What Does a Disney World Race Weekend Look Like?
Race days are always magical, even with the early start. Everyone’s race weekend is a little different, but here is a general rundown of what to expect at Disney World.
Pre-Race
Expo:
You will need to go to the Expo at the Wide World of Sports to pick up your bib at least a day before your race. You cannot have a friend pick up your bib for you, but this can be a fun event, or you can grab your bib and shirt and leave. The Expo is full of vendors with plenty of merchandise to buy; you can even stock up on all your race needs if you forgot something at home or didn’t want to bring race snacks on the plane. One of my favorite things is to grab a drink (special beers for race weekend) or some food and explore ESPN Wide World of Sports while there too. Every Disney hotel has shuttles running here during expo hours. The Expo is normally open Wednesday (marathon weekend only) or Thursday- Saturday. Stay tuned for a blog specifically on the expo fun.
Race Day
Pre-Race:
Early morning wake up: If you are staying on Disney property, you will need to catch the shuttle at the hotel around 3-4 AM. Most hotels have a to-go runners’ breakfast for purchase, but I prefer to bring my breakfast with me to avoid any extra stress. You can bring food from home or have a grocery delivery service drop off an order at your hotel - bell services will hold it for you if your delivery arrives before you do on check-in day.
Shuttles/Parking: If you stay on property or at select Disney partner hotels, you can take a shuttle to the race start. If you are staying off property or prefer to drive, give yourself plenty of time to park and get to the start, as traffic can be brutal these mornings.
Security Checkpoint: Once off the shuttle, you will be directed to go through a security checkpoint to get to the race area.
Pre-race fun: Upon arrival, you will hopefully have time before the race starts. You can join the dance party with the DJ, jump in line to get pictures with characters, take a nap on the pavement, or make new friends. Spectators can attend the pre-race activities with you but can not go past the corral checkpoint. It can be between a 0.5-1.5 mile walk from the drop-off spot to the race corrals, so give yourself time to get to your corral. Pro-tip: Don’t forget to stop by the port-a-potties before going to your corral so you don’t have to make an early pitstop while running.
gEAR Bag Check: Disney will provide you with a clear plastic bag when you pick up your bib at the expo. This bag is provided for you to use if you want to use the bag drop. The provided plastic bag is the only bag Disney will accept. This allows you to put things like extra pre- or post-race clothes and receive them at the finish. I wouldn’t recommend putting anything valuable in these bags; bring those items with you or give them to a non-running friend. Pro Tip: If you are running a challenge, you can store your previous race medals in the bag for photos with all of your medals after your final race! Just make sure you bundle them so they do not scratch each other.
Join your corral: Disney does a decent job separating runners into corrals by pace. This limits how many people are weaving around each other, the whole race. Your corral letter will be listed on your race bib.
If you want to be placed in an earlier corral, you will need to submit a proof of time to Disney.
Do not try to get into an earlier corral than the one you are scheduled for. They have volunteers checking your bib, and they will turn you away, so don’t try to get around the rule. If you want to join a friend in a different corral, you will have to go back to the later corral to avoid issues.
Race Start! Before the race, the MCs, Carissa Galloway and John Pelkey, will get on stage and chat to pump up the crowd and show different movie clips. If you want to get to know them before race weekend, check out their new 3, 2, 1 Go! Podcast. Usually, characters will join them on the stage for a bit to get the race started. Wheelchair racers will start first, then the corrals will start about 3-5 minutes apart. Each corral will have multiple starting groups. The best part is that each start gets its own fireworks start!
Race:
This is what you have trained for, so make sure to enjoy it. If you want to set a PR and go crazy fast, go for it, but still try to enjoy the Disney atmosphere and take in all of the Disney extras as you run by.
Character lines: Character lines will be long. Plan at least 5-15 minutes at each character and plan even longer waits during 5ks. Keep this in mind because this will affect your running pace, and remember to be quick when it is your turn. You will find tons of unique characters on the route.
Course Entertainment: There is usually some fun course entertainment including DJs, marching bands, choirs, and more. You never know what you will find, but make sure to show them some love for being out there as early as you.
Bathrooms: One of the perks of running through the parks is real bathrooms. If you need to use the restroom and can wait, enjoy using a real bathroom when you run through the parks. Once the course maps are released, compare them to the Disney park maps for restroom options to plan ahead, or ask your Travel Grown Adventure Planner for recommendations!
