I Finished the Walt Disney World Marathon!
This morning I ran and completed my first marathon (and second runDisney event, with the Tower of Terror 10-Miler in 2012 being the first), finishing with a time of 5:14:31.
Prior to the event, I was apprehensive about whether I’d even finish it, as I hadn’t really trained for it. This wasn’t my intent when I signed up for the race months ago–the plan was that it would be the carrot that got me running regularly, but traveling, work, and just life, generally, got in the way. I ran once for ~4 miles on a treadmill a couple of weeks ago, and stopped after getting blisters on my feet and feeling pain in my knees.
After that, I wasn’t really sure if further training would do more harm than good, and I figured I was screwed either way, so I stopped, and went about life as normal. (I did buy new shoes the day before leaving for Walt Disney World, which I think made a huge difference–seriously.)
I found myself really unprepared and concerned that I wouldn’t finish. Not so much because I wouldn’t have the stamina (even though I hadn’t trained, I am in fairly good shape and the pace Disney requires is basically power-walking), but because I was concerned my body would give out.
I’ve heard of other people getting in the zone (or whatever you want to call it) and powering through a marathon. I suppose that’s sort of what happened with me. Being a crazy photographer, I wanted to get photos of the sunrise in the Magic Kingdom this morning, and the sky was starting to show some serious promise right as the race started. To get there in time for the good light, this meant running non-stop at a fairly brisk pace to the Magic Kingdom through about Mile 5 (I started in the last corral, which was probably a blessing in disguise), where I took the above photo.
The desire to get photos got me that far, and I think the cheering of random strangers got me the rest of the way. I didn’t know those people and they didn’t know me, but there was certainly something empowering about hearing people shout your name and words of encouragement. Plus, I’m a bit stubborn and competitive, and I didn’t want anyone to see me walking…so there was that. If you were out there this morning cheering, a very sincere thank you from the bottom of my heart. Seriously, it made all the difference.
All in all, a pretty fun morning, and I’m really proud of finishing (hence the hastily written post from my hotel room instead of heading out to the park!). RunDisney put on an amazing event, and I will definitely be back for another Walt Disney World Marathon. Hopefully next year, I can do the Dopey. This time, I will properly train!
I’ll have a full report/review up from the Marathon with a lot more photos sometime later in the week, but I just wanted to share this quickly now!
Step one: you start running. There is no step two.
In all seriousness, congrats on finishing the marathon!
Congratulations Tom!
It’s such a big accomplishment.
I have completed the London Marathon before and really the crowds cheering you on make such a huge difference.
You will always be able to say you did it!
(I hope that huge sundae on instagram was delicious!!!)
5:14 with no training AND you stopped for pictures? Nice job. Congratulations on your accomplishment!
Thanks! In hindsight, I wish I would have stopped for more photos…but I also wish I would have had a faster time. Can’t have it all, I guess!
Hey Tom,
What camera did you carry with you during the race. My girlfriend and I are getting ready to run the Princess Half and I’m not sure what type to carry with me on the run.
I carried the original Sony RX100 point & shoot. I reviewed this camera sometime ago here: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/sony-rx100-review/ I love it.
Hi Tom,
First, CONGRATS!! After reading about your rigorous training program, I feel a little more confident about taking on the marathon in 2016 (I’ve only run 4 half marathons) 😉
From what I understand, the Marathon Weekend (obviously) draws in a large number of people, with all hotels considered “host hotels” and providing expo and race transportation. Where did you stay and what were your thoughts on the transportation from said-hotel? I have only stayed at value resorts for race weekends (which were perfectly fine for someone who is in the parks from rope drop to close! and both times close to ESPN for the starts). I believe the marathon starts at Epcot, so would certainly like to be somewhat close to the Epcot area. I think for the marathon, I’d like to stay in a somewhat nicer hotel for better quality sleep and recovery afterwards!
Hope you had a wonderful time at the race!
I’m staying at the Swan. I have a rental car, so I only used the transportation on race morning, and it worked very well.
Nice! The Swan and Dolphin are beautiful resorts…I’d love to stay there but it’s so hard to pass on Magical Express transportation, since I fly in from DC 😉 Thanks for the reply and congrats again!
I finished it too!
I ended just above 6 hours and started in corral N, so you passed me somewhere along the race. I would have said hallo but I didn’t see you 🙂
Congrats! 🙂
Congrats! Usually running on new shoes is very strongly discouraged for race day! I’m glad it worked for you! You might want to consider a Hal Higdon training plan. I have done 3 half marathons using it. My first was the Princess Half! I used the Zen Labs Fitness 13.1 for Pink app for the iPhone for my most recent half. It is a run/walk program. I liked that it tells you what to do but also can play music at the same time. Again, congrats! If I ever graduate to a Full I will only do it in WDW! I can’t think of better motivation!
Yes, I should point out that this was another horrible idea. I think you’re supposed to run ~100 in shoes before doing a marathon (or something like that). The problem was that I was using minimalist running shoes, which I think was contributing to the knee issues and blisters. Getting new shoes at the last minute was the lesser of two evils.
