Marathon Weekend 2025

[jenljeffers1989]

Thanks for the reminder!! Poly studios are usually not too bad at the 11-month mark, but knowing me I would've forgetten about it until, like, May.

Fingers crossed! This is my first time renting DVC points. I went through David's and my first choice was the Poly starting the 8th. I'm hoping it goes through.

Does anyone know how late the busses and the monorail to the start line go for the races? Trying to convince my husband to register with me but he's not going for a 2 am wakeup.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Fingers crossed! This is my first time renting DVC points. I went through David's and my first choice was the Poly starting the 8th. I'm hoping it goes through.

Does anyone know how late the busses and the monorail to the start line go for the races? Trying to convince my husband to register with me but he's not going for a 2 am wakeup.

My husband doesn't like all the 2am wakeups but since we stay in a studio, so he doesn't really have a choice when I'm running Dopey. But this year we came back from the races and took a nap most of the days (set an alarm for 10 or 11am, but always woke up before it went off) and it was fantastic.

(If you are newer to rundisney races, and for the new lurkers....)
The biggest thing to consider for "when should I get to the start area" is that there are now corral closing times before the race starts, and if you are in a faster corral you need to be there sooner. And also, how much would it suck if you waited longer and your bus went the wrong way, or they closed a road early (which definitely happened at one of the races this year) and you have to re-route to get in. It's also about a 0.75mi walk from the bus drop off point to the start area. And if they go back to the 'old' start area for the HM and M, it's another mile walkout to those corrals (but I don't see them doing that since there were no obvious issues this year with the new parking-lot corrals.)

That being said, I feel like if you can be ON transportation no later than 3:30, you should be good for most of the days (maybe a little sooner for the half/full since there might be a line for the monorail) and how early you need to get up will depend on the person.

 

[jenljeffers1989]

My husband doesn't like all the 2am wakeups but since we stay in a studio, so he doesn't really have a choice when I'm running Dopey. But this year we came back from the races and took a nap most of the days (set an alarm for 10 or 11am, but always woke up before it went off) and it was fantastic.

The biggest thing to consider for "when should I get to the start area" is that there are now corral closing times before the race starts, and if you are in a faster corral you need to be there sooner. And also, how much would it suck if you waited longer and your bus went the wrong way, or they closed a road early (which definitely happened at one of the races this year) and you have to re-route to get in. It's also about 0.75mi from the bus drop off point to the start area. And if they go back to the 'old' start area for the HM and M, it's another mile walkout to those corrals (but I don't see them doing that since there were no obvious issues this year with the new parking-lot corrals.)

That being said, I feel like if you can be ON transportation by 3:30, you should be good for most of the days (maybe a little sooner for the half/full since there might be a line for the monorail)

Thanks so much for the advice! I've only ever done the wine and dine half at WDW and stayed at Shades of Green, so was able to walk to the starting area around 4:15 AM. So the latest the buses/monorail go is 3:30 then? Or do they go later?

 

[Cabius]

Thanks so much for the advice! I've only ever done the wine and dine half at WDW and stayed at Shades of Green, so was able to walk to the starting area around 4:15 AM. So the latest the buses/monorail go is 3:30 then? Or do they go later?

As of a couple years ago, resort busses ran 2:30AM to 4:30AM. The monorail may just keep running continuously, though, since it's not impeded by road closures, and a lot of people will scoot back from the Epcot area to the TTC/MC. Somebody else would have to weigh in on that.

To be clear: I wouldn't recommend hopping on the monorail after 4AM and planning to make the race start on time. It takes about 15 minutes to get to Epcot, then security, then at least 30-45 minutes to walk from the monorail station to the starting line. I know that in some years they've compressed the start from 60 minutes to more like 30 or 40, and I don't know if that's the new normal (didn't run this year), but I personally would feel veeeerrryyy nervous about a plan that didn't have me there well before 5!

 

[fatmanatee]

RE: shirts, all of the free race shirts I've gotten have shifted toward the same sort of crappy material. First one I got where I noticed this was for the Chicago Marathon in 2019. The weird thing about this was that the shirt was Nike-branded so I had some bare minimum expectations for it being wearable, but the sizing was way off, felt like it was a full size smaller than what I normally wear.

NYRR has a similar issue with sizing, not as bad but I've kept a few over the years and one has a noticeably wider cut than the others for whatever reason. It's possible that they're just bouncing around different low-cost options. At this point I have low expectations for free race shirts in general.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Thanks so much for the advice! I've only ever done the wine and dine half at WDW and stayed at Shades of Green, so was able to walk to the starting area around 4:15 AM. So the latest the buses/monorail go is 3:30 then? Or do they go later?

Road closures are definitely a thing, and will depend on the course. And that is going to impact bussing schedules.

