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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 651 to 661]
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M. C. from Illinois
(1/18/2004)
"Fun Course And Spectators Where Needed" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Enjoyed this course. It was great to run through each of the Disney parks. Temps were unexpectedly cold. Would have preferred a different drink than Powerade. Some of the Powerade stations were serving very watered-down Powerade. Almost tasted like water. That was disappointing for me because I rely on the extra calories from the sports drink served on the course. The finish chute was awesome. Lots of cheering people. Help after the finish was great also. Everyone I encountered was willing to help out in anyway they could. | |
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Milehigh runner from Golden, Colorado
(1/18/2004)
"This Is Truly A World-Class Event!" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thank you Jon Hughes (Race Director) and team for another successful year. Also, special thanks to the Disney cast members for getting out there so early to cheer us on ? it is appreciated! I said it before - this is a great event, and I will continue to run in this event each and every year. I do it for my love of Disney, my passion for running, and my love for the course. What makes this event special is its focus - Marathon Weekend is about family values, fun and fundraising for a good cause to fight a terrible disease. It?s nice to know that this event is about, family, health, running, and never about prize money as there is none and will never be - as it?s not the purpose or direction of the event. It stands alone for an event of its size and is truly special. In 2003 I ran the Boston Marathon and competed in the 25th Anniversary Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii this past October and I can tell you - this is a truly world-class event! Things this event does right and other events should envy: - Organization is among the very best, the hard work and planning shows - Miles split locations are very well marked - Support stations on the course are textbook perfect - Florida Health does an awesome job with the aid stations - Transportation to and from the race ? Luxury tour busses! After finishing the race I walked not more than 100 yards and was brought back to the front door of my Disney Hotel. A nice perk for staying on Disney propriety - it just don?t get any better than this anywhere! - The expo speakers had Creigh Kelly as the MC and this years speakers like Bill Rodgers, Jon Sinclair, Keith Brantly, Julie Isphording, Hal Higdon, (just to name a few) are among the best anywhere. - Entertainment on the course - love the Gospel Choir and bands are great and getting better each year - Disney characters are just too much fun and love the trivia questions. - Post-Race Party! Entry to Pleasure Island the night following the race is very cool as a perk ? THANK YOU! So those of you who think the goodie bag is a little sparse remember what you are getting here. - Spectators can watch their loved one at the start or at the entrance to Epcot near mile 2, and catch a monorail to the Magic Kingdom to see them again near mile 10.5. Than easily catch the monorail back to Epcot to see the finish all for free courtesy of Disney transportation. - Of course having the happiest place on earth as your playground after the race is something that cannot be matched anywhere. - The coolest medal Suggestions for next year: - Bring back the Jumbo-Trons from the 10th anniversary - Better coordination with the Disney hotels as to when and where spectators can catch busses from their hotel. Maybe every half-hour or something standard so there is no confusion for those working the Disney Hotel desks in the AM. - Ok, lets upgrade the race shirt to a little better quality material. A T-shirt made out of a heavier cotton instead of the cheaper thin shirts over the last few years would be nice. Maybe bring back the 100% embroidered sweatshirts (like 2000 and 2001) as a purchased souvenir ? quality counts. - Upgrade the fireworks at the start - one or two big ones similar to the nightly displays should do the trick. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, DISNEY ? I can?t wait until next year ? January 9th, 2005 for the 12th. | |
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C. V. from Houston, Texas
(1/17/2004)
"I'll be back...." (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I had been looking forward to WDW 2004 for close to a year. I was not disappointed. I am a veteran of several marathons in 3 different states. WDW ranks way up there! I have to admit, catching a bus at 3 am and waiting in near freezing temps for 2.5 hours really wasnt fun. Take that part away, and I enjoyed all 4 hours and 2 minutes worth! Next time, I'll drive and seek refuge in my vehicle! There had to be more porta-potties at this marathon than any other I have attended. I never had to wait for an open one. True, running in the parks was a small portion of the run, (perhaps 6-7 miles) but the anticipation of reaching the next park, pushed me along nicely. Part of what made WDW special for me is that I am a regular visitor of WDW. I enjoyed seeing the portions of the WDW that one does not normally have a chance to see. Interacting with the characters along the course was a blast as well. I'll come back again. I had a blast! | |
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A. K. from Austin Texas
(1/17/2004)
"A two-hour cold wait for a 6am start" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my fourth marathon, but my first Disney Marathon. The race course itself was nice/fun/scenic. But as far as organization, I think it needs to be improved. The instructions recommended getting there at **4am** for a 6am start. I was puzzled at first. 2 hours??? I drove the day before to the parking lot from my hotel to verify the plan for the next morning. It was only supposed to be a 10-minute drive. But regardless, my husband and I started our drive at 3:45 to be safe and follow the recommendation in the info packet. Thank goodness, because unlike the day before, all the roads were either closed or being rerouted... it took us an hour to finally get to the parking lot. Some people even got lost b/c there were no signs and mose people just started following the trail of lights from other cars. Where were the signs!?!?! Then we get there (4:45... 45 minutes late according to the info packet) and the runners have to walk for .6 miles to the starting line and then wait. It was in the 30s! Why? At this point I was thankful I didn't get there at 4am. They need to figure out a better starting point. Maybe some runners like hanging out for two hours before start time in 30-degree weather. I'd rather sleep!! | |
