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Do we have any Disney marathon Fiends?  I will be coming up for my fourth marathon weekend in January.  I'll be running the Goofy Challenge (half marathon on Saturday and full marathon on Sunday) for the second time.  39.3 miles of pure Disney magic!

 

Anyone else running it next year?   Any questions I can answer for those who might be considering it?  If you are not a runner, I highly recommend coming to watch or registering to be a volunteer.  The volunteers really make the race possible (and get some cool Disney swag for lending a hand.)  Even just watching and cheering on the runners is quite an experience.  The look of pure joy that comes over the runners' faces when they come from backstage onto Main Street is something to see.

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She is not into D&B purses which is lucky for me.  I'm running out of internal organs to sell to afford my Disney trips and races.       And it's one of the reasons I have gotten so into this foru

Further proof of my rationality:   From the Disney Marathon a few years ago:   Yes, that's me running as Tigger.  Case closed.

If you thought the Tigger picture was scary, here's my outfit from the 5K during marathon weekend this past January.  I had people stopping me, taking pictures of my back, and instantly posting online

I should add that I camped at the Fort last year when I came up for the marathon.  I was amazed by how many runners had also headed for the Fort -- many in tents, like my family and me.  Very cool.

 

I actually prefer camping before marathons because I can sleep in a bed I am used to.  It's no fun trying to run 26.2 miles after sleeping on an uncomfortable (or unfamiliar) bed!

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:laugh: Point taken, but the Disney marathon is often walked by non-runners.  In fact, it has one of the slowest average paces of any major marathon because of the huge number of people who do it as their only marathon.  It is actually a pretty easy course (aside from that whole 26.2 miles thing).  Going through the parks (and backstage) is a great motivator.

 

Besides, think of the huge amount of guilt-free food and drink you can consume after burning off all those calories. :doublebeer:

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In fact, it has one of the slowest average paces of any major marathon because of the huge number of people who do it as their only marathon.  

 

 

Tell me about. It's the worst day of the year for bus drivers. I worked on Marathon day one year, and never, never, never, ever again.

And if I was a regular guest during that weekend, and didn't commit hari-kari, I'd demand a refund from Disney.

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Besides, think of the huge amount of guilt-free food and drink you can consume after burning off all those calories. :doublebeer:

I do this every day, what's your point.  Well maybe not the burning calories part.

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It's the worst day of the year for bus drivers.

 

I'm not surprised.  The road closures have got to be murder for y'all.  I know the regular guests have got to be confused (and frustrated) by the changes.

 

Too bad - I still think the marathon is amazing. :raspberry:

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I have read Jeff Galloway's book does that count? I actually started following his program but hurt my back, stopped the program, got better and then decided to have a baby instead of running lol. My goal is to get back to the program after the baby is born and hopefully do a 10k at Disney sometime and then 1/2 at a later point in time. I am not a runner and never have been so its a long shot for me but watching the videos on YouTube of the races is inspiring. I just don't want to die or be swept (in that order).

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It is definitely a hard journey to complete a half marathon.  I did my first half marathon more than 10 years ago and still remember both the euphoria I felt at the finish line and the difficulty I had walking back to my truck to drive home.  Marathons just up the ante on everything.

 

One year I "just" did the marathon and went into Epcot to cheer on the runners for the half.  It was incredibly inspiring just to watch and celebrate with them.  One of these days I am going to volunteer at one of the races I don't run.  Those folks are amazing.

 

There is certainly a healthy fear of the Sweeper at the race.  I'm fast enough (and the time allowance is generous enough) that I have not had to worry about it, but the stories of those who got close and were swept are heartbreaking.  Disney does seem to be more compassionate in their sweeping than other major races.

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And that will just be riding Lou's bus!

 

I'd rather have FortWildernessGuy do 12 root canals on me than be there driving a bus.

I made a huge mistake and accepted a shift during the last 1/2 marathon. I had forgotten that it was being held that day.

It took me 90 minutes to get a bus full of people from CSR to MK. Boy were they mad and so was I, but I couldn't yell at the idiots that came up with the idea to have such a stupid event, and the full marathon is even worse.

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I have the answer: run the race and you will not have to worry about traffic!  I can get from Epcot to MK in less time just by running.

 

Seriously though, the road closures make things really tough on others.  I understand that.  My wife had problems navigating the transportation trying to see me earlier on in the race.  It eased up later on as the corridor from Epcot to MK reopened, but it is by no means a normal day.  I wouldn't want to drive (or ride) a bus during the madness either.

 

A stupid event?  From many perspectives, perhaps it is.  I mean, who in their right mind pays big money to torture themselves by running?

 

But as far as the number of people who are touched positively by the event (well more than 20,000 apiece for the half and full marathons) and the revenue stream for The Mouse in what was formerly a fairly dead time in the parks -- not stupid at all.   

 

But then again, I'm one of the idiots who pays for the torture so my bias is obvious.  What do I know?

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I have a few friends who invited me to do the Princess half w/ them and travel to WDW in an RV, camp at FW.  I wasn't ready to quite commit to a half and my husband laughed when I told him about staying in an RV.... (he'd love it, I'm not much of a camper...) 

 

Anyway, I've had many friends who have done the Princess half and a few who have done the full in January.  The pics look like a blast... maybe one day!!  My longest race to date is just a 10K.... 

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My youngest DD tried to talk me into the Glass Slipper Challenge (Princess 1/2 Marathon & 10k the next day), but I had to say no! I did agree to do the Enchanted 10k with her. I definitely will not be running the entire thing since I'm really more of a walker. I'm excited about doing it, but very nervous too because the most I've ever done is a 5k.

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