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Diary of a Dopey Girl: Year Two!

Last year, I ran my first Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World. If you’re not familiar with the Dopey Challenge, it’s four races over four days, for a total of 48.6 miles. It starts with a 5K, then progresses each day with a 10k, half marathon, and full marathon. It’s often said that the hardest part of the challenge is waking up so early (buses begin running as early as 3:00 am for certain races!), and I can agree that getting up in the middle of the night was a huge challenge. This year, freezing temperatures added another level of difficulty!

Last year was an incredible experience – from running at my resort when the Half was canceled to the triumph of completing the entire challenge (read all about my adventures last year here). I couldn’t wait to do it all again! This year would be a very different trip for me, because I’d be traveling solo and my family would be cheering me on from home. I went into the weekend slightly apprehensive about undertaking such a big event without my usual support team.

I arrived in Orlando on Tuesday night and hit the expo first thing on Wednesday morning. It was cold and rainy, and the expo was quickly filled to capacity with lots of runners waiting in a miserable outdoor queue. I was able to get in and out, and the sun was shining by the time I left. Due to a combination of cold weather and crowded parks, I was back in my room early and ready to start my Dopey adventure.

Day 1: 5k!

The morning of the 5k was cold. And I don’t just mean Florida-cold, I mean COLD! It was in the low 30’s, which meant lots of costume adjustments! I had planned on a tank top and skirt, but put on several layers instead, and took a mylar blanket, gloves, and a hat.

On the way to the pre-race area, I ran into my friend and Team Shenanigans teammate, Laurie, who was volunteering. HUGE thanks to all those volunteers who got up even earlier than the runners, were out in the cold, and weren’t earning a medal for it! Once inside the pre-race area, I met up with some other teammates before heading to the corrals. I like to be early to my corral so I can be toward the front, and relax before the start of the race. Usually I don’t mind the wait, but it was so cold that I felt like time was standing still. I finally put in my headphones and turned on an audiobook to pass the time.

At last, the race began! We started in the parking lot of Epcot, and the first characters on the course were Chip and Dale. I didn’t stop for them, since they can easily be found in the parks. Around mile 1 (right when I could finally feel my toes again), we entered the park backstage. When we entered World Showcase, the Vikings were out in Norway. There wasn’t much of a line, so I stopped. Next up was Jiminy Cricket, then Vacation Genie in Morocco (another skip since he’s a frequent race course character), and Koda and Kanai in Canada. As is my tradition, I also stopped to take a few scenic pictures and soak up the magic of running through World Showcase.

After leaving World Showcase, the course continued around past The Land (with a quick stop to see Horace Horsecollar) and then back around to Spaceship Earth, out of the park, and to the finish line!

I was happy to find another teammate at the finish line! Anita presented me with my medal, and just like that, the first three point one miles of the Dopey challenge were done. It was so cold that I didn’t want to stand in any character lines (which is extremely rare for me!). I headed straight for the bus and back to my room, where I took a nap and waited for the temperature to rise a little. Due to another cold and crowded day at the parks, I once again found myself back in the room and ready for bed earlier than expected.

Day Two: 10k!

Friday morning was another cold one that required adding (unflattering) layers underneath my Peter Pan costume. I huddled together with teammates again to stay warm before heading to the corrals. After another chilly wait, we were off! This race begins in the Epcot parking lot, and the first three miles are on the highway.

The first character stop was Pocahontas and Meeko, with a fun backdrop. The line was already long, but I figured I’d wait since she had on her cold weather outfit and I don’t have a picture of the two together.

Next up was Flik and Atta from A Bug’s Life. I’d gotten a picture of them at a previous race, and their line was long, so I kept on running. A little further down the highway was the Old Hag from Snow White. Yes, please! Just let me warm my hands on your cauldron for a minute…

One of my favorite things about Disney races is running into friends on the course. From friends that I’ve met in various Disney facebook groups to more of my Team Shenanigans teammates, it’s great to see friendly faces out there!

Before I knew it, we were entering Epcot and were halfway through the race. Running into World Showcase in the dark, with torches lit and music playing, really is one of the most magical feelings. All of the pavilions in World Showcase are lit up, and it’s just beautiful.

Pinnochio was out in Italy (I didn’t stop – his line was long and I’ve gotten a picture with him before), and Rapunzel and Flynn were in Germany. I was excited and immediately got in line, only to be told by a Cast Member that it was about a 30-minute wait. There was no way I could justify stopping that long in the middle of a race, so off I went. I ran by Marie in France, and then headed down the International Gateway and around the boardwalk.

