WDW reopens July 11th, what’s next for runDisney?

rteetz

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 20, 2013
What are our thoughts on what runDisney will do? Wine and Dine is obviously the next stateside race and not until November but could we still be required to wear masks then, and what about capacity requirements? Do you think Wine and Dine will happen?

I certainly don’t think Disney makes a decision until after the parks are open. With that I’m interested to see how long the park reservation system goes. Will we still need to do that come November? I’m certainly less hopeful for wine and dine than marathon weekend at this point.
 
What are our thoughts on what runDisney will do? Wine and Dine is obviously the next stateside race and not until November but could we still be required to wear masks then, and what about capacity requirements? Do you think Wine and Dine will happen?

I certainly don’t think Disney makes a decision until after the parks are open. With that I’m interested to see how long the park reservation system goes. Will we still need to do that come November? I’m certainly less hopeful for wine and dine than marathon weekend at this point.

I think if they can find a workable system for keeping the parks open, they will have the race weekend. I think there are a number of precautions that may be explored or implemented to help with maintaining as much social distance as possible. Some of the things that I think could be on the table include:

Expo
  • The outside vendor portion of the Expo may be cut in size or eliminated to avoid crowding
  • Resort delivery of bibs and race packets could be an option to reduce Expo foot traffic.
  • RunDisney merchandise could be distributed to resort and park gift shops to cut down on traffic to WWoS. Maybe a large tent in the finishing area for naturally staggered shopping post-race
Race Day
  • Buses likely to run at partial capacity to allow distancing
  • Access to buses prior to race start could be limited to runners to cut down on bodies in the staging area. Spectators allowed to ride after race start time.
  • Buses may begin to run earlier and, at an extreme, corrals could be given time windows to be on the buses to spread out traffic to the staging area and corrals
  • Security check likely to incorporate temperature screening for fevers
  • It would not surprise me if they shifted W&D to the MW courses to both cut down on transportation requirements and put runners on a course with a higher capacity
  • More large size corrals with fewer runners to allow for distancing in them. Release times between corrals likely to be lengthened to allow runners to spread out on course more quickly.
  • Masks almost certain to be required on pre-race transportation, staging area and corrals. Optional once on course.
  • Carrying your own hydration encouraged. Bottles of water rather than cups at hydration stations. Maybe even the alginate water “balloons”
  • Character stops PhotoPass only with a demarcation line for the runner to stand on with the characters a safe distance behind.
  • Medals either handed out at arms length across finish chute fencing or picked up “self service” from a table with some oversight of 1/runner
  • Runners encouraged to leave finishing area for resorts as quickly as possible.
I‘m sure there are some aspects I’ve missed, but these are some precautions that I think are either likely or could be taken to help ensure as safe a race environment as possible.
 
I live in Las Vegas and I expect a full month of dredge to shake things out. >:(
This means masks, distancing, limited people, limited everything.
Then I expect to see easing of rules and allowing more and more freedoms that most people cherish.
After that the flood gates are opened and back to normal.
All we have to do is ride out that month of sacrifice.
This should work out well because we have two opposite factions in play.
Maskers & anti-maskers.
Maskers can go immediately and have a grand old time.
Anti-maskers like myself can chill for now and party later with that extra $600 a week of government cheese. :thumbsup2

As for RunDisney races, I fully expect Marathon Weekend to open up all registrations towards the end of the year*.
I'm taking all wagers. 8-)

**** Third Tier Pricing will be in effect at that point...
 
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I think if they can find a workable system for keeping the parks open, they will have the race weekend. I think there are a number of precautions that may be explored or implemented to help with maintaining as much social distance as possible. Some of the things that I think could be on the table include:

Expo
  • The outside vendor portion of the Expo may be cut in size or eliminated to avoid crowding
  • Resort delivery of bibs and race packets could be an option to reduce Expo foot traffic.
  • RunDisney merchandise could be distributed to resort and park gift shops to cut down on traffic to WWoS. Maybe a large tent in the finishing area for naturally staggered shopping post-race
Race Day
  • Buses likely to run at partial capacity to allow distancing
  • Access to buses prior to race start could be limited to runners to cut down on bodies in the staging area. Spectators allowed to ride after race start time.
  • Buses may begin to run earlier and, at an extreme, corrals could be given time windows to be on the buses to spread out traffic to the staging area and corrals
  • Security check likely to incorporate temperature screening for fevers
  • It would not surprise me if they shifted W&D to the MW courses to both cut down on transportation requirements and put runners on a course with a higher capacity
  • More large size corrals with fewer runners to allow for distancing in them. Release times between corrals likely to be lengthened to allow runners to spread out on course more quickly.
  • Masks almost certain to be required on pre-race transportation, staging area and corrals. Optional once on course.
  • Carrying your own hydration encouraged. Bottles of water rather than cups at hydration stations. Maybe even the alginate water “balloons”
  • Character stops PhotoPass only with a demarcation line for the runner to stand on with the characters a safe distance behind.
  • Medals either handed out at arms length across finish chute fencing or picked up “self service” from a table with some oversight of 1/runner
  • Runners encouraged to leave finishing area for resorts as quickly as possible.
I‘m sure there are some aspects I’ve missed, but these are some precautions that I think are either likely or could be taken to help ensure as safe a race environment as possible.

