Marathon Weekend 2020

[kirstie101]

Marathon weekend was amazing. Thank you to all the advice you all gave. Whoever mentioned keeping the sponge in their sports bra for the rest of the race last year, I owe you many drinks. It was great meeting some of you at HH and the morning Of the Half. Wish I could have gone to DATW but I wanted to really explore AK and I’ve kinda fallen in love with it.
I can’t believe I finished Dopey and my first full! I took all the races leading up to the full very easy. Although I got a PW on the Half it was one of my favorite races ever as I took more character photos than I ever have. I could do with more bands or music on the stretches of road though. The Jell-O shots from @Dis_Yoda during the 10k were the icing in that race which was also super fun. The Full was an experience. I wish it would have started on time as I think that would’ve helped those of us in the later corral stay cool a little longer. I also wish the course had been less crowded as it was really hard to fall into an interval pattern for very long. That heat and humidity was brutal. Scary brutal. The only thing in my life that was harder than finishing that marathon was unmedicated childbirth. I met my goal of crossing the finish line with a drink in my hand and I cried like a baby just like I knew I would. I cry thinking about it still.

I’m thrilled to say I completed Dopey but I will never do it again. I honestly don’t know that I will do another full again either mainly because I didn’t like the training for it. But now that I’ve done a race at Walt Disney World I would like to come back for another race weekend and do a half… Or maybe just the full.

 

[Jason Bryer]

Guys. Out of nowhere I just started to miss marathon training. Who am I?

Me too! I’m already plotting my next marathon(s). Might need to consult @DopeyBadger to see if I can make Philadelphia the weekend before thanksgiving and Goofy 2021 work. I did NYC and Dopey this year, but that was three weeks earlier.

I also need to make sure I do DATW next year too. At least I made it to HH.

 

[YohoAPiratesLife4Me]

I am SO happy to get home just now because I think I picked up the flu. We went to Epcot yesterday, and I just wilted as the day went on. There was no way I could make it to the fireworks. I hope you are all well. I will post again when I am feeling better. In the meantime, I enjoyed meeting so many of you.

Same here. I went for a rapid flu test today which confirmed I have flu type A. The docs gave me Tamiflu. It’s awful! Feel better soon. I’m so glad we didn’t do the cruise after MW. That would have been horrendous!

 

[KevM]

Me too! I’m already plotting my next marathon(s). Might need to consult @DopeyBadger to see if I can make Philadelphia the weekend before thanksgiving and Goofy 2021 work. I did NYC and Dopey this year, but that was three weeks earlier.

From my experience you should be able to. This year I did the Freedom Challenge (Philly Half & 8K on Saturday, Philly Marathon on Sunday) and Dopey. It was 7 weeks in between.

 

[lhermiston]

So, I started a trip report ...

https://www.disboards.com/threads/goof-troop-wdw-marathon-weekend-2020.3786966/
If you thought my dad jokes were bad, wait until you read my writing.

 

[BigEeyore]

Reflecting on marathon weekend - the good, the bad and the ugly!

GOOD:
- Character variety on course - I am a sucker for any classic characters in special outfits (colonial Minnie!) and for the rare ones (Chicken Little!)
- Extra hydration stations on the course due to the weather
- The new marathon course - overall it's a winner over the old course, but like everyone else, I hated the BB part (and that awful stretch from AK to BB too!). And they have to sort out the logistics at the start.
- Those rD Minnie ears at the expo, and happy that they are still doing finisher mouse ears for the marathon
- Meeting many of you at DATW!
- Getting a BG for RoTR Monday morning - I soooo wanted to sleep in but I was on a mission! WORTH IT
- The medals - for Goofy, the half and the full are fantastic

BAD:
- Expo merch - very little Goofy stuff even though it was an anniversary year. No race sweaty bands. Prices do not line up with quality. I miss the variety that used to be available.
- The new race shirt material - just why??
- TRAFFIC - yikes it was bad coming to Epcot marathon morning. Somebody really screwed up with that.
- Delayed start - if the heat wasn't so bad maybe I wouldn't have been so upset about it, but that was at least a mile or two more that I could have gotten done before the sun came up.
- No Rudy - miss that guy. Just not the same feel without him.
- The post race snack box - just give me a granola bar or something! The stuff they put in those boxes keeps getting weirder.

