Ever been swept at wdw marathon or half?

[longhorns2]

This has been a FANTASTIC thread! Thanks for sharing so much info guys.

I am also going for my first 1/2 at the Princess.

Annnddd... I will be 24 weeks pregnant when I do this thing! lol I never ran pregnant before and so far am doing well with a walk/run program. (have been running for 3 years, just didn't do it with a baby on board!) But having that bigger belly might make a difference for me come race time. So I was also wondering how and where the sweeps happen.

When I registered I was NOT pregnant nor planning on becoming pregnant, so I put in a time that was faster than the one I actually will finish in considering the circumstances. Sounds like that happy accident will buy me some time and get me a closer corral... I will take it! And move over to the side for the runners.

Very excited!!!

 

[disney_mommy]

I was also swept during the Wine & Dine. I hadn't trained like I should have, but I guess I was hoping for a miracle. There were guys on bikes yelling out that we needed to pick up the pace or we would get swept. One time they said there was a gal with balloons on her and we needed to stay in front of her. Well, that lady passed us and the bike dudes said we needed to get moving. They started giving us goals, like get to that light within 90 seconds, or get to that mile marker within 2 minutes. My heart wasn't really in it, so I didn't try too hard to reach those goals. Sure enough, at mile 5 there was a bus blocking the path.

The lady started to tell me I had to get on the bus, and I kind of waved, like yeah, I know and she smiled kind of sadly at me. Like she didn't want to make it hard for me. The guy on the bus was very nice, handed out water and answered questions. He said we would be taken to the finish line and would get our medals. There were a few people crying, one lady was really upset and we all tried to comfort her. Some of the people were just tired or hurting and were glad to be sitting. The guy came around with a clipboard and took down our names and cut our D-tags off our shoes.

We went to the back of the finish line and as we got off the bus, there was a first aid tent and one or two people went in there. There was a lady standing there handing out the medals, then we walked around a corner and were where the spectators wait at the finish line.

I'll be honest, the whole thing sucked big time. I was angry and sad at first, for several days. But I realized that I hadn't trained and I wasn't really going to be able to (as a friend said) "pull it out of my a$$." So, I now look at it as a learning experience.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

I thought if you got "Swept" you didn't get a medal? That is nice that they try to encourage you and help you though! And while I would not like to be swept, I would be glad I wasn't the only one. Misery loves company

 

[disney_mommy]

I think usually you don't get a medal, but they made an exception this this was a first year race.

As for me, I wouldn't let her put it around my neck and haven't worn it once. I do keep it, though, to remind myself of the lesson I learned.

 

[kimara]

Longhorns2-- Congratulations and be careful with that baby on board! Pay attention to your body and you will do great. Don't over do it and stay hydrated. Happy for you and baby. My kids love when I tell them about things I did when they were in my tummy, your child will love hearing that he or she has already done a half marathon

I'll be honest, the whole thing sucked big time. I was angry and sad at first, for several days. But I realized that I hadn't trained and I wasn't really going to be able to (as a friend said) "pull it out of my a$$." So, I now look at it as a learning experience.

Andrea- Thanks for sharing this learning experience with us. I'm sure it was bad at the time, but it sounds like you have a great attitude about it.

I have kinda lied on here. This isn't really MY first half marathon. I had decided to do one in my new town in June 2010. I was training on my own, without a plan or support for a few months, then my DH started his new job and moved to the new town while I stayed in old town to let our kids finish the school year. For me, being a single mom and training didn't mix well. But I had decided to try the race even though I hadn't really trained for it in the 2 months before. I was just going to walk and do my best. Well, not having trained, I started my walking too fast and by mile 5 my knees were hurting. One knee hurt when I walked, the other when I jogged. So I just alternated between walking and jogging--I'd switch when I couldn't handle the pain anymore. It was miserable...

That's why I don't really count it as my first race. I didn't do the prep work at all, which is the biggest, hardest part of the half for me. I will do much better and I hope to enjoy this one, but my sis and friends are slowly recuperating from injury. It is nice to know, if we do get swept, that we will be in good company and that it shouldn't be a surprise. It sounds like they will encourage and warn us so we can avoid it or prepare for being swept.

