First time running January 5k

[tigger1bounce]

We are planning a trip January. We are registered to run in the 5k at Epcot. Need advice as to what to expect and what should our plans be. Thank you

 

[jamesg]

I've only ever been to WDW during the marathon weekends in January and I've had a blast every time. The 5k has perhaps the highest fun-to-challenge ratio of all the races that weekend. It starts later than the other races so you can sleep in a bit more and there's less stress involved overall due to the relatively short distance.

I can't speak to the entirety of your vacation, but I do have experience with the race-related parts of a trip to WDW. First of all, if at all possible, I would recommend arriving at WDW the day before the expo at ESPN Wide World of Sports. If you're traveling from any significant distance, then arriving on the Tuesday before the race will help make sure you have plenty of time to get to the expo to get your bibs, shirts, and any other merchandise you want to purchase on Wednesday. If you plan to arrive the day of the expo, then I suggest planning to arrive as early as possible. Since you're doing the 5k you have to pick up your race packets on Wednesday; you cannot plan on getting them the morning of the race.

The night before the race you should get to bed early, but otherwise should feel free to enjoy the parks as much as you like. I believe that walking around the parks before a race helps keep the muscles limber and prevent injuries, just don't over do it.

As for the race day itself, you'll want to plan on catching a bus to the race start around 4am or so assuming you're staying on-property. If you're driving to the race start yourself then I'd still recommend getting there early just to be safe. You wouldn't want to risk missing the start of the race after all. At the race start there will be music to keep you entertained and plenty of room to stretch. The weather can be anything from hot and dry to freezing and wet so I'd plan on bringing some extra clothes that you can discard right before crossing the start line. During the race, which will run through Epcot's World Showcase and past Spaceship Earth you'll have the opportunity for about 3-5 character photos. I recommend stopping for at least one of these even if you think it the delay might cause you to fall behind the minimum pace requirements. It is true that those who fall behind the minimum pace may be escorted from the course and not allowed to finish, but the chances of this happening during the 5k are as low as they get for a runDisney event. You'll have to use your own discretion here. Once the race is over and you have earned your medal there are more characters waiting to get photos with. Again, I recommend getting in line and getting your photos. That's part of the fun of running at Disney isn't it?

There will be busses to take people back to their resorts afterwards. While the lines for these can sometimes get long, there will be time enough to get back to your resort, clean up, and spend the rest of the day at whatever park(s) you choose. You should wear your medal the rest of the day to show off your accomplishment. Also, if you haven't gotten enough photos during the race, you should get a photo with your favorite character and your medal to commemorate the achievement.

The day after the 5k, if you're not doing any of the other races, you can make whatever plans you like. Again, walking around the parks can help keep the legs loose and help stave off some of soreness that comes after a running event.

That's a general overview of my interpretation of a WDW 5k. Were there any specific questions you had about the event?

 

[tigger1bounce]

Thank you for this information! We are arriving at WDW on Sunday and staying on property (AKV) so picking up the packets on Wednesday won't be a problem. We might change our plans some for that day. Also, we have several people that will be with us that are not running, can they come and cheer us on or be there at the start/finish? I really appreciate this. Pro at Disney Rookie with the marathon.

 

[tigger1bounce]

I've only ever been to WDW during the marathon weekends in January and I've had a blast every time. The 5k has perhaps the highest fun-to-challenge ratio of all the races that weekend. It starts later than the other races so you can sleep in a bit more and there's less stress involved overall due to the relatively short distance.

I can't speak to the entirety of your vacation, but I do have experience with the race-related parts of a trip to WDW. First of all, if at all possible, I would recommend arriving at WDW the day before the expo at ESPN Wide World of Sports. If you're traveling from any significant distance, then arriving on the Tuesday before the race will help make sure you have plenty of time to get to the expo to get your bibs, shirts, and any other merchandise you want to purchase on Wednesday. If you plan to arrive the day of the expo, then I suggest planning to arrive as early as possible. Since you're doing the 5k you have to pick up your race packets on Wednesday; you cannot plan on getting them the morning of the race.

The night before the race you should get to bed early, but otherwise should feel free to enjoy the parks as much as you like. I believe that walking around the parks before a race helps keep the muscles limber and prevent injuries, just don't over do it.

As for the race day itself, you'll want to plan on catching a bus to the race start around 4am or so assuming you're staying on-property. If you're driving to the race start yourself then I'd still recommend getting there early just to be safe. You wouldn't want to risk missing the start of the race after all. At the race start there will be music to keep you entertained and plenty of room to stretch. The weather can be anything from hot and dry to freezing and wet so I'd plan on bringing some extra clothes that you can discard right before crossing the start line. During the race, which will run through Epcot's World Showcase and past Spaceship Earth you'll have the opportunity for about 3-5 character photos. I recommend stopping for at least one of these even if you think it the delay might cause you to fall behind the minimum pace requirements. It is true that those who fall behind the minimum pace may be escorted from the course and not allowed to finish, but the chances of this happening during the 5k are as low as they get for a runDisney event. You'll have to use your own discretion here. Once the race is over and you have earned your medal there are more characters waiting to get photos with. Again, I recommend getting in line and getting your photos. That's part of the fun of running at Disney isn't it?

There will be busses to take people back to their resorts afterwards. While the lines for these can sometimes get long, there will be time enough to get back to your resort, clean up, and spend the rest of the day at whatever park(s) you choose. You should wear your medal the rest of the day to show off your accomplishment. Also, if you haven't gotten enough photos during the race, you should get a photo with your favorite character and your medal to commemorate the achievement.

The day after the 5k, if you're not doing any of the other races, you can make whatever plans you like. Again, walking around the parks can help keep the legs loose and help stave off some of soreness that comes after a running event.

That's a general overview of my interpretation of a WDW 5k. Were there any specific questions you had about the event?

Thank you for this information! We are arriving at WDW on Sunday and staying on property (AKV) so picking up the packets on Wednesday won't be a problem. We might change our plans some for that day. Also, we have several people that will be with us that are not running, can they come and cheer us on or be there at the start/finish? I really appreciate this. Pro at Disney Rookie with the marathon.