Marathon Weekend 2021

[avondale]

Well, I managed to get caught up to sneak this in before the next SAFD.

I'm Melissa, 46, living in Maryland just north of DC. My DH and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary last summer. I'm an astronomer, and I teach at the University of Maryland - I've seen some alums on this thread! However, I"m not originally from Maryland and didn't go to UMD myself.

I've been running for nearly 7 years now. I've done a bunch of HMs and three marathons, and shorter races. I'm planning on 2021 being my first WDW marathon.

I also play a lot of tennis (and captain multiple teams), do some strength training, and we like to travel a lot for hiking, mostly in mountains. I'm also a science fiction fan.

No kids; I grew up with dogs, but DH and I now have three 12-yo cats: Rascal (tabby M), Zathras (gray M), and Kali (black F). These photos are from when they were much younger.

 

[Pyotr]

Hello everyone! I‘m planning on running the 5k and 10k next year. I have never done a runDisney event before so I will be reading this forum and asking questions. I was in reasonably good shape until I got hurt last year. I haven’t been able to work out in about the last 6 months. I had surgery this past Tuesday and will be able to start working out in a month. I think 5k and 10k is a reasonable goal and gives me something to work towards.

Any first timer tips?

 

[FFigawi]

Hello everyone! I‘m planning on running the 5k and 10k next year. I have never done a runDisney event before so I will be reading this forum and asking questions. I was in reasonably good shape until I got hurt last year. I haven’t been able to work out in about the last 6 months. I had surgery this past Tuesday and will be able to start working out in a month. I think 5k and 10k is a reasonable goal and gives me something to work towards.

Any first timer tips?

I recommend starting with a Couchto5K program. There are plenty available to choose from, and all are designed to get you into shape for a 5k gradually to prevent injury and over training.

 

[lhermiston]

Good morning, RunDisney all-stars! Hard to believe it’s already been three weeks since the Goof Troop Roving Road Party (TM) caused a ruckus throughout Disney World.

Anyway, welcome to another round of Sundays are for Disney! For this week, I want to know: why runDisney? Whether this is your first rD event or 50th, what drew you to it? What keeps you coming back?

Like (I assume) most of you, this started with a love for Disney. I first heard about marathon weekend in roughly 2014, long before I did anything beyond a 5K. As my running “career” progressed and a marathon became a goal, I knew my “one and only” marathon had to be at Disney, which I did in 2017. Since then I did Dopey 2019 and Goofy + 10K this year.

First of all, the ambiance keeps bringing me back. The music, the characters, the fellow runners and spectators, Main Street USA, the castle, the magic. It’s a beautiful race that still evokes strong emotional responses from me.

But it’s also about the camaraderie. You get to know folks on these boards. Then you meet and find they’re even more fun in person. I look forward to seeing my friends and sharing the course with them.

DATW doesn’t hurt, either.

Have a great week, everyone!

 

[DIS-OH]

SAFD: I love runDisney events because there is something special about running thru the parks!

 

[CDKG]

For this week, I want to know: why runDisney? Whether this is your first rD event or 50th, what drew you to it? What keeps you coming back?

For me, this question could be worded, “Why run?” runDisney IS the reason I run! I had heard about Wine & Dine, a night race that ran through 3 WDW theme parks, including the Osborne Family Lights, ending at an after party at my favorite festival, Epcot Food & Wine. I was an avid walker but knew I couldn’t maintain a 15/16 min pace for 13.1 miles by walking alone, so I decided I better learn how to run. That was seven years ago this month. (Maybe I just answered next week’s question early?)

Why Disney? Because, as I like to say, I grew up Disney. My first trip to Disneyland was as a baby because my mom really wanted to go (she remembers carrying me so I’m sure I was no more than 6 months old). We went every summer as I was growing up. My first trip to WDW was in 1998, back when I was a travel agent and Disney destination specialist. My first trip to Disneyland Paris was in 2007 and I became a DVC member in 2012. My first runDisney race (and first half marathon) was Wine & Dine 2013.

 

[The Expert]

SAFD: I know I've said this many times, but rD is what got me into running. One of our DVC trips happened to coincide with Princess Weekend in 2015 and I saw all the people wearing shirts and medals around the parks. I knew Disney did race events but I had always dismissed them as I was in my 40s and HATED running, but I took the time to do a little research and discovered the shorter distances. I thought "I could walk a 5K!" and it was one of the few Disney things I hadn't experienced. So, when we were using our 11 month window to book the spring 2016 trip, We planned it so that the Princess 5K fell at the end of it.

