Marathon Weekend 2021

[DFelt1]

not likely to have to submit a time - Disney virtual races don't have a way to submit anything. Basically do it when you want to or don't do it - as long as the Mouse gets the $$$ you get the Bling

‘There’s nothing to submit. You pay, they ship the medals. When, or even if, you do the runs is up to you.

Huh, shows you what I know. Thanks!

 

[Indigorose]

For those who've done virtual marathons...what sounds more do-able of these three options (I'm thinking Jan midwest crummy streets.) All of these would be from my doorstep to doorstep for aid stations/bathroom breaks/ & instagram mile marker picture nonsense.
1) 26 (+.2) 1 mile loops
2) 8+ 5k loops
3) 5+ 5 mile loops - this one is really only doable with right street conditions.

And yes I plan on bugging people I know with live updates so that I don't give up.

I did my virtual Boston Marathon on a 1 mile loop. It wasn’t actually that bad. I started very early, did some of it with friends and listened to an audiobook.

 

[smctopia]

I really liked the look of that medal, too, but I'm not quite ready for the 10K!

I am walking it but I will walk the full distance in one shot. I also just checked and none of the races have sold out yet.

 

[drummerwife]

I signed up for the Oswald 10k and the Princess Fairy Tale Challenge.

I was hoping to do the virtual Castaway Cay one, but it requires a cruise reservation number. I don't think I'd ever be able to take all the days off work to actually do it, so I thought I'd try the virtual one.

You don’t need a cruise reservation to sign up for the Castaway Cay one. I signed up for it and I’m definitely not taking the cruise.

 

[kirstie101]

For those who've done virtual marathons...what sounds more do-able of these three options (I'm thinking Jan midwest crummy streets.) All of these would be from my doorstep to doorstep for aid stations/bathroom breaks/ & instagram mile marker picture nonsense.
1) 26 (+.2) 1 mile loops
2) 8+ 5k loops
3) 5+ 5 mile loops - this one is really only doable with right street conditions.

And yes I plan on bugging people I know with live updates so that I don't give up.

I would do 2. 5k loops are easier for me mentally than 5 mile loops.

 

[camaker]

For those who've done virtual marathons...what sounds more do-able of these three options (I'm thinking Jan midwest crummy streets.) All of these would be from my doorstep to doorstep for aid stations/bathroom breaks/ & instagram mile marker picture nonsense.
1) 26 (+.2) 1 mile loops
2) 8+ 5k loops
3) 5+ 5 mile loops - this one is really only doable with right street conditions.

And yes I plan on bugging people I know with live updates so that I don't give up.

3 > 2 >> 1

If loops must be done, the number must be minimized.

This is the way.

 

[nekonekoneko]

For anyone who's still going in January, and are doing the virtual runs: are you going to bring the medals with you to the parks, anyway?

 

[camaker]

For anyone who's still going in January, and are doing the virtual runs: are you going to bring the medals with you to the parks, anyway?

I don’t think we’re likely to have the medals by then. Have you seen anything on distribution timing? W&D shirts and medals aren’t being sent until after the scheduled race weekend.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I did my virtual Boston Marathon on a 1 mile loop. It wasn’t actually that bad. I started very early, did some of it with friends and listened to an audiobook.

I'm considering a Weird Al only playlist for the virtual marathon. My sister is quite used to me singing the Weird Al parody of various songs when they come on during race weekends at the Expo, or in the corrals. In fact, she wants me to use Party in the CIA as the finish line.

You don’t need a cruise reservation to sign up for the Castaway Cay one. I signed up for it and I’m definitely not taking the cruise.

I got the Castaway Cay Challenge as well and have never been registered with a cruise.

I am walking it but I will walk the full distance in one shot. I also just checked and none of the races have sold out yet.

The Wine & Dine virtual races did not sell out immediately either. After a very positive virtual race experience over Labor Day weekend, I almost signed up for the virtual Wine & Dine Half as it was available at that time. I'm glad I held off because the new virtual races that just became available are much more appealing to me.

For anyone who's still going in January, and are doing the virtual runs: are you going to bring the medals with you to the parks, anyway?

If I had the medals by then and was going, I would. For Avengers 2017, I took all of my medals to Disneyland for that weekend. I ran Star Wars Light Side Challenge at Disneyland in January and then did Star Wars Dark Side Challenge at Disney World in April which also meant I earned the Kessel Run and Coast to Coast medals. I got a few Kessel Run and/or Coast to Coast medal photos in Disneyland and some pictures with all 9 of my medals for that year.

I have also seen guests take their virtual summer series 5K medals for photos in the parks though I forgot to do so.

 

[MissLiss279]

For anyone who's still going in January, and are doing the virtual runs: are you going to bring the medals with you to the parks, anyway?

