Official Castaway Cay 5K Thread

[runnerchick]

Just off the Wonder yesterday...The 5k was tons of fun - and remember it is a "fun" run - no clock. Some people were walking or jogging very slowly. You pass by the water stop 2x and it was HOT on Thursday. We went back on the ship and changed after the run. Weather.com predicted overcast and rain, but the day was just perfect!!! It was hot sitting out in the sun but the water was refreshing! It is not quite warm water yet, but it felt great to cool off and you could definitely swim around - lots of kiddos in the water. Plenty of lawn chairs for everyone. They were selling a Disney soft sided cooler with 6 Dasani waters for about $20 (bargain!). It is an amazing place - enjoy!

 

[Tami0220]

I am looking forward to this also. Was hoping it would be a CC challenge weekend since the Wine and Food marathon is the weekend before. But I will be participating in the Wine and Food 5K as well as the 5K on the 11/13 cruise. I was so stressed registering for the W&F 5K. My internet was down the day before registration and it was sold out in less than an hour. I look forward to having both medals. Just for fun

 

[carissa1970]

Just off the Wonder yesterday...The 5k was tons of fun - and remember it is a "fun" run - no clock. Some people were walking or jogging very slowly. You pass by the water stop 2x and it was HOT on Thursday. We went back on the ship and changed after the run. Weather.com predicted overcast and rain, but the day was just perfect!!! It was hot sitting out in the sun but the water was refreshing! It is not quite warm water yet, but it felt great to cool off and you could definitely swim around - lots of kiddos in the water. Plenty of lawn chairs for everyone. They were selling a Disney soft sided cooler with 6 Dasani waters for about $20 (bargain!). It is an amazing place - enjoy!

I'm curious about the heat...did you find out the actual temperature? I know it will be much hotter in June when we do this. Thanks!

 

[bumbershoot]

Hot hot hot. Even in February, hot.

You can actually get water more than twice. They put the water out at the entrance of the loop. So you can get water on the way into the loop, on the way out (and there is at least one water container in the loop though it's not always uncovered), then you turn right and go up to Serenity and turn around, then you can get water on the way back into the loop (go the same way around the loop as the first time!) and then again on the way back out.

It's going to be hot in June. Prepare for it and don't hurt yourself.

 

[CableKC]

I run on a regular basis......but not in really hot weather like this.

For those that participate in the run and have familiy....what do you do?

Do you head out on the run early in the morning and then meet your family on the beach after?

I don't know what time that the runners are supposed to meet and what time they get onto the island....but I'm not sure if the island is open to everyone at that time.

I'm thinking that my Wife and kids and In-Laws will just meet me on the beach somewhere after the run is over. Or can they get off with me to head towards the beach at the same time before I head off to run?

Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[cheermom2four]

So are there other 5Ks throughout the year on CC? I thought it only had the one CC challenge right after the one in Orlando every year. Sorry if this has been answered already but looking into possibly going in Jan 2016 if there are no others next year.

 

[sarabguerra]

Just off the Wonder yesterday...The 5k was tons of fun - and remember it is a "fun" run - no clock. Some people were walking or jogging very slowly. You pass by the water stop 2x and it was HOT on Thursday. We went back on the ship and changed after the run. Weather.com predicted overcast and rain, but the day was just perfect!!! It was hot sitting out in the sun but the water was refreshing! It is not quite warm water yet, but it felt great to cool off and you could definitely swim around - lots of kiddos in the water. Plenty of lawn chairs for everyone. They were selling a Disney soft sided cooler with 6 Dasani waters for about $20 (bargain!). It is an amazing place - enjoy!

We were on this cruise and "ran" too. It was HOT! DH ended up walking most of the way with my daughter. My sis and I jogged only about half. The airstrip just about killed us so we skipped the last pass thru the loop & went right to the ocean in our clothes. I'm glad we did it. But man oh man was that tough in that heat & humidity! It snowed at home that night so we definitely weren't prepared for that.

 

[bumbershoot]

I run on a regular basis......but not in really hot weather like this.

For those that participate in the run and have familiy....what do you do?

Do you head out on the run early in the morning and then meet your family on the beach after?

I don't know what time that the runners are supposed to meet and what time they get onto the island....but I'm not sure if the island is open to everyone at that time.

