The RunDisney Experience
After our last half marathon in 2016, we decided we were done with that distance. Maybe our bodies and joints were more like 10K people. Especi:ally as we get older, we can’t just go out and run a half marathon any more. Then we saw that RunDisney was putting Daisy Duck on the Walt Disney World Half Marathon medal for the 2023 race. What else could we do?
Due to FOMO, our husbands also signed up, including my husband who after his first half said he never wanted to do that again. For the record, we did tell them up front that they’d have to wake up in the 2 am hour for this race. We’ve written a few RunDisney tips before here and here, but we wanted to share a few things we learned and a few tips from our most recent experience:
I have to wake up when?! Yes, you have to wake up before 3 am. The races don’t start until 5 am, and in some cases due to corral placement, you might start much later than that, but in order to take RunDisney transportation from your resort, you need to try and be ready by 3 am, dependent on where you’re staying. The coach buses offered do fill up so plan on being earlier rather than later. We did hear you could utilize a Minnie Van via Lyft, but we opted for the free transport.
What do I need to know about arriving early? Not only does arriving early help you to get a good spot in your corral, it also gives you an opportunity to use the (port-a) potty, stretch and eat a quick breakfast. Note that it can be pretty chilly that early in the morning. We wished we had gotten cheap jackets to throw away or bought mylar blankets at the Expo. Just note with the mylar, you must shed the blanket prior to hitting the starting line because it interferes with your chip timing. Because there are so many runners and corrals, start times are staggered. If you’re in a later corral, like we were, it might be more than an hour after the initial start before you get your turn to go.
I’m not a runner. Can I walk the race? As previously mentioned, we were not in long distance running shape prior to this race. There are several different distances offered with each race weekend, and all kinds of kinds participate in RunDisney races, which is one of our favorite parts about it. We utilized Jeff Galloway’s run-walk-run training plan as best we could. That being said, you do have to maintain a 16-minute per mile pace. So that you don’t get swept.
What does it mean to get swept? Anyone who has run a RunDisney race has probably heard of the illustrious balloon ladies. They start at the end of the final corral and anyone who falls behind them will be removed from the course. Though you do still get a medal. For this race, we were somehow in the last corral, despite Allison submitting a qualifying time. We were pretty nervous about the possibility of getting swept as a result.
How do I avoid getting swept? First, we did everything we could to get to the front of our corral before the race began. This is another reason to arrive early! We also just kept moving, thanks to Allison keeping us on track with our run-walk intervals. This one was tough, but we really didn’t stop to wait in line for any characters. By the time we reached them, lines were pretty long and we opted for quick selfies instead and mile marker signs. We agreed that if there were someone really rare who we’d never met, we’d stop. Almost stopped for Max, but he wasn’t dressed as Powerline. We’d get swept for Powerline. We did stop for a professional shot in front of the castle, and while in line, we heard the balloon ladies had, in fact, entered the Magic Kingdom, not far behind us. So we hauled booty after that. For the rest of the race, we heard rumors that the balloon ladies were anywhere between 15 minutes behind and two hours behind us. We just kept moving!
What about when it gets hard? For us, the toughest part of a half marathon is miles 8-10. In a RunDisney race, at that point you’ve usually exited the Parks, where there is a lot of entertainment and adrenaline and now you’re running on highways. Because we had also utilized Peloton guided outdoor runs in our training, we thought this might be a good time to have a trainer in our ear. We did two guided run walks, with Robin Arzón and Jess Sims, and honestly it really helped to pass these tough miles! We’d also recommend having a partner who keeps you motivated – Allison was that for me – and if you don’t have a running pal, make one! We had a lady who was running alone ask to join in our intervals, and she ran with us for a few miles.
Is a RunDisney race worth it? To run a RunDisney race, you’ve likely spent a few hours watching a spinny wheel trying to register, paid anywhere from $100-600 depending on your chosen races, woken up at 2 am, waited in line to get on a bus and maybe fought the elements all BEFORE you have the physical feat of running a lot of miles. That might sound a little crazy, but RunDisney races are worth all of it. The atmosphere and camaraderie among the runners is one of the most empowering experiences we’ve had, and as we shared runners and walkers of all abilities complete these races. It’s inspirational to see. Not to mention, you get a cool medal at the end which might or might not have your favorite character on it. Safe to say, we’ll be back, RunDisney.
Have you ever run a RunDisney race? Definitely put it on your list!