After doing that race, I was hooked, and also jealous of all the "real" bling the longer distance participants got (this was the last year of the rubber 5K medals). I especially wanted the Kessel Run medal! I started training with C25K and Galloway run/walk intervals, and in 2017 I did all three races at Princess, the Tinkerbell challenge (and got my C2C) and the Paris challenge (and got my Castle to Chateau). I was devastated when the 2018 Anaheim races were cancelled and I thought the Kessel Run would never happen, but I had already signed up for all three races at SWDS, so when the virtual was announced I was SO RELIEVED!

I had a rough 2018, but recommitted last year and decided my first Marathon needed to be at WDW before my 50th birthday. Last month I ticked that box! I keep coming back because rD makes this thing that seemed impossible, accessible. My family got so inspired that my mom, stepdad, aunt, mother-in-law and even run-averse husband have joined in for several of the 5K and 10K events over the last few years. There always seems to be a new challenge to tackle. I'm hugely grateful to Disney and runDisney for opening this whole world of running for me!

 

[TeeterTots]

SAFD: I was celebrating my 35th birthday on a girls trip during marathon weekend. I had no idea this was a thing and at was first kind of annoyed with road closures and park barricades! After speaking to so many happy runners sporting their bling at the airport I was intrigued. A gentleman told me about JG and run/walk and a month later I was being fitted for my first pair of run sneakers and signed up for W&D HM! It was suppose to be a night run! Grrr!

 

[rteetz]

For this week, I want to know: why runDisney? Whether this is your first rD event or 50th, what drew you to it? What keeps you coming back?

Right now it's mostly the people. Some of my best friends I have met through these events. I never would've thought that to happen. I also of course still love going to the parks and this is an excuse for that. For as much as we complain about runDisney I still very much enjoy it. There aren't many places you can run through a theme park you love, ride attractions during a race, and DATW on the Monday after.

I was intrigued after seeing a distant family member doing runDisney and already loving Disney I was like that would be fun to try. The rest is history. 25 runDisney races later...

 

[camaker]

SAFD: If it weren’t for RunDisney I wouldn’t run. After my weight loss, I had settled happily back into Ultimate Frisbee as my activity of choice. Running had always seemed too boring unless in service of chasing a ball or frisbee.

I had always been a big Disney fan and so was my PT. He asked me to run a half marathon at W&D with him and I thought he was crazy. I thought I was crazy to consider it. But I started training and found I actually enjoyed the running!

We weren’t able to register for W&D. It sold out too quickly (and turned out to be the splash n dash year), so I turned my attention to Marathon Weekend and registered for the 10k and half, because “why go all the way Disney to run just one race?” Sometime that summer before I thought “why not try the marathon, too?” It would be a nice way to commemorate 3 years of weight loss and check off a stretch bucket list item, too. That ended up being MW 2016 and I ended up being hooked.

This January was 5 consecutive Marathon Weekends (2xGoofy, 3xDopey) to go along with a SWDS and 2 DLH weekends. The people I’ve met along the way have made the experience much more special and I look forward to the race weekends so I can see the folks I spend so much time talking to here. I’ve got no intention of stopping any time soon.

 

[FFigawi]

Anyway, welcome to another round of Sundays are for Disney! For this week, I want to know: why runDisney? Whether this is your first rD event or 50th, what drew you to it? What keeps you coming back?

I entered my first Goofy for the challenge and an excuse to spend time at our place in FL for the holidays. I met some great friends from this board leading up to that weekend, and getting to see them every January is one of the main reasons I keep going back. The rides, booze stops, and continuing addition of more great friends all make it worth the trip and the training too. Plus DATW and a victory dinner at Victoria & Albert's. So yeah, lots of great reasons to show up.

 

[avondale]

SAFD: My story is a little different, I've been to WDW a few times over my life, but I have to admit I'm not a huge Disney fan. (Disney acquiring Star Wars does make it more attractive!) I got hooked into the running thread by meeting some folks on the thread via Garmin, and I enjoy talking to everyone on the rD boards. You all are so excited about running through the parks, so I figure I should try it at least once! lol I"m still wrapping my head around the idea of purposely stopping during a race to do other things! But I plan to take it easy during the marathon and try to experience all of that.

 

[Baloo in MI]

SAFD:
I have been a life long fan of Disney, between Disneyland and Disney World I have probably been to the parks 50 or more times in my life. It is pretty clear in my house between all the dishware, glasses, clothes and pictures that are Disney that I have Disney “issues”. Heck at Christmas we have a second tree that is exclusively Disney as we had too many Disney ornaments.

