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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 631 to 641]
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G. K. from Findlay, Ohio
(3/31/2004)
"Disney culd do better!!!!!!!" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Disney World Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Don't be fooled, the course is not flat. It is a series on continuous small hills. The expo was small. The shirt was cheap and shrank like there's no tomorrow after the first wash. The early start is ridiculous. (2 hours of standing around doing nothing.) Fan support? Where was it? Marathon merchandise is only available at the marathon. When you call the afterwards about buying something, they are short off and clueless. When I registered, I asked if my family had to have an admission ticket to see the finish. They said yes. So as a result we stayed at Disney for an extra day. Come to find out you do not have to have a ticket at the finish area, spectators only need a ticket if they watch from inside one of the parks. There is minimal transportation for spectators. Even if you are staying at one of their resorts. A pretty big disappointment for Disney. You would think that with all that Disney does that things would have been organized better. I felt as though we were used strictly to bring people into the resort. It was almost as if the marathon was an incovenience to Disney. The finishers medal, though, is definitely the coolest that I have and or have ever seen. | |
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P. C. from Nashville, TN
(2/11/2004)
"It was what I expected" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was a good course and I enjoyed the race. This is my third marathon and I will run it again next year. I agree that the expo was a little small but overall a great race. If you are a first-time marathoner, this is a good one. | |
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Gary Bailey from Greensburg, IN
(2/9/2004)
"Course and Scenery - Great. Weather - Not Great." (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Everything about the race is topnotch, except the time you must be at the starting line. 4:00 am!! Finisher's medals are wonderful. | |
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g. t. from tampa, fl
(2/7/2004)
"You expect more for $90" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Not a bad marathon, and running in the theme parks is cool. But you expect more for the steep entry fee. For $90, the 'goodie bag' was weak. I got a Powerbar and a Styrofoam visor. Uhh, thanks. The T-shirt is cotton and not very nice. Everything Disney does is geared toward making money. The expo was very small, probably because they charge would-be vendors an arm and a leg. The early start is ridiculous, and only about 10 miles of the race, maybe less, are run in the theme parks, the rest is on lonely highway, no crowds and nothing to look at. I won't run it again. There are some nice sections, an early highlight is running through Epcot in the dark, with all the lights lit up. For those who live in cold climes and think of it as a family vacation and a chance to soak up the sun, be aware that it was 36 degrees at race time, and both days of the weekend the temps struggled to reach 50 degrees. | |
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L. W. from Seattle, WA
(2/3/2004)
"Be prepared for 24,000 other runners" (about: 2000)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Be prepared to catch last resort bus to the staging area 2 hours prior to start, or allow plenty of time if driving in. There were plenty of porta-johns at staging area and start as well as along the course. Lots of spectators and Disney characters, especially near the Magic Kingdom. There were plenty of well-staffed water stations with water and sports drink. One major organizational complaint was that walkers were started ahead of many runners. With so many people and a sometimes-too-narrow course, the first 3-4 miles required you to either run off the course to pass or jog in place behind lines of walkers. The half and full marathon courses join at the 3.3 mile mark and this exacerbated the problem. The magnitude of this problem was a real disappointment. Otherwise organization was adequate. | |
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P. J. from NC
(2/2/2004)
"It was a good running vacation" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 It was a good running vacation, but it was not a race to compete in for fast times. | |
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D. T. from Atlanta, GA
(1/31/2004)
"My first marathon was a blast!" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Disney was my first marathon, and it lived up to expectations. You have to arrive early, but it's not that big of a deal. I didn't stay on Disney property so I drove myself and was able to stay in the car until time to walk to the start area. The race is part boring on the roads between the parks followed by excitement in the parks. Epcot was spectacular the first time through with all of the lights. I will run Disney again in 2005. | |
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D. H. from Clarksville, IN
(1/30/2004)
"It was a great first marathon venue" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 My friends have been doing the Disney Marathon for years, so I felt compelled to finally sign up for my first. It was everything they told me it would be. The 5K the day before was a great prelude to what was to come. It was early to get started on race day, but you could just feel the electricity in the air. I have to admit there were stretches of the course that were boring and I easily lost my focus, but then just around a corner would be one of the theme parks with the crowds cheering and all was forgotten. Entering Epcot at the 25 mile marker and, in my case, walking around the World Showcase was the most exciting part of the race. I thought the organization was good, although I have to say the Indy Half-Marathon still gets my nod for best organization and entertainment along the way. Disney was very walker friendly and I completed it in 6:21.34! I will definitely do it again. | |
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Simon Shurey from Brevard NC
(1/30/2004)
"I was surprised by the sacrifices I had to make" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my third marathon. I was extremely happy with the organization of the Disney Marathon, but the sacrifice you had to make to be there at 3:30am is kind of ridiculous, plus having to walk half a mile to the start line. Unfortunately you felt like you weren't really the priority, and me and my running community had trained our mental souls out for the last 16 weeks for this pinnacle. It is a wonderful thing to raise money for charities. I believe they are totally saturating the race now. Maybe they should put a cap on how many people are allowed to race for one charity. One last thing: just before mile 2 or just after, there was a cable cover which I didnt see and I took a dive. I guess that I wasn't the only person it affected, and I was lucky I just scraped my knee. I hope that will be remedied. I realize whenever you enter a race everyone has there own perspectives. Mine were met. I took over 30 minutes off my personal time. I'm off to Nashville in April. See you there. The crazy thing: I hate country music. | |
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H. L. from Coral Gables, FL
(1/22/2004)
"My 1st Marathon was a BLAST" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Even though I suffered unexpected knee pain throughout the second half of the race, I had a BLAST. There were characters high-fiving you throughout the race, with music, Disney trivia and fans cheering you on at almost every point. There were some quiet areas, but I used that time to wonder about what neat thing I'd see next (and was never disappointed). Running through the parks was super cool; I will never look at the 'tunnel' under Cinderalla's Castle, the Boardwalk or the World Showcase in the same way again! Crossing the finish line was so overwhelming and having the Mickey Medal placed over your head has got to feel like winning the Olympic gold. There were PLENTY of potties (a common concern in marathons, I hear) and a very comfortable amount of drink/food stops. At the fitness expo, I got to meet Hal Higdon whose novice training program I followed, and thanked him for helping me get strong over the 18 weeks. It was a great time. I've already signed up for 2005 and look forward to beating my time! |
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