Then it was time to run back into Epcot, past Spaceship Earth, and to the finish line where another teammate, Kenny, gave me my medal!

I was freezing by the time I walked through the post-race area, so once again I headed straight for the bus and back to my warm room. There was a team breakfast at Trail’s End (check out my previous review here – it’s delicious!), followed by park time with some teammates, and then it was back to the resort to meet up with Jessica.

Jessica is a friend that I originally met online, but who has now become a “real life” friend, as well. When some things with school changed and I posted about being bummed that my family wasn’t going to get to come, she quickly decided to fly down for the weekend to cheer for me. I was extremely grateful, and excited to spend some time together! We had an early dinner at Disney Springs, followed by drinks at the Contemporary, and then back the room to get ready for early wake-up #3.

Day 3 – Half Marathon!

Another cold, early morning. Today’s costume (little green alien from Toy Story, a Team Shenanigans group costume) got some additional layers added, but I was still happy with the end result. After more meet-ups, hugs, and laughter, I headed off alone to my corral.

I don’t know what came over me on this race. It was the first time I’d ever run this particular race, since last year’s was canceled and I ran the miles at my resort. I was particularly excited about running down Main Street, and the Disney magic had started to take hold. I decided to just enjoy myself – to stop for all the characters that I wanted, to take my time and have fun. That’s something my runner’s brain has struggled with while running at Disney. Today, it happened. I was in rare form, and I was having SO. MUCH. FUN!

The race began on Epcot Center Drive, and we ran down the highway and through the gates of the Magic Kingdom. The first character was along Mile 3, and it was Mater and Lightning McQueen. I didn’t stop, but the next characters weren’t far off, and I couldn’t resist stopping for them. Vanellope and Wreck-It Ralph, followed shortly by Jack Skellington and the lovely Sally!

From there, it was on to the Magic Kingdom! We received a warm welcome as we ran through the entrance (a great change from entering backstage!) and headed down Main Street.

This moment is one that makes all the training miles, the cold mornings, the early wake-ups, ALL OF IT, so worth it. It’s still dark, Main Street is lined with cheering spectators, and the castle is lit up straight ahead. It’s pure magic.

The course passes by the castle (don’t worry, we’ll be back!) and heads into Tomorrowland, where I ran past Sully near the Laugh Floor. There were even more characters as we crossed into Fantasyland – the Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit were near the Teacups, and Circus Goofy was by Storybook Circus. And…SEBASTIAN was greeting runners by Under the Sea! I wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity, and the line was somehow fairly short.

After that, the course took us back toward the Castle. Suzy and Perla were off to the side, but I was too anxious to run through the castle to stop. I always stop for a photo in front, and then it was back through Liberty Square and into Frontierland!

My costume absolutely mandated that I stop for a picture with Bullseye and Woody, and this turned into a longer wait because Bullseye had to go check on his pals backstage.

Exiting the Magic Kingdom, there were photo ops with the train and with Cinderella, Aurora, and their princes. The penguins from Mary Poppins were near the Grand Floridian, and the singing princes (Bachelors? Groomsmen? I’m honestly not sure what they are!) were out a little further down the road. I didn’t stop, because I was now focused on getting to one place – my friends who were cheering near the Poly! Finally I saw them, and went sprinting across the grass to greet them. After hugs, selfies, and some much-appreciated cookies from the Chicken Hat Cheerer, Laura, I was back on my way.

My energy was still running high, and I was feeling great! I passed by Vacation Genie, but couldn’t resist stopping by to say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Incredible. And then Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa.

As we ran up the hill after mile 10, Sarge (the green army man) ran up to me and told me “I want to see REAL running up this hill, Little Green Man!”. So I dug deep and showed him some real running!

Before I knew it, we were heading back into Epcot. I didn’t stop for the next two characters – Tink’s fairy friends or Stitch. I just kept running until I heard that sweet gospel choir singing “We are the Champions”! What a perfect finish.

This was my slowest half EVER. And yet, I was thrilled with how it had gone. I had so much fun, and I PR’d in characters! I call that a win. The weather was finally feeling warmer, so I decided to hit some character lines. I made up for lost time on previous days – I met four characters (Pluto, Goofy, Dopey, and Mickey) and even saw a proposal!