I'm thinking that my Wife and kids and In-Laws will just meet me on the beach somewhere after the run is over. Or can they get off with me to head towards the beach at the same time before I head off to run?

Anyone have any recommendations?

I have never experienced being the first off the boat for the normal 5Ks. Some have, but I haven't. We are generally all in line behind the even earlier-birds. So yes, your familly can get off with you fi they wish, usually.

I let hubby and son sleep in and nowadays I just go back to the ship, get cleaned up and dried and sunscreened and dressed and fed and then we all disembark together. The first time they got up and off the ship on their own, bringing my stuff with them. They met Captain Jack, which was fun. But now they like to sleep in and that means I don't have to get my stuff ready the night before.

So are there other 5Ks throughout the year on CC? I thought it only had the one CC challenge right after the one in Orlando every year. Sorry if this has been answered already but looking into possibly going in Jan 2016 if there are no others next year.

The Challenge has been done exactly twice. It is being offered for January 2016, and probably after Princess too, I imagine.

It's something that came about because they have had, for years, a free island 5K (not quite 5K). The nearly-daily fun not-quite-5K is, again, free, is casual, and is held just about whenever the ship can dock on the island.

Each of the 2 Challenges this year cost $75 plus active.com fees, plus the cost of being in at least one event at the marathon or half marathon weekends. The Challenge did involve a fancy challenge medal.

It ALSO involved the making of a brand new medal for the 5K itself (and for the Challenge it was a different course that actually was 5K in length). That medal has continued to be used for the free, nearly-daily, nearly-5K held on the island.

 

[CableKC]

Are we able to sign up online for the 5k run beforehand?

or

Can we sign up any time in the evening leading up to the day of the run?

When's the best time to sign up for the run?

I've read that there is a super long line to sign up for activities and was concerned that I'd have to wait a super long time. I was thinking that I could sign up before or after dinner.

 

[MarkF0wle]

You can to sign up when you are on the ship, can't be done beforehand. You simply have to sign up anytime before the race. I walked up to the excursions desk on the first evening when I was exploring the ship, there was nobody at the desk & it was done in 90 seconds.

 

[Dug720]

Are we able to sign up online for the 5k run beforehand?

or

Can we sign up any time in the evening leading up to the day of the run?

When's the best time to sign up for the run?

I've read that there is a super long line to sign up for activities and was concerned that I'd have to wait a super long time. I was thinking that I could sign up before or after dinner.

Supposedly there is a cap, but I have never seen them enforce it. I got a ticket in February just in case I decided I wanted to run - went to guest services a couple of nights before and it was no problem. (The port adventures desk was closed and I had an issue with an excursion ticket so guest services helped me.)

The only time I've ever seen a "long line" at port adventures is embarkation day when people are trying to get their meet and greet tickets. Other than that it's been either walk-up or MAYBE one or two people in line.

 

[Ned Land]

I think there is a misunderstanding of what this is for most folks that have not done it before. This is not an event. It is not a race. It is an open course for people that want to run or walk. It is very informal. Very few people are watching. I have run 7 marathons and find this course tough. It is hot and sticky and usually Castaway Cay is at the end of your cruise after you have not eaten well and put on a few pounds. The course is not pretty. Don't think you have this beautiful ocean front setting. It is really a boring course. It is great for runners that have been stuck getting their runs in on either the treadmill or running circles on the boat.

 

[canadakath]

Just off the Dream May 18-22 and ran the 5k. No issues getting our tickets from the Port Adventures Desk on the first night of the cruise (after the meet and greet line ups were done!). Started to get off the boat shortly after 8:30, dropped younger DS off at Scuttle's Cove on the way to the race start shortly after 9. Lots of opportunities for water along the loop. We were thankful the sun wasn't beating down on us at the time though!

It is great for runners that have been stuck getting their runs in on either the treadmill or running circles on the boat.

And it was great for my 11 year old as his first "race" with a really cool medal at the end! We took our time with the heat, but had a blast, with a full on sprint at the end to beat what he had set as his ""goal time" on the clock. And maybe we could justify our three trips to the ice cream machines that day....


Oh - and the kids at Scuttle's Cove that early were all kids of the 5 k walkers/runners so the CM's held a "race" for them based on age groups. My DS loved it!

 

[Quellman]

Hot hot hot. Even in February, hot.

