Hello, I hope everybody is surviving enjoying this Florida winter. In a few months, we will be complaining about how Florida is hot, so enjoy while we can, RIGHT?
Anyway… have you ever done any runDisney races before? 5k, 10k, half, full, yoga, or after party? I’ve done Yoga and a “Wine and Dine” Half Marathon after parties (to see characters) Yes, I’ve been buying Wine and Dine post-party tickets for the last few years to see Duffy…
BUT this time, I signed up for the full marathon. 42.195km/ 26.3 miles. Why? I don’t know. According to one of our reporters, Ali, I saw the runners running in EPCOT the day I was working, and I told her “I can do this and I want to do this.” I have Dory memory, though, so I do not even recall where I parked every day, let alone that conversation.
I’m sure some of you have wondered “have you ever run any marathons in your life?” “Is this your first full marathon?” Well, I’ve done 7 marathons, 6 Honolulu Marathon and one Tokyo Marathon.
“Did you finish?” Yes, I’ve finished all the Honolulu marathons but I quit the Tokyo Marathon around the half.
“Did I train for the marathon?” Never. This marathon was the same, no training just the daily park walking. But hey, it’s been 12 years since I did the last marathon…
My goal? I just wanted to finish, but I also wanted to get all the characters’ pictures since I am a Character Person. As long as I don’t get picked up by a golf cart or a bus, I am good. Time doesn’t matter.
What Did I Pack With Me?
I ran walked with a Lululemon 2 liter fanny pack, two rice balls, Cheetos, candies, two Gu gels, fuelRod, airPods, and a car key. I also brought a half-full bottle of water but I shoved that in my pants pocket to walk.
My Strategies
I had strategies. My strategy was, “run in front of PhotoPass” so I look like I am running during the race (even though I am walking) and “just think like I am at the parties” to go get all the characters since I usually walk about 10-12 miles every MSSHP and MVMCP. Easy math, I’m covering two parties + Wine and Dine Half Marathon Post Party.
I signed up for “YouTube Premium” so I can listen to all the parade and castle show music. This was a win. I love EDM (like ZEDD and Avicii) but Disney parade music did justice at the marathon.
The Day of the Race
I got up around 1:30 a.m. (I couldn’t sleep) and left my house around 2 a.m. to arrive at EPCOT by 2:45. I parked my car in Crush, walked through the security like how you always do when you go to the parks, then went to the Space (Wall-E and Guardian) parking lot. This is where you can drop off bags, where portable bathrooms are, and where some stages are that host “warm up” activity for the marathon. The race starts at 4:30 a.m.
It was cold. Everybody had their Myler on, I thought about buying the Myler but I did not. Instead, I wore a crewneck that I didn’t need + a raincoat on top of it. You can wear an extra jacket/layer and leave it on the side of the course. Disney will donate them.
My anxiety level was 450% at the start line. I regretted my decision. I was fully traumatized doing the full marathon from the last marathon which was the Tokyo Marathon, when I casually told my grandfather who was staying at “the cancer center” at the time, “I’ll run by the hospital, so come see me outside!” and I didn’t make it there. He didn’t tell me he was disappointed but I know he was sad. A few years later, he passed away and I still regret that I didn’t go run to his hospital.
Last year, I lost a family member who was a Cast Member and runDisney was his absolute favorite event to work. So this full marathon was not just a marathon, but full of thoughts, memories, and pressures.
Race Start
It’s rough at the beginning, doesn’t matter which race. For the first few km, everybody tries to find their pace/speed. I started with two friends but I lost them before I made it to EPCOT.
The regular roads are so hard to run some of the roads are uneven and have pot holes, but once you enter the park, they are heaven. Much easier to run, and more bouncier than regular asphalt/concrete. Thank you, Disney, you are saving my ankles and knees every day.
I went to the bathroom by The Land, which made me feel like “Another Day in the Park” but at the same time, it was “NO, NANA, YOU GOTTA GO!” So I rushed out and went back to reality.
The thing that surprised me the most is the Powerade that handed us out is actually a premade one (from the bottle.) In the last Honolulu marathon I did back in 2012, all the volunteers were making Gatorade from powder. So every cup of Gatorade tasted different, some of them were watered down.
Also, they were handing out bananas, jelly beans, and chocolate but I ate rice balls before I made it to Magic Kingdom. I read a post before I went to the marathon that told me to eat 2 hours prior to the race so I had rice balls before the race but my fuel efficiency is worse than a GMC, so I was already hungry around 6 am.
Cheering from the Side
Family members and friends can cheer the runners from the designated area in the EPCOT parking lot, EPCOT, TTC, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios (+ some resort hotels).
Our reporter Ali was waiting for me at Magic Kingdom with my necessary fuel NOS. (Back in the day, I had my crush handing me NOS around half, so it’s my tradition.) Those crowds on Main Street cheering us make me feel warm (+ tearing me up too.)
I reported about the Adventureland sign being removed from Magic Kingdom while I was walking the marathon. Marathon or not, I am still a reporter.
The Easy Part and The Hard Part
Walking/running through Magic Kingdom was an absolutely FANTASTIC experience. Fewer people, the sun is starting to come up but it’s still dark, and it’s Magic Kingdom, everything is magical, right? But a lot of people told me Contemporary to Animal Kingdom is the hard part because there is nothing to see, it’s just backroad. What’s funny is this is the road to Cast Connection from Magic Kingdom side, I’ve driven there so I know the road.
Where it hit me was after Animal Kingdom which is around 20 miles. Everything started to hurt me, I wanted to quit so bad but I found another friend and got to walk with them for two miles. It was definitely Disney magic. The last 6.2 miles were hell. Daily Nana thinks 6.2 miles is nothing, but after 20 miles it is totally different. It took me super long on the last 6 miles, but I finished the marathon without getting picked up.
Must Do and Don’t Do
Definitely bring Gu or some snacks if you are planning to walk longer than others, but do not over-pack. Compression socks are a must and came in REALLY handy even after the marathon. (I am old, I needed something to make my muscles tighter) and YouTube Premium is MUST. I love listening to my Apple music, but parade music made me hyped, made me dance and sing, and definitely helped me throughout. Also, I HIGHLY recommended to have some of your friends or family pick you up after the race. I didn’t have anybody waiting for me at the GOAL line. The walk from the GOAL line to my car was HELL. Took me about an hour to my car, because my legs were tired, I couldn’t go over the fence, you have to walk around the parking lot. (That was like an extra mile at least.)
Race PhotoPass
They have PhotoPass Cast Members in the course (Mainly in the parks.) You need to link your bib number on your PhotoPass account, BUT if you didn’t get pictures from the race, you must email PhotoPass. You can’t go to the kiosk (like I did) and ask about pictures. They will tell you “We can’t help you, you need to email.”
That’s why you are not seeing many pictures in this article because I didn’t get all my pictures from the PhotoPass.
Well, It was not easy, but somehow I finished the marathon! It’s been 10 days since I ran the marathon and now I feel like “I can go back and do that again” even though, my right heel had a Texas-sized blister. I know this was not the usual photo report, but I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading all the way here. Have a magical day and see you real soon!