Last weekend was the runDisney Princess race weekend here in Disney World! One of my favorite weekends of the year! This race weekend includes a 5k, 10k and half marathon. The themes we Merida 5k, Moana 10k, Rapunzel half marathon and the Belle Challenge. Last year I did all three races with my bestie. This year it was just me, myself and I for the 10k and half marathon challenge. This years races carried a little extra weight but they were still such a good time!
Celebrating A runDisney Legend
The week before the princess race weekend we lost a runDisney legend. Jeff Galloway, who inspired so many of us to do these and other races passed away on February 25th. Jeff’s run walk run method helped a massive amount of people realize that longer distance runs were attainable. I personally met and got to talk with Jeff two years ago when he came and spoke at a work lunch before the princess races. At the time I had only ever done a 5k and 10k but wanted to try the half marathon. Jeff encouraged me to believe in myself and give it a go. Now here I am with two under my belt! Go check out the run walk run method and take Jeff’s words to heart. “you can do hard things!”
Running For A Cause
This year I ran on a charity bib with St Judes Children’s Hospital. It was such an honor to represent such an amazing charity that does so much incredible work to help so many families! I have been fundraising for them for months and am still looking to reach my goal. My donation page will be open until March 12th so share it or donate if you can and help St Judes continue to give life changing care and support at no charge to these families! St Jude and other amazing charities offer charity bibs for all the runDisney race weekends. You can sign up with them on their individual websites from the runDisney charity page.
runDisney Princess Expo
Thursday through Saturday you can attend the runDisney Expo. This is where you have to go to pick up your bibs and shirts that come with your registration. This is also where you can do your shopping! One building is just for picking up your bib and any runDisney guest relations issues you may have. There are also some character photo ops here. The next building is where you get your clear “go bag” with all your race shirts in it. This is also where you can shop runDisney partners like Corkcicle, Fit 2 Run and more. And finally, the last building is where you can do your runDisney shopping! All the race exclusive gear for the weekend as well as runDisney branded merchandise will be here. This is also where everyone bought the super cute Princess Brooks sneakers! Of course every building has Princess race weekend photo ops.
Princess 10k
I did not do the Merida 5k this year so this was my first race of the weekend. The Moana themed 10k was a very rainy start to the princess race weekend. The night before we were getting notifications that runDisney was monitoring the weather and would make an announcement on how they would proceed at 8pm. Thankfully, the call was to have the race as scheduled! We didn’t get rained on too bad and it stopped just as the race was starting.
I would never say the 10k is easy, but it was the easier of the two races this weekend. Not fast at all but I finished in under 2 hours. I always feel good after the 10k and like I could keep going, which is why I wanted to try the half last year. This year the 10k actually felt kind of short to me, which made me hopeful for the half marathon!
Princess Half Marathon
I was so excited for this theme, I love Rapunzel! But full disclosure here, I did not train or prepare for this race. 0/10 do not recommend! Haha! Last year I wouldn’t say I trained a lot but I was doing a run walk run almost everyday for months leading up to the races. This year life has just been so busy and I did nothing to prepare myself. Because I do not have proof of time I am always in the last corral, which honestly is where I should be because I am slow! But that means there is not much of a buffer between me and the balloon ladies.
If you aren’t familiar with he balloon ladies, let me enlighten you. They are the most feared creatures in all of runDisney! These are the pacers that start after the very last group of runners start. They maintain between a 15-16 minute mile and if they pass you, your race is done and you do not get to finish. I made sure to get to the corral as early as I possibly could so I was in the first wave to go in corral G. I actually got to hold the start ribbon! But would it be enough space and time between me and those balloons?
The morning before, in the corral for the 10k someone told me about an app called Telegram. You could join a channel where the balloon ladies posted an update each time they hit a mile marker on the race with the official time and their pace. I should not have downloaded this app! All it did was stress me out and make me second guess myself. I stayed roughly a mile ahead of them throughout the race but still felt like I was on the verge of being swept the whole second half of the race.
The Hardest Part
About halfway through the half marathon you get to run right up the middle of Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom. You get to run towards and around the castle and then run right through it. Cinderella, Prince Charming and Fairy Godmother were all on the balcony waving and cheering us on. This is probably the most magical part of the princess race weekend! But then you leave Magic Kingdom. From there you run through what feels like an endless path of parking lot and highway. And hills! Why do they plan the course where the three biggest hills to climb are on the back end of the race….torture!
This is where I really start to wonder if I am going to make it and where proper training would have probably helped! About mile 8 the feet and legs start to fight me and EPCOT is still nowhere in site. Last year the course was set up in such a way that you had a few chances to see how far back the balloon ladies were so you knew you were ok. That was not the case this year! Not until after mile 11 could you really see how many people were still behind you. And guess what, I never saw the balloon ladies!! Even though that dumb app made it feel like they were right on my heels.
I crossed the finish line under 4 hours for 13.1 miles. I know it’s not fast but I feel like that’s not too bad for zero preparation. Like I said, do not recommend doing that, it would have been a lot more fun if I had trained! And the recovery wouldn’t have been so painful.
The runDisney Extras
Not only are these races encouraging for those of us that are not runners. They are also just fun because of all the extras runDisney provides throughout the races. Maybe if running was like this everyday I would figure out how to make time for it! Haha! There are water stations, Powerade stations, during the half they give our energy gummies, all to keep you going. There are bands, choirs, DJ’s, characters and so much more throughout the course. The best this year were the Polynesian performers between Connections and Creations in EPCOT for the 5k. And the Bibbidi Bobbodi Boutique Cast members pixie dusting everyone as we headed for the finish lie during the half. They had a line with Cast Members holding their wands and shaking the pixie dust on the runners! So fun!
Conclusion
I love doing the runDisney Princess race weekend! It is always a highlight of my year and reminds me I am still capable of doing things I didn’t think I could do. Getting up at 1:30am to go do this is definitely not for everyone but it’s exhilarating to me. Plus you get to see EPCOT at a time it is usually off limits!
The energy on a runDisney weekend is second to none. Everyone is so encouraging and supportive of whatever race you are trying to run. When us last group slow pokes see the corral A folks soaring by, we cheer so loud! We may be jealous that you are almost done when we are just getting started but we are excited for you and love to see it. Where else are you going to run through the Disney Parks with crowds cheering for you in the company of Olympians and wold class athletes?
I met a mother and daughter doing their first ever races and I found myself looking for them after the finish of both races hoping to see them celebrating. I hope they had so much fun and I hope they finished the half marathon. There was also a young girl who was having some knee cramps before the half marathon started and was in tears. Multiple other runners, who did not know her, offered tape, medicine, advice and encouragement to pump her up.
I can say I know she finished because she was right behind me at the finish line! I ran into her numerous times on the course and told her how great she was doing. She should be so proud of herself for pushing through and getting it done! This is what runDisney is all about. Rooting for strangers is cool on these race weekends. If you have never done a runDisney race, I encourage you to give it a try. I don’t think you will regret it! Now put your sneakers on and have a magical run!