Date & Time: Friday, January 6th, 2023 at 5 a.m.
Course Map:
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Two down, two to go!! This morning was runDisney’s Marathon Weekend 10K, the second race of the Dopey Challenge if that’s what you’re doing this weekend – and it was another incredible experience.
It started with a reminder of just how unpredictable weather here can be. After yesterday’s heat and humidity, today was cold!! Waiting in the staging area and in corrals was very chilly. (I tend to be cold so I’m sensitive to it – but most people were pretty cold during the wait today.)
The characters in the staging area were Rescue Rangers Chip & Dale, 1990s glitter-costumed Donald, Launchpad, and Fat Cat trading places with Monterey Jack (both from Rescue Rangers).
Shortly after we started we saw Hercules and of course stopped for him…but I wasn’t warmed up yet and the wait was brutal. I definitely regretted dropping my jacket before we started. Tomorrow for the half it’s supposed to be about 10 degrees cooler so I’ll be hanging onto my jacket for a bit longer into the race and will just drop it on the course. Like I always mention, Disney gathers and donates these, so it’s a great way to stay warm until you’re moving!! Just grab a sweatshirt or jacket at a thrift store for the race weekend and drop it when you’re warmed up to pass it on to someone else in need.
This course was full of amazing characters – 11 or so total and again mostly keeping with the 90s theming. Lines were extremely long again but moved quickly. If you’re close on your required pacing of 16 minutes per mile and worry that the balloon ladies are approaching, just be selective and about where and whether you choose to stop.
And again there was a ton of PhotoPass on the course. Always look for the green tents, especially in the parks – that’s them!!
They even had PhotoPass stationed by Figment!!
I’m still loving the 90s theming and our laid back approach to the runs themselves. We’re running fast when we’re feeling it but not pushing too hard since we have the longer distances coming. We’re stopping for characters when we want but not sweating running on if the lines are long or it’s someone we’ve seen before. All in all it’s just been a perfect first two days and I cannot wait to see what the half and full have in store!!
If you’re running tomorrow morning, consider bringing a mylar blanket or something else to keep you warm while you wait to start!! It will be chilly!!
If you’re looking for a recap of yesterday’s 5K too, you can find it right HERE.
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Want running playlists? You can find the full collection HERE. Including the 90s playlist that I put together specifically for this weekend!
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You can find my complete guide to making the most of your runDisney race weekend RIGHT HERE and my guide to running trails on Disney World property RIGHT HERE.
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Please join me on Instagram for my day-to-day adventures living a mile from the magic. And join the conversation over in our community on Facebook!
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If you’re missing home (or love someone who is) and are looking for a way to bring the magic home, I’d love for you to check out my Core Memory collection right HERE. And as always, stay safe and be kind, my friends.
