It’s after 7 p.m. and my alarm is set for 2 for the next race, so I’m going to keep this short and sweet – but I didn’t want to end the night without writing about runDisney’s 2023 Marathon Weekend 5K while it was fresh in my mind!!
Date: January 5, 2023 – 5 a.m.
Course Map:
I parked at EPCOT at around 3 a.m., which is when busses also supposedly started running. There was a decent queue outside of the security gates. (These days they just have you walk through the usual park security detectors instead of doing bag check on everyone.) The line started moving at around 3:05 a.m. and by the time we got inside to the stage area, there were already small lines forming at each of the characters – Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy in some really cute track suits.
We queued up for Mickey first since his line was longest and was only going to get longer.
I hate when I wait in line forever for a picture and then completely forget how to act like a human when it’s time to take it.
Then we waited for Minnie!! How cute is she?
Credit to Disney PhotoPass for all of these great pictures!!
At that point it was already after 4 a.m. – Minnie took way longer than we’d expected – so I ran to my running team for our group picture.
My friend Lou’s team does wonderful work for Make A Wish and is full of good people. Definitely check them out!!
Then we headed to the corrals – ending up somewhere in the middle of our assigned Corral A.
We started running at close to 5:10 a.m. (I think we were around the 3rd wave of Corral A to release.) Normally lines are pretty short up front for the 5K but by the time we got to the first characters, the lines were pretty long already. I spoke to a friend that started toward the back and he said that lines were the longest he’d ever seen.
They did move very quickly though!!
We met Tarzan and Kala just outside of EPCOT – that was the only character stop where you used only your own camera. Everyone else had PhotoPass available. (Always get Memory Maker for a race weekend trip or add it to your Annual Pass if you have one…the pictures are always worthwhile!!)
And then we bypassed Mushu in China and Genie and Abu in Morocco. Crazy lines and we’ve seen them plenty of times before.
But we definitely waited for Max!!
And of course the Rescue Rangers. They were around Canada.
We were so impressed with how on theme they stayed with the characters. Everyone there was from the nineties!! (And of course the Fab Five are right for any decade…)
It felt like there was a ton of PhotoPass along the course!! If you’re new to runDisney, look for the bright green tents – that’s where they are – so make sure to smile when you see them snapping your picture!!
Then we headed to the finish!! I love that the gospel choir that used to sing for only the longest races of the weekend now sings for ALL of the race finishes, as all of our feats are worthy of the same celebration!! They mixed it up this time though…because the music was on theme!!
That’s one massive detail that I hadn’t thought to mention yet – THE 90S MUSIC!! Whoever put the playlist together deserves a raise in my book because we apparently love all of the same music. At one point I was running through World Showcase to Shakira’s Estoy Aqui and if that didn’t feel like a leveled up version of my best life I don’t know what would.
But anyway…like I was saying…the gospel choir was on theme too!! When we ran past them they were singing We Are The Champions and it was amazing. I’m so excited to hear what they have in story for us in the coming days.
Also worth mentioning – there was only one water stop on the course. Probably fine for most people doing a 5K and you can take more than one water and walk with them while you rehydrate if need be, but make sure to hydrate accordingly going in (and bring something if you really feel like you might need it).
After we finished we headed back to the stage area to see those characters again. I grabbed Daisy and then headed out because the kids needed to get to school (!!) but I’m so happy with the pictures that I did get. PhotoPass was on fire today yet again.
And that’s a wrap for now!! Heading into the 10K in the wee hours tomorrow, and I’ll be back after that with another recap!!
Good luck to all of the runners joining us this weekend!! The energy has been AMAZING. It really does feel like runDisney is back baby!!
Now…go to sleep!! 🙂
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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.
