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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 191 to 201]
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Robin Grover from Alexandria, VA
(1/16/2010)
"Worth doing once." (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I ran the DW Marathon on the coldest, windiest day (not the sponsor's fault, of course). Disney seemed disorganized before the start - one heated tent for which you needed to pay in advance, and you had to go through the baggage lines with no baggage to get to the start line. The race itself was very well-organized: great fireworks at the start; no runner crowding at water stations every mile; wonderful volunteers (its not easy handing out full water/'Ade cups that spill over in freezing weather); the Disney characters were on the road, high-fiving; and there was a great, convivial bunch of runners and supporters. At race end, it was well-organized with no runner bunching, but you had to walk nearly a mile to the monorail; I was shaking from near hypothermia. I'm glad that I did the DW Marathon once, but would not repeat due to the early assembly hour (4 a.m.), start time (pleased to be in the first wave at 5:40), Disney's insistence that you pick up the race packet in person, and expensive in-park hotels (Disney Contemporary was $350 for one night). Highlights: running through the castle entrance in the Magic Kingdom where you are greeted by Cinderella, the run through the Animal Park (although I didn't see any living animals), the Hollywood Park (very scenic and interesting) and the finish in the Epcot country pavilions. Downside: As with most huge races, it is impossible to pass for about the first eight miles, although the wave start did help. | |
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J. P. from Baltimore, MD
(1/15/2010)
"My First Marathon... A Great Experience" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first full marathon and it was a great experience. The course if fairly flat and running through each of the 4 Disney parks is unforgettable. The only negative is running between the parks but both spectators and volunteers made it more tolerable. I was surprised how easy my family was able to get around and see me a total of 5 times on the course (Mile 0, 4, 9, 12, 25). That really helped me in my first marathon. If you want a marathon that is both spectator- and runner-friendly, this is it. Don't expect to break or set any PRs (unless this is your first) since it is a very CROWDED course at times (I ran slower through most the race than I could have). Weather was unusually cold (start 28F), but don't expect that next year. | |
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N. M. from Birmingham, AL
(1/15/2010)
"Great race, especially if your goal is FUN!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Disney World Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I participated in the 2010 Goofy Challenge (half marathon on Saturday followed by the full marathon on Sunday). This is a great race, especially for those who are there to just have a good time. In the full marathon you run through Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and then Epcot again. Running through the parks is very cool but anyone planning to run this race should realize that the majority of the race is on back roads or other non-theme park roads on Disney property. Disney does their best to make some of the more boring parts (like the stretch around mile 20/21 where you really need it) more exciting with music to keep you going. Previous comments including pros/cons were basically dead on for me. Do this race for the FUN and enjoy it. They have Disney characters along the course and Disney workers there to take your picture for you. So bring your camera, stop and take some pictures and have fun at this race. Disney gives you 7 hours (16 min/mile pace) to finish. So save the fast racing for another race. One more thing: I do find it a bit humorous to see comments about the heat in previous years races. No one can help the weather. And this year it was COLD! With the freak cold snap, the half marathon temps were in the 20s/30s (with sleet) and the marathon temps were in the 30s/40s. Basically you never really know what you will get with weather. If you want to run a marathon in January, Florida is about your best bet for some good weather! | |
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M. M. from Tampa, FL
(1/14/2010)
"Cold but another excellent race by Disney" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Disney World Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 7th Disney Marathon and 9th race at Disney (2 half marathons). Once again the race was well organized and I have no complaints about anything that was in the race organizers' control. The increased field size and 3-wave start made for some unexpected traffic congestion on my way to the race. It took over 1 hour to get from my hotel 3 miles away to the parking lot and I made it to the start corral as the national anthem was ending. Anyone in the first wave needs to get there much earlier than you did in the past. Disney suggested this, but from my past experience, leaving my hotel 1.5 hours before the start gave me more than enough time. The race start was around 28 and maybe topped 32 when I finished 3.5 hours later. It was a little too cold, but I'll take that over the 70-80 temps of some previous races. I was also fine with the new 5:40 start (first wave). During the years when the temps are higher, it will be nice to have an extra 10-20 minutes of running before the sun comes up. I ran with the 3:30 pace group this year. We not only had a lead pacer but had several others who joined us for a few miles throughout the race. Unfortunately I never did get our lead pacer's name, but he did an excellent job. In the later part of the race he would even drop back and encourage the runners who were starting to fall behind. Once it was me who was falling behind, and I'm not sure that I would have stayed with the group without that extra push. A big "THANK YOU" for helping me get a PR and BQ. | |
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M. H. from Indianapolis, IN
(1/13/2010)
"Very nice" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have always looked forward to running Disney, and although the weather was beyond the race organizers' control (28 degrees at the start and warmed up only to 38), this year was great. Very nice expo; packet pickup was smooth also. | |
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F. K. from Brooklyn, NY
(1/13/2010)
"A very cold 2010 WDW Marathon is in the books" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Disney World Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My second Disney Marathon and my coldest ever. It felt like 15 degrees at 4:45 a.m. when I arrived at corral G and then waited almost an hour for my wave start. However, the volunteers, bands, Disney characters and the cheering spectators kept our minds off of the cold conditions. Yes, running through the parks is a small piece of the overall course, and there are some inclines that are worth mentioning, but running through Cinderella's Castle and down Main Street, high-fiving the Mayor is priceless. Yes, enjoy yourself, take lots of pictures and spend a ton of money while in Disney. Overall, a well organized race, even with the chilling cold, and well worth the trip. | |
