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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 541 to 551]
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C. B. from DC Metro area
(1/13/2006)
"Go GOOFY!!" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Disney World Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great organization and course support - the most water stops anywhere (I think there were 22). The only downside was the presence of long highway stretches with no people (esp. miles 18 to 22), but Disney does a good job of getting people out there. Running through the parks is great, and the finish from MGM through the boardwalk and EPCOT is the best. And where else can you say you "ran around the world" twice in one day (depending on your start line, that is). I also participated in the Goofy Challenge (ran the half on Sat) and had loads of fun with the other "insane" Goofy Challengers. Hey, it's all about the medals anyway! Would I do it again? Of course, where else can you run a marathon and then walk around wearing your medal for days riding great rides like Mission Space. Side note, like another commenter, my GPS was also off, but my battery died at mile 21 so I don't know if the total distance was off. Very odd as this hadn't happened at other marathons. The early start is a bit hard, but driving there was no problem at all and we just waited in the car until 5 AM to give us time to go to the bathroom and walk to the start. The porta-johns on the first side of the waiting area were EMPTY but once you crossed into runner-only land they were full so go before you go through the baggage tents. There is a walk to the start of about 15 minutes I think, so don't forget. And like my first Disney Marathon, the temp change between the start and finish can be extreme - remember to bring various clothing options and throw-away clothes. For the half marathon on Sat., it took us 22 minutes to cross the start line from the second-to-last corral; but for the full marathon, with two start lines, it took us 6 minutes (I think) to cross the start from the second-to-last corral on the left start lane. | |
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J. S. from Burlington, VT
(1/13/2006)
"Disney does it right." (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon is fantastic! Although the course is better than most other courses I've run, the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because it could have gone through more of the parks rather than partially circumventing them. I wasn't looking forward to starting at 6AM but after seeing all the spectacular lights running through Epcot while there was no sign of the sun yet rising made it all worth it. Even though it was an expensive trip, I am highly considering doing it again next year. | |
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t. s. from oklahoma city, ok
(1/13/2006)
"fun marathon, not serious one" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Long course; my Timex GPS showed a 1/2-mile extra for the half marathon, and full mile extra for the marathon. I beleve they measured the course then put out cones pushing us away from the buildings and other obstructions. Every mile was long. Those who PR'd and BQ'd really earned it. | |
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L. R. from Jacksonville, Florida
(1/13/2006)
"Magical... and looonnngggg Disney experience" (about: 2006)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was the first half marathon for me and my husband (we may even make this a family tradition). It was indeed a wonderful experience, and the satisfaction of completing a 13.1 miles was great for us. The only thing that was not great were the kids' races - which we thought were completely unorganized. One and a half hours later than outlined in the schedule (which we were not even provided at the registration booth during the expo), my toddler fell asleep because they waited in line for over two hours for the kids' races to begin. Some recommendations???? 1) Please try to do the kids' races before the 5K (the babies all the way up to 5 year-olds would be most grateful). 2) Kids' race schedules (and other pertinent information) should be available at all the information booths. 3) At the starting line, announcing the age group that is going to race prepares the parents for that perfect Kodak moment. All in all, we made the most of our "family centered" Disney World Marathon Weekend. My husband carried our sleeping daughter across that finish line, and she woke up with a big smile when she saw her Chicken Little medal. | |
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S. B. from Michigan
(1/12/2006)
"Can't say enough about this fun marathon." (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Participated in the Goofy Challenge and can't wait to do it again. The marathon was so much fun. Even during the long stretches, spectators and entertainment would keep you going. Only disappointment came during the 1/2 marathon. The course was narrow and boring. I really had a hard time getting up the next day for the marathon thinking that it would be the same type of course, just twice as long. I'm really glad that I went out the next day. There was so much to see! I would recommend the marathon to anyone. This would be great for a first-time marathon participant with the seven-hour time limit. | |
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David Terrill, Sr. from Tarentum, Pa.
