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Apr 28, 2024

Disney World Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Disney World Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 4.3

Spectators 4.0

Number of comments: 818 [displaying comments 51 to 61]

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C. S. from near Cleveland, OH (1/14/2014) "Fun - but not a normal race" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Disney World Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run a number of races and Disney is by far the most fun. It is not a race to do for the PR. It's a race to do for the experience. The people who have the most fun run fast through the boring parts to enjoy the fun parts - pictures with the characters, riding Everest at Animal Kingdom (about halfway in the current routing), getting a beer at Germany in EPCOT near the end, etc. Disney continues to improve the logistics. For example they added more corrals in 2014 compared to 2013, evening-out the pinch points early in the race. Yes, there still are some one-lane road sections where you may be 4 across with some walkers if you don't send them a good proof of time. So send in a good time to get to the front! As others have mentioned there are some tight corners. But since you're not running for a PR just be careful and keep going. And remember you're going through all the parks. You get to see them, especially the Magic Kingdom, empty and early in the morning. You can dress up like a princess. Or a pirate. Or Buzz Lightyear. Or in a loincloth. Or for a cause important to you. And each will be celebrated as you run. You can get your picture taken with Mickey or just about any other character. The hardest part is the 5:30 start, which requires a very early wakeup to get to the site by 4:30. But it means you have the rest of the day when you are done. Yes, it's expensive. It's Disney. It's a well supported race and you will get your money's worth. Give it a try if you want a completely different race experience.
J. E. from MO (1/14/2014) "Amazing Race" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Super organized and really well done, the course is amazing and fairly flat and there are characters everywhere if you don't care about time and want photos- Just watch for runners stopping to take pics. Best race I've run yet and it would be a great one for someone running their first marathon as there are spectators everywhere and it's far from boring.
G. F. from Orlando (1/13/2014) "Nice race, but no perks/discounts for runners sad" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Disney World Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race itself was beautifully done in typical Disney fashion. They showed that they are well versed at handling a very large group of people. Course was nice but because it flows through the parks, it is sprinkled with narrow sections and tight turns. Overall a great race. But future attendees, don't expect any sort of perks with regards to park attendance. In typical Disney fashion, everything costs. Want your spectators to see you in the parks, you'll pay. Want to take in the parks after the race, you'll pay. No discounts. My prepaid hotel, the Dolphin, charged an extra 'resort fee' on top of room rates, for two bottles of water per day, wifi, and pool usage. This wasn't my first trip to Disney so I am aware that it costs, but it seems that the real happiest place on earth is located at Disney's bottom line. I'm not saying don't run it. I'm saying that your finances will have to train as hard as you do. And will be just as sore after the event.
K. P. from Portsmouth, RI (11/29/2013) "Love The Weekend & HeadingBack 5th Straight" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 4-5 Disney World Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The entire weekend is terrific. Although everyone who has posted does not think so, I have a great time everytime I go. I will be running Boston for the first time next spring and I am just as excited for this year's Disney. The first thing I would say is that I love the crowds. Whether it is the Expo or the starting line, it is fun to be around people. Although the Expo is crowded, I was hardly in fear of 'getting out alive' as one runner posted. It is great to see so many people so excited. I have run races where there are 50 people at the Expo, 2,000 people at the starting line and midway thru the race there are only 20 runners in view. That is great if you are in the lead, but for most of us it is great motivation to be with other runners. Another great thing about the Disney Marathon is the number of first timers that are out there. It is awesome to see people pushing themselves to do something they never thought possible. As for the inability to get around other runners, I can tell you that is a challenge at the beginning if you are not in the 1st or 2nd coral. The opening part of the race is on a narrow road relative to the number of runners and it gets bogged down a bit. If you are patient you will find a lane or two. I would say that it takes work, but you can PR if you don't want to stop and take photos. I am hoping to this year! The heat last year was a nightmare. Hoping for cool temperatures again this year. First year I ran it was 20 degrees at the start, so you never know what you are going to get. The best part about the race are the spectators! I have been told that marathon weekend brings over 100,000 people in for the weekend and they are all there to support the runners. From the very beginning prior to 5am the streets are lined up with people ready to cheer and coming down the stretch through Hollywood Studios and Epcot, the people who are just going to the parks to have fun get caught up with cheering you on. Even if you wanted to quit, you couldn't. The only disapointment with this year was the course. PLEASE go back to the old course!!! On the old course you would start out by running through Epcot in the dark. The lights, music and atmosphere were fantastic. Now they have substituted that with running on the speedway track that you get through by going down a rediculously steep drop. You then run across grass (hope it doesn't rain this year) to get back to the road. They have also added running through the Wide World of Sports which is quite boring. Post race is great. The volunteers are incredible. Ice for everyone and as much food and drinks as you possibly need. And what is better then after 26.2 miles, but to be at Disney with a bunch of friends.
Tyson Poskochil from Lincoln, NE (3/10/2013) "Magical, but one small improvement needed..." (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Disney World Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran the Goofy Challenge and enjoyed running the courses on both days. The half course is the same as the Princess Half which is run the following month, and the experience, overall, is magical. The marathon takes you through all four parks, and I was pleased with the scenery throughout, including the characters and speedway track with many surprises. The race is well-organized with aid stations and the park is equipped to accommodate the thousands who run this race. However, my main concern is better organization and lining of porta-potties at the start and first few miles. I was appalled by the sight of so many runners, both men and women, publicly urinating alongside the course and in the grassy areas around the start. This is something which can and should be prevented by monitoring the area and supplying more facilities, especially in a place which is supposed to be kid-friendly. I would definitely run this race again.
