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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 261 to 271]
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J. Y. from Rochester, NY
(1/13/2009)
"I still have goosebumps from running up Main St." (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a rockin' time!!! Others have said it. Disney knows how to throw a party, they know how to move people, and they know how to make it as painless as possible. This was my first Disney Marathon, and I guess I was one of the lucky ones who started in Corral A (from proof of time from another race). I started pretty close to the starting line with other runners about my same ability level, and, other than the first couple of miles, I had no issues with excessive runner traffic like others experienced. I had plenty of free space throughout the whole second half of the race. I was able to run a PR here, which made the whole experience that much more enjoyable for me. The crowds were unbelievable!!! When I was running towards Main St. in Magic Kingdom, the screams and cheers from the crowd were audible before we even got into the park. As we got closer, I turned to the guy running next to me and said, "I feel like we are running through the tunnel for the Super Bowl." As we got into Main St., it was like running in the Tour de France!!! I gave a clap to the crowd and they went nuts - it still gives me the chills!!! There are a couple of other spots that were like this too, and the finish was just as great. The volunteers at the water stops were terrific, and ALL of the Disney employees were wonderful!!! I hate to nitpick, but... I had 4 minor issues with an otherwise spectacular day. I loved the course, and I didn't mind the back roads and the highways, but I really hated running through the back roads behind the parks. I felt like I was running behind a shopping center or something. It sure would be nice to not have to see that (maybe more park time, or even some golf course roads??). Second, I, like others, had no clue what to do in the morning. I just followed the masses and ended up in the right place, but it is kind of a long walk from the parking lot to the starting corrals. Third, I stopped a med tent late in the second half of the race for some Tylenol (for a bum foot), and they had to go find it while I was standing there. They brought me the Tylenol and then had to go find some water. This took almost 2 minutes. I know I was early in the racers to pass by, but you'd think this stuff would have been a little more handy then that. Finally, the post-race food was lame: Fruit, Clif Bars and muffins? I guess I thought I'd see a little more. I wouldn't trade this day for anything. It was a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to do it again next year!!! | |
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JOHN GODINET from USA
(1/13/2009)
"WHAT A WEEKEND!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Disney World Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved every minutes of it. The employees and the bus drivers were all absolutely fantastic. Why drive when the buses are always on time? I had an awesome time. I have run so many half-marathons, many full marathons and 50-mile races, and a few 100-milers. This was the most fantastic weekend. (By the way, I did the Goofy Challenge.) I am signing up for 2010. THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN. LOTS OF THANK YOUS! - John, from Frederick | |
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S. T. from Atlanta, GA
(1/13/2009)
"Fabulous!" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run one other full marathon (Kentucky Derby), several halfs and a bazillion 5 and 10Ks, and this is by far one of the best running event ever!! Characters, music, water, food, fireworks, bands, screaming spectators, running through Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, the Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, the Boardwalk - what's missing? Nothing. An especially good first marathon; the flat Florida miles seem particularly easy to run. Even in the boring stretches, signs with amusing sayings had been placed all along the route - they really did try to think of everything. And you won't find another marathon that takes you through Sleeping Beauty's castle to the sound of trumpets anywhere! | |
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Michelle King from Cincinnati,OH
(1/13/2009)
"The HAPPIEST, BEST TIME and RACE of my life" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was my first Disney Marathon - third overall - and I was a little "anxious" about how early we had to be there! (I stayed at one of the resorts - 4 a.m. pickup.) My anxiety was short-lived. The waiting flew by with all of the gracious participants and volunteers, and the jumbo TV. The start was like no other, with Mickey, fireworks, and the Parks all lit up. The spectators, and characters along the course... I couldn't believe I was running through Cinderella's castle, and before I knew it, I was FINISHED. I had an absolutely "magical time" and a personal best time.... Thanks to Disney, Mickey and friends for making my experience truly memorable for me, my son, and my mother, who were all there with me! | |
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M. E. from ohio
(1/13/2009)
"Excellent run, but I wanted more parks" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Overall, I thought it was an excellent run. (I did the Goofy.) I don't race; I just run for me. The crowds were great and the my fellow runners were great. The race course was tight in certain areas, but that was to be expected (at least by me). I thought instructions that were emailed to me were not that concise and easy to read and follow. (A few things I did not see but know now from talking to others.) I would do it again because it was a great experience. | |
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S. L. from Nashua NH
(1/13/2009)