So I was drinking coffee (in my Baloo cup) and searching the web when I came across the Disney Tourist Blog. I started reading all their trip reports,resort/restaurant reviews and tips. At some point I came across an article about their experience doing runDisney. I remember thinking, what is this? How have I never heard of this? That was 2014, I signed up for the 2015 Goofy Challenge. Except 2019, I have been to MW every year since and excited for 2021!

 

[Barca33Runner]

SAFD:

Neither Disney nor running were on my radar in the summer of 2011. I was 260+ lbs., hadn't participated in sports with running since becoming overweight around 5th grade, had not been to Disney since I became a teenager in the mid-90’s and I was “too old” for it, and had never even heard of runDisney. In August, at a family golf outing, my sister brought up that her friend had run a Half Marathon at Disney the previous year and she was thinking of training for it to help with her baby weight (she’d had her second child in April). She was asking around to see if anyone else was interested and, to her shock, I said I was.

I must admit, the primary crux of my interest was going to Disney with my nephew on his first trip. Secondary, was my desperate hope that I would actually stick to training and start losing weight for the first time in my life. Well, things didn’t go so well with training for that first Half but I finished. The shocking thing was that trip, that race, my first time in a Disney park in 15+ years were all much more than I expected. I fell in love with Disney and gained an appreciation for what it could be for people of all ages, both seeing it through the eyes of my nephew and my own.

Over the years I’ve had varying levels of success in my training, but coming back for Marathon Weekend every year is still something to which I look forward. Until my failure at the Marathon this year I had run every Dopey and had finished every Marathon since 2013. My goal is still to get back to the good times when running was fun (or at least not a chore) and I was doing better with my weight and fitness. I have a lot of motivation to do just that.

 

[PCFriar80]

SAFD:
This is a great question that I don't have a real good answer for, but after a quick 3 miler think I figured it out! Marathon weekend has become a tradition for us since 2006. I'll be honest, I don't know what drew us to the first race weekend but we've returned for a race event every year since. I think 2006 was the first year where they separated the 1/2 and full to separate days so that's all I've ever known.

It has to be tradition because it seems that after each year's event I say "I'm not doing that again next year". Then either after 3 hours at the pool or after 2 days of being home I'm planning the next go around. Not to mention another 8 night Disney vacation is involved. A cold beverage might have influenced the decision making process.

We'll be back in 2021 for our 16th marathon weekend introducing 2 of our nieces to the RunDisney mix. One will run the 10K with my wife and the other will run the 1/2 with me! I've already started monthly updates "newsletters" with them to get them introduced to the marathon weekend experience from early ups, POTs, weather, just to name a few topics! Next up is getting our BCV reservation this Thursday for 1/6/21! Have a good week everyone!

 

[Neon Cactus]

I'm another person who runs because of Run Disney. I was never into running at all, but a huge Disney fan and grew up an hour from Disneyland. So in 1995 when Disneyland did their first 5k and marathon that ran through the park, I was in. I met a lot of marathoners there the night before the race and that was the first I heard about the Disney World marathon. So it was always something I wanted to do but didn't think I could. Fast forward 20 years and I got a detached retina and became blind in one eye, so when I started thinking about things I wanted to make sure I accomplished in case I ever go fully blind, the marathon was first on my list. So it was going to be a one and done and I trained for it and finished it. And then I found out about the Castle to Chateau and after seeing the Disneyland 10k course, decided to do the Dumbo Double Dare challenge. I had been on a Facebook group, which I found to be extremely negative, so it was before that race that I found these boards and learned a lot. I also met a couple of members before the races there. That led me to do the LA Marathon and then I took a break for a few years other than local 5Ks and then as much as I don't like running 26.2 miles, I love the experience and atmosphere of doing it at Disney World.

What keeps me coming back has been the people that I've met here. Getting to meet everyone at the events has been great and I've learned a lot that has inspired me to do more and improve and I'm pretty sure if it weren't for seeing how much fun people have had doing the Dopey Challenge, I never would have tried it. Now because of RunDisney, I'm going to Paris for the first time and doing the Chicago Marathon. So instead of giving up marathons after the first one, I seem to keep finding myself signed up for more and more.

