Marathon Weekend 2022

[dobball23]

Yes I was! It was a fun trip, though a bit more subdued.

We were, too. I talked to a lot of runners during the cruise. I'm guessing we chatted at some point. I completed Dopey and then went on the cruise. We had a lot of fun, despite a little less energy than normal due to the lower crowds.

 

[GreatLakes]

Also, was the stretch from Animal Kingdom to Blizzard Beach to Hollywood Studios as desolate and depressing as I remember it being?

I didn't really mind that stretch. It was straight with minimal elevation change so you could spot people down the road and try to pick them off. I passed 4 or 5 people on that stretch. The BB loop was my least favorite.

 

[fatmanatee]

I didn't really mind that stretch. It was straight with minimal elevation change so you could spot people down the road and try to pick them off. I passed 4 or 5 people on that stretch. The BB loop was my least favorite.

I think I would have handled it better if I got there earlier, but by the time I made it the heat started bearing down and you start thinking too much about the stuff that makes it a crappy segment. At another time I could have made it there by 8:30, maybe even close to 8, given how early they started, but I absolutely wasn’t pacing myself to do that this time lol.

 

[Jason Bryer]

I agree the stretch from AK to BB is the worst, but it is much better than the out and back and WWoS IMHO. Looking at the park layout AK is really kind of out there so I think some stretch of highway is unavoidable.

 

[Sara W]

I had a goat and a sheep. I remember because they were wearing signs that said something along the lines of being a “GOAT” and “ewe can do it.”
Edit to add- I love bad puns!

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Im pretty sure I preferred the run through WWoS rather than this stretch through BB. The cheering section in the stands of the stadium were fun.

Hope no one disowns me, but I also preferred the old course. I actually liked the WWoS section!

 

[rubybutt]

So am I the only one who doesn't really remember the course? I looked about 5 feet in front of me the whole time trying not to die.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Hope no one disowns me, but I also preferred the old course. I actually liked the WWoS section!

I think there are some pros to the new course but they are, no question, lowering park time compared to the old course. I think WWoS is all ends up better than a tour of the Blizzard Beach parking lot.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I think there are some pros to the new course but they are, no question, lowering park time compared to the old course. I think WWoS is all ends up better than a tour of the Blizzard Beach parking lot.

Unless you count WWoS as a park, the new course has more park time than the old course did.

 

[ANIM8R]

I really liked the WWoS portion. For one thing, the stretch from AK to WWoS was - for me - the worst...boring, uneventful, and just monotonous. So, when I could get within sight of that turn it was a relief! Winding through the soccer fields - especially when kids were playing - at least added something different than running on highway. After 18 miles by that point, running on that track surface was HEAVEN!!! (And Sport Goofy was usually there with minimal queue).

Being a huge baseball fan, running past the baseball and softball diamonds was nice scenery then running past the former Braves spring training area (batting cages, etc) was pretty cool. But running in the stadium was the best part...usually because my wife would be waiting by the dugout stands for me with a pretzel and a kiss! After the stadium, the 20 mile mark was not much further which means just 10K more!

Leaving WWoS, it was just a short distance to Hollywood Studios which meant it there was a lot of park time and crowd support the rest of the way. So, that's my defense of WWoS. I liked the sports fields and venues. It was novel enough to make that part of the course enjoyable. Although it looks like I'm in the minority in that regard! Haha

 

[Barca33Runner]

Unless you count WWoS as a park, the new course has more park time than the old course did.

Yeah, I guess I was focused more on the completely cutting HS portion than the earlier Epcot time. Running the auxiliary Fantasmic! exit doesn’t really count as park from my perspective and they already cut the minimal amount of BB in favor of just the parking lot. Just a little worried about where things are headed in the future.

 

[Barca33Runner]

I really liked the WWoS portion. For one thing, the stretch from AK to WWoS was - for me - the worst...boring, uneventful, and just monotonous. So, when I could get within sight of that turn it was a relief! Winding through the soccer fields - especially when kids were playing - at least added something different than running on highway. After 18 miles by that point, running on that track surface was HEAVEN!!! (And Sport Goofy was usually there with minimal queue).