My fabulous day continued with an early dinner at ‘Ohana with some friends. A view of the castle, a pineapple drink, and a lot of laughs. I was in bed by 7:30 and managed to get an entire 6 hours of sleep!

Day 4: Marathon!

Today was the day! My fourth full marathon and my first “official” Dopey! I was excited, but not nearly as nervous as I’d expected to be. The weather was slightly warmer and I had taken an extra mylar blanket, so I was feeling great. I hung out with a new teammate, Joe, in the corrals, and the time passed quickly as we chatted.

Before I knew it, I was off and running. The first few miles of this course are the same as the half, so I knew what to expect. I didn’t plan to stop nearly as much as I had the day before, and I also suspected I’d see some repeat characters. I ran into teammates early on the course – both running and cheering – and it was great to see friendly faces!

I couldn’t resist stopping for a double character opportunity – Maleficent (!!!) and the Queen of Hearts.

From there, it was straight on to the Magic Kingdom, for another emotional run down Main Street. It may sound cliche, but I never want to take this for granted. I feel insanely lucky to get to do this!

Exiting the Magic Kingdom, I stopped for a quick pic with Maleficent in dragon form from the Festival of Fantasy parade. I LOVE this photo op!

From here, we ran past the resorts just like yesterday, but then spent a few miles out on the road until we entered Animal Kingdom around mile 12. But there were some pretty epic character stops in those miles! I was ecstatic to get a picture with the entire Up gang, including Mr. Fredrickson! He’s at the top of my character wish list!

I couldn’t resist a quick stop for some retired ride vehicles. Last year there was a Cast Member here taking photos, but this year we just had to rely on the kindness of fellow runners.

The next character stop was another must-do: Hades with Pain and Panic! Eeek!

On the out-and-back that was mile 11, I ran into my buddy, Mark – the two of us usually cross paths somewhere along the race course!

Then it was time to head into Animal Kingdom! I had to stop and greet the animals that were out.

I had hoped to ride Everest this year, but unfortunately, I had entered the park too early. The good news was that I was now halfway done with this race, and I was still feeling awesome!

We exited Animal Kingdom and headed into the dreaded slog through the parking lot. This time it wasn’t so bad because I knew I had friends ahead! I was thrilled to see them, and they had snacks! Seeing your people on a race course is incredibly invigorating – I hope that spectators know how important they are.

Directly across from where they were cheering was the Haunted Mansion gravediggers. I couldn’t resist this fun photo op!

After this is when the race really becomes a mental game. You know that you have a lot of boring road miles to log before you hit another park, including those at the Wide World of Sports. Luckily, another teammate came along just when I needed him! Taylor and I spent the next few miles running together, and I was surprised several times to look down at my watch and realize that we were running faster than I had expected to run at this point in the race. The miles passed quickly, and before I knew it, we were heading into Hollywood Studios. We happily accepted the candy that was being handed out – M&M’s, Snickers, and Skittles. I’m always grateful for ANY kind of small snack at this point.

We had hoped to ride Tower of Terror, but the CM at the gate told us that they couldn’t let us in the Fastpass (which we expected) OR the regular line, since we hadn’t entered the park with tickets. I know that other people were successful in going on several different rides, so it is possible (2019 goals!)! Taylor’s family was cheering in DHS, so he stopped to see them and I headed on to finish alone.

We ran out of Hollywood Studios (and I passed Jeff Galloway during mile 23, which gave me a little boost!) and down the path that leads to the Epcot resorts. There were lots of people cheering there, which was awesome! We headed into Epcot and there was a special Mile Marker at 25, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the race.

From there, it was through World Showcase, and I didn’t stop for any characters (except a quick hello to my friends serving as Team Margarita!). Then past Spaceship Earth, and the sweet sounds of the gospel choir singing me home! There may have been some happy tears at this point – it’s impossible to run 26.2 miles and not have emotions run high! And even though this was my fourth marathon, I am still slightly incredulous every time that I’ve accomplished this.

I got a finish line shoutout for my Team Shenanigans shirt, which is always awesome! And there was another great surprise at the finish line – each runner was gifted an ear hat commemorating the 25th anniversary.

As proud as I was of my own accomplishment, I was even more proud of two of my teammates (Sandy and Dale, I’m looking at you!) who were completing their first marathons. There were more happy tears when I saw the video of a large group crossing the finish line together.