 

[GuinnessRunner]

SAFD:

I was an adult on-set runner. After a couple of years starting to run to do the Peachtree RR with my brother and stopping July 5th after the race, I decided I needed a race goal to keep me motivated. After convincing him to do our first HM, I decided it was time to up the ante and give a full marathon a try. I truly believed it would be a one and done as I could not imagine running that far and logging all the training miles. In looking for the "right" race to do as a first marathon, Disney seemed like a no brainer. I wanted my family to be at the race in order to be able to collect my body when I died and so coupling the marathon with a Disney vacation was an easy sell. Of course after doing the first, I wanted to see if I could do it again but faster and so the RunDisney obsession was born. It's a perfect combination of two loves and gives the rest of the family (who aren't runners although DDs are starting to get there) something to do too. It's only gotten better as I began to meet others through e-mail lists (for anyone that remembers those) and boards like this. Except for one Race for the Taste (now Wine and Dine), to date I have only done Marathon Weekend. Looking forward to branching out and trying the other races with Star Wars this April.

 

[Simba's Girl]

Anyway, welcome to another round of Sundays are for Disney! For this week, I want to know: why runDisney? Whether this is your first rD event or 50th, what drew you to it? What keeps you coming back?

2018 was our 1st MW. DH wanted to run a marathon. So he chose Disney. A former coworker of his had done Goofy prior to Dopey even being a thing and recommended it. DD3 and I decided to do the 10K that weekend too. The draw was running through the parks at first.

Now it's a fun thing to do, the people and DATW mostly. I'm returning to the Marathon because the first time wasn't a great experience for me physically and I kinda want revenge.

 

[michigandergirl]

SAFD: In 2015, one of my best friends talked me into signing up for the 2016 Disney marathon. She had just run her first half marathon and had heard from many people that the Disney marathon is a great event for a first time marathoner. Having done a few family trips to Disney, I was intrigued. I had never run anything longer than a 5K, but I didn't want to miss out on a girls trip to Disney, so I signed up and came up with a plan to work up to that distance. While training for that first marathon, somewhere along the way I realized how much I like to run.

After the 2016 MW, I was hooked. I enjoyed looking at everyone's running costumes. I loved the energy of the weekend, loved running through the parks and stopping for character pics, and loved wearing my medal proudly with everyone else, all celebrating our accomplishments. I knew I would be back again. In 2018 I ran Dopey, in 2019 I did the Kessel Run Challenge & the Star Wars 5K with my kids, and in 2020 I ran Goofy.

Disney trips are fun, but runDisney trips are addicting! My mind is always thinking of ways I can get back there in 2021.

 

[shellott-hill]

I was out of town last week and could not get on the DisBoards, so I would like to double-up this week for the SAFD posts. (Sorry for the novel below)

SAFD1:
I am Scott a 48-year-old child that is obsessed with Disney. I am a father to two wonderful children: DS19 and DD13. I always dismissed running in my youth and never did more than the 100-yard dash. At the age of 40, I got a wake-up call for health issues and had to make some changes. Started that with my diet and then at 42 started this thing called running.

In the beginning I could not even run 20 seconds without being out of breath. As others have mentioned, a great way to get into this addiction is through the couch25k program. That is what I used to get me going. Being new to running at the time, I did not even know proper form. I followed the recommendations on the couch25k and continue to run with my arms down near my side today. The one major mistake I made early on was to try and run too fast and large increases in running distances too quickly. That led to several injuries along the way in the first year including calf pulls, IT band issues, painful knees, hip and growing, etc…

After a 6-month gap for recovery, I started running again in 2014. This time I would take it slow and steady. I went through the couch25k program again but did every week twice before moving on to the next. I also stuck to 3 runs a week….no more…no less. I have been luck to have no injuries that have stopped me since.

SAFD2:
I completed my first official 5k race back in 2016. I entered this race to keep me motivated with my running. The next year I did the same race, but the 10k this time.

Then somehow, I stumbled upon this thing called runDisney and was over the moon. “You mean I can combine my OCDisney with running?” I have been hooked ever since.

I convinced my DS to signup for the Disney Princess Half in 2018 with me. We bonded quite a bit with all the training runs leading up to the event and had a great time at the race weekend that I will never forget. My DD also ran the mile mile race...Wow! (tears of joy). In addition to the wonderful memories, we got the Snow White apple medal. This has now taken me to a whole new level of obsession where I must collect these shiny Disney Medals.

It is tough for me to do multiple races a year. The cost to get there is difficult for Western Canada, so I am trying to figure out a way to get there for at least one race weekend a year. I have also set a goal to run my first Marathon before I turn 50. That gives me until March 2021 to get it done. Because of this I have convinced myself to go for the Dopey in 2021. I look forward to all advice in helping achieve that goal.

If you want to link up with me on Strava, search for athlete 49168605.