Being a huge baseball fan, running past the baseball and softball diamonds was nice scenery then running past the former Braves spring training area (batting cages, etc) was pretty cool. But running in the stadium was the best part...usually because my wife would be waiting by the dugout stands for me with a pretzel and a kiss! After the stadium, the 20 mile mark was not much further which means just 10K more!

Leaving WWoS, it was just a short distance to Hollywood Studios which meant it there was a lot of park time and crowd support the rest of the way. So, that's my defense of WWoS. I liked the sports fields and venues. It was novel enough to make that part of the course enjoyable. Although it looks like I'm in the minority in that regard! Haha

It wasn’t the best, but it did split things up and when you exited you really did feel like the finish was near. I can understand how some might have been less than enchanted with all of the winding through the complex though. I also think being the staging point for the legendary “mile 20 spectacular” had it living in a bit of infamy for a while.

Fully agreed that the exit from AK to the entrance of WWoS was the worst.

 

[ZellyB]

I really hated WWoS the first time I ran it. It just felt sooooooo long in there, but in subsequent years, I grew to appreciate it for the variety and also for the number of character stops they put in there. I haven't run any of the races since they cut that part out, but sounds like it may have been preferable in many respects to the current course.

 

[SheHulk]

I always hated WWoS, but, looking back, I think I only hated it because it was at the late stages of a marathon that I wasn't well-trained enough to run. Those first few marathons I ran, I would have been miserable and in pain at miles 18-20 whether I was running through WWoS or running through the castle in MK. I definitely think I would have liked it if I wasn't so miserable due to other factors. It's an athletic event! And you run around a track, a stadium, and other areas that were probably actually pretty nice looking if you didn't have tunnel vision from exhaustion.

 

[AJruns]

The last year of WWoS was my first, and from what I’d read I was sort of dreading it- but I loved it! I’ve blocked out all of the highway issues for it though. I did.not.love. the stretch this time from AK to BB, for what it was and where in the race. Miles 19-20 need entertainment!

I just got an ad for a runDisney shirt at ShopDisney and was a little surprised to see it there, but more surprised that the limit is 10 per person. That seems kind of high?

 

[Kerry1957]

The last year of WWoS was my first, and from what I’d read I was sort of dreading it- but I loved it! I’ve blocked out all of the highway issues for it though. I did.not.love. the stretch this time from AK to BB, for what it was and where in the race. Miles 19-20 need entertainment!

I just got an ad for a runDisney shirt at ShopDisney and was a little surprised to see it there, but more surprised that the limit is 10 per person. That seems kind of high?

Looks like size XS only

 

[Ariel484]

I really hated WWoS the first time I ran it. It just felt sooooooo long in there, but in subsequent years, I grew to appreciate it for the variety and also for the number of character stops they put in there. I haven't run any of the races since they cut that part out, but sounds like it may have been preferable in many respects to the current course.

Agreed! And the first year I did it, there were ZERO characters. They must have gotten a lot of feedback about that because there were tons the next year.

 

[Sara W]

I didn't mind the parking lot because they sort of made it like a one-stop shop with the DJ, medical, food, and water. I was dreading seeing everyone run in a loop, but my mind was distracted the entire loop and it went quickly. The thing I HATED about the long road from AK to Coronado - the sun was reflecting off of the road and it hurt my eyes. I wear a running hat that's supposed to stop reflection, but I could not look up on this section. I just watched the feet in front of me trying to protect my eyes.

 

[The Expert]

I've never experienced the WWOS version of the full course, but it can't be worse than the stretch between AK and BB!

I agree they need to figure out a way to get in more of HS. The section on the half course is pretty short, but the full is kind of a joke.

 

[camaker]

I've never experienced the WWOS version of the full course, but it can't be worse than the stretch between AK and BB!

The stretch of course through the AK parking lot and down the highway to WWoS was just as bad as the AK-BB stretch and, if anything, even more exposed to the baking sun.