Which races would you run?

[jack'smom]

So I'm definitely in for Marathon Weekend 2018...just trying to figure out which races to do between these:

• Dopey Challenge
• Goofy Challenge
• Goofy Challenge + 10K

I would love to have the bling from the Dopey and to say I did it. However, I really don't care too much about the 5K, probably wouldn't wear the shirt. I could save about $80 if I did just the Goofy + 10K. However, if I do the Goofy + 10K, I should probably just do them all, right? The bonus of not doing the Dopey is that I don't have to arrive Wednesday and I don't have to get my bib on Wednesday. Marathon weekend probably won't be a one and done for me, but would be more like every 5 years or so.

So, which would you choose? Why?

(Also, I have never run a full marathon before, but planning on one in October.)

 

[camaker]

So I'm definitely in for Marathon Weekend 2018...just trying to figure out which races to do between these:

• Dopey Challenge
• Goofy Challenge
• Goofy Challenge + 10K

I would love to have the bling from the Dopey and to say I did it. However, I really don't care too much about the 5K, probably wouldn't wear the shirt. I could save about $80 if I did just the Goofy + 10K. However, if I do the Goofy + 10K, I should probably just do them all, right? The bonus of not doing the Dopey is that I don't have to arrive Wednesday and I don't have to get my bib on Wednesday. Marathon weekend probably won't be a one and done for me, but would be more like every 5 years or so.

So, which would you choose? Why?

(Also, I have never run a full marathon before, but planning on one in October.)

The Goofy Challenge + 10k is what I ran in my first ever Disney race weekend in 2016. I didn't even get the Goofy extras and bling because I registered individually for all three races. After running the races I really regretted not just registering for Dopey. There was so much hype around the Dopey at the time and it seemed like everyone was doing it! I left the race weekend having had a great time, regardless, but also feeling like I had missed out on some of the ambience and accomplishment of the weekend. It would have been well worth the $80 to me to upgrade the experience and those feelings led directly to me registering for Dopey 2017. So if this is going to be an infrequent occurrence for you, I'd definitely say go whole hog with Dopey!

 

[Ariel484]

I guess it all depends on how much you want to spend, ow many days you want to be there and how many crazy wake-ups you want to endure.

If you do Dopey, you HAVE to get to WDW on Wednesday to go to the expo to get your bibs. If you do Goofy, you could get away with not arriving until Friday (Thursday if you tack on the 10K). So that's a couple of extra days away from home/off of work, extra hotel days, etc. And the extra wake-ups (which I think are the hardest part) - 4 of them in a row really add up. The training, in my opinion, would not be much different depending on which scenario you went with.

 

[jhorstma]

Frankly I'd run the 10K (fun lap pre-dawn around Epcot on Friday) and then the Marathon on Sunday, with a day of rest in between. The Half will overlap courses with the 10K and the Full, and as a first-timer in 2016 the thought of running a Full the day after the Half would've been pretty nuts to me. Trust me, the Full is an epic journey that you'll want to be in peak condition for...

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

Frankly I'd run the 10K (fun lap pre-dawn around Epcot on Friday) and then the Marathon on Sunday, with a day of rest in between. The Half will overlap courses with the 10K and the Full, and as a first-timer in 2016 the thought of running a Full the day after the Half would've been pretty nuts to me. Trust me, the Full is an epic journey that you'll want to be in peak condition for...

I know it wasn't one of your listed choices, but I have to say I agree with this. I am in the minority in that I have no desire to ever do Dopey, and the thought of a half marathon the day before a full, combined with the other 2 races, terrifies me. So I think it would be a great experience to do the 10K (the 10K course is fun), have the rest day, and then tackle the full. Especially since the first half of the half marathon course is exactly the same as what you'd be doing at the beginning of the full anyway.

 

[Ariel484]

Frankly I'd run the 10K (fun lap pre-dawn around Epcot on Friday) and then the Marathon on Sunday, with a day of rest in between. The Half will overlap courses with the 10K and the Full, and as a first-timer in 2016 the thought of running a Full the day after the Half would've been pretty nuts to me. Trust me, the Full is an epic journey that you'll want to be in peak condition for...