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Gregory Jones from Washington, PA
(1/12/2010)
"Thoughts about Goofy Challenge 2010" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My name is Greg Jones. I did the Goofy Challenge 2010 race and was very happy with majority of the race, organization, characters, etc. However, there were a couple things that I thought needed to be mentioned. Post-Race Food: During the race there were ample numbers of bananas given out, and water, Gatorade, raisins, and even chocolate. That's perfect for DURING the race. However, after the race, one's body does not necessarily want the same thing. Yes, its important to recover and everything, but honestly, people want fatty foods or sweets to replenish their body. I thought for the cost of the Goofy Challenge being $285 (and then next year going up to $310 (already!!!)) that the post-race food should comprise much greater variety. Of all the marathons that I have run, this was towards the bottom of my list for post-race food. Cost: I know Disney is a business, but come on - all the workers not in the park were volunteers (THANK YOU!!) and the race has many big-time sponsors. For 2011, they are asking for $310 for 2 races and I wouldn't expect many change or additions. I would love and even pay for a budget of the Disney World Marathon. Also, why not give the participants a free ticket to the park? This will probably promote them to bring down their families and they would buy tickets, which would increase revenue; everyone would be in the park, so they would buy food, souvenirs, etc. Your food sales would be pretty good that day, considering the runner just ran a race or will be running one the following morning. I think it would be really neat to see one of the parks in daylight that I ran through. Race Results: The race results for the Goofy Challenge are in a PDF file and are in alphabetical order. I have a lot of friends in the race and they are also complaining that they want to know how they did overall. I know it's not a fast race, but to see how you compared against the rest of the field and maybe improve on that for next year would be great. I was able to convert it to an Excel spreadsheet but cannot figure out how to compile the worksheets into one. All in all, the race was a blast. The fireworks display in the beginning and seeing all the characters was awesome. My good friend Paul (32 marathons) carried a camera during the entire full marathon and we took quite a few pictures. Oh, and the race did give us each two free digital cameras, which was nice. Since the marathon is so popular, I was hoping to see and get to hear lectures from more elite and more known elite runners. Team Hoyt was there and it was incredible to talk with them for a bit, but nobody really stuck out. I was very surprised, and because of that, I didn't stay long at the expo after I talked with Team Hoyt. I knew that this was something the race couldn't control, but the weather was freezing. This caused the water that was dropped on the ground in front of the aid stations to freeze. Man, it was very slippery; however, some genius had a good idea and dumped PowerAde powder onto the ice so we wouldn't slip. Thank you! I would like to do it again some day but the price has been going up every year and it would be difficult for me to afford the trip down there and pay that much money. I suggest everyone to do it, and it's really a great experience for the whole family. | |
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s. s. from rochester, ny
(1/12/2010)
"Exactly what I wanted" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first full marathon and it was everything I wanted. The expo was great - it was a little congested when I got there in the late afternoon, but it had everything and anything you would be looking for. Race morning was pretty good. You have to get to the start very, very early (the race started at 5:40 and I arrived at 3:30). The start of the race is awesome; there's lots of entertainment and fireworks at the start. The course itself is great. You do spend a lot of time on the highway and backroads, but spectators and volunteers were very enthusiastic. You get to run through all four parks, which makes the boring parts completely worth it. In my opinion, it is very flat; there were only 2 real hills (I thought) and a few gentle ups and downs. I did hear another runner say she counted 7 hills, but I wouldn't go that far. The tech race shirt and medal are great. Overall this was perfect for my first marathon (3:55:37), and I would gladly do it again. | |
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A. S. from Hudson, Ohio
(1/12/2010)
"Fun run in 2010" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I did the Goofy Challenge this year, which is in its 5th year, and I have to say that overall it was very enjoyable. This was my second marathon; my first was the New York Marathon in 1997. Positives: Great medals and tech shirts, volunteers were amazing for being out there in the freezing cold. Plenty of fan support, and with runners' names on their bibs, people who didn't know us were cheering us on by name. The courses for the full marathon and the half marathon were great. Running through the parks was much fun; there was plenty to see, and it was very flat (no hills worth mentioning). A few dead spots between parks, but that's to be expected. Doing the Goofy Challenge (half marathon on Saturday and full marathon on Sunday) was very doable. I simply slowed my pace for both, ran the half in 2:19 and ran the full in 5:14. I stayed at a Disney resort with monorail access, which allowed me to sleep in a little more since the monorail continued to run, while if you had to drive or take a bus, you had to come in pretty early due to the closing of the roads. Negatives: The price. This has got to be one of the most expensive marathons, especially if you're doing the Goofy Challenge. Also, this year was brutally cold and it would have been a nice gesture to have had hot beverages available before the race for the runners free; instead they had a concession stand where you could buy coffee or hot cocoa. There was the VIP tent where you could hang out before the race in a heated tent with food/beverages, but again, it was rather expensive, so I thought to save some money by not paying for it. However, had I known there was going to be below freezing wind chill, I would have paid for the tent. Also you have to show up about 2 hours before the race due to road closings, which would not have been too bad if it hadn't been so cold this year. My advice would be to stay at a monorail-accessible Disney Resort. Overall, it was enjoyable; I would do it again, but next time I would pay for the VIP tent. | |
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o. s. from Puerto Rico
(1/12/2010)
"Not Pleased!" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Disney didn't take care of the runners. The only heated tent was sold out for the past two weeks. And it was for $95! Anyhow, with the temps in the lower 20s, they should at least have some heaters for the finish. When you passed the finish line, you got frozen! Very dangerous! |
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