Marathon Weekend 2025

[Mr_Incr3dible]

What is funny is for me.... not wearing a costume running would be the one out of habbit... lol I run my local races with costumes too, some times tone down but I cant help myself. It makes running more fun for me.

I was slow to come around on the costuming, and still don't always do it, but it does make the races more fun.

 

[nancipants]

Character lines get shorter the further into the race you get. The first 10ish miles will be a lot like the lines in the 10k/HM. I feel like after MK, a lot of runners get into “let’s just finish this thing” mode and aside from rare or super popular characters (Jafar, Hades, etc) the lines get a lot shorter. We’re talking 10 people instead of 50. By HS, there are sometimes NO lines ime.

Thanks! The only "mandatory" characters for me are anyone from the Haunted Mansion and CLARABELLE. It seems she's always out in a different race from the one I'm doing.

 

[The Expert]

Has anyone run with a pace group at Disney but also stopped for photos/characters? I feel like running with a pace group would help for my first marathon, but I know I’m going to want to stop for a castle photo and possibly some characters depending on who’s out. And of course, bathroom stops and a fuel swap with my husband. I know the groups never stop, so I guess I could try to catch back up with them? Just trying to think of how it would work logistically, and how long the character lines/etc usually take at the marathon.

The advice here is spot-on, but I will add my experience from DL last January. I jumped in with a pace group during the HM just outside the parks where it started to get really boring and hot. I ran with them through the Honda Center parking lot and then had to stop for a porta. It was a nice distraction during a time when there was little else to focus on and nothing I wanted to stop for.

Following your journal and IG, I'm going to guess you'll be doing a similar pace as me, possibly @Herding_Cats and a few others. We can all compare paces and intervals a few weeks out and plan to hook up on the course for whomever is interested and up for it. Absolutely no pressure or expectation, but ime there are lots of us who end up in the same part of the pack regardless of where we start -- especially after AK when it gets pretty tough. It's nice to have the distraction and camaraderie, at least for me.

 

[cburnett11]

The advice here is spot-on, but I will add my experience from DL last January. I jumped in with a pace group during the HM just outside the parks where it started to get really boring and hot. I ran with them through the Honda Center parking lot and then had to stop for a porta. It was a nice distraction during a time when there was little else to focus on and nothing I wanted to stop for.

Following your journal and IG, I'm going to guess you'll be doing a similar pace as me, possibly @Herding_Cats and a few others. We can all compare paces and intervals a few weeks out and plan to hook up on the course for whomever is interested and up for it. Absolutely no pressure or expectation, but ime there are lots of us who end up in the same part of the pack regardless of where we start -- especially after AK when it gets pretty tough. It's nice to have the distraction and camaraderie, at least for me.

@The Expert makes a good point. For people interested in running in a group AND possibly stopping for some pics or bathroom breaks, it makes more sense to find some kindred spirits to run with. The pace groups will stick to their plan and if you stop for a pic and it takes 4 minutes, that’s quite a gap to try and catch up to and the marathon is usually not the distance you want to overdo your pace in spurts. But if you are with some like-minded runners, it may be the case that the group decides to make some stops together and that would be both fun and less stressful than trying to catchup to a steady pace group.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Following your journal and IG, I'm going to guess you'll be doing a similar pace as me, possibly @Herding_Cats and a few others. We can all compare paces and intervals a few weeks out and plan to hook up on the course for whomever is interested and up for it. Absolutely no pressure or expectation, but ime there are lots of us who end up in the same part of the pack regardless of where we start -- especially after AK when it gets pretty tough. It's nice to have the distraction and camaraderie, at least for me.

We can set up a group chat or something in the week leading up to the race. Not sure I’m going to make it to HH this time, but I’m 100% down for a dis-marathon-distraction group

@nancipants i can tell you my pattern with the marathon is to run 13-14mm until about AK and then do runner math to decide how slow we can go to the finish (it’s usually about 20min/mi with the buffer at that point.) And then play it by feel and have a good time to the finish.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

Has anyone run with a pace group at Disney but also stopped for photos/characters? I feel like running with a pace group would help for my first marathon, but I know I’m going to want to stop for a castle photo and possibly some characters depending on who’s out. And of course, bathroom stops and a fuel swap with my husband. I know the groups never stop, so I guess I could try to catch back up with them? Just trying to think of how it would work logistically, and how long the character lines/etc usually take at the marathon.

I have joined pace groups...

