Walking the Disney Marathon

[mdmetromom]

Hi. Looking for any experiences with walking the Disney Marathon in January.
My fiancé and I are avid walkers/hikers. We can certainly handle the length and stay under the 16 minute max pace. But I know some marathons are more walker friendly than others.
Has anyone anyone walked Disney and have any experiences to share?

Also, this would be our first Disney race experience - how hard is it to get into the Marathon? Like, set the alarm for the minute it opens and good luck, or just make sure you are registered the week it opens?

Thank you!

 

[SarahDisney]

I haven't done it, but I've spoken to someone who walked a runDisney half and she said it's very walker friendly. I'd imagine the marathon is the same way. I'm fairly certain you guys wouldn't be the only ones walking the race.

As for registration... historically the marathon has taken a few months to sell out (if it sells out at all), so you have time. (If you also want to do one of the shorter races, those do tend to sell out very quickly.)

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

The Disney races are very walker friendly. You should be good to go if you prepare and can stay under the 16:00 pace requirement. My sister did the marathon this year and walked a majority of it, especially the 2nd half.

And registration for the Marathon typically doesn’t sell out that fast. Last year, even when it was the 25th anniversary, it stayed open for a few months. If you can sign up right away, I’d do it, but you should also hopefully be fine if you have to wait a few hours or days.

 

[ZellyB]

Well, I haven't walked the entire thing (I'm a run/walk interval runner), so I can't speak specifically to that, but as long as you feel confident that you can stay under the 16 minute pace for 26.2, you'll do fine. I know that there are people who strictly walk it though. He doesn't post much on this forum anymore, but @John VN (affectionately referred to as McFlurry John) I believe walks the marathon - and peels off the course to buy a McFlurry (thus the name). I would consider this race to be very friendly to walkers.

The marathon as a solo race usually doesn't sell out for a long time, so no need to be online right when registration opens.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Last year I injured my calf less than a week before I "ran" the Goofy. I managed to complete both the half and full marathons while walking most of the time. IMO, it is harder than running a marathon. You are on your feet a lot longer, and walking fast uses very different muscles than running. So, yes, it can be done if you train the way that you intend to actually participate.

 

[cavepig]

When I was sick in 2016 I walked a lot of it, it is very walker friendly. You get people doing all sorts of running, jogging, slogging, shuffling, walking, various intervals, whatever and by the back of the pack honestly it didn't matter where in the road you were. Etiquette guides say walkers stay to the sides though. I barely stayed under the 16 minute pace with walking and some slogging/jogging, it was a lot harder walking than I ever thought it would be. My shins killed, but sounds like you train as a walker so you'll be in way better walking shape than I was. I have so much respect for anyone who walks all 26.2 miles.

I doubt the marathon sells out super fast, so I'm sure if you wait and do it during the week following it opening you'll be fine. Of course, you never know, but it's not an anniversary & even than it didn't sell out day of last year.

 

[Calfan]

This is all very interesting! I have walked 6 runDisney half marathons and one local half, at a pace that is well below the 16 minute per mile minimum. I thought long and hard about trying the marathon in January, but due to some ongoing knee and hip pain, decided I'd better just stick with the half. But I haven't given up the idea of the full. Maybe in 2020 if my knee and hip show improvement...

 

[Grumpy_42K]

Last year the 25th WDW Marathon sold out or closed on November 5th.
Other years I have signed up on December 13th and they closed shortly thereafter.
Of course they used to note on the website the "percent full" like 96%, etc.
I wish they would go back to that for us procrastinators.

I won't likely sign up until late November.

 

[Barca33Runner]

As a result of not being as prepared as I would have liked (my fault) and then getting sick the day before the Marathon I ended up walking (slowly in many places) almost the entire Marathon last year. It was a pretty miserable experience for myself mainly because I spent the last 18 miles wanting to quit and being trapped inside my own head because of disappointment at my performance. That said, the course, other participants, and the entertainment are all very accommodating to walkers.

