Easy, breezy, Health & Fitness Expo |
"The most magical 26.2 miles on earth!" - Mickey Mouse Art of Animation was definitely prepared for race morning with nearly 10 buses waiting first thing in the morning to transport runners to the start line area at EPCOT. We got on right away and hardly had to wait until we were off. I like staying at Art of Animation for many reasons, and the close proximity to both the expo and the start/finish are near the top of the list. The bus ride seemed to go by in an instant while I finished my small breakfast, and then we were out in the cold enjoying the pre-race entertainment. I decided to go with a very easy "costume" of a classic Mousketeer and had to get a few pics! |
There was plenty of water available before we got to the corrals, and the porta-potty lines were shockingly very short. The DJ was pumping up the crowd and characters were out meeting and greeting, but we bypassed all of that for the most part to instead focus on getting a good spot in our respective corrals, especially since RunDisney put me in the very last corral despite my proof of time (Oh well!). We took the long warm-up walk to the corral staging area and settled in for a bit of a wait until go-time.
Since this was the 25th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon, there was a lot of retrospective fun around the early years of the event, and the actual start line got in on the fun with each corral and mini wave taking off to the top Disney song from the corresponding year between 1994-2018. Mine was "How Far I'll Go" from Moana, to give you some perspective on how far back I had to start (Oh well again, but now I have such an emotional connection to that song and Moana!). It did seem to take a while to get everyone going, but it was awesome to hear Mickey Mouse count everyone down and see all of the fireworks. Eventually I was off, and right away was greeted by an amazingly motivating billboard featuring the finishers medal that read "Run 26.2, gain 9.6" (Ounces that is - The medal was going to be huge!). I knew this was going to be a magical experience and was emotional from the very beginning.
Since this was the 25th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon, there was a lot of retrospective fun around the early years of the event, and the actual start line got in on the fun with each corral and mini wave taking off to the top Disney song from the corresponding year between 1994-2018. Mine was "How Far I'll Go" from Moana, to give you some perspective on how far back I had to start (Oh well again, but now I have such an emotional connection to that song and Moana!). It did seem to take a while to get everyone going, but it was awesome to hear Mickey Mouse count everyone down and see all of the fireworks. Eventually I was off, and right away was greeted by an amazingly motivating billboard featuring the finishers medal that read "Run 26.2, gain 9.6" (Ounces that is - The medal was going to be huge!). I knew this was going to be a magical experience and was emotional from the very beginning.
I had a great start immediately falling into my training pace and run-walk-run cadence, albeit my feet were hurting a bit from how cold it was just standing around in the corrals. The first 2 miles seemed to fly by though and then we were already approaching the Magic Kingdom gates ahead of mile 3! There were nearly 25,000 runners participating in this race, and you could definitely feel that in certain parts of the course. But once we reached the Transportation & Ticket Center, that's when you could really feel all of the course support - Thanks to anyone and everyone who came out to cheer us on! The course seemed to remain overall the same as it has been in recent years, with minor changes here and there. One change I was excited to see was rather than entering the Magic Kingdom through backstage, getting onto Main Street from the side, we actually ran through the resort bus terminal area to enter the park through the main turnstiles! |
Running down Main Street, USA, and going through the whole Magic Kingdom in general, is one of my favorite parts of the course - While it was a bit crowded and I had to slow down or walk more than I wanted to, there were a ton of spectators, Disney music blasting, and lots of characters. You can't help but just smile ear to ear for that whole mile! My favorite PhotoPass photo from the day was actually a candid shot right before the castle (see above) - I didn't see the photographer but still had my endorphin smile on!
Ugh, Cone Alley
Once we got through the Magic Kingdom though, things got a bit tough through the section of the course affectionately known as 'Cone Alley.' It slims down to one lane of traffic and gets really congested - You're often at the mercy of the pace of those around you, and I found myself running on the grass for a while. But there were still some characters and I got to meet the famous Richard from the Grand Floridian! If you don't know who he is, do a Google search and you'll quickly see how beloved he is at Walt Disney World. Cone Alley did surprisingly go by quickly though, and then we turned into the woods to head towards Animal Kingdom. I was still feeling good, but that stretch did feel very long. There was another little mini Cone Alley as well that was a down and back behind Animal Kingdom, but it at least allowed the opportunity to cheer and high-five other runners and selfishly feel better about how many people I was ahead of!