Disneyland half was perfect because after the park there is nothing else... they really do help. They keep you entertained and on pace. My fav part was when we were getting close to the finish area and they said hey if you have energy go run ahead... me and another person who have been chatting up while in the pace group did that it and it was great. So wonderful still having energy at the end to race it.

I also joined one for a good chunk during my 1st marathon... man it was great. Again they kept me on pace and entertained it was the part between MK and AK. My mom even committed later man your pace pick up there for quite a few miles so she knew something was up. But I had to go the bathroom at AK and was not able to get back up to them... so that is a problem. I think it is hard to catch back up... esp if you are running a group that is at your pace or you are pushing your pace a little.... if you are running slower than your pace I think it would be easier to catch up. But there is always a chance you can just join the next pace group....

So the way I do pace groups, is they are a great option when available but I do not actively search out for them. I run my pace and stop at my list of priorities.... if a pace group is near me then I join them for however long until I hit one of my priorities then I leave the group... then often times... I can still pick up another pace group later and do the same thing. What is great about pace groups you can join and leave them freely any point during the race...

 

[The Expert]

We can set up a group chat or something in the week leading up to the race. Not sure I’m going to make it to HH this time, but I’m 100% down for a dis-marathon-distraction group

@nancipants i can tell you my pattern with the marathon is to run 13-14mm until about AK and then do runner math to decide how slow we can go to the finish (it’s usually about 20min/mi with the buffer at that point.) And then play it by feel and have a good time to the finish.

Definitely, me too! I normally start in the back of B (club rD), stop for lots of photos, do slow intervals and hope @Herding_Cats catches up to me around or just past MK. My guess is it will be sooner than that this year with the course changes.

 

[DHSsenior007]

I will definitely be interested in running with others, though I have no experience with doing that in the past. I think the camaraderie will make the race so much more fun, especially the latter half of the race...

In other news, did y'all see the Cake Shop just had a soft opening at the BW? https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...tion-questions.3344344/page-737#post-65793492 As we'll be staying at the BWV, I'm very excited I can walk (or hobble) down to grab a tasty baked good post-race. Even if it costs an arm and a leg...

 

[Naomeri]

Agreed. When I did 2011 MW, it seemed they had ALL the characters out there. Cinderella's whole fam at the castle, Alice and the rabbit at the teacups, and then going into AK they had characters such as Zorro (on his horse), Davey Crockett, and other characters typically not seen in the parks. For some of them, I've never seen them anywhere before. LOVED that.

OMG! Nothing but the imminent arrival of the balloon ladies would stop me from stopping for Zorro--I used to stay up until the middle of the night in middle school to watch reruns of the old Zorro on Disney Channel

 

[jmasgat]

I will definitely be interested in running with others, though I have no experience with doing that in the past. I think the camaraderie will make the race so much more fun, especially the latter half of the race...

In other news, did y'all see the Cake Shop just had a soft opening at the BW? https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...tion-questions.3344344/page-737#post-65793492 As we'll be staying at the BWV, I'm very excited I can walk (or hobble) down to grab a tasty baked good post-race. Even if it costs an arm and a leg...

Oh, the thread on Cake Bake Shop is unbelievably entertaining. It also appears that after the private event they had, they changed some of the pricing (some up, some down by $.01 to the always popular $XX.99) S0 maybe your cake will be only cost a leg and not an arm too!

 

[DisneyParrothead]

Oh, the thread on Cake Bake Shop is unbelievably entertaining. It also appears that after the private event they had, they changed some of the pricing (some up, some down by $.01 to the always popular $XX.99 Sp maybe your cake will be only cost a leg and not an arm too!

I'm still not going to pay those prices. I looked at the Indiana prices and thought those were ridiculous to begin with. I'll happily got the Boardwalk Deli and get a Mickey-shaped cinnamon roll, because where else am I going to get that?

 

[kps7795]

I'm still not going to pay those prices. I looked at the Indiana prices and thought those were ridiculous to begin with. I'll happily got the Boardwalk Deli and get a Mickey-shaped cinnamon roll, because where else am I going to get that?

That thread is rather insane. I can only surmise that there are some travel agents who are financially vested in people going to the CBS because I cannot understand why they would be so defensive of Disney’s outrageous prices.