As was stated earlier, I found walking the entire marathon much more difficult than running. The pain of being on my feet for 7+ hours was excruciating at the end (even without blisters) and mentally it nearly broke me multiple times. I imagine that if I went in planning to walk the entire thing it wouldn't have been as bad on either front, but it may be something to consider.

 

[Z-Knight]

As a result of not being as prepared as I would have liked (my fault) and then getting sick the day before the Marathon I ended up walking (slowly in many places) almost the entire Marathon last year. It was a pretty miserable experience for myself mainly because I spent the last 18 miles wanting to quit and being trapped inside my own head because of disappointment at my performance. That said, the course, other participants, and the entertainment are all very accommodating to walkers.

As was stated earlier, I found walking the entire marathon much more difficult than running. The pain of being on my feet for 7+ hours was excruciating at the end (even without blisters) and mentally it nearly broke me multiple times. I imagine that if I went in planning to walk the entire thing it wouldn't have been as bad on either front, but it may be something to consider.

sigh...this is what I will be experiencing TWICE over the next 3 mmonths. Once in WARSAW and once in ATHENS....if I can even make it. I am 3 weeks out from my cervical disc surgery and I have gone from running a 5K in about 21 minutes, to walking it in 47 minutes....and it sucked! I can't imagine doing that for 6+ hours. I'm gonna go cry now.

 

[cavepig]

sigh...this is what I will be experiencing TWICE over the next 3 mmonths. Once in WARSAW and once in ATHENS....if I can even make it. I am 3 weeks out from my cervical disc surgery and I have gone from running a 5K in about 21 minutes, to walking it in 47 minutes....and it sucked! I can't imagine doing that for 6+ hours. I'm gonna go cry now.

Cry, seriously it helps release pent up angst well for me anyway. I cried almost the whole marathon when I had to walk so much too.

 

[Barca33Runner]

sigh...this is what I will be experiencing TWICE over the next 3 mmonths. Once in WARSAW and once in ATHENS....if I can even make it. I am 3 weeks out from my cervical disc surgery and I have gone from running a 5K in about 21 minutes, to walking it in 47 minutes....and it sucked! I can't imagine doing that for 6+ hours. I'm gonna go cry now.

Cry, seriously it helps release pent up angst well for me anyway. I cried almost the whole marathon when I had to walk so much too.

If I had known how sick I was I would not have started the Marathon. I was sick for over two weeks after the Marathon ended. I don’t believe participating exacerbated my illness at all, but the lack of pain in my muscles following the race made it clear that my fatigue prevented me from exerting any strain on my muscles. Physically, my legs have never felt better after a marathon because of it. I know a lot of planning and personal importance is probably behind running those races, but I would definitely balance those things with getting healthy and running the races the way you imagined running them sometime in the future.

I cried quite a bit during those 26.2 miles and quite a bit more while finding my way to our vehicle after the race (it felt like another 26.2). If it weren’t for letting out that emotion and some encouraging words from my family and a couple members of this board (thanks @Keels and @ZellyB) I definitely would have quit.

 

[bumbershoot]

While i 100% know what it’s like to be sick or hurt or slowed down for some other reason, and how awful it is to go slower than you want, I want to remind the OP that that’s not their case.

My fiancé and I are avid walkers/hikers. We can certainly handle the length and stay under the 16 minute max pace.

Since you are avid, fast, walkers, you’ll be more than fine. None of the mental torture that those of us who were forced to walk when we didn’t train that way have felt. And your muscles and bones are used to the time you’ll take. No worries at all for you.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Disney is the most walker friendly races of the bunch.
I am a run/walk mixer and my 10K came in at the 40th percentile back in April(60% took longer than me). I was just a smidge under 14 minutes a mile.

With that being said, I've been tossing the idea of trying the same for the full, but just don't think it's in the cards yet. Going to try the 5K/10K/half during marathon weekend this year, then may give it a shot in 2020.

