Disney Marathon 2020 Course ... Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge?

[cesj1990]

Hey fellow Disney runners! My hubby and I are running the Disney Marathon this January (his first Disney race, my second after the Princess Half this year), and we were curious... will we get to run through Galaxy's Edge?

I know this year the run through Hollywood Studios was pretty short due to the construction, but since Galaxy's Edge will be open, we were hoping we would get to run through. I know the course map won't be released until a few weeks before, but what do you all think?

P.S. This is my first post on Disboards. I've been a lurker for awhile, but I've never posted. I hope I did it right!

 

[Professor_Cookie]

If I had to guess I would highly doubt it. That’s some prime real estate to be congested with runners for many hours. But I have been wrong many times about many things.

 

[The Expert]

Agree with @Professor_Cookie 's logic, but they almost HAVE to route the Star Wars Rival Run Half (and/or maybe 10K) through there, right? Especially given that those would have runners through the land and done earlier. I'm seriously considering signing up for that for the third time just in case.

 

[rteetz]

Agree with @Professor_Cookie 's logic, but they almost HAVE to route the Star Wars Rival Run Half (and/or maybe 10K) through there, right? Especially given that those would have runners through the land and done earlier. I'm seriously considering signing up for that for the third time just in case.

I think it’s possible for a half because it would be easier to get people in and out of there quickly. I definitely don’t think they run the full through there.

 

[cavepig]

I agree, I can't see letting runners through due to congestion with regular park guests. It would be cool, but I don't see the room. Kind of how we don't run through Pandora for the full.

 

[cesj1990]

That makes sense! My thought was they might to improve attendance. I've read that numbers have been down compared to previous years.

 

[aalvis]

Agree with @Professor_Cookie 's logic, but they almost HAVE to route the Star Wars Rival Run Half (and/or maybe 10K) through there, right? Especially given that those would have runners through the land and done earlier. I'm seriously considering signing up for that for the third time just in case.

I think they should at least let us run by Star Tours during the half, but nope.

 

[rteetz]

I think they should at least let us run by Star Tours during the half, but nope.

Well if all goes to plan Star Tours won’t be there forever. Definitely will be there for 2020 tho.

 

[bumbershoot]

That makes sense! My thought was they might to improve attendance. I've read that numbers have been down compared to previous years.

But they don’t give us the course info until a month or so out. So the course cannot cause more people to sign up. It’s really only been this 2019 rundisney event year that races haven’t been selling out. I wouldn’t expect it to continue, personally.

 

[Barca33Runner]

I wouldn't anticipate much change to the Hollywood Studios portion of the race. As it stands they'd have to make a pretty big deviation to the course to get us back by Galaxy's Edge. Since HS is late in the race (runners still going through after 12 PM) I would anticipate that the plan will be to continue to have us enter near ToT, head down Sunset Boulevard, and then exit the park.

I'm curious to get a better mental picture of the layout of Galaxy's Edge. Personally, I'm not picturing expansive walkways in my mind that would allow for a large running event to pass through even in the shorter events which could potentially bypass the park opening issues.

 

[DerTobi75]

How realistic is it, that rD changes the course entirely?

So that they can get Star Wars in it?!

 

[rteetz]

How realistic is it, that rD changes the course entirely?

So that they can get Star Wars in it?!

Maybe but probably not likely. They need to keep the start and finish locations in major parking lot areas.

 

[Barca33Runner]

How realistic is it, that rD changes the course entirely?

So that they can get Star Wars in it?!

I’d be happy for Disney to prove me wrong, but I actually think they’d be more likely to change the course to keep it away from interfering with Galaxy’s Edge than to change it to run through GE.

Clearing MK and GE before park open (9 AM at latest) would be huge issues. Someone with a better knowledge of the real estate can expound on the plausibility of a course that would clear all runners from those areas before 9 AM (so before mile 10-ish, not sure where the balloons are at the time), but I’d guess it would somewhat of a logistical nightmare.

 

[Nole95]

I think there is more of a chance for the Star Wars Half race weekend course to include GE than Marathon Weekend. If they do not change the course on Stars Wars race weekend to include GE, there are going to be a lot of unhappy people next year.

 

[IamTrike]

How realistic is it, that rD changes the course entirely?

So that they can get Star Wars in it?!

How likely is it that they change the course entirely? Not very. The oldest course map that I can find which goes back to 1999 still has the Epcot Start and Finish Area and still has some of the same course options.
https://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL98001WN

That being said since 1999 There have been 13 different Disney Marathon courses certified. So it's definitely possible that they will make changes.
https://www.usatf.org/events/course...tionYear=&lastName=&format=view&submit=Search

That being said I agree with others that the inclusion of galaxies edge is unlikely.

 

[ckb_nc]

I would highly doubt the marathon goes through Galaxy's Edge - way too congested plus the time of day (last runners come through at like 11:30am ++) means the park is wide open. The Star Wars races - absolutely and I could see them modifying the course to make it earlier in each race as it will be they focal point. leave Epcot, amke a big loop to HS and into Galaxy's Edge. the real issue is how to get the runners to leave but so it early.

 

[dsk727]

I’m really hoping that they save the first course that runs through it (if at all) for Rival Run 2020. I think it would make the most sense to start to include it from that point on.

 

[Krandor]

I think there is more of a chance for the Star Wars Half race weekend course to include GE than Marathon Weekend. If they do not change the course on Stars Wars race weekend to include GE, there are going to be a lot of unhappy people next year.

Agreed. SW Race Weekend is much more likely to go through GE. In fact, that is a race I could see them making major changes to the course to include it (like maybe putting HS earlier in the route) then for the Full Marathon. They already completely re-did Star Wars course from year 1 to year 2 (for good reason).

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Agreed. SW Race Weekend is much more likely to go through GE. In fact, that is a race I could see them making major changes to the course to include it (like maybe putting HS earlier in the route) then for the Full Marathon. They already completely re-did Star Wars course from year 1 to year 2 (for good reason).

I don't want to imagine the anger they will get, and deservedly so, if they do not have the Star Wars Half go through Galaxy's Edge. Maybe even the 5K and 10K as well. And I believe they will have at least one of the courses go through Galaxy's Edge.

For runners who ran the Disneyland races, in the inaugural 2015 Star Wars Half in January there was a tunnel between Disneyland and California Adventure that just had Darth Vader breathing in the tunnel. At the 2015 D23 Expo, they announced the Star Wars expansion. At the 2016 or 2017 Star Wars Half, the Darth Vader tunnel moved to Disneyland right around the area where Galaxy's Edge would be going.

While they will have to change the course to go through Galaxy's Edge, I'm fine with that. They need to. Having the Star Wars Half not go through Galaxy's Edge is like cutting the Magic Kingdom out of the course for Princess. It makes no sense at all because of how crucial both are to the theme of those respective races.

 

[Krandor]

While they will have to change the course to go through Galaxy's Edge, I'm fine with that. They need to. Having the Star Wars Half not go through Galaxy's Edge is like cutting the Magic Kingdom out of the course for Princess. It makes no sense at all because of how crucial both are to the theme of those respective races.

Totally agree. I'm not sure if they could move start/finish to HS since I'm not sure how you would route the half course in that instance but I'm wondering if start/finish was at epcot could you do epcot to HS/GE and back to Epcot in a 10k?