Have you ever wondered what the Run Disney races are like? I definitely have and hope I get to do one eventually, but for now I am relying on my friend, Pam to give us all the details!
Today’s post is more of an interview I suppose, I asked Pam all about her experience doing the Run Disney 10K this past weekend for the very first time ever. The good, the bad and the better, Pam shared everything she loved about doing her first Run Disney race and gives those of us who are thinking of doing a race some great advice on how to prepare and make it the best experience we can. Thank you Pam!
So let’s dive in and get started, there is a lot to cover!
What Made You Want To Sign Up For A Run Disney Race?
I’m in a Facebook group called 3 Sheets to the Finish Line (I am too, it’s such a great community) and I had been cheering on many friends there fthroughout other Disney events and they encouraged me to do a race. Plus, I’m turning 40 this year and I wanted to do something on my halfway to dead bucket list (Hahahahaha, y’all Pam is a trip you will definitely be laughing throughout this post).
I chose the 10k because the 5k wasn’t going to be a challenge for me, I knew I could do it easily as my park days are more than a 5k! The price difference between the 5k and 10k was only about $40 so why not get the extra three miles.
How Was The Sign Up Process?
This sign up process was A MESS! There are memes about it and some people even had signs at the races of the error and queue screens we stared at for hours.. Typically on race registration day you want many different devices running. I had 5 total, 2 laptops, 2 monitors and my phone! This sign up was special because Run Disney’s server went down right when the queue opened, so what should have been a 20-40 minute wait turned into 2-3 hours. But I have heard from others that’s not typically what happens
Think of registration day as the Black Friday’s of old and the 10k is the only large screen plasma TV left!
How Did You Train For The Race?
Well, I didn’t really and I 1000% should have!! I followed the Jeff Galloway training plan for 4 weeks and then life got in the way. You can find this plan and others on the Run Disney site.
How Was The Communication For All The Details Of The Event?
It’s Disney so the communication was scarce, they release information in trickles. The race theme was released a week before registration (such a cool 80″s theme, I loved all of it!), the race maps were released a week before but I found them online myself, not through Disney. They said an expo digital package was released about a week before but all I found was a letter about it. Your bib number isn’t released until the week of the race and you won’t know your corral (start placement) until expo day when you pick up your bib.
They don’t say how many corrals (start groups) a race has but the 10k had 4, A-D and the marathon had 6, A-F and I believe that’s pretty typical.
What Was The Expo Like?
We didn’t make it on expo opening day which I heard can be crazy. But we went the second day right after it opened. So there are 3 buildings (at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex), one building is is just to pick up your bib and a few photo opps, this was the basketball/chew building. Then they have the expo hall, this is a two floor building that you have to take the stairs to get into and out of the expo floor. This is where all the race vendors are located. Fit2Run, KT Tape, Hydrothermal, etc so that if you forgot something you can buy it, this is also where you pick up your race shirt. The 10k shirt was a green long sleeve with Chip and Dale on it.
Then they have the merchandise building and FYI, you basically walk a 5k just to get to the merchandise!! On opening day they have a virtual queue that you sign up for just like riding Guardians of the Galaxy, but on other days you just show up. All the merchandise is divided into the different races and then the general Run Disney stuff so it’s easy to find the merchandise you want. They also sell food and beverages and the alcohol and beer comes in official race glasses all around the expo.
Since You’re Local, Did You Stay At Home Or On Property?
We stayed on property at Animal Kingdom Lodge for two reasons, 1. It was my fiancé’ David’s 40th birthday so I wanted to give him a vacation and 2. With it being my first race, I wanted to stay on property because it would feel even more special.
We’re You Anxious About The Race?
GOD YES! I got maybe 10 minutes of sleep the night before. I knew I hadn’t trained enough so it was all up to me at that point.
Did You Do Anything Special The Day/Night Before To Prepare?
We went to “dinner” at Gyu Kaku, Japanese BBQ, I put dinner in quotes because this was at 5:30pm and we usually eat much later than that. Then we went back to the resort to rest and go to bed. I also made sure I had everything ready and in it’s place/laid out for my race.
What Was The Morning Of The Race Like?
So on race mornings, you wake up at 2am and get ready for your race and if you are taking Disney transportation, the first bus starts at 3am. We took our car, so you would drive like you are going to Epcot for the day. Once you are parked you go through security like you would at the park then you make a bug U and head to the leftmost parking lot if you are looking at Epcot, and head all the way down almost to the end of the parking lots. The corrals are staged in the last most middle parking lot. Basically, if you drive you are doing a 5k before you even start your race! Before you go to your corral you can stage at the tables and celebration area, there are green balloons that say start. This is whereto corral entrance is, once the corrals open, I think it was about 3:45am. You find the balloon with your corral letter, these are also big and green, they will have people checking your bib to make sure you go into the right corral.
Once you are in your corral, especially if you are in the last one, try and make your way to the front of your corral as much as possible. This gives you a bigger balloon lady buffer! (Balloon ladies are the last to cross the finish line and if they pass you, you are done and have to get on a bus to the finish line). Then you wait for your corral to start the race and if you’re me…….you try not to die of a nervous breakdown!
How Did You Feel Once The Race Started?
