Official 2016 Star Wars Half Marthon - The Dark Side Weekend

[JStoney]

Now that we're back and relatively unpacked I wanted to throw in my 2 cent run-review of the half....

First of all let me start by saying that for a long time I have frequented another Disney board but ended up spending most of my time reading this thread because the discussion was livelier and much more positive - so a big thank you to all the regulars here!

This was my first runDisney event (did the challenge) and my first half marathon as well - so that's my perspective.

The Expo - I didn't get in until Friday morning and by that time you had all scared the bejesus out of me - so other than getting my bib and shirts I skipped it. Its okay - I don't really buy that much stuff on vacation anyway - so it was no big deal. I ended up ordering a shirt from the Disney store post race. runDisney was kind enough to throw an extra 10k shirt into my bag - so I'll take that! By the time I got to bib pickup on Friday it was pretty tame only 1 or 2 people in line ahead of me.

Transportation - We were staying at Wilderness Lodge. WL is a small resort normally and throw in the fact that half of it is under construction and I can figure that there's a pretty small percentage of runners there for the race. Still, after getting dressed and having cereal while sitting on the toilet (just using as a chair) so as not to wake my sleeping family, I got down to the loading area at about 3:20 only to find about 30 people waiting and no bus. At 3:44 a bus showed up, but the lady said it wasn't even her route and she could only take about half the people. A few minutes later another bus arrived but could only take 15 or so. Luckily I got on, but there were still people waiting as we pulled out. On the way we got stopped because some busses were using an on-ramp that was supposed to be closed and we had to wait for cops to move the cones to let them through and then put them back.

The Race - After getting dropped off I headed straight for the corrals. I got to corral D with enough time to use the port-o-john and stretch for a few minutes before the first gun went off. They didn't fire the fireworks for D until we were past the starting line and then the went off over our heads and scared the Pooh out me. Just as with the 10k I loved the band and wished they had another at the end of the course. They were great. I enjoyed the course. Being in D I didn't notice too many crowding issues. The area between Boardwalk and the Studios being the worst of it. Running through the parks is such a distraction that it makes things go a lot faster, for me. I thought the "hills" were a nice challenge. The last one (between 10 and 11?) hurt a little but just enough to tick me off and make me run faster. I thought the water and powerade stops were more than enough - after I realized how frequently they were coming it didn't worry me to skip a couple. The volunteers were great. I'll definitely do another runDisney event.

Funny Moment - Just after getting through AK - a lady, maybe 50 (sorry lady if I got that wrong!), comes flying by me weaving through traffic holding a wadded up jacket in one hand and her phone in the other. She's having a conversation (speakerphone) while she's running. All I heard was "yeah I'm doing pretty good for only 3 hours sleep" before she was too far ahead of me to hear more. Yeah... I'd say she was doing just fine.

If anyone is considering running their first half marathon - do it. Pick a race, pick a training plan and go for it. Running my first 10k last year hooked me, but the feeling of finishing my first half was one of pure pride and joy. Its evident on the big stupid grin on my face in my post race photo.

Side note: For those interested in the corral placement system. I submitted a just under 1 hour 10k time for my POT and ended up in corral D. I finished at 2:19 which included one quick photo stop. Fairly close to the slow end of the corral time. I got passed a lot in the first few miles but ran a negative split and made up time in the end. I'd say that considering the fact that I ran the 10k the day before (then walked another 5 miles in the parks) the predictive time was pretty good. IMHO.

Sorry for the long post

 

[Anisum]

As for the DNF rate...I am reading that there were a decent amount of course cutters, and apparently if something like that is reported to runDisney, they'll DQ the person and negate the results. Interested to know how often that actually happens.

I wonder if they will show up in the list without any times or if they will still be in the SAG list. Also, would Disney still give them medals. I can't imagine them doing that but who knows.

I will say between checking the shipping location of ebay sellers who sold medals and comparing them to the XACTE link it looks like most of the people selling them were finishers.

 

[Ariel484]

I wonder if they will show up in the list without any times or if they will still be in the SAG list. Also, would Disney still give them medals. I can't imagine them doing that but who knows.

I will say between checking the shipping location of ebay sellers who sold medals and comparing them to the XACTE link it looks like most of the people selling them were finishers.

As I understand it, they show up in the official results, but it's obvious if they miss a timing mat or two - especially if you have, say, a 45-minute 5K split but then you cross the finish line with a net time of 1:45 or something crazy. That's where the on-course photos come in to verify that they definitely did or did not run portions (I, for example, didn't get a split registered at the mile 20 mat of the marathon in 2015, but if runDisney were to look at my on-course photos they'd see I was really there). Then they go back and DQ them, but that's well after the race has ended, so they still get medals, unfortunately. As long as volunteers physically see you cross the finish line, you get your medal. But at least a time is later wiped out so it can't be used for proof.

Now...having said all of this, I have to say that I find it sort of unbelievable that Disney actually goes through and verifies the times after the fact like this. This is just what I've read from posts on Facebook.

As for people selling medals...whatever. I personally like my medals a lot and wouldn't sell them, but what you do with your property is your business.

 

[msmith07101]

Can someone explain how to link the race photos? I don't see anywhere to enter the code with my bib#. I am on the photopass page where I can see all my trip photos, but I don't see anywhere at all to put that code in order to access my race photos.

 

[Anisum]

As I understand it, they show up in the official results, but it's obvious if they miss a timing mat or two - especially if you have, say, a 45-minute 5K split but then you cross the finish line with a net time of 1:45 or something crazy. That's where the on-course photos come in to verify that they definitely did or did not run portions (I, for example, didn't get a split registered at the mile 20 mat of the marathon in 2015, but if runDisney were to look at my on-course photos they'd see I was really there). Then they go back and DQ them, but that's well after the race has ended, so they still get medals, unfortunately. As long as volunteers physically see you cross the finish line, you get your medal. But at least a time is later wiped out so it can't be used for proof.