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Kelly Hosmer from Berlin, MA
(1/16/2004)
"I had an absolute blast!!!" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon, first Disney and would definitely run it again! The temperature was a lot colder than I expected, but coming from New England I'm used to running in the cold. The early start was a little tough to get used to, but it was also nice to have the rest of the day ahead of me when I finished. I ran a PR and couldn't be happier!! The course was so much fun. Even running behind the parks wasn't that bad. Disney did a great job distracting and entertaining from start to finish. I was able to see friends and family members at a few different spots along the way including the finish. The spectators were more than I expected, even along the highways. The medal is the best!!! And people walking around wearing them and talking about their experience over the weekend was great! The early start, the cold weather and the running of 26.2 miles was all well worth it and then some! Running down Main Street, USA looking up at the Castle was amazing!!!! I loved it!!!!!!!! | |
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Kent Hales from Bristol, TN
(1/16/2004)
"A very entertaining and fun race" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second Disney Marathon and I enjoyed it more this time than the first. Although it was brutally cold before the race, the weather was great for the race itself. I believe the best part of this event is the volunteers. All along the course, there are folks ready and willing to help you and cheer you along. They make you feel 'extra special' upon completion of the race. I especially want to thank the person that removed my timing chip! At that point, I really appreciated someone giving me some help. | |
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James D'Amore from Alabama, USA
(1/16/2004)
"Awesome First Marathon!!" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 'This is awesome!' were my exact words as my brother and I ran under the Spaceship Earth entering Epcot near mile 2. The crowd was screaming for us and everything was lit up and beautiful! This was my first marathon and a great one at that! I recommend it to beginners! Lots to see and enjoy! Run through all 4 parks and slap hands with practically all the characters! The start was a bit early, but it was worth it to me! Exciting all the way with music blasting and friendly faces. I didn't even think about the 32-degree weather! I wish people would stop complaining about it! My only disappointment was that most of the people in the parks looked like they had no clue a marathon was going on or what we were doing. Disney needs to put up more signs welcoming Marathon Weekend and make a big deal of it. Then maybe people would know an event was happening! Otherwise....everything was great, down to the Mickey-shaped medal! Great job volunteers! Oh... there were about 100,000 porta-potties! :-) | |
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R. H. from Northern Virginia
(1/16/2004)
"Great Winter Get-Away. " (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Thanks to the volunteers!!! The many water/Powerade stops were appreciated. Going through the parks with the yelling crowds was great. Thanks to cool temps, and support from running partner (JK), I beat my goal of 4:20 by 13 mins. There are quite a few quiet highway miles on the course. Less music/characters than last year. Overall a great experience as always. A good marathon get-away. Thanks to the support team that braved the early start and cool temps. I will be back for my fourth Disney in 2005. | |
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Ron Benfield from Central Florida
(1/15/2004)
"Cold, but good!" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my second, so don't have a lot of others to compare to. It's size (24,000 registrants, counting the half marathoners), of necessity, requires getting there early to avoid traffic. That's it's biggest downside (other than the cold weather this year). Disney's advice to be there by 4am is worth following. Would DEFINITELY drive there, rather than take the bus, then be stuck outside at the mercy of the elements for 2 hours plus. The 38-degree (wind chill 30 degrees) weather at the start was tough to deal with -- consuming a lot of energy to stay warm, which could have been much better used later in the race. LOTS of potties at the start, but few along the way -- saw lots of roadside potty-stops. A low point was running by the sanitation (sewer) plant around mile 15 (was my fastest mile in the last half!). Plenty of water/Powerade stops. Some fruit at one spot, and gel at one spot. Food at the end was adequate. Finish line was tough for us to see family members, but this is probably typical of a bigger marathon. Biggest criticism: Disney gives inadequate directions on where spectators are allowed. They imply it is difficult, while in reality, spectators can drive to side of the road through much of the course. Had my family known this, they would have worried less about finding me. The characters added, well, character to the race. They were unobtrusive -- if you wanted to ignore them and run fast, you could. The start was quite slow (I was in Corral C), and it was at least 2 miles before I could easily maintain the pace I wanted. It might be tempted next time to exaggerate my speed a little to get placed further up... The medal is nice (though very large!). It's the biggest bling-bling I've owned! The shirt is ok (long-sleeve, kind of thin, cotton, with large sponsor listings). Would have preferred to have the option of paying a little more to get Coolmax. Overall a great experience. I had a 21 minute PR, which I was more than pleased with. Would definitely run it again. THANKS ESPECIALLY TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND DISNEY CAST MEMBERS THAT CHEERED AND HELPED SO MUCH!! You were so helpful! | |
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J. M. from Ridgeland, Mississippi
(1/15/2004)
"This marathon was a blast!" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and I had read all the reviews here first. Some of those were negative, so I was a little concerned, but I had an absolute blast running this race! The course keeps you entertained. Even on the 'back' stretches, there were Disney characters along the way. I had heard that a couple of places got boring, but those stretches seemed to pass very quickly...and once you hit MGM, the miles to the finish just fly by because there's so much around you all the way in. I'll do this again. |
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