(1/12/2006)
"You just had to be there..." (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed "playing" at Disney. A friendly, festive venue. Decided to run a disciplined race, ignoring the visual aesthetics of the theme parks in favor of a focused, efficient run, and finished 5 minutes ahead of predicted time. The end justifies the means. Ran miles 4 through 18 with Major Matt Reid, USMC, and the miles simply flowed by. It was outstanding to run with a fellow Marine. Matt, maybe I'll see you down the road, say LeJeune in Feb '07 or DC in Oct. We spent 5 days in the area, which gave us plenty of time to enjoy the parks for what they offer. Favorite simulator ride was "Soarin'." Worth the wait in line. Fan encouragement was heavy through the park sections. Fluid stops rival any race I've seen. Absolutely first-rate. I have no complaints about any facet of this Disney experience. Heck, we planned a winter getaway vacation around this run. We're glad we did. | |
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J. S. from Park Hills, KY
(1/12/2006)
"A Great Time for My First Marathon" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I really enjoyed. It was great being able to run through the various Disney parks, especially the castle in the Magic Kingdom. There was a long stretch with little to see between the Magic Kingdom and MGM Studios (you did go through Animal Kingdom during that part but it really was a cursory visit). Disney did try to spice up the long stretches with marching bands, cheerleaders and signs. The early morning start was there but expected and I probably would not have slept well the night before anyway. Transportation to the course was efficient and well organized. The course was relatively flat and the last 5 miles go by pretty quickly. I appreciated the gosple choir at mile 26 to send me on to the finish line. I wore a sign on my back indicating that it was my first marathon and I got great support from all the runners around me. Spectators were pretty spread out but enthusiastic whenever they were around. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and would recommend the marathon to any first-time marathoner. | |
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D. S. from Ohio
(1/12/2006)
"Marathon Course Distance? GPS" (General Comments)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Disney World Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I checked with 7 other participants that were wearing the Garmin 301 & 201 GPS watch/trainer. All 7 came up with 27 miles and some change instead of 26.2? Each runner had varying times from 4:00 to 5:45. Anyone else come up with a mile or more difference? Strange that almost 10 runners came up with this same approx. milage. | |
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B. G. from Ottawa, CANADA
(1/12/2006)
"Excellent Races!" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This past weekend, my wife and I did the Goofy at WDW. We both found the courses to be very good, even though the surface is a lot harder than we are used to. The roads must have a higher cement or concrete content than they use here in Ottawa, as our legs were really feeling it! Waking up so early wasn't a huge inconvenience for us - especially with the fire alarm in our hotel getting us up before the 1/2!! I would recommend this race to anyone - I thought it was really well organized, with lots of volunteers and spectators on the course giving encouragement, and who can overlook the beautiful finisher's medals?!?! | |
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T. B. from Holland, PA
(1/11/2006)
"Wow! A lot of fun!" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Lucky for me I am normally an early riser, otherwise two consecutive days of getting up before 4:00 am might have been a problem. After a strong cup of tea I was wide awake and ready to go. My biggest concern at this point was how to dress. I had laid out my Bucks County Road Runner singlet and shorts the night before, even though I knew that the temperature at the start would be in the 30's. I caught the monorail to Epcot around 4:00 am. I noticed some porta-potties with no lines just past the station and made a quick stop. It was a good thing, because after the bag-check I entered the "runners only" staging area where the lines were 30 or more deep. By 5:00 am I had checked my sweats and was shivering in my throw-away t-shirt and trash bag. It was COLD and we still had an hour until the start. From the staging area, I followed the mass of runners for nearly a mile walk to the starting gates. Along the way I saw people trying to stay warm by huddling around the exhaust of the generators for the portable spotlights. I was starting to regret my decision to dress light! At the gates, I found some more porta-potties with short lines... lucky me! Somehow I ended up assigned to Gate A with the fast guys. I guess that Disney doesn't attract a real strong field. Anyway, I was hoping that would allow me to get out to a good start without getting too boxed in. I had heard that the course was a bit tight right after the start as it passes through Epcot. In fact, this year they split the start into to two groups to ease the congestion. The two groups started at the same time, but ran different courses for the first three miles before merging back together. Other than being cold, waiting for the start wasn't too bad; there were nice people, some good loud music, and a huge video screen where they showed, among other things, one of my favorite scenes from the movie Caddy Shack.... "So I got that goin' for me... which is nice." I planned on trying to stay with the 3:10 pace team as long as I could. I looked around once I was in the gate and spotted the balloons about 30 yards behind me. I thought about working my way back but decided to just go out at a decent pace and then try to stay with the pace team if they caught me.... If. Yeah, I know it sounds stupid now.... The start was right on time at 6:00 am. I had to do a bit of weaving through the crowd to keep a decent pace but it wasn't that bad. We were on a two- or three-lane access road outside of Epcot so there was some room to maneuver. I hit the first mile at around a 7:20 pace by my watch. As we entered Epcot, I was in the clear and was able to pick up the pace quite a bit. After about three miles I felt warm enough to ditch my throw-away shirt and was very comfortable, temperature-wise, for the rest of the run. There were a lot of whiners along the way crying about the cold.... Southerners, I guess. I came across some poor soul around mile 12 who was scrounging for other runners' throw away gloves. By that time, the sun was up and I was thinking that the conditions were perfect. The course overall was almost completely flat with the occasional gentle slope of an overpass to cross. There were a couple of long stretches on access roads where the crowd support was light or non-existent and the scenery wasn't much to look at or too dark to see. But, running through the theme parks was a complete blast. What a boost to come out of a back alley onto Main Street in the Magic Kingdom to a large screaming crowd and then run down to and through Cinderella's castle. Wow! We went from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom, past the resorts, through the Animal Kingdom and MGM, past more resorts and back to the finish in Epcot. There were also a lot of Disney characters out on various points of the course. My favorite were the green plastic soldiers from Toy Story who yelled at me with a bullhorn: "You will not break stride, soldier!" I also got a kick out of giving a high-five to Goofy in the Magic Kingdom. I felt really strong for most of the race, even after 15 miles when my pace slowed a bit. I think that I felt so good in part because I kept eating through the whole race. Unlike the other two marathons that I've run, there were four or five food stops along the way with gels, bananas, and grapefruit (and Hershey Kisses, which was a little strange). The handouts along with the gel that I carried with me, kept me pretty well fueled. Oh, all the volunteers at the food and water stops were great also! In the end, I crashed a little bit around mile 25 when the 3:10 pace guy (there was no team left that I could see) finally passed me. It was a bit of a mental let down. Funny, considering my plan in the starting gate. I tried for a few strides to stay with him but ended up slowing down even more. That was my slowest mile, by far. After the race my family and I had the best vacation ever in the Disney Parks. By the way, the food at the Disney resorts and parks is great. This is probably the only place where you can run a marathon and still gain weight by the end of the day! |
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