Marathon Weekend 2025

[fatmanatee]

Wait, wait wait… I haven’t done Dopey in a while. Are you all saying we don’t do the Sunday-Monday CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! thing anymore?! That was tradition! ALL the medals, clanging away all over the parks, announcing to one and all, “Heck yeah, I ran 48.6 miles in 4 days and am now logging more miles in the parks, and I’ve got the HARDWARE to prove it!” That was a large part of what encouraged me to do Dopey in the first place lol!

I rarely wear any medals in the parks for long these days, TBH: they’ve gotten too heavy and kill my neck, so I’ll carry them in a bag and pull them out for photos.

I'm terrified that they'll chip or peel, was a major issue with the 2022 medals, as nice as they were. I don’t know when it became a big issue but it was sometime in the last ten years when they transitioned to more colorful medals.

I might wear the days medal until Sunday, at that point I’ll wear one of the three big ones (prob Dopey) and carry the others until it’s time for photos.

 

[PrincessV]

They gave out TWO 1-day park hoppers as a refund????? I can't imagine them even considering that these days!

I remember being stunned that they were doing ANYTHING other than saying, “sorry - no refunds, no transfers, no nothing - Mouse outside shoulda told ya.” I can’t even remember what I got - a refund maybe? I was Dopey and an AP, so definitely did not opt for tickets and didn’t go to the expo. Ran my half at my resort and collected that medal at the marathon finish.

 

[marty3d]

I remember being stunned that they were doing ANYTHING other than saying, “sorry - no refunds, no transfers, no nothing - Mouse outside shoulda told ya.” I can’t even remember what I got - a refund maybe? I was Dopey and an AP, so definitely did not opt for tickets and didn’t go to the expo. Ran my half at my resort and collected that medal at the marathon finish.

I was running Goofy - ran my half around crescent lake - and got a Disney gift card in the amount of the half registration fee.

 

[DHSsenior007]

Man, reviewing that thread gave me some bad flashbacks. My husband and I were scheduled to run the half and when I found out it was cancelled, I cried. So if you saw a random woman crying in Biergarten that night, it was me. We ran 13.1 around the Epcot-area resorts that morning and took the transferred registration to that year's W&D HM, but I was so bummed to not get to run through the castle.

 

[lahobbs4]

Slow week? Need some diversion? I invite you back, back, over the falls… wait, no, that’s gone… back to 2017, when the half was canceled and the full was frozen (not Frozen.)

Our collective freak out as the news broke starts here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/marathon-weekend-2017.3462684/page-300

Hit page 323 for when we start panic-shopping/procuring cold weather gear, lol!

I cannot believe it’ll soon be 8 years since then. Feels so much more recent!

PTSD. Too soon

(yes 8 years is still too soon to relive that nightmare )

 

[Herding_Cats]

As we sit at our computers (and other devices) and consider our packing lists and potential weather, I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion for a warm layer I could add to my Epcot CM/flag shirt costume. Right now I have a white skort to go with my shirt, but chances are I'll want something warmer. I will 100% not purchase white leggings. I have black leggings I could wear, but I'm curious about putting something like ballet tights under a skort since those are thicker than "normal" tights, and usually come in a footless version. Would that be enough to help with possible cold weather? Or should I look for some additional options in my closet...

 

[PrincessV]

As we sit at our computers (and other devices) and consider our packing lists and potential weather, I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion for a warm layer I could add to my Epcot CM/flag shirt costume. Right now I have a white skort to go with my shirt, but chances are I'll want something warmer. I will 100% not purchase white leggings. I have black leggings I could wear, but I'm curious about putting something like ballet tights under a skort since those are thicker than "normal" tights, and usually come in a footless version. Would that be enough to help with possible cold weather? Or should I look for some additional options in my closet...

Dance, or for something thicker skating, tights. Amazon has lots, in all different colors. Just cut the feet off. I’ve used them under shorts plenty of times!