Thank you all for sharing. With all the very dedicated super runners on here, I felt like the only person that might have to deal with this issue. It's nice to know I'm not alone.

 

[princessbride6205]

To answer your questions about character photos...
There were not characters before the race. There were 2 princesses after the race last year when I finished. I don't remember where the Mickey and Minnie are as I didn't see them. There are lots of photo ops throughout the course. There is a race photographer if you want your pic in front of the castle. There are not photographers at the characters, but you can get the handler or the next runner in line to snap your picture. I was a solo runner, but I took tons of pictures - I stopped at most of the characters that didn't have lines. If you don't have time to get many pictures with characters, you can still take 4 seconds and snap a quick shot of each mile marker. That way even if you don't finish, you'll have memories of how far you all made it.

 

[johde]

I was just going to walk and do my best. Well, not having trained, I started my walking too fast and by mile 5 my knees were hurting. One knee hurt when I walked, the other when I jogged. So I just alternated between walking and jogging

That reminds me a little bit of my second half marathon. I had trained to do a walk/run combination, but hadn't taken into consideration the .5 mile walk to the start line following be an hour of standing waiting to the start. About Mile 3 my foot started hurting when I walked and my about mile 8 or 9 my calves hurt when I ran. I mostly kept when my planned walk/run ratio so neither pain got unbearable. I too had started out fast but was able to hang on through the end and finish in just over 3 hours.

On one of your longer runs/walks, you might want to start with 20-30min of standing around before getting started to see how being in the corrals might affect you.

 

[lisah0711]

Hi Kimara! This is a great thread. I feel a lot better after reading all these stories about what would happen if I do get swept at the Princess.

Say hi to your sis for me. Hope to see you both on the BL alumni thread starting in a couple of weeks -- you, too, Nicole!

 

[PrincessAndrea'sMom]

Thanks for the info! My biggest fear about doing the race is being swept. I am pretty sure I can do it, but I am still a bit scared!

 

[DizGirl20]

New runner here - what is the minimum pace you have to keep to avoid being swept? Thanks! Oh and thanks to all who have posted. This has been a very informative thread. I didn't really know what "swept" meant but now I have a pretty good idea...

 

[John VN]

New runner here - what is the minimum pace you have to keep to avoid being swept? Thanks! Oh and thanks to all who have posted. This has been a very informative thread. I didn't really know what "swept" meant but now I have a pretty good idea...

16 minutes per mile with the clock starting when the last person crosses the start line.

 

[Minnie Lor]

Great thread. I'm hoping to get my pace up to 13.5-14 minutes so I have time to use port-a-potty and stop for a few pictures. Someone on another forum said she was stopped this year when she was literally 5 steps away from finishing. Now I'm wondering if she really meant that she was 5 steps behind the pacer. Either way would be so disappointing. Good luck with the training.

 

[cewait]

Great thread. I'm hoping to get my pace up to 13.5-14 minutes so I have time to use port-a-potty and stop for a few pictures. Someone on another forum said she was stopped this year when she was literally 5 steps away from finishing. Now I'm wondering if she really meant that she was 5 steps behind the pacer. Either way would be so disappointing. Good luck with the training.

????

Really, at Disney?

Thinking she was looking for sympathy but not quite stating fact....


Not saying that it would never happen, but once off public streets Disney usually allows one to finish as long as they continue to move consistently. One would be allowed to finish, receive a medal and the accolades of the finish line.... They might not get an 'official' finish time listed on the results page but then most folks are really happy with the bling.... I have never seen anyone the day after a race wearing a copy of their results printout

 

[Mickey Fliers]

At least they give you notice to know if you're about to get picked up. It would be so depressing if they just swoop out of the blue and nab you.

Now I have visions of Navy Seals popping up in camouflage from behind the port-a-potties and nabbing poor runners. You're just running along and all of sudden you look behind and think "hey, where the heck did Bob go?"

