Be Prepared

The Walt Disney Marathon weekend is getting closer and you can feel the anticipation in the air. Don't worry about old Scar staring you down on this post. Just couple his advice along with that of Pumba and Timon and "Hakuna Matata" you'll have know worries going into marathon weekend.

I'm using this post to mention a few last minute things to consider before leaving home and what to expect once you arrive in WDW.

The morning of your event it will most likely be cold out. A couple ways you can stay warm is to pick up an inexpensive sweat suit from your local Dollar or Walmart store. On the way to the starting corrals, bins will be set up along the road to collect discarded clothing. The clothing goes to a local shelter. If you choose to discard clothing after the race starts, be considerate of others and take it to the side of the road. There are no containers on the course but the clothes will still be picked up.

Another inexpensive idea which works very well for your upper body is to simply bring along a plastic 33 gallon lawn bag. Punch holes in it for your head (and arms if you like) your body heat will keep you warm.

Don't forget to pack Body Glide or Vaseline to prevent chaffing. Do not wear a cotton shirt. Be certain to wear a tech shirt that wicks moisture away from your body and will not get heavy with sweat. I'm not sure how this advice affects women who might be wearing a sports bra, but men trust me, you do not want a heavy soaked cotton shirt rubbing on your nipples. Some runners even use band aids. Consider a hat or sunglasses as well.


On the morning of your run, buses will be operating as early as 3:30am to take you to the Imagination lot over at EPCOT. This staging area is the same location your family and friends can meet you after the race. In the morning only registered runners are allowed.

In the image above is a yellow line. At the beginning of that line is the canopy which Team Voice members can visit with each other while waiting for the announcement to head to the starting corrals. The walk from here is 6/10 of a mile.

The blue dots represent people waiting in line to use one of the two areas with porta-potties. Last year these lines were quite long but I noticed something that worked well for me. In the red circle above, the lines were very thin. Most runners entering this area where not walking all the way back and because these are in a corner no lines really seemed to form.

The green line is how you will return to the area post race. If memory serves correctly this is where you can have your picture taken with your medal. Once back in the parking lot Team voice members can look for each other at the canopy if they would like. On the far end of the lot Donald, Mickey, and Goofy are available for pictures. I realized this too late last year and was denied access to Donald's line because it was being closed down.

(Click Image to Enlarge)

Chances are you might want to pass along some information to someone looking for you out on the course during your run. The chart above can be used to determine where you can expect to be mileage wise based on pace.

Disney offers a couple other resources.
You can sign up for runner tracking sent to your cell or email account at http://live.activeresult.com/msg/MSG-signup.tcl?event_id=3

The Walt Disney Spectator Tool is another resource that gives advise on how to move around the parks to watch runners.

In closing

Expo Hours are:
Thursday 12pm to 8pm
Friday 9am to 8pm
Saturday 10am to 6pm

Also we have a dining update. One seat is now available for Mama Melrose on Friday and seven seats are currently available for Ohana's for Sunday evening. If we do not fill the seats for Ohana I will notify guest services on Sunday morning and give the extra seats up. So if you are interested let me know. Team members my cell phone was listed in my last group email. Feel free to email or text my phone anytime with any questions you have.

I look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Jeff W.