 

[Baloo in MI]

I know that it's a thing to bring all of your medals on Sunday following the marathon to get pictures. Nonetheless, is there an unofficial protocol for wearing your medals following the 10K and the HM? Obviously, most will wear their 10K and HM medals on Friday and Saturday respectively. But, I cannot recall seeing people wearing the medals that they got from the previous races as well.

You can absolutely wear medals from previous days. I have seen lots of families on Marathon day where everyone was wearing a medal with some being the marathon and others ranging from the 5k to Half. You earn it, wear it with pride! For me a big part of the fun of rD weekends is congratulating people in the parks and resorts I see rocking their medals; it’s like being part of one big, crazy club!

2017:
Such a painful and awesome memory! I was with my family in Epcot when the news went live and I remember feeling bitter and sad. I was doing Dopey and it felt like the carpet had been pulled out from under my feet. The next morning I got up and ran around the lake btwn Pop and AoA. Hundreds showed up to run and cheer, people put out makeshift water tables, others stood and cheered and some ppl were in costumes doing photo ops. Turned into such a positive experience. Really one of my favorite rD memories!

 

[StarGirl11]

I'm terrified that they'll chip or peel, was a major issue with the 2022 medals, as nice as they were. I don’t know when it became a big issue but it was sometime in the last ten years when they transitioned to more colorful medals.

I might wear the days medal until Sunday, at that point I’ll wear one of the three big ones (prob Dopey) and carry the others until it’s time for photos.

Etsy has some clips so you can wear multiple medals without them chipping supposedly. I was planning to buy something else anyway off of there. Will report back how well it works.

 

[Naomeri]

I rarely wear any medals in the parks for long these days, TBH: they’ve gotten too heavy and kill my neck, so I’ll carry them in a bag and pull them out for photos.

This is what I've always done, I can barely handle wearing multiple medals while I'm waiting in line for PhotoPass. I'll use the race shirts to visibly brag about how crazy I am

As we sit at our computers (and other devices) and consider our packing lists and potential weather, I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion for a warm layer I could add to my Epcot CM/flag shirt costume. Right now I have a white skort to go with my shirt, but chances are I'll want something warmer. I will 100% not purchase white leggings. I have black leggings I could wear, but I'm curious about putting something like ballet tights under a skort since those are thicker than "normal" tights, and usually come in a footless version. Would that be enough to help with possible cold weather? Or should I look for some additional options in my closet...

I think black leggings or tights would look good.

Since I'm doing a flag skirt, I was already planning black shorts, capris, or leggings, depending on what the weather decides to do that morning, and I have a white long sleeve that I can layer under my white tshirt if it comes to that.

 

[The Expert]

As we sit at our computers (and other devices) and consider our packing lists and potential weather, I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion for a warm layer I could add to my Epcot CM/flag shirt costume. Right now I have a white skort to go with my shirt, but chances are I'll want something warmer. I will 100% not purchase white leggings. I have black leggings I could wear, but I'm curious about putting something like ballet tights under a skort since those are thicker than "normal" tights, and usually come in a footless version. Would that be enough to help with possible cold weather? Or should I look for some additional options in my closet...

I don't own any white running bottoms, so I was planning to wear black leggings or skort either way.

 

[cburnett11]

In the past, I would “only” do the marathon and we would arrive Friday or Saturday. I would do the marathon Sunday and then we would stay for a week after. Back then I’d wear my marathon medal most of the week and would see fewer and people do the same each day. I think most runners get out of Disney by Tuesday. I occasionally had park guests ask me where I had purchased my medal because they wanted one. Obviously I had worn it long enough that the guests had no clue there had been a race weekend. No rules and No shame.

 

[fatmanatee]

For those avoiding Kali, get yourself one of those $1-2 throw-away ponchos or a large trash bag and ride it once to know what you are missing! I don’t ride it often because I also don’t like to be wet, but will ride if the weather is hot so I will dry quickly.

