The Disney Marathon would have been my last choice for my Florida marathon...but Earl, one of my running friends from Pennsylvania, highly recommended this marathon and guaranteed that it would be a fun one to run. SO, I decided to follow his advice, and I'm glad I did!
Not only was I able to run the marathon, but it was also the Inaugural Dopey Challenge. For the Dopey Challenge, you run a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon, one per morning on consective days, for a total of 48.6 miles over four days.
Six medals in four days: left to right, 5K Pluto, 10K Minnie, half marathon Donald, full marathon Mickey, AND a Goofy medal for the half-full combo AND the brand new offical Dopey Challenge medal.
Day 1 - Thursday, January 9, 2014
Disney Family Fun Run 5K
The starting line was between the Amaze and Imagine sections of the Epcot Parking lot. We ran around backstage and then under Test Track, circled World Showcase lagoon, then continued through Future Wold and finished in the Epcot Parking lot.
Disney Family Fun Run 5K
The starting line was between the Amaze and Imagine sections of the Epcot Parking lot. We ran around backstage and then under Test Track, circled World Showcase lagoon, then continued through Future Wold and finished in the Epcot Parking lot.
Day 2 - Friday, January 10, 2014 Inaugural Walt Disney World 10K
The starting line was the same as the 5K, but the first few miles were different. We headed out the Toll Plaza for two miles on Epcot Boulevard, the guest entrance road to Epcot. Then we circled World Showcase to the International Gateway hotel resort entrance, circled Crescent Lake, went backstage of Soarin', continued through Future World, and finished at the Epcot Parking lot.
Day 3 - Saturday, January 11, 2014
Walt Disney World Half Marathon
There were wave starts for the half and full marathon. This helps to reduce crowding and people of similar paces get to run together. The fastest runners were in the first wave. There were 16 different waves, which meant there were 16 separate starts, each with a blast of fireworks, like the one below!
The half marathon headed direct to the Magic Kingdom, through the Toll Plaza on World Drive. The course then entered the Magic Kingdom through a service access road north of the bus loops, then it went up Main Street and zig-zagged through most of the lands of the Magic Kingdom. The course then continued on Seven Seas, along the Grand Floridian and Polynesian resorts before returing to Epcot on World Drive to the finish line.
Day 4 - Sunday, January 12, 2014
Walt Disney World Marathon
The first eight miles or so of the full marathon course were identical to that of the half marathon. The course changed when the marathon entered the Walt Disney World Speedway for a lap on the tri-oval loop. Much of the loop was lined with classic muscle cars and show cars that were invited to come cheer on the marathoners.
Then, the marathon continued down a service road and entered Animal Kingdom through its north service entrance; it then continued into Animal Kingdom's normal guest areas and circled past Expedition Everest. The course went backstage again, past the show building for the Dinosaur attraction. Then we continued to Osceola Parkway, where Haunted Manion grave diggers were "cheering" us to our final resting place at the finish line. Next we continued to ESPN Wide World of Sports for a lap on the 400 meter track and a lap of the baseline of Champion Stadium. Then we continued through Hollywood Studios, then through the Epcot resort area, the the International Gateway, and a lap around World Showcase. The last half mile was through Future World.
The following slideshow is from the running events:
Walt Disney World Marathon
The first eight miles or so of the full marathon course were identical to that of the half marathon. The course changed when the marathon entered the Walt Disney World Speedway for a lap on the tri-oval loop. Much of the loop was lined with classic muscle cars and show cars that were invited to come cheer on the marathoners.
Then, the marathon continued down a service road and entered Animal Kingdom through its north service entrance; it then continued into Animal Kingdom's normal guest areas and circled past Expedition Everest. The course went backstage again, past the show building for the Dinosaur attraction. Then we continued to Osceola Parkway, where Haunted Manion grave diggers were "cheering" us to our final resting place at the finish line. Next we continued to ESPN Wide World of Sports for a lap on the 400 meter track and a lap of the baseline of Champion Stadium. Then we continued through Hollywood Studios, then through the Epcot resort area, the the International Gateway, and a lap around World Showcase. The last half mile was through Future World.The following slideshow is from the running events:
For my first four nights in Orlando, I stayed at the Caribbean Beach Hotel, one of the Disney hotels. On Sunday afternoon after the marathon, Nancy and Karin (childhood friends from New Jersey) came down to Disney for a "Princess" vacation. We spent the next four nights at the Beach Club Resort, which is also a Disney property and explored as much as Disney as we could.
The following slideshow is highlights from our "Princess" vacation: