How do the kids races work?

[Juliemomma]

do they have corrals? Or do they all start at once? Is there anything to do there after they finish?

 

[Warm Hugs]

from what I remember from Disneyland half weekend last year, you gather in the designated spot by your age. I forgot what order but I believe they take the youngest group (excluding diaper dash) to oldest (don't hold me to that). they walk the entire age group to the start. They do not have designated corrals but they use a rope to divide between corrals and start them staggered. They indicated there was a turnoff spot for adults if the kids wanted to run alone, but I didn't see it. Otherwise you run with your child. Your child is given their medallion at the finish and you can enter the recovery zone for snacks and pictures.

also, I believe you are supposed to tear off a tag from their bib. they will match this tag with your child's bib to make sure it is your kid and you're not some kidnapper. Otherwise you will not be able to leave the enclosed area with your kid.

 

[Nole95]

Our kids did the Mickey Mile this year during Marathon Weekend. I think the Mickey Mile only had one start time, and they all pretty much gathered in one corral. Parents could either stay with them, or could walk over to the track where the finish was. It was all pretty well organized. At the finish, the kids were in a holding area where they could not leave until their number was matched up with the ripped off number the parents had.

Depending on how fast your kid is, you can probably make it over to the track finish before they get there. However, if you want good viewing by the fence area, you might want to get there earlier than that. Maybe leave one parent at the start and have another go over to the finish to stake out a spot.

 

[frisbeego]

Disneyland (my experience from Avengers and Star Wars): As PP said, runDisney organizes the kids by age in a section of the parking lot. (No strollers allowed in this designated section.) Then, runDisney walks the kids (by age group) to their start line. Then -- this is the part I haven't seen firsthand -- runDisney must release them on a staggered basis in groups of 10-20. So, once a particular age group starts, you have this continual stream of kids crossing the finish line until the end of the age group. Then they line up the next age group, and continue the process all over. The finish line feeds directly into the pick-up area, where the kids get their medal, water, and a snack. To get out of the pick-up area, runDisney was extremely vigilant in matching up the kid's bib number to the parent holding the matching, tear-away portion of the kid's bib number.

Disney World (my experience from Marathon Weekend): The non-mile races are along a track at WWoS. The kids line up near their respective start lines on the interior (grass) of the track. runDisney releases the kids somewhat orderly. Again, the finish line feeds into the pick-up area. In my experience, the pick-up area was NOT enclosed. So, while I meandered over to the finish, DS left the area looking for me. I wasn't worried, but I was annoyed walking in circles looking for him. At no time did anyone ever attempt to confirm whether he was my son. This seemed chaotic to me. DS also did the mile. runDisney tried to have 2 informal corrals based on where the volunteers were standing, but without a rope, it was difficult to enforce. The mile finishes in the same location as the other kids race, but I ran the mile with DS, so I didn't have to locate him at the end. Again, no one asked me to verify that he was my son.

After you finish, you get your medal, water, and snack, and then you're done.

 

[bumbershoot]

also, I believe you are supposed to tear off a tag from their bib. they will match this tag with your child's bib to make sure it is your kid and you're not some kidnapper. Otherwise you will not be able to leave the enclosed area with your kid.

Yes. This is how it has been for the two Mickey Miles DS has participated in at WDW. It's brilliant and always amusing to see parents having tantrums because don't they just KNOW that that kid is my kid and why do I have to prove it?


The other poster's experience (I can't seem to quote it) is NOT what I have experienced. Sounds like the child managed to get out of the roped off area. Not sure how that happened but at our Mile in 2014 and 2015 marathon weekends it was definitely secure as long as parents (or kids) didn't somehow overlook the official CMs stopping people from going in and out.

If you ran with the kiddo I don't know how that works. DS wouldn't let us (I didn't really want to).