Walt Disney World Marathon : Official Thread

I'll be there.  

I have been in Corral A...I have been in Coral D.  It's all the same.  Where ever you are, you're gonna be in a crowd for the whole race...unless you're a sub-3 marathoner and you're in the elite corral.  It's almost impossible to have clear running space anywhere else in the race.  I'm in Corral A this year and I don't expect to not have to deal with a million people, so you might as well just stick to where you're placed.  You have a chip and you'll have plenty of opportunity to pass people.

I've been in B, and A.  Can't remember where I was the other time.  But there was a definite difference in B and A.  When I was in A last year, it was pretty easy running and not much of a crowd.

I was also wondering about elevation differences in the red and blue.  I know FL is flat, but was wondering if there was any difference at all.  Isn't the World Showcase a slight hill?

Maybe a little, but really, not much of anything unless you're going over a pedestrian bridge...but if you're worried about that, then you're not gonna be happy when you hit the on/off ramps on World Drive or Epcot Drive! 

Hill recap in case you need a refresher from 07...
You'll find the first real incline around Mile 6 or 7, then a small on as you enter the TTC at Mile 9...Mile 9.5 or so there's a pretty steep uphill after you go under the water bridge between TTC and Magic Kingdom.  There are some false flats inside MK as well.  Nothing substantial on Floridian Way or on the back road to DAK.  Animal Kingdom is flat too. 

There is a long, slight incline on Osceola Parkway around Mile 20 as well.  And then at 21 you'll hit an on ramp from Osceola Parkway back to World Drive.  Then another one a half mile later right before you turn onto Buena Vista Drive going towards Studios.  Some small inclines inside Studios, and then a couple of bridge crossings between Yacht/Beach/Boardwalk and Swan/Dolphin.  Some uphills as you enter the back of Epcot at Mile 24.  That's about it though. 

If you want a REALLY flat marathon...Gasparilla!  ZERO hills, save for a bridge or two that takes 20 seconds to run over.

LOL yeah I don't like those ramps. :-)

Wow you remember the hills well!  Thanks for that update!  I will also check out the race you mentioned, thanks!

I'll probably just stick with getting into A, I was just tossing around thoughts.  Plus running in red would be something different.  I always just looked over to the other line in wonder because I didn't know what they were doing. :-)

For some reason I never seem to be able to get near my ability in this race.  It probably has a lot to do with me wandering around the parks the previous day, but I was wondering if anyone else found this race to be that way?

I totally agree with you!!  I never do my best at Disney.  I've kinda resigned myself to that fact now. 

Last year I ran a 3:43 there and felt awful.  Then 5 weeks later ran a 3:06 at Gasparilla and felt like a million bucks.  There's something about that course.  And I think it's the weather too...it's never NOT stupid humid there.

Well isn’t that a kick in the b@lls...  I am in corral F…  with a 3:17 earlier this year there is going to be a lot of weaving in and out.

You can get yourself bumped up.  Just bring a printout of your previous results, and after you pick up your packet, there is a line of booths to your right for help.  Head over there and show them that you can handle corral A.  Last year I even forgot my printout, and just showed them results right off the cell phone.  They put a sticker on your bib that will bump you up.  Gotta love the professionalism and helpfulness of Disney.

About the race, maybe the course tears up our legs a bit.  Isn't a lot of it on concrete?

I am not sure if I am going to worry about it.

Does anyone know where the Cliff Pace team will start from?

Yes, lots of concrete...that 3 mile stretch on Osceola Parkway really kicks our a$$es...very hard to run on.

Pace team will start from where ever the corresponding time is based...so if you're looking to go 3:10 you need to be in Corral A, which leads me to also advise you to get yourself bumped up.  Corral F will be walkers and stuff.  We've got 22,000 people in this race this year.  You will be weaving for 8 miles if you don't get bumped up.  I was in A last year and I was in traffic until I was backstage at Epcot...that's past Mile 3.

So if I am understanding what you are saying, the 3:30 pace group will be in Corral A?

Yep, you are correct!  Anything under 3:40 is corral A.  Check out that disneyrunning link that kalalau put up in the first post.

While we're here...lemme ask...

Anyone wanna do a BT pre-race dinner?  I always wind up being the "social director" at these BT events (wonder why!! haha!) and I'd love to put together a dinner if everyone would like to get together.  We will have to figure out a place and a time (I may have a three bedroom condo, but gotta confirm yet) so I'd love to have everyone over for a pasta/salad/etc. dinner.  Lemme know if this sounds fun to you guys.  I have about 6 people with me, so it'd be a nice size group.  Families, kids, etc. all welcome.

I take back what I said earlier about staying where we are placed. I will be sneaking into corral A for sure so I can run with the 3:30 pace group.

:-)  yeah life is good in A.  Disney has a high percentage of first timer marathoners and almost walkers, so being in the back will be tough.  A 3:30 marathoner might be top 5% in this race.  A 4 hour marathoner has a high percentage placement as well.

Is anyone doing Goofy?  I wanted to sign up for this but had no idea it would sell out in 2 weeks.  I plan on being right on that registration for it in 2010.

For dinner, I might be up for something on Friday night.  I will be spending Saturday at Magic Kingdom with the family (yeah I'm an idiot :-)).  

Make sure you get into corral A legally at registration.  They are pretty strict come race day.

Friday dinner could work as well.  I should be out there no later than 6pm.  Will keep everyone updated.

Y'all are WAY too fast.

Print out your race results that show your 3:17 finish time.  Bring it with you to registration.  You'll have to get your regular number and then go to the runner relations booth.  They'll check out the printout, verify it, and give you the updated corral assignment.  Your number won't change, but they'll put a sticker on it or write the new corral on the bib.  It's very easy.  It'll take longer to wait in line than it will to get a better corral number.

They ARE very strict about corral assigments tho, that's true.

Lets do it... You dont mind if I listen to music whilst running do you? I am really shooting for faster but 3:10.59 is my realistic goal.