 

[Desdemona924]

OMG! Nothing but the imminent arrival of the balloon ladies would stop me from stopping for Zorro--I used to stay up until the middle of the night in middle school to watch reruns of the old Zorro on Disney Channel

Same. Except I was an adult in my early 20s watching reruns. I would talk to my now husband every night on the phone, and be like, I have to go, Zorro is starting and I'm busy with that for the next three hours. He did get me the part of the series when they released it in those really nice time box sets.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Has anyone run with a pace group at Disney but also stopped for photos/characters? I feel like running with a pace group would help for my first marathon, but I know I’m going to want to stop for a castle photo and possibly some characters depending on who’s out. And of course, bathroom stops and a fuel swap with my husband. I know the groups never stop, so I guess I could try to catch back up with them? Just trying to think of how it would work logistically, and how long the character lines/etc usually take at the marathon.

I can't speak to the character aspect, but one additional consideration about pace groups: crowding. I ran with a pace group for the first few miles at Space Coast last year, and in the dark with all those people around, I kept feeling like I was going to trip. I was also feeling good, so I left them behind before too long and felt much happier.

Given that the marathon now starts at 4 freaking 30, that's a lot of time in the dark. The course is fairly well lit, mostly, but you still might want to think about whether you're comfortable running in a crowd with nighttime lights.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

I can't speak to the character aspect, but one additional consideration about pace groups: crowding. I ran with a pace group for the first few miles at Space Coast last year, and in the dark with all those people around, I kept feeling like I was going to trip. I was also feeling good, so I left them behind before too long and felt much happier.

Given that the marathon now starts at 4 freaking 30, that's a lot of time in the dark. The course is fairly well lit, mostly, but you still might want to think about whether you're comfortable running in a crowd with nighttime lights.

Trying to see with some of the portable tower lights that are not positioned as well as they could be....

(no, I don't actually have stars or halos, just a lot of squinting with the super bright lights and no gradient to the very dark, unlit road/areas)

 

[DianaMB333]

I will definitely be interested in running with others, though I have no experience with doing that in the past. I think the camaraderie will make the race so much more fun, especially the latter half of the race...

In other news, did y'all see the Cake Shop just had a soft opening at the BW? https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...tion-questions.3344344/page-737#post-65793492 As we'll be staying at the BWV, I'm very excited I can walk (or hobble) down to grab a tasty baked good post-race. Even if it costs an arm and a leg...

I’d he interested in running with others as well! I’m team super very slow .. I tend to start front of corral (B - CrD) to have room for character photos and restroom stop (at the parks) … but definitely could meet up anytime before or during the race

 

[marty3d]

Add me to the list where it'd be fun to run with others at some point during the race. I'll likely be starting in C based on my POT but (especially for Dopey) I take the Marathon really slow and easy - focus is on pictures, Everest (maybe ToT but have never done 2 rides) and having fun - not setting any particular time. My last Dopey I think it took my 45 minutes (more more) to make it through the final lap of World Showcase because I just wanted to enjoy everything! (Will miss that final run/ walk through WS this year!)

 

[PrincessV]

Usually around mile 13 of a marathon is when I realize I’ve made a huge mistake becoming a runDisney runner and really should move to Colorado and be a trail runner because I HATE running in a crowd and start longing for a quiet, wooded hillside. But I can share from many years of rD experience that if you start in a middle corral or further back and make a character or bathroom stop or three, be assured at least one and probably multiple pace groups will find you, engulf you, and you can hang with them if you want. I do the opposite and either pull over for a stop or slow my roll until they drop me. I actually nailed a PR with this method. Follow me for more mediocre running tips.

 

[Naomeri]

I’d he interested in running with others as well! I’m team super very slow .. I tend to start front of corral (B - CrD) to have room for character photos and restroom stop (at the parks) … but definitely could meet up anytime before or during the race

Hello super slow B buddy!!

 

[matt and beth]

Usually around mile 13 of a marathon is when I realize I’ve made a huge mistake becoming a runDisney runner and really should move to Colorado and be a trail runner because I HATE running in a crowd and start longing for a quiet, wooded hillside. But I can share from many years of rD experience that if you start in a middle corral or further back and make a character or bathroom stop or three, be assured at least one and probably multiple pace groups will find you, engulf you, and you can hang with them if you want. I do the opposite and either pull over for a stop or slow my roll until they drop me. I actually nailed a PR with this method. Follow me for more mediocre running tips.

Oh… many moons ago did a trail marathon. Was stuck on a pack because you couldn’t pass because it was so narrow. The leader kept passing some nasty gases. Brutal and I mean brutal. After a few miles I couldn’t handle anymore. Yelled at him to stop and let us clear. . Careful what you wish for