"How can you not love this?" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Disney World Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I did the full marathon for the second time, and did the Goofy Challenge for the first time. I managed to talk my brother into the half and we had a great time. We stopped for pictures with just about every character (and almost missed the cutoff... oops). Running the next day without him was still good, since I had about 15,000 people to keep me company! I heard some people complaining about all of the people ruining their times, but why worry about time at Disney? I took and hour more than my best time to run it, and I took about 50 pictures of me with various Disney characters, animals in Animal Kingdom, in front of the Castle, etc. The best part is that there are people with every character to take the picture for you! I am going to do the unofficial "Dopey" for next year (Circle of Life 5K and Goofy Challenge). | |
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M. M. from Tampa, FL
(1/13/2009)
"Excellent race with parking problems" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Disney World Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Once again this was a very well run race and the fan support was great. The weather cooperated this year, and starting 10 minutes earlier wasn't that big of a deal. I could re-list all of the pros, but they have all been covered. My one con is the lack of signage pointing to the parking lots prior to the race. I stay in the downtown Disney hotels and, due to road closure, have a lot of trouble locating the parking lot in the dark. This happened to me the last couple of years. This year we ended up following cars that seemed to know where they were going and ended up in the employee lot. It might be helpful if you could provide something at the expo (in the program or a handout with the goody bag) or even post something on the website. Overall, I highly recommend this race and will consider doing it every year. | |
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Sid Busch from Goose Creek SC
(1/13/2009)
"15th Disney Marathon, and 4th Goofy" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Disney World Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 15th Disney Marathon and 4th Goofy, and it was just AWESOME. Disney can sure put on a show, and when running up Main Street towards the castle, I don't care how old you are; everyone becomes a 10-year-old kid again. What other race lets you run through your childhood? To me, this is an event, not a race. There's too much to do and see along the journey to the finish line. Just before the Animal Kingdom, they had animal handlers with a tortoise, goats, sheep and birds, and you just had to stop and pet the goats and sheep. The parks are spread out, so you don't get them all at the start as in the early running of this marathon. But just when you're running out of steam, there's a new park to lift your spirits. Even the back roads had entertainment and music, and SHARPIE had the greatest signs, such as "shins are made to find furniture in the dark," or showing the percentage of NYC school teachers who send their kids to private schools. Those signs kept your mind working. The volunteers are among the best of any marathon anywhere in the world; my hat's off to them all. They also had plenty of fluids, bananas and sports gel. At mile 26 is a gospel choir, and when you are hurting and just trying to keep moving the last .2 miles, they make you fly. Hearing them sing floats your body and soul. I highly recommend the runners' retreat tent. It costs a little more, but it was well worth it - and I got to be the first to register for GOOFY 2010. (They let runner retreat people register before the general public.) All in all, I had a fantastic time. I'm sad that its over, and I'm looking forward to 2010 to be GOOFY again. | |
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Jay Whitehead from West Orange, NJ
(1/13/2009)
"The Ritz Carlton of Marathons - Miles of Smiles" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The 2009 Disney World sets 3 benchmarks: for excellence in runner services, military-quality logistics and Disney-like dedication to fun. This was my 44th finish, and I've done most of the majors: Boston (2x), NYC (2x), Paris, San Francisco (3x), Medoc (Bordeaux), Montreal (2x), Big Sur, LA, Seattle, Green Bay, NJ (2x), Philadelphia (2x), Mystic, Cheverney, Portland, CIM Sacramento, Mont St. Michel (2x), etc. Marathoning is about endurance, and some of my race experiences have been rugged - no services, failed logistics, horrid courses. But Disney has turned marathoning into an enjoyment and entertainment extravaganza. To start with, the precision logistics were incredible. Moving 23,000 people to the start was smooth, with exciting start-line shows including adrenaline-creating fireworks. The racecourse services were extra helpful and plentiful. Even the med tents were great. Then there were the plentiful characters along the course. It was impossible to not smile, even with nausea or cramps, when you're confronted by Snow White and Goofy. Hundreds of runners would actually stop running to get their pic taken with Mickey or Minnie or the Mad Hatter. And upon finishing the race, within 45 minutes of the 1 p.m. cutoff, the clean-up was so efficient that it was nearly impossible to know that a race had taken place just minutes before. If you are an aspiring race director, run Disney. It's the best career mentoring you'll ever get. | |
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N. S. from USA
(1/13/2009)
"I expected more from Disney..." (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was fine. The characters were great! The course is really curvy and tight - it never thinned out to me. It was definitely NOT a serious PR race for me. This is good if you just want a fun run. I was REALLY disappointed with the kid's race. It was totally unorganized and there was not one piece of fruit, bagel or Gatorade afterward. There was no face-painting and no music - and this is DISNEY for, goodness' sakes! I can't decide if we'll be back next year. |
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