Actually, I think that's what I'd do too. For the reasons you said. Mickey and Minnie medals!

 

[jack'smom]

Frankly I'd run the 10K (fun lap pre-dawn around Epcot on Friday) and then the Marathon on Sunday, with a day of rest in between. The Half will overlap courses with the 10K and the Full, and as a first-timer in 2016 the thought of running a Full the day after the Half would've been pretty nuts to me. Trust me, the Full is an epic journey that you'll want to be in peak condition for...

Great points. I do want to do the half, though, since I was supposed to run it this year and we all know what happened. Plus my husband will run this and he's not sure about the full. It would be nice to run with him since we don't usually get to. We have to train at different times since we have young kids at home.
Definitely something to think about though...

 

[jack'smom]

The Goofy Challenge + 10k is what I ran in my first ever Disney race weekend in 2016. I didn't even get the Goofy extras and bling because I registered individually for all three races. After running the races I really regretted not just registering for Dopey. There was so much hype around the Dopey at the time and it seemed like everyone was doing it! I left the race weekend having had a great time, regardless, but also feeling like I had missed out on some of the ambience and accomplishment of the weekend. It would have been well worth the $80 to me to upgrade the experience and those feelings led directly to me registering for Dopey 2017. So if this is going to be an infrequent occurrence for you, I'd definitely say go whole hog with Dopey!

Definitely my fear! I know it all would be an accomplishment but I fear that I wouldn't be completely satisfied.

 

[crewmatt]

yea if the money isn't a huge concern do the dopey. the 5k is pretty and fun. best park / distance ratio of all of the events

 

[tigger536]

If you're going to do 10K plus goofy, why not just do Dopey. Its only 5K more distance. Lots of people do 10k plus full though, so that would be my second choice. But unless its a scheduling thing (can't get off work thursday and friday), my feeling is that if you think you can do 39.3, just go ahead and do Dopey. Take the 5K and 10K really easy, stop for pictures, etc.

 

[IamTrike]

So I'm definitely in for Marathon Weekend 2018...just trying to figure out which races to do between these:

• Dopey Challenge
• Goofy Challenge
• Goofy Challenge + 10K

I would love to have the bling from the Dopey and to say I did it. However, I really don't care too much about the 5K, probably wouldn't wear the shirt. I could save about $80 if I did just the Goofy + 10K. However, if I do the Goofy + 10K, I should probably just do them all, right? The bonus of not doing the Dopey is that I don't have to arrive Wednesday and I don't have to get my bib on Wednesday. Marathon weekend probably won't be a one and done for me, but would be more like every 5 years or so.

So, which would you choose? Why?

(Also, I have never run a full marathon before, but planning on one in October.)

So my question is is it actually only $80 bucks more. Is that actually the cost or will it cause you to add an extra day hotel and food. If so that race could be closer to between $300 and $450 more. That's a lot of money for a 5k. (Even so I'm doing dopey)

 

[jack'smom]

So my question is is it actually only $80 bucks more. Is that actually the cost or will it cause you to add an extra day hotel and food. If so that race could be closer to between $300 and $450 more. That's a lot of money for a 5k. (Even so I'm doing dopey)

All very good points...

I think I have it narrowed down to Dopey or Goofy. Trying to decide in the next hour-ish so I can register using the link for this past marathon weekend participants.

 

[IamTrike]

All very good points...

I think I have it narrowed down to Dopey or Goofy. Trying to decide in the next hour-ish so I can register using the link for this past marathon weekend participants.

What did you decide. For me personally unless its a special year I prefer Goofy. I'm doing Dopey this year because it's the 5th one and I did the inaugural. I definitely think Dopey is a fun experience, but it's not something I really "have" to do. Goofy is my must do race combo.

 

[jack'smom]

What did you decide. For me personally unless its a special year I prefer Goofy. I'm doing Dopey this year because it's the 5th one and I did the inaugural. I definitely think Dopey is a fun experience, but it's not something I really "have" to do. Goofy is my must do race combo.

Decided to do the Dopey! My parents said they would stay at home with the kids for us, so this was almost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We have never been away from the kids so thought we'd go big!