Finally got up with this thread after getting back late Saturday evening and life being insanely busy immediately upon return.
1. Thanks to everyone who posted their Expo experiences on opening day of the Expo. I was checking to see reports on the BB-8 figurine and felt reasonably confident that there would be at least one by the time I got to the Expo Thursday afternoon. My little sister and I arrived in Orlando at 6:00am and decided to go the parks first instead of the Expo since the parks opened before the Expo. The Expo went well, although my credit card probably doesn't agree. I did "come to my senses" and only bought the I Conquered It challenge shirt, instead of that one
and the 5K and 10K shirts. Something about Star Wars makes me go crazy at race expos. I did get the BB-8 figurine, the weekend magnet, 5K pin, the running shoe Star Wars ornaments, and the race weekend shirt. I also kept the jacket. Thanks to the heads up from these boards about sizes, my sister was able to exchange her tiny jacket for a better size.
It may be a minority opinion and an unpopular one at that, but I was glad to see no Kessel Run merchandise. The current virtual component of the Kessel Run makes it substantially easier to do the Kessel Run than it was in 2016 and 2017, so I was glad to see that the awesome Kessel Run merchandise that was available in 2016 and 2017 remained exclusive to runners who did the Light Side Half at
Disneyland and Dark Side Half at Disney World.
2. This was my first 5K. I was expecting insane crowds that never materialized. Don't get me wrong as it was crowded, but not what I feared after hearing reports from others. I also learned that I should have tried for a character pic before the race. Mostly because moving in a line is less stressful on my feet than standing around in the corral. Since Epcot is my favorite WDW park, I loved running through it for the 5K. Or leisurely walking through it and spending a lot of time in photo lines. My unofficial 5K time is about 10 minutes slower than my 10K PR. I also lost my drivers license near the Emperor's Throne, but before I finished the race, I saw a missed phone call from runDisney telling me they had my license. So that running belt was an epic failure and will need to be replaced.
3. Loved the 10K. In many ways, this is a great distance. Long enough to challenge me, but not so long as to wipe me out the way a half does. I think the 10K medal weighs more than the all the other medals combined. My Jedi Prince Phillip costume worked well. I'll post pics later.
4. I may not love the time it takes me to run a half, but I have so much fun at Star Wars races. For me the character stops came at great points to give me a brief break. I loved the CM telling us that as a reward for our perseverance, General Hux would allow us to run through the Animal Kingdom on its 20th anniversary. I eventually settled into a good rhythm with the 3:15 pacers and even discussed running the full with them, but fell behind when I got into the Studios and stopped for the photo with Kylo Ren and Rey. I very briefly tried to catch back up with them after that photo stop, but my knee began to protest, so I didn't pursue that any further. I knew I was still very safe to finish and didn't want to risk that needlessly. Whatever time I may have ended up with got destroyed by the Imperial group shot right by mile 13. Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, stormtroopers, a Royal Guard, and Imperial officers all in one photo! Forget my time, I'm getting this photo. I'm guessing that was a 20-30 minute wait and my finishing time was 3:36. But I finished and that's what matters.
Side note. If you want the volunteers to put the medal around your neck, bend down when you get to them. I noticed that during the 10K as they were handing medals to the runners. Well, I bent down and the volunteer put it around my neck.
I loved the weather. Yes, it was humid, but I felt like last year was tougher during the half. The rest of the week was definitely cooler than last year.
Congratulations to all who finished. Glad that those who experienced difficulties are okay. The April timing of Dark Side means this may be my final Dark Side race weekend ever, so I'm glad I got to experience it 2 years in a row.