 

[missposh]

My grandma completed the Disney Marathon a few years back, and she loved it. She's also an avid walker, and has completed many races by exclusively walking them, and I think Disney has been one of her favorites. She's even joked that she wishes some of her ashes could be spread along the race route when she dies.

 

[John VN]

Well, I haven't walked the entire thing (I'm a run/walk interval runner), so I can't speak specifically to that, but as long as you feel confident that you can stay under the 16 minute pace for 26.2, you'll do fine. I know that there are people who strictly walk it though. He doesn't post much on this forum anymore, but @John VN (affectionately referred to as McFlurry John) I believe walks the marathon - and peels off the course to buy a McFlurry (thus the name). I would consider this race to be very friendly to walkers.

The marathon as a solo race usually doesn't sell out for a long time, so no need to be online right when registration opens.

2011 was my First ever Marathon and walked it following the 5K on Friday and Half on Saturday. Back then we went through EPCOT after the start, http://the17thman.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c6c5753ef0148c73ff1a0970c-pi and that was AWESOME, then past the start again and out towards MK. Coming out of AK we were opposite the traffic flow so detour for McDonald's was not possible. They changed the route in 2013 and my M&M McFlurry detour began as did the "Perfect McFlurry Detour Challenge."

I did no training for 2018 Marathon and paid for it dearly. Very slow with plenty of knee pain but pressed on for the M&M McFlurry and the finish. Registered for 2019 on Passholder's Day and have already started walking to be better prepared. Will most likely start in last corral so must have a pace fast enough to leave the course, get my McFlurry and rejoin before the Balloon Ladies show up.

Just wishing everyone a safe and healthy remaining training time frame and ENJOY your Marathon experience.

McFlurry John

 

[wdvak]

It is so nice to see that others have and are walking the marathon. Even though I know others walk the marathon, and that I have walked half marathons, I’ve been starting to feel like I’m alone. Thanks to all of the wonderful people here I’m again looking forward to the Dopey Challenge. I’ve been training and will keep it up. Of course now I’m going to be thinking of a McFlurry as we pass McDonalds

 

[Sleepless Knight]

It is so nice to see that others have and are walking the marathon. Even though I know others walk the marathon, and that I have walked half marathons, I’ve been starting to feel like I’m alone. Thanks to all of the wonderful people here I’m again looking forward to the Dopey Challenge. I’ve been training and will keep it up. Of course now I’m going to be thinking of a McFlurry as we pass McDonalds

It's good to know that we're not alone in being back of the packers for the marathon. I don't think I'll go for a McFlurry, but I do have a sub goal of eating some real food during the marathon probably (hopefully) from the Norway pavilion.

 

[cmarsh31]

sigh...this is what I will be experiencing TWICE over the next 3 mmonths. Once in WARSAW and once in ATHENS....if I can even make it. I am 3 weeks out from my cervical disc surgery and I have gone from running a 5K in about 21 minutes, to walking it in 47 minutes....and it sucked! I can't imagine doing that for 6+ hours. I'm gonna go cry now.

I had cervical disc surgery (C5-6 replacement) in June 2017 after doing the Princess 5k that year - so I'm basically a year out. You'll get there! I don't think I was even walking a 5k at 3 weeks out. It took until February until I was really ready to run again (I tried in November, but it felt "weird" so I stopped). Now, I can definitely say it was the best thing I've done. We just did a 2 week Alaskan cruise/Seattle/Disneyland trip and I'm about to head down to WDW tomorrow. I feel like a new person!

 

[wdvak]

It's good to know that we're not alone in being back of the packers for the marathon. I don't think I'll go for a McFlurry, but I do have a sub goal of eating some real food during the marathon probably (hopefully) from the Norway pavilion.

Oh no, I hadn’t really thought about how we will be passing all of that food in Epcot, so many ideas - photos, rides, McFlury, Norway and other Epcot food Now to just keep training so that I can make a couple of stops. Just finished 4 mile for today