I will warn you: the excitement of Marathon weekend is contagious. Before the weekend was over, I was making plans with a group of friends for next year! Until next year, Dopey…

RunDisney Race Recap: Dark Side Challenge

One piece of runDisney advice that you always hear is “take it easy at the parks the day before a race”. This is the thing that I struggle with the most – I love being at the parks so much that it’s difficult for me to leave and go rest, even when I know I’m going to have to wake up in the middle of the night multiple days in a row. The day before the 10k, I had to see Rivers of Light (article on that coming soon!), even though that meant only getting about 3 hours of sleep. I got up at 2:30 a.m. to make sure I was on one of the first buses. My costume for the 10k was another mashup – Leia Poppins. Two ladies that I adore, and I’d never seen them done together.

Dark Side 10k

The pre-race area was much like the day before, with the same characters and backdrops. I decided to get in line for Jabba the Hut, since a lot of the other lines were really long. The line moved quickly since this isn’t an actual character, and I even ran into some friends who were waiting in the next line over.

After that, I stopped by to say a quick hello to my teammates from Team Shenanigans, and then I was off to my corral. I would be starting in B (corrals were A-F), and I was initially disappointed that I didn’t get there in time to be toward the front. However, I ended up having a really fun experience because of this! Due to the new system of releasing the corrals in mini waves, volunteers split the corral in half, and I was directly behind the ribbon they used to separate us from the front half! I helped carry the ribbon to the starting line (they even told us to step up to the line), and I was on the very front row when we were released! It was SO cool to start a race and have absolutely no one in front of me! I probably took off too fast, but I couldn’t contain my excitement.

The race started in the parking lot of the TTC. We ran through the back side of the Magic Kingdom toll booths (I always love seeing that sign!) and down World Drive. There was some construction, and I found some areas to be a little dark, but the first three miles passed quickly. I didn’t stop for any characters, because they were all repeats of the day before. There was a marching band playing Star Wars music, R2-D2, the Emperor’s Chair, and Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger. Finally I found a character that hadn’t been at the 5k: Darth Maul! I’ve gotten pictures with him before, but I was so relieved to have found a new character that I decided to stop.

We entered Hollywood Studios by Tower of Terror, and in the Fantasmic area, there were lots of cosplayers! They were amazing. I snapped a few selfies and then hopped into a line to get a picture with Jango and Boba Fett. Coming down the street to head out, there were some storm troopers with a very minimal line, so I stopped again.

We headed out of the studios and down the path to the Boardwalk. I stopped again to hop on the speeder bike (I can’t resist these – I wish they’d make a ride using them!).

The sun was beginning to rise at this point, and it was beautiful! Some of my teammates were cheering at the bottom of the bridge, and seeing them (and getting one of Anita’s legendary caramels) was just the boost I needed.

Chewbacca was in the same spot as he’d been the morning before, right before the gate to enter World Showcase, but I didn’t stop again. I ran the short distance through Epcot and toward the finish line.

This is the second runDisney 10k where I have felt like the first 3 miles were fairly boring, but the second half was a blast. After finishing the race, I rushed back to my resort so I could quickly clean up and head off to breakfast with some teammates.

Dark Side Half Marathon

I got to bed slightly earlier the night before the half. My family stayed at the Magic Kingdom to watch Wishes one last time, and I headed back (I was a little sad to miss it, but I got to hear and see part of it on my walk to the bus stop).

Before I knew it, it was 2:00 a.m. and my alarm clock was going off. Today I’d be running as Belle Fett – complete with a wig. I wasn’t sure how 13.1 miles would go in a wig, especially with the heat.

I got to the pre-race area and immediately headed for the Boba Fett line. That was my mandatory photo stop of the day! After that, I met up with some other ladies who were also doing mashups with Boba Fett – there were some great and extremely creative costumes! After standing in an extremely long line for the porta-potties, I headed into my corral – I was starting in D this time.

This was a new race course for runDisney. We started in the same place as the day before, and ran past the marching band and the toll booths. Then we headed down Bear Island Road. I passed up R2-D2 again, and then in the midst of mile 2, we encountered a battle. There were lighting effects coming from the woods on either side, sound effects, and music. In the dark, it really looked and sounded like a battle – it was awesome!

Around mile 2.6 were the Ewoks again! I didn’t stop, but I was happy for friends who had missed them at the 5k. My first photo stop ended up being the trash compacter backdrop. I spotted some teammates exiting it while I was in line, so I caught up to them when I was done, and ran with them for a little while.