 

[Minnie Lor]

????

Really, at Disney?

Thinking she was looking for sympathy but not quite stating fact....


Not saying that it would never happen, but once off public streets Disney usually allows one to finish as long as they continue to move consistently. One would be allowed to finish, receive a medal and the accolades of the finish line.... They might not get an 'official' finish time listed on the results page but then most folks are really happy with the bling.... I have never seen anyone the day after a race wearing a copy of their results printout

Ha! so true!

 

[Minnie Lor]

Now I have visions of Navy Seals popping up in camouflage from behind the port-a-potties and nabbing poor runners. You're just running along and all of sudden you look behind and think "hey, where the heck did Bob go?"

That's pretty funny. I did my first (and only so far) half marathon last October. I had no idea what a "sweep team" would look like but I had nightmares before the race that it was a street sweeper.

I did see the "sweep team" the day of the race. They were right behind me for my first two miles. It was two police cars and three police motorcycles. After mile two I didn't see them again although I have to admit that i didn't look. It was a mental thing. I knew I was on pace and was within the guidelines and they were messing with my mind. I made a conscience effort to never turn around again. It worked too.

 

[deleckidesign]

I think usually you don't get a medal, but they made an exception this this was a first year race.

As for me, I wouldn't let her put it around my neck and haven't worn it once. I do keep it, though, to remind myself of the lesson I learned.

DH got swept at the 1/2 a couple weeks ago at mile 2. His foot had been bothering him prior to the race, but he wanted to at least try. Plus he kept me company at the start line. Half a mile in, he told me to go ahead because he didn't want to risk me not being able to finish! He got swept and still got his medal - a surprise to us as well - we thought you didn't get a medal. Maybe that means they are going to re-do the Donald medal next year instead of just putting a 2012 year on the bottom!

 

[figment82]

I had friends that got swept as well, and they got the medal also.
The person that said she was 5 steps away from finishing probably meant she was 5 steps away from whatever point it was that they told her she needed to be without getting swept. My friends got told they had to get to a certain point within a minute, and were very close, but when they weren't quite there, they got put on the bus.
(They said the buses were quite full, as well - but they signed up for the Princess and started training harder as soon as they got home, so clearly it wasn't the end of the world! Obviously they were disappointed, but they said a lot of the people on the bus used it as motivation.)

I watched the very end of both the half and the marathon - if you are in EPCOT and still moving, the pace bikers ride with you and pretty much pull you along to the finish. I can't imagine them pulling anyone off the course that close to the end if they were still able to move - though they may pull you directly over to the med tent if you look like you're not able to keep going.

 

[Minnie Lor]

I had friends that got swept as well, and they got the medal also.
The person that said she was 5 steps away from finishing probably meant she was 5 steps away from whatever point it was that they told her she needed to be without getting swept. My friends got told they had to get to a certain point within a minute, and were very close, but when they weren't quite there, they got put on the bus.
(They said the buses were quite full, as well - but they signed up for the Princess and started training harder as soon as they got home, so clearly it wasn't the end of the world! Obviously they were disappointed, but they said a lot of the people on the bus used it as motivation.)

I watched the very end of both the half and the marathon - if you are in EPCOT and still moving, the pace bikers ride with you and pretty much pull you along to the finish. I can't imagine them pulling anyone off the course that close to the end if they were still able to move - though they may pull you directly over to the med tent if you look like you're not able to keep going.

I re-read her post just now and I take it she was 5 steps behind the pace at some point in the race and was swept. The experience is motivating her to train better and harder.

I constantly feel like I'm not training enough but I know that I shouldn't rush it.

 

[disneygirlRN]

Does anyone know if they sweep people from the Royal Family 5k? I know race day I will be so excited and hopefully walk/run faster than ever before (hopefully!!) but I'm still nervous as I have congenital hip dysplasia. I did the Turkey Trot 5k in our community, but they just let you do your own pace. I would hate to be the loser swept from the 5k

Jess