Meant to respond to this but apparently Kali will be down during MW and it sounds like this is an annual thing? Anyway, no Kali next month! Maybe next time I'm down there in non-winter time I'll bring a poncho.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

It can definitely be a YMMV experience if the CMs will let you venture very far off-course for bathrooms, and if they'll have all of them open in the parks (before the parks open), but there are quite a few in MK. Maps (including where the course runs and then highlighted bathroom locations) for each of the parks, minus HS since it's only the one bathroom and the the skyliner bathrooms outside the park, are definitely included as @The Expert said earlier.

There are a few I'm not 100% will be available (the ones between Tiana and Thunder in MK) or the one that's inside Pecos Bill's (I marked it, but I'm assuming won't be available.)

Also, can anyone comment on if the bathrooms near Pinocchio are currently closed for some reason???? They are specifically not marked/listed in the map on the website.

Apparently the Pinocchio bathrooms are closed for remodeling "until 2025." *sigh* They were always empty when I used them the last 3 years and it was great to not have to wait in a line!!

Just saw this and it made me think of your post…

https://twitter.com/x/status/1872273921418101028

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Meant to respond to this but apparently Kali will be down during MW and it sounds like this is an annual thing?

Yeah, that’s correct, Kali typically closes each January for an annual refurb.

 

[matt and beth]

Talk of cold gear and I’m hyperventilating over here. We are leaving dreary MI just hoping to see that shiny thing in the sky some people call the sun

 

[Herding_Cats]

Talk of cold gear and I’m hyperventilating over here. We are leaving dreary MI just hoping to see that shiny thing in the sky some people call the sun

Same!!!

 

[Disneyhanna]

I just had to do all of my AP park reservations since my LLMP eligibility opens up tomorrow. I am NOT a fan of having to decide this stuff so early But it does beat waking up at 6:50AM every day! I'll probably hit the parks pretty hard through Tuesday before the expo, then start winding down. Usually I need something to do after the 5k/10k so I may get LLMP for those two days. The only time I ever rope drop is after a race

 

[sandam1]

Talk of cold gear and I’m hyperventilating over here. We are leaving dreary MI just hoping to see that shiny thing in the sky some people call the sun

The good news is that shiny thing in the sky still exists in Florida, whatever the temperature is.

 

[sandam1]

SAFD - Sorry, I'm going to give two pieces of advice. I knew what I wanted to say, but then all of this talk about cold weather gear brought up a second one.

Almost every hotel has a laundry room. Find out where the one is at your hotel and that is your back-up plan if the weather changes unexpectedly. Personally, I'm planning for cooler, but I'm also going to throw in two "oh, man, it got stupid hot" outfits (one for running, one for the parks). If I need to use them more than once, I can do laundry. I also travel with a single packet of laundry detergent to make it easier.

Now, the biggie - the most important thing for any runDisney challenge is managing your expenditure of ENERGY, both physical and mental. It is the one thing that can make or break a weekend quicker than anything. Towards this end, personally, my goals are to:

a) Start preparing for my trip early (I have had a pile of items, waiting to be packed for weeks now and have been picking up other things at the store as I see them). This saves me the stress of last-minute packing and makes sure that I'm not up late the night before my flight, packing (been there, done that, not fun)

b) Have a plan for the weekend. I know that unexpected things are going to pop up, but the more decisions I can make now - when I can think clearly - the better those decisions are likely to be and the less mental stress during the event.

c) Be organized. Have lists for what I need to get when we go to the grocery store and what goes with me each race morning. Pack race outfits together and lay everything out the night before. Have a predetermined plan for each race (fueling and pace strategies as well as possible restroom stops) Again, the more I can go on auto-pilot, the better I will be.

d) Do everything possible to conserve my energy through the trip. Get to bed at a reasonable time. Eat good foods, maintain regular meals and stay hydrated. I plan on spending a lot more time at my hotel than I do on any other trip and our park time is going to be designed to minimize energy expenditure (lots of shows, as little walking or standing in line as possible).

Although I've officially been in taper mode for almost two weeks, I finished my last long-ish run with a designated pace today and it was both a relief (I was stressed about this workout as it is a prediction exercise) and emotional release (I was in tears at the end). Man, this got very real, very quickly!