Walt Disney World Marathon - RunMarathon

i went into the corral and started moving up to the front. if the start was as slow as the half-marathon, there was no way i would ever find the 3:10 pacer once it cleared, so i had to move up. i was still several hundred yards back at the gun and crossed the line ~2:00 minutes off the clock time, but i felt like that position was good enough.

i immediately moved to the grass off to the right and had a clear lane the whole way. i didn't have a gps, so my only pace guides were the giant billboard mile markers. i stayed on the grass for several miles and noted my pace. after 3 miles, i was 21 seconds behind bq time, but felt good and was not going all out yet. i decided to go for it and try to find the 3:10 pacer.

the miles ticked off and i didn't really make or lose any time. i was getting warm, but a cup of water over my head at every aid station was good enough to keep me going. i caught and passed the 3:20 pacer and then finally caught what i thought was the 3:10 pacer. i was a bit discouraged to find out he was the 3:15 pacer when i caught him as i didn't even know there was a 3:15 pacer. i continued on still feeling pretty good, working my way through the early miles making sure i followed my timer and ate a gu every 26 minutes.

around mile 9 i started hitting the crowds and my pace started dropping. i realized i could get through magic kingdom and the first half of the marathon on bq pace. marna was with mickey and minnie on main street and yelled at me when i passed. it was great to see her out there and along with the crowds at that point, i would have to say it was the high point of the race. i was flying through magic kingdom and everything was working out perfectly.

the next 5-6 miles started to go downhill. i was still keeping pace, but it was a pretty desolate section of road and the crowd and runners were thinning out. right before we hit animal kingdom at mile 16, i was passed by a runner just faster than me in a black tanktop. i reasoned that he was the pace to lead me up to the 3:10 pacer if i could just hold on. i grabbed on and he pretty much pulled me the next 3+ miles to the out and back at mile 20-21.

on the out and back i finally saw my target. he was carrying a stick with balloons and a paper pinned to his back with a big "3:10" written on it. i couldn't tell how far ahead he was though and i didn't have a lot left in the tank. i kicked it up to a 7:01/mile trying to catch him, but i couldn't hold that pace and realized that my chip time was good enough even if i never caught him, so i eased back off again and rejoined my black tanktop pacer.

the rest of the run became pure survival. i occasionally would let my mind wander to what it would feel like if i made it, what i would say to k, what people checking online would be thinking, etc., but my gu timer, or a mile marker, or a cup of water in the face would bring me back to reality. one sub par 1/4 mile could still ruin it. mile 22 on was a bit of a blurr. i just kept pushing, trying to remember what was up ahead and get there without blowing up. i hit epcot park and my heart rate was creeping up higher with every mile. i knew i wouldn't last much longer, but i wasn't going to go through this again, so i couldn't blow up in the final mile. i came around the corner and saw the huge stands and finishing line. i managed a few screams and maybe a few words you probably shouldn't yell at disney, but i was cutting it close enough that i couldn't savor it much. i crossed the line, bent over and let a huge smile creep over my face as i stopped my watch. less than a minute to spare, but i made it and that's all that mattered.


nothing. running the half and walking around the parks for 2 days probably wasn't the best, but it all worked out, so i would not change it.

the guy who paced me in the end crossed a few seconds after me. i told him he saved my race, not sure if he was happy i followed him, but he thanked me stating that he couldn't find anyone at a similar pace for a long time and welcomed the push.

i grabbed some water and stopped in the medical tent for ice. i iced every joint and muscle while watching people finish. i never really stopped moving and basically stretched from the moment i finished the line until we left.

earl came in with an awesome time of 4:19 for his first marathon after breaking a toe during the peak part of his training and then k finished the goofy after postponing all her training with appendicitis. amazing effort from both of them. i met up with both of them in the finishing chute and we headed back to the hotel.


no idea.


great race. i would recommend it to anyone that likes disney or good marathons. i would have liked more food on the course, but the entertainment, characters, parks, water, and medical stations were great. i might have to do it again just to enjoy the run a bit more next time!