AND THE UGLY:
- The heat and humidity on Sunday - it's hard to run in that weather anytime, but especially if you are not acclimated to it. It was scary seeing people collapsed on the side of the course (hope they are all ok!).

 

[Nightriders19]

Wow, I still can't believe Marathon Weekend is over, and that I actually ran a marathon. DH is now planning Marathon Weekend trips for the next 3 years at least, lol.

Silly question...it turns out that I placed 3rd in my age group. Do I get something for that? Does anyone know what? The runDisney site just says that there are awards for the top 3 in each age group, but doesn't have any other specifics.

 

[FFigawi]

Wow, I still can't believe Marathon Weekend is over, and that I actually ran a marathon. DH is now planning Marathon Weekend trips for the next 3 years at least, lol.

Silly question...it turns out that I placed 3rd in my age group. Do I get something for that? Does anyone know what? The runDisney site just says that there are awards for the top 3 in each age group, but doesn't have any other specifics.

Congrats! They'll mail you a pretty cool trophy. My father in law has several from winning his age group several times and says it takes a few weeks to show up.

 

[DISRNR1000]

Silly question...it turns out that I placed 3rd in my age group. Do I get something for that? Does anyone know what? The runDisney site just says that there are awards for the top 3 in each age group, but doesn't have any other specifics.

That is really cool! Congratulations!

- The heat and humidity on Sunday - it's hard to run in that weather anytime, but especially if you are not acclimated to it. It was scary seeing people collapsed on the side of the course (hope they are all ok!).

So there were a number of people collapsed on the side of the course marathon day? That is indeed scary. As earlier runners came trickling back to my hotel, they looked pretty exhausted.

 

[croach]

Wow, I still can't believe Marathon Weekend is over, and that I actually ran a marathon. DH is now planning Marathon Weekend trips for the next 3 years at least, lol.

Silly question...it turns out that I placed 3rd in my age group. Do I get something for that? Does anyone know what? The runDisney site just says that there are awards for the top 3 in each age group, but doesn't have any other specifics.

Congratulations on your finish! You'll get a plaque with your age group and all that but they don't splurge for your name.

 

[DISRNR1000]

I thought this past marathon weekend was wonderful! It was a whirlwind trip this time, but I had a blast!
I know many, many do not like the heat. But these weekends are as much of a warm weather vacation for me as running the races. So for me, I cannot complain about the temps.

- I only ran the half this time and am glad I did not push it to try to run the marathon too. I truly would not have been ready. I think the half is a good distance for me right now. Maybe the full marathon in 2022 or 2023. I hope I have at least one more full left in me!
- I liked the half course, maybe since I knew what to expect with regard to not a lot of time in the parks it seemed fine. Disney runs are still by far my favorite, even given the long road stretches.
- I would have liked to have seen more characters and entertainment along the open roads. Seems like there was more of that in the past. Where was the DJ at the water bridge?
- The character lines were mostly too long for me to stop at, but I did get a couple of pics toward the end of the race and after.
- First time since I can remember that I actually got to run a little on Main St. AND there was no standstill at the Castle! In fact, it was open until I actually entered the castle. I was in corral F. So I'm not sure when it started to back up. (Maybe the crowd was in the character lines!)
- The course was crowded, but I was able to maintain my pace for the most part.
- I found runner etiquette to be good; fellow runners supportive of one and other.
- Volunteers and crowd support great as always. Seems like the medical staff were really watching out for anyone in need.
- It seemed like it took longer to walk to the corrals this time, and there was a bottleneck getting into my corral. Next time I really need to try to get there earlier and attend the meet up.

Keep your stories and reviews coming! I love reading about all of your experiences. I'm not sure yet about Marathon Weekend 2021, but I will be hopping over to that thread too!

