The repeat/regulars/locals and the first timers who think this will be one and done thing... While a variation in theme can be pleasant for the first group, the second is likely to look for a Mickey or a recognizable character (or a princess, or a Star Wars character for those weekends) somewhere on the medal.
I think the recent tweaking of changing the medal every year but keeping in theme is an effort to bridge that gap. If it's a one and done, then you register at least having some idea of the theme and if you're back for more, then you at least know that the medal will look different although that can be a two edged sword. Also known as I'm still disappointed in the 2017 Rebel Challenge medal.
I have been debating about signing up for the 2020 WDW marathon... My real motivations are to prove to myself that I can do it, and running through all four parks! 26.2 miles sounds scary though! Then again, so did 13.1 a couple of years ago. I am curious what made you guys take the leap and sign up for your first marathon?
I felt the same way. Like many others here, I decided that if I ever run a marathon it will be at Walt Disney World.
As to how I started running, it was a 3 year journey. In 2008 and 2009, I visited
Disneyland during half marathon weekend. The thought of a Sleeping Beauty Castle medal intrigued me, so I eventually talked to some runners and they were more than happy to share their experience and just how doable through hard work and training a 16 minute mile average is. In 2011, I registered for the Disneyland Half. I was physically prepared enough, but completely clueless about mental preparation. Consequently, I had a difficult race experience. The next day I stood in awe of runners with their marathon/Goofy medals because I was spent after 13.1 and could not even think about 1 mile that day. I thought I was one and done. Except in 2012, Wine & Dine Half fell during a good time of year so I knew that Coast to Coast was on the table. I decided I could tolerate training for 2 more races to get that medal. Except now having a better idea of how to mentally cope with a race, I actually had fun. I ran all 3 Star Wars Rebel Challenge races at Disneyland with the Kessel Run coming in 2017 as part of the Dark Side Challenge. The hiatus of Disneyland races got me to sign up for Avengers 2017 on a whim with just 3 weeks to train, and that resulted in going back for Dark Side again in 2018.
That sequence of events and more confidence and experience helped me realize that the marathon was not as impossible as I believed it to. For years, I believed I could run a marathon, but didn't want to invest the time to train for one especially when I hated the long runs. But before Dark Side 2018, I discovered I no longer hated the long runs.
Then with no more DL races happening, I figured if I was going to fly from CA to FL it was gonna have to be for the Full to make it worth it. Once I talked to DH about it and he was on board with me taking a solo trip, I knew it was time to tackle the full and check out WDW at the same time. It just seems like its time. And then I figured if I was flying out to FL and this was a one time thing, I should just go ahead and do Dopey while I'm there.
Similar thought process for me as well. Once I knew I wanted to run the marathon, I thought about what if I finish the marathon and want to come back again for Goofy/Dopey, but can't. Many had told me that Dopey training isn't much more running than marathon training, so I concluded that if I run the marathon once and don't like it, but did it as part of Goofy/Dopey, then I never have to do it again. Except I loved it.
So to those who have run this thing before, how long does it take to get from the finish to your hotel via the bus? I'll be staying at CBR. At the DL races it was just a short walk back to my hotel. I know this is completely different though so just trying to get an idea of how much time to budget after the race.
Depends on how close the hotel is to Epcot and how long you have to wait for a bus at Epcot. Sometimes I get on the bus and it leaves immediately, whereas other times I get on the bus and sit for 10-15 minutes before it leaves.
It definitely sounds scary, but if you're willing to put in the work, it's doable.
This is absolutely true. The mental component is key in successfully finishing the marathon. Find a training plan that works for you. And don't be afraid to learn different things from different runners
In training it was a bit daunting but the accomplishment is unlike anything else.
When I fully realized I was about to finish the marathon, I felt like I was flying. I will never hear "Let's Go Fly a Kite" from Mary Poppins the same way again. Even now it brings back those memories and even a tiny bit of that rush.
I'd laugh when people asked me when/if I was going to do a marathon.
Same here. Even months before signing up for my first marathon I laughed at that question.
First off trust your instincts!! It sounds like you already have the motivation so now it's about the training discipline and execution.
This too. I don't know how to fully articulate it, but when you're ready to run the marathon, you'll know. Your thoughts and feelings about the undertaking that will require change for the better.
I’m just making sure that I’m prepared enough to enjoy rather than endure them in the future.
Absolutely. Because of all the mistakes I made during my first half marathon, I was determined to properly prepare mentally for my first marathon. It made all the difference. I was confident I would finish, not out of cockiness, but out of knowing I had put the training in and had a plan ready for how to cope if and when the wall came. For me the wall did come, but I fought my way through it because of internet coaching from
@OldSlowGoofyGuy and
@DopeyBadger on how to endure it and just general encouragement from many others here in this community.
I was like "but medals and what if I properly train for it and medals.
Those runDisney medals are so enticing.
I love being able to see what my body and my mind is capable of (spoiler: it's a lot more than you think).
A great description of one of the greatest lessons I've learned from running. And in many ways, I think learning what the mind can endure is of more benefit to everyday life than the physical endurance.
I made running a marathon a bucket list item and I ran my one and only marathon at Disney in 2010 at the ripe age of 52. One and done! Yes, training was difficult [different from a 1/2] and the 2010 race conditions were interesting to say the least. The good news is that it's a PR! 
I still run the 1/2 every year and still spectate the full. Good luck to you with whatever choice you make, but I get the sense we'll be seeing more of you around this thread!