I will never understand how a person can run a marathon without training. I trained for one and I barely made it. ha! Congrats on the race, and gorgeous photo!
Congratulations!!!
“The thrill is not just in winning, but in the courage to join the race.” Congratulations!!
Congratulations on finishing the marathon, and your time was really good for no training! My husband and I have talked many times about trying one of the Disney races, but we’re definitely not ready for a marathon to start. Good luck next year, and maybe we’ll be there doing one of the races too 🙂
Congratulations Tom! That’s a huge accomplishment. : )))
Serious congratulations! That’s a huge milestone and you owned the hell out of it!
Congrats on finishing. Consider finding a local running club to train with next time. Many clubs have training runs leading up to races to help build mileage. While the thought of a running club may sound intimidating, don’t let it be. Clubs have people of all experience levels ranging from those aiming for a Boston qualifier to those who laced up running shoes for the first time and just want to finish. They can be wonderfully motivating communities to encourage and prepare folks of all levels, often with water along the training course so you don’t have to carry your own.
Thanks–that’s a really good idea. I’ll have to see what’s near us, and join. Structure like that would also “force” me to find time to train, which would be good!
Congrats on your finish. Good times!
Congrats on finishing the marathon! Can’t wait to see the rest of your photos. What camera did you use take the sunrise picture? I hope you weren’t carrying all your gear for the whole race.
I’m so proud of you!! I’ve done two Disney Marathons. The first I trained for and ran the whole race (your time was still better than mine!) and last year I had plantar facituius that prevented me from training properly so I walked it. Training and running it was easier than walking!!! Congratulations, finishing is winning! I’m looking forward to your photos!
You are certifiably insane. Congrats for finishing it! Can’t wait to see the well earned photos.
Hooray!!! I am going to do the Dopey challenge next year too! The Wine and Dine Half Marathon this past November was my first race. I have a practical piece of advice for you. Can you lay aside the macho “I don’t want people to see me walking” attitude? Jeff Galloway, the training coordinator for the runDisney events, has detailed training plans on the runDisney website. He was an Olympian back in the 70s, still runs several marathons each year (including the Boston), and is a firm believer in the run/walk method. He did the Dopey this weekend. If you want to do it without injuries, this is the way to go. Check out his training advice on the website. And hopefully I will see you next year at the event and we will both be ready for it!
Thanks.
I’m familiar with Jeff Galloway, and obviously he knows a ton (a TON) more about conditioning than me. With that said, motivation for everyone is different. I did walk throughout the race, and for a long stretch, before the final third, that’s all I was doing. Seeing the cheering crowds is what motivated me (and my stubbornness of them seeing me) in the final third of the race to stop power walking, to power through, to keep running, to finish strong. I’m not claiming anything I did was a good strategy (far from it–and I’m pretty far from macho!), but it’s what ultimately got me and my poor planning across the finish line.
Hopefully I’ll see you at the Dopey next year, too! 🙂
Tom, congratulations on a terrific achievement! Secondly, if you are considering Dopey (or another marathon), I think that’s an awesome goal. I understand your desire to finish the marathon without walking. In no way do I think your attitude is macho nor do i think you are implying that those that do walk have achieved a goal any less commendable.
The Galloway method is extremely popular in the Disney community. I commend him for getting people out there running, but his program is by no means the only one. I also believe there is growing (and incorrect) fear that a more aggressive training plan ultimately leads to injury. Galloway has a wealth of knowledge and experience, but he also has found a great way to make a living.
There are plenty of training programs out there – Hal Higdon, Brooks/Hanson, etc. If you follow them closely you will definitely be prepared – and remain healthy. This is especially true if you supplement your training with basic strength training and stretching.
I really enjoy the website. Good luck in the future!
Reading between the lines here–and please correct me if I’m wrong–but it sounds like you’re saying that Galloway’s plan is (at least in part) popular with new runners because it tells them what they want to hear: it’s good to walk during a marathon, among other things.
I know Disney marathons tend to draw a different demographic than “real world” races, so I wonder if this is part of it? Giving people a way to be prepared, without a training regime that’s overly intimidating.
…Is that more or less what you’re saying/implying?
There is definite wisdom behind Galloway’s coaching. He has other training programs beside walk/run, but it’s primarily the walk/run coaching style that he emphasizes on RunDisney and the Mickey Miles Podcast. RunDisney races also seem to attract more first time runners- and thus by association, many runners turn to Galloway’s R/W plan. (It’s also available directly on the runDisney website, so that helps).
The plan will help you get across the finish line, no doubt. But I sense there is some desire to run the entire distance. If that’s the case you need to use a training plan built on the idea there are no walk breaks.
Running is all about building a base and proper training. Plenty of plans will get you to your goal. Follow a plan that suits your lifestyle making sure to incorporate rest days, and some strength training. That’s how you’ll stay healthy.
There’s nothing easy about marathon training. Despite the inocuous title, the Galloway run/walk program often asks runners to max a single training session at 29-30 miles. Quite a long day if you ask me!
Glad you had a great time, Tom. 🙂