 

[dobball23]

From my experience you should be able to. This year I did the Freedom Challenge (Philly Half & 8K on Saturday, Philly Marathon on Sunday) and Dopey. It was 7 weeks in between.

The Freedom Challenge sounds intriguing. Plus, I live in PA.

Did you run all three races? What was your experience like? How many people do the Freedom Challenge? It is definitely a lot of miles in a short time!

 

[KevM]

The Freedom Challenge sounds intriguing. Plus, I live in PA.

Did you run all three races? What was your experience like? How many people do the Freedom Challenge? It is definitely a lot of miles in a short time!

I did run all three races. I did the half & 8K faster than I had planned on, but I blame that on adrenaline. Plus it helped me figure out how to take it slower for Dopey. My experience was good. I liked it a lot. The half starts at 7:30 AM and the 8K starts at 10:45 AM. Towards mile 19 of the Marathon my right knee started getting stiff and I had to walk it out for a good mile or so before I could start running again. Besides that though, it was good. I had to look up how many people did it this year. It’s a real small amount. There were 196 people registered. Of that 171 completed all three races.

 

[jockey]

My first Dopey and loved every minute! Back to training today next race is the London Marathon. How many people ran the marathon on Sunday?

 

[Kerry1957]

How many people ran the marathon on Sunday?

14,106 finished (6,577 men and 7,529 women).

 

[SheHulk]

Reflecting on marathon weekend - the good, the bad and the ugly!

GOOD:
- Character variety on course - I am a sucker for any classic characters in special outfits (colonial Minnie!) and for the rare ones (Chicken Little!)
- Extra hydration stations on the course due to the weather
- The new marathon course - overall it's a winner over the old course, but like everyone else, I hated the BB part (and that awful stretch from AK to BB too!). And they have to sort out the logistics at the start.
- Those rD Minnie ears at the expo, and happy that they are still doing finisher mouse ears for the marathon
- Meeting many of you at DATW!
- Getting a BG for RoTR Monday morning - I soooo wanted to sleep in but I was on a mission! WORTH IT
- The medals - for Goofy, the half and the full are fantastic

BAD:
- Expo merch - very little Goofy stuff even though it was an anniversary year. No race sweaty bands. Prices do not line up with quality. I miss the variety that used to be available.
- The new race shirt material - just why??
- TRAFFIC - yikes it was bad coming to Epcot marathon morning. Somebody really screwed up with that.
- Delayed start - if the heat wasn't so bad maybe I wouldn't have been so upset about it, but that was at least a mile or two more that I could have gotten done before the sun came up.
- No Rudy - miss that guy. Just not the same feel without him.
- The post race snack box - just give me a granola bar or something! The stuff they put in those boxes keeps getting weirder.

AND THE UGLY:
- The heat and humidity on Sunday - it's hard to run in that weather anytime, but especially if you are not acclimated to it. It was scary seeing people collapsed on the side of the course (hope they are all ok!).

I agree with every single one of these!

 

[GuinnessRunner]

I am SO happy to get home just now because I think I picked up the flu. We went to Epcot yesterday, and I just wilted as the day went on. There was no way I could make it to the fireworks. I hope you are all well. I will post again when I am feeling better. In the meantime, I enjoyed meeting so many of you.

Add us to that oh so non-fun crew too. Got back and all 4 kids were diagnosed Tuesday with Strain B of the flu (even with flu shots this fall) and my DW is fighting it off too, but not nearly as bad. Being around that many people I guess it shouldn't surprise me.

 

[Melissa Perez]

I still can't stop smiling after the weekend. My entire goal was to finish Dopey and I did just that. I had a horrendous race at my previous "last" marathon (London 2019) and wanted to give it one more chance to feel good about running. I'm glad I did, my full was a PW but I smiled the entire time. Now, it feels right to retire from marathon running and return back to halfs.