We briefly ran through Animal Kingdom – we entered backstage and then ran through Asia and back out by Dinoland. There were a lot of cosplayers in the backstage area where we exited. I was disappointed that we didn’t get to run by the Tree of Life. Running by it at Wine & Dine while the Awakenings played on it was such a cool experience!

Next up: the Animal Kingdom parking lot! There was a photo op here for the Hoth ice cave. I love this one! My teammates weren’t going to stop, so I broke off from the group to get in line. I’m endlessly entertained by this picture!

The next few miles were on the highway, but I did run into Mulan Fett, which was as good as a character stop!

We passed Darth Maul and entered Hollywood Studios at the same place, and I was disappointed to see that the cosplayers weren’t there today. The storm troopers were in the same spot, and there was no wait, so I stopped. Then it was on to the Boardwalk, which is always a boost because of the crowds.

We entered Epcot and I stopped for my own photo shoot with the Belle & Beast topiaries. I enjoyed running around World Showcase, and I made one last character stop before the finish line – cosplayers dressed as Chewbacca and Princess Leia.

At the finish area, volunteers were passing out cooling towels and insisting that water or Gatorade be opened and runners start hydrating before leaving.

Thoughts on running in a wig: it was HOT. Several times, I lifted the back and attempted to dump some water on my head during the half. I also left it unsnapped for part of the race because it was so tight (I have a large head, okay?) that it was giving me a headache. I also had a slight mishap when I tried to take my headphones off to enjoy the music in Epcot. My headphones got caught in the hair and I couldn’t get them out. I had to just run with them tangled in the wig for the last portion, but luckily you couldn’t see it in the pictures. Would I wear a wig again? Absolutely! It was fun and added so much to the costume.

If you’re a Star Wars fan, I highly recommend this race weekend. The costumes are fun, the camaraderie between runners is a lot of fun, and runDisney listened to complaints and improved this weekend over last year. My only complaint is that I would like to see more variety in characters from day to day. There are so many to choose from! Overall, I loved the race and hope to be back again next year!

Diary of a Dopey Girl: Taking on WDW’s Biggest Challenge

Marathon Weekend in January is the biggest race weekend at Walt Disney World. There are four races held that weekend: a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathon. In typical Disney fashion, there are also Challenges to earn additional medals. Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge is the half marathon and the full, and the Dopey Challenge is all four races.

Last January, I completed my first full marathon. It was 26.2 miles of magic, and when I finished, I felt more proud and accomplished than I could have imagined. I immediately knew that I wanted to do it again, but this time I was all in. I wanted to be able to say that I was Dopey! One year and countless training miles later, it was go time, and I found myself less terrified than I expected. I knew I was ready, and I was extremely excited for what the weekend would hold. After a trip to opening day of the expo (where I bought everything), I was officially ready!

Day One: 5k

I was really looking forward to the 5k, mainly because at the last minute, I had thrown together a costume that I was very excited to wear: Merida! She is one of my favorites, and I felt that her bravery was an excellent theme to kick off the weekend. I boarded a bus at 4:00am, and my buddy and Mickey Miler/Team Shenanigans teammate Sam was on the same bus. While we were hanging out at the pre-race area, I confided that my biggest concern was that I wouldn’t be able to hold back and I’d go too hard the first two days. Sam invited me to run with him and he’d make sure I didn’t overdo it. I took him up on his offer, and off we went.

This is a fun course, starting in the Epcot parking lot and entering World Showcase in Norway after Mile 1. There’s nothing more breathtaking than entering this area of the park in the dark, with the lanterns around World Showcase Lagoon lit and music playing. Runners exit down the International Gateway and then re-enter in the UK pavilion, run through Future World, past Spaceship Earth, and back out into the parking lot to the finish line.

Characters on the course included Thumper and Miss Bunny, a group of vikings in Norway, Minnie in Italy, Chip & Dale in Morocco, Canadian Donald, and astronaut Goofy by Spaceship Earth.

We stopped for the vikings, Minnie, and Donald. We saw our buddy Laurie while waiting in line for Donald, and convinced her to join us. It’s always fun running into friends on the course! I had a great time running this one, and got several on-course shoutouts for Merida. Running in the wig wasn’t as bad as I had expected – I will definitely be adding wigs to my costumes in the future!

After the race, I spent a few hours at the Magic Kingdom with my family (I obviously had to go meet Merida), but I left them in the late afternoon and went back to rest. I was determined to play it smart and stay off my feet and go to bed early. I grabbed dinner alone at the resort and was asleep before the family got back for the night. It was the right decision – I felt great the next morning!