Per this year's event guide, bus transportation technically ran until 4:30, and the monorail (for the HM and M only) doesn't have to stop at all. But you need to factor in waiting for the transportation since busses fill up, monorails fill up, and there might not be one there at the very moment you arrive. From a MK-area resort you're looking at what....a 15min bus ride? Same for the monorail? And then a 15min walk to the start area. Dropping anything at gear check (let's call that 10min) and use the bathroom (another 10min) and now you're at 50min from getting on the transportation. So if you got on right at 3:30, it's now at least 4:20. But what if you had to wait past 3:30 for a monorail or for a bus? Now you are starting to cut it close. Is another 30-40min of sleep worth the stress for a very expensive race weekend?

 

[jenljeffers1989]

As of a couple years ago, resort busses ran 2:30AM to 4:30AM. The monorail may just keep running continuously, though, since it's not impeded by road closures, and a lot of people will scoot back from the Epcot area to the TTC/MC. Somebody else would have to weigh in on that.

To be clear: I wouldn't recommend hopping on the monorail after 4AM and planning to make the race start on time. It takes about 15 minutes to get to Epcot, then security, then at least 30-45 minutes to walk from the monorail station to the starting line. I know that in some years they've compressed the start from 60 minutes to more like 30 or 40, and I don't know if that's the new normal (didn't run this year), but I personally would feel veeeerrryyy nervous about a plan that didn't have me there well before 5!

Thank you!!

 

[MissLiss279]

Don’t they usually recommend you be in the start area by 4am?

 

[prncssjas]

Ooof, don’t delay on some of the more popular DVC bookings! We really haven’t decided what we want to do for Marathon weekend, but I jumped on to book our usual CCV studio with walk-in shower for the first part of the week. Granted it was hours after the booking window opened, but today was booked solid (studio with tub was available)! Thankfully I checked on it again before logging out, and one night had opened so I grabbed my nights.

You're not kidding @LilyJC ! I am not even sure if we are running marathon weekend races but I logged in to book our usual GF stay and the standard studio room was gone for the first night. Luckily, we can do the 1 bedroom or the resort studio but yes, folks are on it! I am glad you managed to grab your nights!

 

[RunWI1265]

Another +1 for the awesomeness of solo trips! Couldn't get the Riv tower booked so I went with BWV for the week. Rented from an owner so I'm pretty much locked in for Dopey. Or at least being there for it! haha.

 

[Disneyhanna]

Also booked for BWV, hooray! I guess it's happening! Just gotta hope registration goes my way too!

Solo runDisney trips are the best. Every runDisney trip is so different too, it's nice not worrying about making sure someone else is enjoying the trip too. And then I can do things like spend four hours at the expo

 

[nekonekoneko]

Also booked for BWV, hooray!

Yay, we could be neighbors!

 

[Disneyhanna]

Yay, we could be neighbors!

BWV party!!! Love it! This is a new resort for me so I can't wait!

 

[Baloo in MI]

I managed to nab a walk in shower studio at Cooper Creek this morning so the first hurdle towards Dopey is jumped! Now I just need luck on registration day, a receptive partner when I pitch getting new AP’s, my boss to approve the time off work, oh and to train!

 

[Barca33Runner]

RE: shirts, all of the free race shirts I've gotten have shifted toward the same sort of crappy material. First one I got where I noticed this was for the Chicago Marathon in 2019. The weird thing about this was that the shirt was Nike-branded so I had some bare minimum expectations for it being wearable, but the sizing was way off, felt like it was a full size smaller than what I normally wear.

NYRR has a similar issue with sizing, not as bad but I've kept a few over the years and one has a noticeably wider cut than the others for whatever reason. It's possible that they're just bouncing around different low-cost options. At this point I have low expectations for free race shirts in general.

The aside in my post was more about the merch rD is selling than the “free” race shirts. I’m fine with those, they are what they are.

It is disappointing to me that Disney is charging very premium prices for everything in the official merchandise section and my personal feeling is that the quality of their merch does not meet the prices being charged. Not a big deal, I’m not their target audience on merch anyway.

 

[runwithperseverence7]

And then I can do things like spend four hours at the expo

This would totally be me. I could spend forever looking at everything. The few expos I’ve been to for my local races, my kids tell me I have a time limit. They just don’t understand!

 

[fatmanatee]

The aside in my post was more about the merch rD is selling than the “free” race shirts. I’m fine with those, they are what they are.

It is disappointing to me that Disney is charging very premium prices for everything in the official merchandise section and my personal feeling is that the quality of their merch does not meet the prices being charged. Not a big deal, I’m not their target audience on merch anyway.

Yeah that's all good, my comment was more about general commentary about the free Champion shirts, I just feel like if they were still providing them the quality might have still degraded, because they're ALL getting worse. I don't expect 2017 Champion quality from any of the free shirts I get anymore, no matter where they come from.

 

[nekonekoneko]

BWV party!!! Love it! This is a new resort for me so I can't wait!

I've been staying at each DVC resort, going one by one every MW, just to see how each one is different.

 

[Cabius]

I've been staying at each DVC resort, going one by one every MW, just to see how each one is different.

Favorite so far, in general or for MW in particular?

 

[nekonekoneko]

Favorite so far, in general or for MW in particular?

So far, probably AKV, but that may also be recency bias, because that's where i was last month. I also like getting to Epcot from the south better than from the north. There's a strange detour from CR/WL coming south.