C. W. from Washington DC (3/6/2013) "What Fun Running is about" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Disney World Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 WDW Marathon Weekend is about life, and the many reasons so many run. it is not the race to run the fastest, nor the most intense. WDW is the race because you love fun, and remembering what it is to be young, live wonder, love people, and be joyous. I have run intense, and fast, and determined. There are races for that. And this one is for Joy.
M. Certain from Georgia (2/9/2013) "First WDW Marathon, won't be the last!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Disney World Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first WDW Marathon. I signed up for the Goofy Challenge but decided that I wanted to take advantage of the flat marathon course, and try to PR it. In other words, I bailed on the half marathon on saturday in order to be fully rested for the full marathon. I have to say that this was the right decision for me! A few things: EXPO: Insanely crowded, but at Disney this is what I expect. Try and find a place at Disney that doesn't feel crowded! The expo had a certain way that you were supposed to navigate between the buildings and this was not obvious. Signs telling runners which order they were supposed to go through the expo would have been very helpful. I encountered several runners that did the exact same thing that I did. Marathon Race: We stayed at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista. We've stayed on-property the last 2 visits to WDW, and wanted to try off-property hotel, so we chose the Lake Buena Vista Hilton, which is across the street from Downtown Disney. We did the parks all day on Saturday, then got to bed around 9PM on Saturday. After 6 hours of sleep it was 3AM. I got a reserved cab for $25 to the race parking lot and walked to the entry zone. At around 4AM they called the runners of corral A and B to walk over to the corrals. There were plenty of restrooms. This is my 6th marathon, and these were the shortest lines for restrooms that I've encountered; this is probably a testament to the sheer number of restrooms that Disney provides. We did the 20 min walk to the corrals, which was fine, and the race started on time without problems. The Race: Flat. I mean Flat. I'm used to the hills of Atlanta, which can be rather brutal at times. The hills of Atlanta trained me well enough for a PR in this race. I was in corral A and the crowds and walkers were minimal, but I saw the marathoners finishing hours later, and there were many (MANY) walkers in the later stages of the race. There were many health stations (with Vaseline), water stations, and the volunteers were amazing. Every single volunteer was so dedicated, nice, and friendly. People talk about how this isn't a PR course. I think that probably applies to the runners in Corral C and onwards, where there is a strong mix of runners and late-walkers. In other words, I can imagine that the narrow course (at times), plus the curves, plus the crowds would make it difficult to earn a PR. However, I can tell you that if you can get in an early corral, run with a pace group, and train in the hills, you can definitely PR this race. Post-Race: Nice medal, though i really don't care about the medal. T-shirts were long-sleeved tech t-shirts. Fine, whatever. They were good colors and fit well, but its just a T-shirt so i don't to excited or worked up about the shirts. There was beer at the finish line which was a nice reward. And, gear check was super easy to get your stuff. Summary: Awesome, awesome race. Being able to combine: A Race + Vacation + Where the Kids wanna Go = perfect mix. This was great and we're planning on making this a tradition every year.
S. S. from SF, CA (2/5/2013) "Nobody Does It Better Than Disney" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Disney World Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the Goofy Challenge (both half and full marathons) this year and had a ball. Disney is the model for how marathons should be done. If you stay at a Disney hotel, you get complementary bus transportation to the start line and from the finish line. The buses run nonstop, so minimal waiting. The water stations are well stocked and ideally spaced apart on the course. The medical tents are also well stocked and have great staff. Running through the four Disney parks is just magical to see the Disney characters, exhibits, and rides, and experience the happy, fun atmosphere. Lots of course photographers, so you're assured of getting multiple in-race photos of you taken. Loved this year's medal to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the marathon. The course has very few hills, mainly just overpasses, and is mostly flat. Because this is a popular race, the course can get congested in places. So not the best race to try for a PR. All in all, a good race for both the novice and the veteran.
S. A. from Wilsonville, OR (2/2/2013) "Happiest Birthday Run on Earth!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Disney World Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is the 3rd time my wife and I ran the marathon and 2nd on my birthday, this time my 59th. We started in Corral B and the course was congested at spots but hot unlike other large marathons. Disney really ramp-ed up the entertainment this year and it was better than before. I enjoyed the race track and WW of Sports changes, but was surprised to still have to run past the sewer plant. Nobody does it better than RunDisney, we will be back!
N. D. from Sacramento, CA (1/30/2013) "If you can dream it, you can do it." (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Disney World Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first Disney running event and I chose the Goofy Challenge. We planned our vacation around this event and it was the best vacation we ever had and the most FUN I've had running ever! First, throw away any thought of PR and just enjoy running and enjoy running with lots of stuff around. Second, remember that you are surrounded by folks with lots of various reasons for being there. Take pleasure knowing running bonds you. Everything was great. We stayed at Disney and transportation was great. Bag drop was easy and navigating the walk to the start line was well marked. Hard to get lost with 20K other people. Yes, the course does narrow in places but Disney was not designed with marathoning in mind. It's short lived and you will survive. I was pleasantly surprised by the loop around the motor speed track. Nice touch with the music, the car clubs, and Speed McQueen. I was equally pleasantly surprised with the ESPN sports complex loop. The cold sponges and food were perfect. I usually do not run for the medal or the shirt, but the shirts and medal are top notch. My only regret is not stopping to get my picture with Jiminy Cricket! Therefore, I must return next year. I would do this event and any Disney running event again for the pure sake of running coupled with a family vacation.

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