 

[Jason Bryer]

I did run all three races. I did the half & 8K faster than I had planned on, but I blame that on adrenaline. Plus it helped me figure out how to take it slower for Dopey. My experience was good. I liked it a lot. The half starts at 7:30 AM and the 8K starts at 10:45 AM. Towards mile 19 of the Marathon my right knee started getting stiff and I had to walk it out for a good mile or so before I could start running again. Besides that though, it was good. I had to look up how many people did it this year. It’s a real small amount. There were 196 people registered. Of that 171 completed all three races.

I was looking at that challenge. I probably could convince my wife to do the half and my older boys the 8k. I have friends that have run that race the last few years and BQ this past year. Said the support was great.

 

[PrincessV]

With some time to reflect, I'm back to share a few more thoughts on it all...

I, too, can't believe it's all over and we have to wait another year to do it again.

I would have forked over the money to register for Dopey 2021 on expo day, just knowing the forecast for this year's marathon, I was already in do-over mode before the first race lol!

I have nothing interesting to say about the 5K and 10K: they were fine, they were fun, nothing exciting happened, which is a good thing.

I woke with a splitting headache for the half and didn't take anything for it because usually, running helps. It didn't this time. The pain lifted a bit in the final miles, but hit full-force again walking to my car. I don't remember a lot about the race - I think I was just focused on getting ti done so I could get to some Aleve and Pepsi to help my head. Other than the headache, I felt good: the heat/humidity wasn't an issue at all for my Floridian blood.

The Marathon. Oh, man. What a beast! The traffic, the delayed start, the heat, the cut course. Honestly, and I almost hate to admit it, I felt great the first 10 miles. The temp and humidity were just-right for me, and running at a comfortable pace, I found myself hitting near-PR splits. I didn't really realize I was getting warm until mile 12, when friends handed me an ice-cold bottle of water and it felt amazing. I slowed it down at that point, but was still moving pretty comfortably through AK. My stomach wasn't feeling great, so I stopped at Thirsty River - no line! - for a Coke, and that helped a lot. Leaving AK, I ran into a friend who was doing her first WDW Marathon and first Dopey and wasn't loving the heat, so I stayed with her for a bit, then picked up my pace a little. A friend had told me back at TTC that she heard they were planning to cut the course, probably around 11am. I knew it was getting close, and I figured the only place a cut would happen would be at Buena Vista/BB, so I was trying to get ahead of it. It was HOT in the sun on Western Way, but I was pouring water all over me at every station and felt pretty okay... and then I heard them announce the course change. Done. No possibility of making it to BB for me. So I slowed way down, found my friend I'd been with earlier, and spent the remainder of the race doing what I could to help her get it done. That was a thousand times more rewarding than BB, and I'm so happy to say she did it!

In retrospect, finishing this year was rather surreal. We saw soooooo many people down in the marathon. This was the worst I've ever seen, and that's including the battlefield scene at the finish of TOT 2012. I saw a couple people here and there early in the race - sitting to the side, looking not great, but like they might rest a bit and get going again. It was worse on Bear Island Rd, where I saw more down and not looking good. Western Way and Buena Vista were truly terrifying: people down left and right, unconscious, medics doing chest compressions, ambulance sirens screaming every few minutes - it felt very weird and somewhat wrong to keep running by, even knowing logically there was nothing we could do to help that wasn't already being done. After finishing, and in line for our challenge medals, the carnage kept coming. Screams for "MEDICS!!" and we were hastened out of that line and into another. More screams for "MEDICS!!" and we were moved again. Just really, really scary.

I think WDW, rD, the volunteers, and especially the medical teams were amazing,. They worked SO hard to keep us safe and to help when it was needed. The truck full of ice outside of DHS was a godsend. I hope a lesson they might learn is to consider having bags of ice at every, or even every other, water stop for conditions like that. I finished with the Balloon Ladies and had water available at every stop along the way. Medical response was FAST and bike medics and officials were keeping an eye on us all the way from AK on.

I've seen some folks PR'd with really fast times and I believe it! The heat just wasn't that bad for some of us until the sun was high. So if you can run a <4:00 marathon, you could be done before the heat really hit. For the rest of us, this is one for the record books based on simply surviving.