So this was something I didn’t expect, when your corral is called they walk you in a big group to the starting line, each group has about 5-6 starts. So I saw fireworks go off 3 different times for my corral before I got through the start gate. But once I did I just went and knew that I had to do my fastest work first and then I tried to pick out people on my pace so that way I had someone to keep up with. I also found people that I wanted to make sure I didn’t fall behind on, that was less scary than looking for the balloon ladies!
Did You Stop For Any Characters & Which One Was Your Favorite?
I didn’t stop for any characters, the lines were insane! The line for Lumiere stretched halfway across France by the time I got there! All I was thinking was DON’T GET SWEPT! You can find characters in the normal park times but the best character I saw was Darkwing Duck!
How Did You Keep Your Pace & Stay Clear Of The Ballon Ladies?
When I registered, I inflated my mile per minute because I was that worried! Then at my corral I made sure to get as far forward as possible. After that it was just a head game of telling myself to keep going and I would look at the race course at vary far points behind me where I could make sure there were still a lot of people behind me running the race. Also I heard that if you were near the balloon ladies, people would warn you they were coming so you knew to pick up the pace!
How Did You Feel During The Race?
I felt good about myself, the other racers however not so much! On the race course if you are over to the right you are walking and while I understand there are bottlenecks and the people actually running want to make pace and time, there were a lot of them that would come from your right and bump into you or cut you off and then stop right in front of you for phototpass.. most never said excuse me or sorry and it really made me angry. I tried to focus my energy on finishing and just listening to my playlist.
How Long Did It Take You To Finish?
Is too long and answer?! Hahahaha! It took me 2 hours and 8 minutes because my pace was awful but it gives me a goal to get beyond!
How Did You Feel Crossing The Finish Line?
I ugly cried! It was not a feeling I can explain. I was proud of myself and I had people messaging me, telling me they were proud of me and it was overwhelming!
Did You Do Anything Special To Celebrate Or Recover?
I had 2 beers waiting for me at the finish line thanks to David! We had champagne in the room too! I took a nice, long, hot shower then napped for about 3 hours because I needed sleep. They also give you a racers pack at the end and bananas. I don’t even like bananas but I was so hungry!
Do You Feel Like It Was Worth The Money & Will You Be Doing It Again?
I think the money is subjective, I feel it wa worth it and would rather do this than a normal race. But if you really want character pictures then no the 10k won’t get you that, you need to go higher. Also, I don’t think the 5k would be worth the money because when I reached it during my race even I said “That’s it??”. I will be honest and say, if I hadn’t paid the money I had for the race, I probably wouldn’t have even tried as hard or cared if I got swept/gave up because there was no money involved.
I’m definitely doing it again! I’m planning for the Wine and Dine 10k and maybe some virtual races in between!
What Was Your Favorite Part About The Race?
OHHH ummm…..I want to say all of it! But I guess it would be seeing the backstage that you never see and only Cast Members do. That was interesting, like a small keys to the kingdom tour but for Epcot. That and all the people there cheering us on, it was awesome that so many people would be up that early!
Do You Have Any Recommendations For Those Of Us Wanting To Do A Race?
I would say make sure you have the things you really need. Of course running clothes and good shoes you have broken in. KT Tape or some kind of kinesiology tape/brace for any joints that may be a worry. A cheap long sleeve shirt to jacket because the mornings are cold AF but once you’re in the race you may want to toss it off. (Cool fact, all the shirts and jackets that get tossed along the race are collected and donated by Disney). A water bottle made for a running belt for in between water stations. Have a. fitness watch for pace tracking, headphones/air pods for music. Have energy supplies like stinger waffles, sports beans, gu or whatever works for you.
What Are Those Energy Supplies & Which One Did You Like Best?
I got the Sports Beans at the expo! Those are made by Jelly Belly and come in all sorts of flavors. They basically provide “fuel/energy” while racing. The Gu comes in either a gel or chews and provide the same thing as the sports beans. The gel is like a liquified fruit roll and the chews are dummies. I tried the dummies and it made me have some digestive issues. The beans however did not, I also ate one of my verb caffeinated snack bars and some B12 dummies I picked up at Publix. I carried the beans and an extra snack bar in my running belt just in case!
Any Other Thoughts Or Advice?
Amazon is your friend when it comes to race accessories like a belt, tape, belt water bottle, etc. It’s nice because you can always return it if you don’t like it. No matter what race you do, make sure you have the support because it it essential!
My Conclusion
Obviously Pam had a wonderful experience and as her friend I was SOOOOO proud of her! I wish I could have been there that morning but I was watching on the tracking app all morning and almost cried when I saw her little flag cross the finish line! Pam is such an amazing cheerleader for everyone around her so I’m glad I got to be one for her that day, even if it was just through texts. I hope maybe I can do the next one with her because they look like so much fun!
If you are thinking about doing a Run Disney race for the first time, follow Pam’s advice and check out The Castle Run blog as well. She is a seasoned veteran when it comes to these races and her blog is amazing! I guess that’s it for today, I hope you guys enjoyed reading about Pam’s first experience with Run Disney and it inspires you to get out and challenge yourself like she did! It definitely inspired me!
As usual, thank you all for being here and reading along, it has been a rough week and I have looked forward to today so much! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and have a Magical Day!!