We then made it to Animal Kingdom and while a big highlight for a lot of runners is hopping on the Expedition Everest attraction for a little mid-marathon roller coaster break, I decided to keep moving forward. In fact, there were already some runners who had finished the race and came back to Animal Kingdom to cheer us on and show off their medals, so that helped push me along. I absolutely love running through Animal Kingdom and had done so before during the Wine & Dine Half Marathon, but it did feel a little short. There were a ton of spectators throughout and in front of the park, and a very kind woman was handing out pretzel sticks to runners just past the halfway point - I'd never been so happy to see salt in my life! Unfortunately pretty soon thereafter I saw a fellow runner go down, and that set the tone of what was about to come.
I'd read and heard from veteran marathoners than miles 15-22 are often hard in general, but particularly rough with this course. I definitely agree with that based on my personal experience, as this was where I had to dig really deep to keep going. My feet and lower back were starting to hurt a bit, and I started to get into my head too much - My usual countdown mantra wasn't helping (I wear a Garmin watch so I'll oftentimes look at my wrist and tell myself how much/little I have left vs. how much I'd already done), and I had to pull to the side a few times to stretch that was slowing my average pace down. But I decided then and there to listen to my body and do just that - I slowed down overall compared to the pace I had been training at, and that was okay. Even though I wasn't going to necessarily finish in the time I anticipated, I was going to finish, and finish without injury! So once I settled into that slower pace, it helped a bit.
Once we got through the Magic Kingdom though, things got a bit tough through the section of the course affectionately known as 'Cone Alley.' It slims down to one lane of traffic and gets really congested - You're often at the mercy of the pace of those around you, and I found myself running on the grass for a while. But there were still some characters and I got to meet the famous Richard from the Grand Floridian! If you don't know who he is, do a Google search and you'll quickly see how beloved he is at Walt Disney World. Cone Alley did surprisingly go by quickly though, and then we turned into the woods to head towards Animal Kingdom. I was still feeling good, but that stretch did feel very long. There was another little mini Cone Alley as well that was a down and back behind Animal Kingdom, but it at least allowed the opportunity to cheer and high-five other runners and selfishly feel better about how many people I was ahead of!
We then made it to Animal Kingdom and while a big highlight for a lot of runners is hopping on the Expedition Everest attraction for a little mid-marathon roller coaster break, I decided to keep moving forward. In fact, there were already some runners who had finished the race and came back to Animal Kingdom to cheer us on and show off their medals, so that helped push me along. I absolutely love running through Animal Kingdom and had done so before during the Wine & Dine Half Marathon, but it did feel a little short. There were a ton of spectators throughout and in front of the park, and a very kind woman was handing out pretzel sticks to runners just past the halfway point - I'd never been so happy to see salt in my life! Unfortunately pretty soon thereafter I saw a fellow runner go down, and that set the tone of what was about to come.
I'd read and heard from veteran marathoners than miles 15-22 are often hard in general, but particularly rough with this course. I definitely agree with that based on my personal experience, as this was where I had to dig really deep to keep going. My feet and lower back were starting to hurt a bit, and I started to get into my head too much - My usual countdown mantra wasn't helping (I wear a Garmin watch so I'll oftentimes look at my wrist and tell myself how much/little I have left vs. how much I'd already done), and I had to pull to the side a few times to stretch that was slowing my average pace down. But I decided then and there to listen to my body and do just that - I slowed down overall compared to the pace I had been training at, and that was okay. Even though I wasn't going to necessarily finish in the time I anticipated, I was going to finish, and finish without injury! So once I settled into that slower pace, it helped a bit.
Wide World of Sports - Love it or hate it?
One thing I'd heard about this course is how bad the section through ESPN Wide World of Sports was. I even had someone behind me during the race say "Oh he just texted me that he's entered the 7th circle of hell - ESPN!" So I wasn't necessarily looking forward to getting there, but rather getting through there in one piece. I didn't entirely hate it, as it does take up about 3 full miles of the 26.2, we ran on a soft track for a bit, and also go to run through the baseball stadium where the Atlanta Braves have Spring Training. But I'd be lying if I didn't say it was really hard. Lots of turns and terrain types, and lots of negative commentary going on around me. I also think I had to pull off at one point and adjust my one shoe and sock, but I may be totally making that up because it was a blur. My advice to anyone who's going into this race, whether it's your first marathon or 100th, is to not read into others' opinions too much, because I didn't loathe that part of the course as much as others have proclaimed.