Agree with all this. I could also see a reconfiguration of water stations possibly even by bib number to avoid the traffic jam at the first water table. Water tables spread out over a longer distance and group by bib number or start wave.
 


I wouldn't mind that for runners staying on property, that rD could deliver the bibs to the resort front desks, so they can deliver them to the rooms, which would reduce pressure at the expo.

Just a simple form would be all that's needed:

runDisney confirmation number: 2345678
Resort confirmation number: 507654321
Resort: Pop Century
last name: Neko
Check in: 1/5/21
 


A whole lot of these suggestions are incongruent with the reality that a large number of people will have to congregate in close proximity at the start, during, and end of the race. Near impossible to get around.
Bibs delivered, carrying your own hydration, social distancing hopefully will not even be on the table at the end of the year.
I have to believe the ideas we speculate about now in late May will have no bearing whatsoever in January.
 
A whole lot of these suggestions are incongruent with the reality that a large number of people will have to congregate in close proximity at the start, during, and end of the race. Near impossible to get around.
Bibs delivered, carrying your own hydration, social distancing hopefully will not even be on the table at the end of the year.
I have to believe the ideas we speculate about now in late May will have no bearing whatsoever in January.
There is a race before January though. That’s why it’s relevant.
 
@camaker laid out some pretty good thoughts and ideas which I’m sure rD and Track Shack have on their even larger list too. Some seem like givens, especially moving the W&D course to the MW course because it can handle more people with less crowding. Masks at the expo, on buses, and in other areas of crowding before the race seems likely too. The two biggest areas of question for me are 1) will enough people want to volunteer to allow the race to happen, and 2) how can you minimize the crowding in the corrals? Those seem to be the trickiest pieces of the puzzle without an easy or obvious solution.
 
This is a link for Track Shack's current policies. Who know how much will change between now and November and then again November to January. I also don't know how many of their policies Disney used in the first place.

To sum up: masks before and after, not while running. No spectators. Bring your own hydration, but they will have refills on course.

https://www.trackshack.com/blog/1272/update- on- covid-19
 
I agree the races COULD be done with many of the suggestions listed here but after seeing how Disney is approaching their re-opening, I believe there is little chance these races are happening. "But Huskies90, it is only May and alot can change before November/January..." While that is true, I think it will take a long time to sway people and Disney away from the "abundance of caution" stance everyone is taking today. Businesses are opening, even the parks are opening but all slowly and with abundance of caution. I don't even recognize the Disney that was announced yesterday. That is not a vacation, that is boot camp. I know everyone wants things to get back to "normal" but that will not happen until the public feels like death has been eradicated. What is really changing between now and January? Even if there is some kind of treatment or a vaccine it won't eliminate it that quickly. We will still be seeing new cases and deaths. Add to that all the fear talk about a second wave and my guess is these races won't happen. Based on how they are re-opening, I don't think Disney is going to take any risk to their guests, volunteers or cast members by putting thousands of people in one place. It may be a pessimist view, and I hope I am wrong. But think about this: if I told you back in March when things started to get closed down that races in September would get canceled you probably would have thought I was crazy.
 
Two thoughts.

First, while moving the course is logical, one of the reasons I wanted to run W&D was for the different course. If they change the course this year I can foresee rD doing away with the different courses all together and just having a standard course for each distance.

Second, the last thing I want to do with a face mask after wearing it for 2+ hours is put it in my runners belt, so there will need to be plenty of garbage bins at (and in) each corral for runners to dispose of them safely and not toss them on the ground. To wear one immediately after finishing means masks will either have to be passed out with the medals, there will be a line for bag check to retrieve the clean one you checked or you have to carry one with you. Also, wearing a mask prevents rehydration so I can see participants not putting one on until they board race transit back to the hotel. Additionally, disposable masks are still in short supply, so people may still have a hard time finding them in November.
 
There is a race before January though. That’s why it’s relevant.

Yep and it is what other running groups are considering. When ATC moved PTRR to thanksgiving they indicated then they were looking at having more corrals and water station changes. I expect we'll see similar at NYM as well.
 
FWIW I normally run a race weekend in Tampa that falls the same weekend as princess That is about to open up registration and they were transparent with a contingency plan that if the race is canceled it would be done virtually now to decide do I make it my first half still or do a shorter distance that would be easier to run around the block if it comes to being virtual and wait for 2022 for a half
 
W&D will be interesting since they opened registration up for regular race capacity. If things progressively become better with each month, I think W&D will be run ALMOST like normal but I think they will spread out the waves/corrals a lot; re-think hydration stops; and bid pick-up to name a few. I think the expo will be limited to runners only. Keeping in the picture of good progress, I expect Marathon weekend and Princess weekend to offer more bibs.


However, if a 2nd major wave hits in the fall as being predicted, W&D is cancelled. I expect Marathon weekend to MAYBE run at the low capacity (30% is what I heard) with a "run at your own risk" being advised. Expo will be open to runners only and may offer no merchandise or merchandise to be purchased online only.
 
I really don't think W&D happens. I don't think any large running events will happen until most if not all of the restrictions can be lifted. It doesn't matter how careful you are at the expo when you have thousands of people running a race together. Large vents mandating masks at the start and finish but not on the course where people are sweating and breathing heavily in large groups is putting a bandage on a decapitation.
 

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