Day Two: 10k

After another ridiculously early wakeup, I was on a bus at 3:30 and headed back to the Epcot parking lot. When I arrived, the lines for characters were shorter than they’d been the day before. I immediately grabbed a picture with Dopey, and then Minnie. Today’s outfit was in honor of my I Run 4 buddy, who was having surgery that morning. I didn’t have time to meet up with any of my teammates after the pictures, so I headed straight to my corral. I would be running solo today, which is how I run most of my races.

The first three miles of this course are fairly boring, out on the road with not much to see. I was disappointed in the characters during this section, as well, since I’d gotten pictures with two of them at Wine & Dine. Darkwing Duck was up first (although he had Scrooge McDuck with him this morning), followed by Lilo and Stitch and then Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. I skipped all three character stops and was wondering if this race was going to be a bust.

We entered World Showcase and saw the same vikings again (another skip). And then as I ran up to the American pavilion, I saw the holy grail of character stops: Colonial Mickey, Donald, and Goofy! YES! The line was long but moved quickly, and I was able to soak up the wonderful atmosphere while I waited. I skipped vacation Genie in Morocco, since I’d gotten him at the last race, but I stopped for Pluto at the ESPN Zone on the Boardwalk. My teammate Bill was also cheering here, and he was stocked with goodies: donut holes, orange juice, and “adult” orange juice. I stopped to see him and then headed on around the Boardwalk. It was absolutely beautiful! I had so much fun during those last two miles, and I got a finish line picture that makes me smile every time I look at it.

After the race, I met up with teammates for breakfast at Trail’s End (review coming soon – I loved it!), then met the family for a few hours of park time. Once again, I headed back early to be the responsible runner. Unfortunately the weather had become a concern, and it was being rumored online that the race was going to be delayed. After much speculation, we found out that the race was completely canceled. Based on weather reports, I knew that runDisney was making the right call, but I was crushed because I wanted every one of those 48.6 miles of my first Dopey.

Almost immediately, runners began making plans to “unofficially” run the 13.1, and I knew I wanted to do that, too. One of my teammates invited me to run with a group at midnight at the Boardwalk, which sounded like fun. But by the time we arrived, there was crazy rain, thunder, and lightning. We waited awhile to see if it would pass, but I decided I didn’t want to risk slipping on the wet boardwalk and messing up my marathon. The group that was there ended up going out and running a few miles, and my teammate Heather did her entire 13.1 that night. Hats off to you, Heather – you’re a beast! I ended up heading back to my resort with a couple of other people, and I went to bed discouraged at the way my night had ended.

Day Three: The DIY Half Marathon

Saturday morning, I woke up to the sounds of cheering. I looked outside (we were staying in a lake view room at Pop Century) and realized that there were tons of runners on the path around Hourglass Lake! I threw on my Donald costume – complete with race bib – as fast as I could, and ran out to join them. When I got out there, I realized that it wasn’t just runners – there were also families cheering, holding signs, and they had even created water and snack stops!

This was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever been a part of. A group of people who were disappointed but determined to make the best of the situation and earn those medals. Runners and spectators both began calling out to me in support as soon as I joined in. I got countless high-fives. We created character stops by taking pictures with anyone in a costume. One family even brought out “baby Stitch” and a line formed for pictures with him!

The energy of the cheer squads kept us going – I can’t put into words how much I appreciated these strangers, who were spending their morning standing out in the mist/drizzle/rain to encourage us, instead of being at a park or in their warm, dry rooms. My family was out there, and they had a blast cheering. Knowing that runs like this were springing up at various resorts all over property was amazing. I felt like I was part of something special, a little piece of runDisney history. This level of dedication and support is what makes me love the running community. If you were out there cheering or running, THANK YOU!

I may not have run the official course for the WDW Half Marathon, but I ran 13.1 miles on Saturday morning in an atmosphere that was more exciting than a lot of local races I’ve done. It felt good to finish and know that when I crossed the finish line on Sunday, I would accept my Dopey medal having completed all the miles. Will I count this as a half marathon when I talk about how many I’ve run? No. But you better believe that I will tell this story, and I’ll tell it with pride.