Run/Walk: Disney is a big fan of the Galloway training plan, which calls for run/walk intervals. This is great and allows many people to feel confident during the race. If you see a person or group raise their hand, this means they are going to transition from a run to a walk. You want to be aware so you don’t run into them. If you are doing a run/walk, then please be sure to raise your hand, especially when switching to a walk, and move to the right. These races are crowded, and giving a warning to the runners around you will avoid any collisions.
Pace Group: Disney has many pace groups led by experienced runners. They will help you stay on track and finish in the time you want. They all use the Galloway run/walk program, so talk to them before the race to ensure you know the strategy. If you are interested, you can also get more info about these groups at the Expo.
Mile Markers: There will be fun mile markers to tell you where you are. These each have a different character on them and usually have the race start time showing. This does not equal your race time unless you started in the first wave.
Drinks/Snacks: Disney will have refreshment areas along each race route. The 5k and 10k usually are just drinks, but the half and full have a few snack stops too. These will be identified on the race maps so you can plan accordingly. I still recommend carrying some of your own snacks and water bottle too for longer races if you need more regular fuel or water.
Photographers: Photographers will be all around the course. You will usually find them at all characters and near the iconic landmarks. You can normally identify them sitting in their bright green tents or where Disney has added lighting to the course.
My tip is to run on the sides of the course so you are near photographers as you run. You can get all of your race photos through Memory Maker or purchase them separately.
Try not to cut others off given everyone wants fun race photos. Everyone gets Mike Wazowski’ed at some point as seen below so don’t get upset if that happens. Just run with it and laugh at it.
Adult Beverages: Yes, sometimes you can actually grab a beer or beverage of choice when running through the World Showcase in Epcot on the way to the finish. This depends on the time you run through this area and if they are open yet. Usually this is only possible during the marathon.
Rides: Similar to drinks, this depends on when you run through the parks. The parks need to be open for you to ride anything. I loved jumping on Expedition Everest at mile 17 of my marathon. Just remember, you have to actually get off the ride and keep going…that can be hard. It does lead to some fun watch routes since it tracks the ride 🙂
Balloon Ladies: You will hear all about the balloon ladies if you are on runDisney Facebook groups. These ladies are the last people to start each race and walk a 16 minute mile (the required pace for all 10k, half, and full marathon races). If you fall behind these ladies, you have the chance of being swept onto a bus and taken to the finish line. These ladies are super friendly and encouraging. Do your best to stay in front of them if you want to finish the race.
Post-Race:
Celebrate because you earned it! There is a lot going on post-race to help you celebrate!
Finish Line: Smile as you cross that finish line! You have earned that finish and there will be plenty of photos to capture it. I obviously like the hands-up pose for finishing 🙂
Finisher Chute: Once you finish, you will just follow everyone else through the finisher chute.
Medical: If you need medical attention, let the volunteers know and they will direct you accordingly.
Medals: Everyone who completes the race gets a medal (isn’t that why we run these races). If you are doing a challenge, make sure to go through the specific challenge area.
Snack Boxes: Disney provides each runner with a snack box. These vary each year but almost always have “fake” cheese, which has a runDisney cult following.
Drinks: You will have the opportunity to grab a bottle of water and a sports drink at the finish.
Photographers: There will be plenty of photographers after you exit the finisher area to capture your special moment after you get your medal. You can get individual or group photos and don’t forget to grab one with the “I did it!” paddle. These photos are included if you have Memory Maker.
Dance Party: Yep, the DJ moved to the finish line and is still playing music and celebrating with you.
Character Photos: The characters also moved to the end of the race for another opportunity to grab a photo with your medal.
Drinks: You can celebrate your race with a drink at the finish area. They usually have the race weekend specials there and you can get more affordable refills if you use the same cup each time.
gEAR Bag Check: Don’t forget to grab your bag if you dropped one before the race.
Shuttles: The shuttles back to your hotel will be easy to find. They are usually nice charter buses and it is totally ok if you are a little slow getting off. We are all in the same boat.
Thank your supporters! Make sure to thank anyone that supported you for the race. It was a long morning for them too and they deserve a nice, sweaty hug. Look for another blog coming on tips for supporters.
Doing a challenge or multiple races? Get ready to repeat this process each day. Make sure you are getting rest between the races and good luck trying to go to bed early.
Get a refresher on runDisney race weekends at my runDisney: Guide to Disney World Races blog.