that's your thing), music/DJ. There's stuff to keep you entertained for 90 minutes.

 

[Lilofan]

there are photo opportunities in the staging areas, food trucks (if that's your thing), music/DJ. There's stuff to keep you entertained for 90 minutes.

Disney thinks of everything to make the time go by.

 

[Texas84]

You’re right, 13 was just the number of days until leaving for the Expo when I found out. I believe the current CDC guidelines are to isolate for 10 days from first symptoms assuming no fever (on day 10 without meds) and that symptoms are improving. I haven’t looked too much deeper past that, maybe 5 is when they’ve had negative tests after diagnosis but before 10 days?

Fortunately, my symptoms never got worse than a bad cold a couple of days ago and I don’t have any real ongoing symptoms other than fatigue at this point, so, barring something unusual, I should be good to go!

Just checked. CDC is now saying 5 days for vaxxed.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Just checked. CDC is now saying 5 days for vaxxed.

5 days if you're vaxxed AND asymptomatic.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

I took a PCR test yesterday just to be safe. Spent the entire weekend doing "tourist things" in Orlando and our numbers are HIGH right now. Also taking another PCR test on 1/4 after NYE activities. I'd hate to be sick going into Marathon weekend.

 

[Surferboy567]

I would like to come on and say that the race went really well and I secured a PR but the fact of the matter is that didn’t happen, and I didn’t even finish the distance in one shot.

Today, I learned what happens when you don’t hydrate or eat at all during or before a race. I started around 11:30 (ish) it was already much later then I usually run. About 2 miles in I remembered I didn’t fill my water bottles. This was the first red flag but I figured I have run before without water. So I continued the run as normal. Luckily my course is a loop so I end where I started.

About 10 (ish) miles in I was starting to not feel well. I knew I couldn’t finish I had about a mile till I made it back home. Originally, I wanted to just grab a water bottle and keep running. By the time I made it home, I had to make the call to call the remaining two miles off. Yes, maybe if I really pushed it I could of finished but it wasn’t worth it.

Here are the results for what I did finish:

Time: 02:28:51
Distance: 11.46
Avg Pace: 12:59

Later today, I will finish the remaining 1.64 miles to complete the half. Yes, I know I technically didn’t finish the distance in one goal. I will however be running many more halves in preparation for Springtime Surprise to make up for it.

Will update later when I finish the remaining distance.

 

[Rose&Crown]

I'm the nerd that's always on the 1st bus from the resort to the start area coz I don't want to be late. I know there have been issues in the past with buses getting lost, stuck in road closures, etc. on race mornings. Typically the drivers are 3rd party and not used to driving around Disney property - especially at 3am.

I’m driving in so I’ll have some buffer time. But ya if I was on a bus I’d go very early

 

[Figment82]

This weekend always has more traffic backups than W&D, so I’m not surprised by the early call time. Whereas for W&D, some runners are going on bus straight from their resort to TTC and some are parking at Epcot then going on bus to TTC, here every single participant is entering through the same toll booth (Uber, bus, personal car). Plus there’s just a larger number of runners. I’ve seen it get backed up all the way on Buena Vista Dr.

It’s always that fine line of not wanting to wait around for two hours (especially if it’s freezing), and that anxious feeling that you have to run an additional mile to make it to your corral in time.

And I’m no certainly no doctor, but I always highly recommend a daily dose of Zinc, especially when preparing to be around a large group of people, and definitely with being in the midst of cold/flu season and rising Covid cases.

 

[Surferboy567]

I would like to come on and say that the race went really well and I secured a PR but the fact of the matter is that didn’t happen, and I didn’t even finish the distance in one shot.

Today, I learned what happens when you don’t hydrate or eat at all during or before a race. I started around 11:30 (ish) it was already much later then I usually run. About 2 miles in I remembered I didn’t fill my water bottles. This was the first red flag but I figured I have run before without water. So I continued the run as normal. Luckily my course is a loop so I end where I started.

About 10 (ish) miles in I was starting to not feel well. I knew I couldn’t finish I had about a mile till I made it back home. Originally, I wanted to just grab a water bottle and keep running. By the time I made it home, I had to make the call to call the remaining two miles off. Yes, maybe if I really pushed it I could of finished but it wasn’t worth it.

Here are the results for what I did finish:

Time: 02:28:51
Distance: 11.46
Avg Pace: 12:59

Later today, I will finish the remaining 1.64 miles to complete the half. Yes, I know I technically didn’t finish the distance in one goal. I will however be running many more halves in preparation for Springtime Surprise to make up for it.

Will update later when I finish the remaining distance.

As promised, I did in fact run the remaining distance to earn my medal. I know it’s not ideal but at least I ran the required distance. I still feel like I earned that medal. Anyways here are the results for the final stretch.

Time: 22:04
Distance: 1.65
Avg Pace: 13:20

These files will be uploaded to Strava as individual files. When I submit the results to runDisney I will simply add the two times together. When adding the two sessions together these are my final results.

Time: 02:50:55
Distance: 13.11

With that strange course of events my virtual Marathon Weekend ends. I feel it was (mostly) successful and learned a very valuable lesson about hydration. Like I said before, I will go into a cooldown week then start up with training for my LIVE Springtime Surprise Challenge event. Along the way I will be completing multiple halves to make up for this including the virtual Princess Half Marathon!

EDIT: Very excited for my medals and shirts to arrive! Good luck to all the in person and virtual runners! Definitely don’t make the same mistake I did.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Well...race weekend must be happening because I got my schedule today for the 5k, 10k & half (I'll get marathon day schedule next week)

 

[OG Runner]

I took a PCR test yesterday just to be safe. Spent the entire weekend doing "tourist things" in Orlando and our numbers are HIGH right now. Also taking another PCR test on 1/4 after NYE activities. I'd hate to be sick going into Marathon weekend.

I got my booster last night. Running tonight.