After exiting ESPN, I came upon a big hill that was leading up to Hollywood Studios. I knew that if I could get over it I'd be past the last major hill of the course, so that's what kept me pushing ahead. Entering Hollywood Studios marked just about 5K left, as well as a candy station, so I got a bit of a second wind there. While we didn't run in that park very much, it was a nice break and great to come into an area with spectators. The course got very, very narrow leading out from Studios to the Boardwalk area, but thankfully everyone around me was moving pretty quickly. Eventually, I was entering the backstage area of EPCOT and knew I only had about a mile and a half to go.
One thing I'd heard about this course is how bad the section through ESPN Wide World of Sports was. I even had someone behind me during the race say "Oh he just texted me that he's entered the 7th circle of hell - ESPN!" So I wasn't necessarily looking forward to getting there, but rather getting through there in one piece. I didn't entirely hate it, as it does take up about 3 full miles of the 26.2, we ran on a soft track for a bit, and also go to run through the baseball stadium where the Atlanta Braves have Spring Training. But I'd be lying if I didn't say it was really hard. Lots of turns and terrain types, and lots of negative commentary going on around me. I also think I had to pull off at one point and adjust my one shoe and sock, but I may be totally making that up because it was a blur. My advice to anyone who's going into this race, whether it's your first marathon or 100th, is to not read into others' opinions too much, because I didn't loathe that part of the course as much as others have proclaimed.
After exiting ESPN, I came upon a big hill that was leading up to Hollywood Studios. I knew that if I could get over it I'd be past the last major hill of the course, so that's what kept me pushing ahead. Entering Hollywood Studios marked just about 5K left, as well as a candy station, so I got a bit of a second wind there. While we didn't run in that park very much, it was a nice break and great to come into an area with spectators. The course got very, very narrow leading out from Studios to the Boardwalk area, but thankfully everyone around me was moving pretty quickly. Eventually, I was entering the backstage area of EPCOT and knew I only had about a mile and a half to go.
An emotional finish From that point until the end, I pretty much cried the entire way. It was a combination of exhaustion, endorphins, excitement, and more. It was this last mile in EPCOT that I really felt the most love from the spectators - I saw more and more finishers with their medals, strangers calling out my name, and Cast Members cheering for each and every runner as they went by. There was also a loop of Disney music playing that happened to include the old Mickey Mouse Club theme song/march, and I burst into tears as soon as I heard it. It's a feeling that I honestly can't describe, so I'll just let my above finish line photo speak for itself. |
I've never felt more accomplished in my life than when I crossed that finish line. It's a feeling that I don't know if I'll ever be able to replicate other than by doing more marathons. But even so, I don't know if it will top the first-timer feeling. After receiving my medal and then continuing on through the chute to get my food box and drinks, runners were surprised with special 25th anniversary mouse ears to commemorate the occasion, which consequently caused me to cry again with pure joy. I got a few pictures taken, met back up with my BRF, and tried to process everything that just happened over the last 6 hours and 27 minutes. We stretched and cooled down a bit before going back to the resort for a nice shower, nap, and ice/Biofreeze break. But it didn't last long, as we were off to Animal Kingdom for the evening to celebrate.
All in all, I know I will personally be back to run this race again, if not combine it with others to do the Goofy or Dopey challenges. It was tough, it was cold and windy, and it was pretty crowded at spots, but I can't say it any other way - There is no feeling like finishing a marathon, no matter how long it takes you. Running has totally changed my life since I ran my very first half marathon in November 2014, and you better believe I will continue to go for it as long as my body will let me. I'm no professional athlete, and certainly can't provide the best training or nutrition advice, but I can say that if you get out there and try running even for just a little bit, you won't regret it!
Congratulations to all of the finishers of the 2018 Walt Disney World Marathon! Continue to stop by and stay tuned for more RunDisney related posts as I plan for future races!
Until the next post, see ya real soon!
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A twenty-something alumni of the Disney College Program looking to help others plan the Disney vacations of their dreams! Living that Disneyland AP dream in SoCal.
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