WDW 1/2 Marathon Pacing

[MtnDewd88]

Hello everyone,

I understand that pacing requirements for the half are 16min/mile. I ran a 10min/mile on my first rundisney half but my mother (Age 55) will be doing her first half coming up. She will be in the last corral and does a 15min/mile.

I know the race starts at 5:30am and if you took the full time allotted (3:30) you would finish at 9:00am. My question is: I know the last corral will start the race probably closer to 6. If my mother takes the whole time (3:30) then she will finish at 9:30. Epcot opens at 9. Do runners still finish while the park is open? This will be our first time running this race.

Also, is there any buffer or is it a strict 3:30? My mom has been training and seems to be under pace but you never know until you get out there.

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[Barca33Runner]

Hello everyone,

I understand that pacing requirements for the half are 16min/mile. I ran a 10min/mile on my first rundisney half but my mother (Age 55) will be doing her first half coming up. She will be in the last corral and does a 15min/mile.

I know the race starts at 5:30am and if you took the full time allotted (3:30) you would finish at 9:00am. My question is: I know the last corral will start the race probably closer to 6. If my mother takes the whole time (3:30) then she will finish at 9:30. Epcot opens at 9. Do runners still finish while the park is open? This will be our first time running this race.

Also, is there any buffer or is it a strict 3:30? My mom has been training and seems to be under pace but you never know until you get out there.

Thanks for all of your help!

Runners are definitely allowed to finish while the park is open. The Half only enters the front portion of Epcot, so there is a very small amount of the park influenced by the race. The course is roped off and CM's do their best to usher park-goers across the course without interrupting any runners.

I am not sure on how exactly the balloon ladies operate for the Half Marathon so I can't give you a guarantee about what sort of time is necessary to not be swept from the last corral. I can say that my experience is that rD does not want to sweep any runners and I believe they will give most runners the benefit of the doubt, within reason, if they are still making progress toward the finish line.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Hello everyone,

I understand that pacing requirements for the half are 16min/mile. I ran a 10min/mile on my first rundisney half but my mother (Age 55) will be doing her first half coming up. She will be in the last corral and does a 15min/mile.

I know the race starts at 5:30am and if you took the full time allotted (3:30) you would finish at 9:00am. My question is: I know the last corral will start the race probably closer to 6. If my mother takes the whole time (3:30) then she will finish at 9:30. Epcot opens at 9. Do runners still finish while the park is open? This will be our first time running this race.

Also, is there any buffer or is it a strict 3:30? My mom has been training and seems to be under pace but you never know until you get out there.

Thanks for all of your help!

By my estimates from previous years, the final corral (P) will start at 6:35am. The balloon ladies are the last to cross the start line and with approximately 3000 people in corral P it will take at least a few minutes. The 16 min/mile threshold is as strict as the balloon ladies are to their pacing (which I believe is pretty accurate). If you fall behind them before any checkpoints (I don't know where these checkpoints are), then you run the risk of being swept. The balloon ladies estimated finish time for the half marathon is 10:04:36 based on a 16:00 min/mile with a starting time of 6:35am. The best advice I can give your mom is trust your training and enjoy the run. The more she worries about being swept (not saying she is), the more it will take away from the experience of running through Disney World.

 

[IamTrike]

The best advice I can give your mom is trust your training and enjoy the run. The more she worries about being swept (not saying she is), the more it will take away from the experience of running through Disney World.

This is great advice.

Given that your mom is running at a 15MM pace she should be fine. It's important to remember though that the 16MM pace is based on constant running. If you are running a 15 mm pace and stop for the bathroom or for pictures your pace increases. Sometimes people don't realize that if their watch/gps auto-pauses and they've stopped to do something that the pace on their watch no longer reflects their actual pace.

 

[bumbershoot]

By my estimates from previous years, the final corral (P) will start at 6:35am.

I agree. The corrals go much slower than one ever expects.

Sometimes people don't realize that if their watch/gps auto-pauses and they've stopped to do something that the pace on their watch no longer reflects their actual pace.

YES. I totally psyched myself out and messed myself up b/c my watch was on autopause and I just didn't realize it. Thought I was doing so much better than I was, didn't push myself at all, and finished soooo slow.

Take that watch OFF auto-pause. For training, too, IMO.