Walt Disney World Marathon - RunMarathon

I have spent the last 4 years doing triathlons and trying to learn how to swim and bike. I hadn't run a stand-alone marathon since 2002, so I wan't sure at all what pace I could maintain. I thought I could go sub 3:30, maybe even about 3:25, but I just didn't know. I debated over a pacing group, but the 3:20 was too fast and the 3:30 seemed a bit too slow. It was easy to get a good position in our corral (A), and I made it to the start line in about 20 seconds. The fireworks at the start in the dark with the full moon were very cool. I decided to run with the 3:20 group at the start just to see what the pace felt like. I could tell right away it was too fast. I kept with them only for the first 2 miles, then dropped back to a more comfortable pace. I never felt great on this run, but never felt bad either. It was lots of fun running through the World Showcase and through all the countries in the dark. You never know what is coming up in this race. You round a corner and there are Aladin, Princess Jasmine and the Genie waving and cheering you on. The full moon was a beautiful site in the dark too. The weather was a bit warmer than I would have liked, and really warmed up after 8:30 or so.
The miles went fast most of the way. I kept missing mile markers and would come on the next one without realizing I had missed one. (Love it when that happens!) There were lots of marching bands and other groups along the way to entertain. On the lonely stretched of highway, they had signs every few yards with quotes, strange thoughts about nothing or odd facts. The Magic Kingdom was great! Running through the castle and the crowds on main street were awesome. I felt like I was pushing it just enough, not enough to bonk, but as much as I could handle. I took a Hammer gel at miles 7, 11, 15, 19, and 23. Took mostly water with some Powerade in the second half. Nutrition was good.
On to Animal Kingdom. My family was going on there ahead of me and I knew I would get through it before they got there. Looked for the van in the row of cars headed in, but didn't spot it. At about 20 or 21 miles there is the out and back section. Lots of people seem to dislike it, but it was so short and nothing to bother about. After that you head to Hollywood studios and run down the main streets and the crowds again. This is always a lift. We then took a run around the Boardwalk area. We stayed at the Beach club, so we ran right by our site. Finally, we made the turn into Epcot. It seemed to take a long time to reach the Spaceship Earth, but after making the turn, there was the finish.
I thought maybe the 3:30 group would catch me, but they never did. I did get passed by a guy in a kilt though about 2 miles from the finish.

I spent most of last year swimming and biking in order to get ready for IMFL. Then, after recovering from it, I only had a few weeks to train for this race. I think I could have been faster if I hadn't done this. But, this race was more for fun than for time, and I really enjoyed it. I think I could have taken in a bit more liquids too.

Walked to the buses. Got on the one to our place. Took a brief shower and then caught another bus to the Animal Kingdom. Silently wished well to all those we passed still on the course. Walked in the gates there by 11:30 am. Spent the rest of the day walking all over there. Love Expedition Everest! Spent the rest of the week at Disney visiting all the parks and walking miles. By the 3rd day I felt fairly good and could get on and off rides with out a major effort.


This race was thrown in as an afterthought when the kids time off from school corresponded with the marathon. As such, I didn't really train for it. I think I could run faster with more running specific training. Still, this was a great race for me. I managed to do it without getting injured and knew when to back off to prevent a melt down. Nutrition was right on. Cooler weather may have helped some too. I think I can still do a 3:25, maybe even a 3:20 again.


I really enjoyed this race and would recommend it to anyone. It definitely rates very high on the fun factor scale. I waved to all the characters, but didn't stop. The volunteers and park workers were enthusiastic and great in general. The corral starting system helps if you are trying for a good time. They seemed very well organized. How can you not have fun at Disney?