Now...having said all of this, I have to say that I find it sort of unbelievable that Disney actually goes through and verifies the times after the fact like this. This is just what I've read from posts on Facebook.

As for people selling medals...whatever. I personally like my medals a lot and wouldn't sell them, but what you do with your property is your business.

That makes sense. I wonder what drives people to cut the course. Are they running for a better time or are they just so worn out they figure shaving off a few miles won't matter?

I generally don't care what people do with their medals because I can understand wanting to get rid of clutter and possibly recouping race costs if you're running solely for the experience. I was more curious if the people selling medals had completed the race or if they had been swept, especially if they were swept at the beginning because they had no intention of running.

 

[msmith07101]

nevermind...found it.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I also have one PhotoPass issue: not sure if already mentioned, but our 5K medal photos have a "10 K I did it" border...??? :-/

Just wanted to circle back on this in case others had the same issue... I emailed PP a couple of days ago telling them that 3 specific photos had the wrong border. Received an email today that this had been corrected, I checked, and sure enough they are now as they should be!

 

[cavepig]

That makes sense. I wonder what drives people to cut the course. Are they running for a better time or are they just so worn out they figure shaving off a few miles won't matter?

I have to chime in with this story - at the Jan half a woman was in my brother's finishing photos, who not to sound mean didn't look like she runs an under 1:40 half, well, we snooped and she had no times at all, no start time or anything. We figure she hopped in where that half goes by the EPCOT buses. Her name did come up with the blank times in the official results. RunDisney will never know as to them it just looks like a DNS or DNF even, but she did 'finish' and get her medal. Who knows why she did that, no we didn't report her either maybe we should have I don't even know how you go about that.

So ,she had only pics at EPCOT, but now with photopass doing photos it's harder to snoop on missed mat people to see if they really cheated and have no pics in places, I suppose. Yes, I'm goofy that way, but I know I'm not the only one to snoop like that when you see something that doesn't add up

 

[hotrodtigger]

Is there any way to search through photos that weren't assigned due to a bib being unreadable? I didn't receive my post race photo probably due to my bib being blocked by the medal.

Thanks.

 

[maw]

Just wanted to circle back on this in case others had the same issue... I emailed PP a couple of days ago telling them that 3 specific photos had the wrong border. Received an email today that this had been corrected, I checked, and sure enough they are now as they should be!

I'm having a heck of a time with my finish line photos. I got an email that they don't exist. Thumbs. Down. I'm hoping they are wrong and keep checking photopass. I still have the wrong border which hasn't been corrected. I'm so glad that yours are fixed! Fingers are crossed that mine will be, too

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I'm having a heck of a time with my finish line photos. I got an email that they don't exist. Thumbs. Down. I'm hoping they are wrong and keep checking photopass. I still have the wrong border which hasn't been corrected. I'm so glad that yours are fixed! Fingers are crossed that mine will be, too

Oh, no! That stinks! Sorry that's not working out yet. I will keep my fingers crossed for you!!

 

[cgattis]

Are the SW borders only for the finish line photos? I don't want some lame ESPN border on my shots from inside DHS or AK :/

 

[maw]

Are the SW borders only for the finish line photos? I don't want some lame ESPN border on my shots from inside DHS or AK :/

The only ones with borders in my account are the ones taken in front of the screens after the race. We stopped in AK and got a picture and there isn't a border on that one.

 

[cgattis]

The only ones with borders in my account are the ones taken in front of the screens after the race. We stopped in AK and got a picture and there isn't a border on that one.

Blegh, that's what I was afraid of--thanks. Just a way to get you to buy the pic on that lame generic background AND (they hope) one from on-course. Wish they'd have had those tall flags ahead of their little green tents to make them easier to spot in the dark. We missed all the ones in Epcot. Did seem to have really good coverage once we figured out what we were watching for, though.

 

[dta87]

I'm having a heck of a time with my finish line photos. I got an email that they don't exist. Thumbs. Down. I'm hoping they are wrong and keep checking photopass. I still have the wrong border which hasn't been corrected. I'm so glad that yours are fixed! Fingers are crossed that mine will be, too

I am having the same issue with one member in my party that does not have any finish line photos. His first half so that sucks. 2 of us also took pictures with the characters at the finish that have not shown up.

 

[Lodeiapple]

Did anyone's half medal/finish picture have a RunDisney border? Challenge or half?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Did anyone's half medal/finish picture have a RunDisney border? Challenge or half?

My sister and I did the Kessel Run Challenge, so that's the only pic we ended up with after the half. I remember seeing other lines for half and challenge pics, though... did you wait in one of those?

 

[Lodeiapple]

My sister and I did the Kessel Run Challenge, so that's the only pic we ended up with after the half. I remember seeing other lines for half and challenge pics, though... did you wait in one of those?

Yes, he was in the correct line for the Dark Side Challenge, but no border on picture. He really doesn't care. I just wondered if that was an issue for others.

 

[maw]

Did anyone's half medal/finish picture have a RunDisney border? Challenge or half?

Yes - borders for the screen pictures for us! for the 5k though it's a 10k border. We just did 5k and 1/2. The 1/2 pic has a 1/2 border

 

[maw]

I am having the same issue with one member in my party that does not have any finish line photos. His first half so that sucks. 2 of us also took pictures with the characters at the finish that have not shown up.

The funny thing is we have some great pics of random people in our account. In a facebook group I'm in people have been posting lost pictures. I found one woman in our 5k pictures on this thread Fingers crossed more pics show up for you soon!