You can actually get water more than twice. They put the water out at the entrance of the loop. So you can get water on the way into the loop, on the way out (and there is at least one water container in the loop though it's not always uncovered), then you turn right and go up to Serenity and turn around, then you can get water on the way back into the loop (go the same way around the loop as the first time!) and then again on the way back out.

It's going to be hot in June. Prepare for it and don't hurt yourself.

They also have water cups (be sure to ask for them) at the starting line. I filled it up at every water stop even if I didn't really need it. I wanted to be extra careful that I had it!

I run on a regular basis......but not in really hot weather like this.

For those that participate in the run and have familiy....what do you do?

Do you head out on the run early in the morning and then meet your family on the beach after?

I don't know what time that the runners are supposed to meet and what time they get onto the island....but I'm not sure if the island is open to everyone at that time.

I'm thinking that my Wife and kids and In-Laws will just meet me on the beach somewhere after the run is over. Or can they get off with me to head towards the beach at the same time before I head off to run?

Anyone have any recommendations?

I took a bag of clothes to change into off the ship with me, and since the new mobile app had not come out, a wave phone. My family was supposed to go get a spot on the beach. They decided to sleep in, so I ended up at the bar enjoying a cold one while they boarded the tram.
The check in period is about an hour before the event begins. I recommend showing up about 15 minutes late. It takes a while to sign everyone in, and then they go over the course route 2 or three times. Not that it matters, people end up messing it up anyway(always run counter clockwise in the loop). Then everyone walks to the starting point. The race of course takes as long as you can go, so about another 25-40 minutes for most people. The start line is near the second tram stop, so if your family stops at the first beach you have a little bit of a way to go to meet up with them.

 

[bumbershoot]

Supposedly there is a cap, but I have never seen them enforce it.

They enforced it last January on the Challenge cruise. The paid-5K runners had the meeting and we found out that they would have the new 5K medals for the free 5K, and you could do both, and then you would get two 5K medals AND the challenge medal...and as soon as the meeting led out, that free 5K got "sold out".

It is an open course for people that want to run or walk.

They do encourage leisurely walkers to do the "island walk" starting later, though.

The course is not pretty. Don't think you have this beautiful ocean front setting. It is really a boring course.

It's not oceanfront, and it's on asphalt, but I disagree that it's not pretty. Also not sure it's boring, to me.

There are plenty of people who use it as a race.

And since January they've had pretty awesome medals for it!

 

[LSUfan4444]

There are plenty of people who use it as a race.

Trust me, on June 26 I will be racing. Even if nobody else I sure will be. That being said, I race people on the treadmill next to me =)

 

[CableKC]

Trust me, on June 26 I will be racing. Even if nobody else I sure will be. That being said, I race people on the treadmill next to me =)

I know that many people take it as fun....but when it comes to running in some event....even if it's on a tropical island when it's 90+ degrees....yeah, I'm like you....I'm running like I would on Castaway Cay just like I would run in the Bay to Breakers

I know, I take stuff like this too seriously....but, that's just me when it comes to running.

 

[CableKC]

I'm going on the 5 night Cruise where we will be going to Castaway Cay as our 1st and last stop. Does anyone know if the run is supposed to be on the 1st day that we arrive there?

or

If they offer it every time the ship is docked at Castaway cay?

I'm trying to figure out if it will be available on which day we get to the island.

 

[Ariel484]

I think there is a misunderstanding of what this is for most folks that have not done it before. This is not an event. It is not a race. It is an open course for people that want to run or walk. It is very informal. Very few people are watching. I have run 7 marathons and find this course tough. It is hot and sticky and usually Castaway Cay is at the end of your cruise after you have not eaten well and put on a few pounds. The course is not pretty. Don't think you have this beautiful ocean front setting. It is really a boring course. It is great for runners that have been stuck getting their runs in on either the treadmill or running circles on the boat.

Agree with every word you posted here (except replace the "7 marathons" with "3 marathons"). I wouldn't do it again except that I want the new medallion.

 

[MarkF0wle]

I'm going on the 5 night Cruise where we will be going to Castaway Cay as our 1st and last stop. Does anyone know if the run is supposed to be on the 1st day that we arrive there?

or

If they offer it every time the ship is docked at Castaway cay?

I'm trying to figure out if it will be available on which day we get to the island.

It's run every day you dock at Castaway, so if you double dip you get the opportunity to run it twice.