Happiest Run on Earth

Disney's magical touch apparently extends to half marathons, as I learned this weekend at the Princess Half held at Disneyworld in Florida.  This is a perfect beginner half for those who haven't done many.  It's very fun and most of the people there just have the goal of finishing, so a slow pace (mine was about 10 min miles) won't be a big deal.  In fact, it's so crowded that you really can't actually run faster than that if you aren't in the first 2 groups.  And Disney does a great job of keeping you entertained.  I mean, how can you concentrate on the pain of your long distance run when you have disney music, characters and costumes distracting you the whole 13.1 miles?

Diary of Day:

3:30 am: Wake up, roll out of bed, and put on your costume.  It's so early, it's pitch black outside.  So my recommendation, make sure to stay at one of the Disney Resort & Hotels where they have a great transportation system in place.  You have to be at your starting gate/pen by 5am, no matter when your start time is.  So for me, that meant I had to be there even though my race didn't actually start till 6am.  And if I hadn't been staying at the Swan/Dolphin Resort (one I highly recommend as it is very convenient to the starting position at EPCOT), I would have had to wake up around 3am.  Trust me, those 30 extra minutes of sleeping are big!


Everyone dresses up, so make sure to pick out a costume.  Team Sparkle has some great recommendations!  I went with the Belle outfit.

6:10am: Finally, after an hour plus of standing my pen, Group F, starts.  Fireworks go off, the fairy Godmother waves her stick and we are off!  And funnily enough, around mile 2, we see the leaders on the other side of the road heading toward the finish line.  Only two + hours or so till that is us!

7:00am:  One of the cool thing about the Disney marathon is that every mile marker is celebrated by a picture spot/music.  So for mile 5, I finally stopped and took advantage.  I mean how could I not take a picture with Loumier?  And if you are running alone, as I was, don't worry.  The have people at each station whose job it is to take your photo with the character.  It provides a great distraction and a fun break. 

 




7:15am: You approach the best part of the run.  It's time to enter the Magic Kingdom and for the first time fans line your running route.  The one disappointing fact was that the entire race wasn't actually in the parks like you thought it was going to be.  Instead, you only really run through the Magic Kingdom and the rest is run on back roads connecting the different lands.  Still, its really something as you run 1.5 miles through the Magic Kingdom and is a truly unique part of the race.

Basically everyone walks when you first get in as everyone wants a photo in front of the castle.  So make sure to have your camera, as you won't want to miss the opportunity to take a break and get a photo in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle. 

The heralds trumpeted the Rocky Theme Song on your way out of the Magic Kingdom

FINISHER!

7:40:  Mile 9 and its suddenly gets really hard.  You have to prepare yourself mentally that the end of the course is basically all uphill.  And the course is pretty boring at this point, with you having to run up freeway ramps and hills on back-roads.  Other than the occasional honking by a passing car, there is no cheers to get you through.

8:10: You are almost there!  And with 1.1 miles left to go, you finally are surrounded by fans cheering you on.  As well, you enter your second park of the evening, going through the back end of EPCOT center and around the big white ball.  By this point your legs are shot after all those hills, but it doesn't matter.  Anyone can push through the last mile.

8:20: Finisher!  By the end the music is pumping and people are screaming, making the last 3/10ths of a mile the easiest yet.  Then, as soon as you cross that finish line someone places a really nice medal around your neck.  Let me tell you, finishing your first half marathon feels absolutely amazing.  Such an accomplishment and Disney makes sure to give you a medal that is as memorable as your memory of the event.

Disney does a great job with its Disney Runs program.  I would recommend any of the races.  From its tower of terror 10k, to its Kid dashes, to my completed Princess Half, to the Wine and Dine half I plan on doing in September.  So get active and get out there! And allow Disney to help you have fun while you push yourself further than you thought possible.