Day Four: Marathon

The good news: the rain had passed and the skies were clear. The bad news: an unusual cold front had moved in, bringing temps in the 30’s for the start of the marathon. Also good news: at the last minute, I had thrown my cold-weather running gear in my suitcase, so I was prepared. I layered up and boarded a bus at 3:00am. I decided to get a picture with Daisy, since I had done that last year, and I’m all about tradition. After that, I met up with some Mickey Miler teammates and one of them (thank you so much, Michelle!) was kind enough to offer me a trash bag to put over my clothes. Never underestimate the amount of gratitude you’ll feel for a trash bag when you’re shivering in the cold! I headed to my corral early, and attempted to eat a bagel and peanut butter through my shivering while I waited for the race to start.

My strategy for the marathon was thrown off by the cancellation of the half. I had planned to take it easy and stop for lots of characters at the half, but not as much at the full. I decided to just have fun and get the full experience, since just finishing Dopey was my prime objective of the weekend.

Getting a shoutout at the start line for my Mickey Milers jersey was the perfect way to begin the race! The first few miles went by quickly, since I was looking forward to one thing: running down Main Street and seeing the castle! I passed up a character stop for Jack Sparrow and Barbossa, but couldn’t resist stopping for Jack and Sally. My general rule of stopping for characters is that I only stop for rare characters or ones that I can’t see regularly in the parks. Unless lines are really short, then all rules go out the window.

I love this part of the race! You can hear the cheering crowds before you see them. Main Street is lined with people cheering, and it’s always impossible for me not to get a little choked up. I try to soak up every minute in the Magic Kingdom, because how lucky are we to get this experience? We ran through Tomorrowland (Buzz Lightyear character stop), on through New Fanasyland (Beast greeted runners outside of his castle), and then back through the castle with a quick stop for a picture.

After the castle, it was through Frontierland (hey, Country Bears!), past the train, and backstage to exit the park. Here we found what was probably my favorite character stop – the Maleficent float from the Festival of Fantasy parade.

The next 6 or 7 miles would take us toward Animal Kingdom. Another awesome photo op was found on Bear Island Road: classic ride vehicles! And for some reason, the line was extremely short.

Around Mile 11 was an out-and-back that seemed really long, and I spent part of it trying to get around a large run/walk/run group. The only fun part of this was high-fiving runners who were coming the opposite way. We finally entered the backstage area of Animal Kingdom, and saw some performers from the Lion King as well as some animals. The park wasn’t open yet, so I snapped a quick selfie instead of waiting to ride Everest. I love running through Animal Kingdom – it’s absolutely gorgeous! I didn’t stop for any of the characters here, since I knew my family was waiting right outside. Seeing them was a real energy booster, especially since I knew I was halfway done.

After leaving Animal Kingdom, I couldn’t resist stopping for the Haunted Mansion gravediggers. How much fun is this?!

After that, it was about 5 more miles until we hit the dreaded Wide World of Sports Complex. This is a stretch of over 3 miles of running inside the complex and around the track. I was feeling good and this stretch didn’t seem as bad as I was expecting. There are bands playing at a couple of different places, as well as a couple of characters, but I didn’t stop. When we exited, we were past Mile 20 and I knew I was in the home stretch. I got to see a couple of different teammates on the course in the next couple of miles, which was exactly what I needed. It’s always great to see a friendly face and get a hug, a high-five, or even just a shout of encouragement when you’re this far into a race.

Around Mile 23, we entered Hollywood Studios for what seemed like a split second. We were given Dove chocolates, as well as bite-size Snickers and packs of M&M’s. I was so looking forward to that little piece of chocolate! It’s amazing how much you appreciate small things like a piece of chocolate or a handful of pretzels when you’re running a marathon. The spectators who are handing out snacks are lifesavers! My family was cheering at the Studios, so I got some extra special high-fives and hugs on my way out. There was also a character stop here for Oswald, and I really regret not stopping.

From here, we ran over to Epcot and around World Showcase. I saw my friends Dale and Kristen in Mexico (they were doing Margarita duty for teammates who wanted to cross the finish line with one), and stopped for a quick hug. Then it was off to finish this thing and officially earn my Dopey status! The gospel choir sang me home and I got another Miler shoutout at the finish line.

I finished this marathon about 5 minutes slower than my first one. Considering that I had added the challenge this year, and I stopped for more characters (as well as 2 lengthy waits to get into a bathroom), I was okay with that. This was an incredible, unforgettable, completely exhilarating experience that I cannot wait to do again! I’ll see you again in 2018, Dopey!