If we have them by then, I will take them. Currently the plan is to run there also...

 

[nekonekoneko]

I don’t think we’re likely to have the medals by then. Have you seen anything on distribution timing? W&D shirts and medals aren’t being sent until after the scheduled race weekend.

I haven't seen anything on the timing, maybe just me hoping that they'll be here sooner than later. The difference between W&D and Marathon (and Princess) is the length of time they gave before turning the respective races virtual.

 

[camaker]

I haven't seen anything on the timing, maybe just me hoping that they'll be here sooner than later. The difference between W&D and Marathon (and Princess) is the length of time they gave before turning the respective races virtual.

The conversion of W&D and MW to virtual events were each announced 107 days prior to the first scheduled race of the weekend. There really isn’t a time difference for those two. Plus, with rD already announcing that W&D race packages are going to be sent in November, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for them to completely ship W&D and then turn around and ship MW to arrive around the turn of the year. Especially with the holidays.

 

[lhermiston]

I view the virtual ones as placeholders. If you don't, then marathon #10 needs to be in 2022 with Roving Goof Troop Road Party (TM), The Return of The Troop

Rogue Two Strikes Back

 

[GBRforWDW]

I am walking it but I will walk the full distance in one shot. I also just checked and none of the races have sold out yet.

I was just going to ask if walking the 5k/10k's were legal, haha. I'm not a runner and never looked at marathon stuff before, but after signing my daughter up for a kid race, was thinking my wife and I could walk a 5k.

 

[roxymama]

I was just going to ask if walking the 5k/10k's were legal, haha. I'm not a runner and never looked at marathon stuff before, but after signing my daughter up for a kid race, was thinking my wife and I could walk a 5k.

Lots of people walk races at disney, so it's very much legal The in person races have a pace you have to keep up with or you could get asked to board a bus that takes you to the finish line (being swept.) But with virtual I suppose you could take as long as you want! I certainly plan to

 

[GBRforWDW]

Lots of people walk races at disney, so it's very much legal The in person races have a pace you have to keep up with or you could get asked to board a bus that takes you to the finish line (being swept.) But with virtual I suppose you could take as long as you want! I certainly plan to

Awesome, thanks for the info.

 

[nekonekoneko]

The conversion of W&D and MW to virtual events were each announced 107 days prior to the first scheduled race of the weekend. There really isn’t a time difference for those two. Plus, with rD already announcing that W&D race packages are going to be sent in November, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for them to completely ship W&D and then turn around and ship MW to arrive around the turn of the year. Especially with the holidays.

Fair enough, hm, maybe there wouldn't be enough time to do it. Oh well, it was wishful thinking, though!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I was just going to ask if walking the 5k/10k's were legal, haha. I'm not a runner and never looked at marathon stuff before, but after signing my daughter up for a kid race, was thinking my wife and I could walk a 5k.

My little sister walked 100% of Dopey this past January. So long as you can maintain a 16 minute per mile during a race at Walt Disney World, you are fine. If character stops matter to you, then you may want to train at a faster pace in order to be able to absorb the character lines and not get swept.

Just keep in mind that any character or photo stops count towards your pace. So if between miles 2 and 3 you spent 20 minutes in line for characters and 10 minutes running the actual mile distance itself, you have logged a 30 minute mile. Now most character lines are not that long, but can be. Waits generally range from 2-3 minutes to 10-15 minutes or even 20-30 minutes depending on the popularity of the characters and/or how rare they are. I don't want to scare anyone, but I have overheard very disappointed runners who were swept from a race because they did not realize that running a 10 minute mile

For in person races, the 5Ks are not timed. I have finished those in over 90 minutes because of all the time spent in line. They do time 10K distance and higher in live races and will sweep you. You will always be given plenty of notice before they sweep you if that is going to happen in a live race.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Thanks @Sleepless Knight! Good info. Fortunately/unfortunately I don’t have to worry about character stops this time.

Talked to wife when I got home and we decided to go for it. Since it’s all virtual, I signed myself up for the Disney World 5k and her for the Castaway Cay 5k so we get different medals and shirts. Who knows, maybe we’ll do the 5k after we check into AoA on the 7th. Haven’t stayed there, so we’ll probably want to check out all the cool features there and Pop anyway.

 

[rdiver]

Wife and I feel a sense of relief now that a decision has been made for 2021. We haven't been on top of training since returning from Marathon weekend this year, even though we were only doing the half. Between work, school, weather in Texas, and COVID, just weren't feeling it. Also this week, my wife started treatment on her backpain. 16 weeks of therapy came right up to the end of the year. Now we can focus on getting healthy and planning for Dopey 2022. Still keeping our trip as we rented points and have been talking about going back in February for our anniversary.

Thinking of signing up for the 10k for motivation and to kick off training for Dopey.