First, let's talk Weather.
IYKYK and can skip the first two paragraphs as more than likely you lived through the fun at least once already and may not want to relive it. If not, you are about to know. Either way continue reading, because spoiler alert, it was a great experience.
Anyone out there monitor the weather before a race like you are waiting for the forecast to show it's going to rain gold and all your problems will then be solved? No? Just us? Well, that is how we felt the days leading up to the 2024 WaltDisney World Half Marathon. A week out, it didn't look good. The morning before, it looked bad. The evening before, it got worse. A hard decision had to made. While the race wasn't canceled, it was shortened to 7.1 miles. However, as long as the racer completed the shorter distance, the race would qualify toward any challenge medal said racer was trying to achieve (Dopey, Goofy, and Coast to Coast). How well do you think this decision went over with the racers?
Some of us, present princess company included, had all the feelings. The responses we saw ranged from demanding refunds, to relief of saving legs for longer upcoming races, to those panicked about how this would affect Coast to Coast and other unique runDisney challenges. What we ultimately settled on was that we understood the safety concerns and agreed it was the right call; however, we still couldn't help but be super bummed we couldn't run through our favorite part of the race. This would of course be down Main Street and through the castle at Magic Kingdom.
One of the most amazing things about the running community is its ability to come together and rebound when times get tough. This was no exception and that is what we did. We straightened our crowns and poised ourselves for what needed to be done. We had already eaten our traditional pasta dinner early, so all that was left was to lay out our gear and outfits that matched the race theme. Donald and Daisy were as ready as they could be for a half of a half marathon.
We set our alarms for 2:30 AM, and went to sleep at 7:30 PM. I never sleep well that first race night, but still I am like a kid waking up for Christmas when it comes to race days! I also ALWAYS wake up once during in the night worried I slept through my alarm. It's now just become part of the routine and I embrace it.
The Morning Of.
We left the house with a target to be ready and waiting when the corrals opened at 3:15 AM. Since we stayed off property this time we had checked road closures already and zipped right over to the Epcot parking lot. We passed some dedicated runners getting their 6 miles in before the race started. They ran the parking lot, paused their workout then started it back up at race time, and they crossed the finish line with a legit 13.1 miles clocked. Our race community is so clever. I'm always amazed and inspired by the resourcefulness and determination of a runner who has a goal to get a certain number of miles logged whether that be for training or race day. Maybe I will be fast enough to squeeze in a quick 6 miles before a race starts. A princess can always dream.
Arrival at the Race.
Parking didn't take long, and we enjoyed eating our packed bagel with peanut butter in the warmth of the car. The walk up to the starting area warmed us up on a cool morning and we had to stop and take a picture in front of the Epcot ball for luck. After that, it was on to our corral and another tradition of photo of the finish line along the way. Visualize the win before you start! We were pretty lucky and landed corral D. We stayed to the front and left side, settled down for pre-race selfies and start line photos. We listened to opening ceremonies and watched the weather. (ie, my sister lovingly doom scrolled through her weather app). The rain was coming in and it looked like we had just enough time to get in our magical 7.1 miles. RunDisney planned to get us out early, and the atmosphere was thick with everyone's anxiousness to get out as quickly as possible.
3...2...1...Go!
One of my favorite parts of race day is the fireworks after the "3, 2, 1, Go". The first groups were off quickly then we waited for the longest procession of runners to pass by for corral C. It started to become comical at some point. I don't remember the final wave count, which was especially challenging since they counted one wave twice, but there were over 10 waves for corral C! We turned on our apple watches, because of course you know if your watch doesn't record your run it didn't happen, and started out running with the rest of the wave 1 corral D group. It felt humid and we knew the temperature was going to drop a bit, but were prepared with both Mylar blankets and ponchos if needed.
Two Princesses Run.
I have mentioned before we are interval runners and we are not fast. Gone are the days we felt like we were literally running from the balloon ladies, but we still like to have the cushion the front of the corral can give you. After the first 5 minutes of running we switch to our interval. For this race we used a 2 minute running and 30 seconds walking interval. Our initial plan was to take it super slow to save my legs for the marathon, but based on where the storm was at the start line, we had to change that up and move to a faster pace.
We typically do not wait in the character lines, but we do like posing with the mileage signs. Even with the threat of rain we tried to enjoy the sign stops. After all being wet is temporary, memories area forever. Even though we don't partake in the character photos on course, we do love seeing which characters are out. The characters on course combined with the DJs, and local high school bands, choirs, and spectators that came out in support are always strategically placed where motivational boosts are needed and is definitely a perk of runDisney races. Cast members and volunteers all showed up despite the predicted bad weather and it's always important to give gratitude as you go to show your appreciation. All these extras help the miles fly by. Each half mile there is always something to look forward to and help you keep going.
Even pushing the pace more than originally planned, the rain caught us at mile 6. We dropped an extra minute off our final mile, but still finished the race in a pretty steady downpour.
Two Princesses Finish!
We were hauling by the time we rounded the turn to the finish line. Visibility was beginning to get difficult and it was very apparent the storm had officially joined our race. We did our best to get in position for what we thought was going to be decent finish line photos and that feeling of "I DID IT" did not disappoint.
We would find out later that the finish line photographers had been pulled due to the rain and ended up without finish line photos, but we did get some photos immediately after getting our medals and after race treats. There also were no after race photo ops with "I did it" signs due to the rain. As you can see from the picture we forgot to bring a bag to stuff all the after race goodies, which is a great tip if you are wearing a belt or vest that you can tuck a plastic bag in.
We walked fast back to the car in Mylar's, where we would sit waiting and not moving for 30 minutes. Herding everyone out at the same time caused a bit of a bottleneck and traffic jam that is atypical from what we heard later. Yes, this could have made us grumpy; however, instead we devoured our runDisney snack box (we were super excited about the Tostitos addition) and took post race celebration car selfies! There will always will be ups and downs in a race but the magic for us is in the memories and who you share the experience with. This half of a half was no exception.
The Bonus Run.
That's right, our story didn't end with the 7.1 miles we ran in the race. Instead of taking a victory lap, we opted to get those remaining 6 miles in the parks to bring us to the full 13.1 after the rain stopped. The best part of all about the bonus run, is we got to run through the castle after all! Disney had the castle open and we were able to take our own castle shots. It was a perfecting ending to a challenging race. This is what running fairy tales are made of!
Our coast to coast journey is just getting started. More to come and next up will include how a solo princess handles 26.2 miles through the most magical place on earth. Hope to see you again real soon!
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