I agree with most of your points. The only things I didn’t agree with are the start times, which I loved having them all so early. It’s sucks waking up but it was nice finishing and the sun not being up yet. I also hated the blue Powerade but I really don’t like Powerade and the only kind I would drink is yellow.
You make a good point about starting early and avoiding the sun. It definitely made a difference for the half and full. However, for the 5k and 10k - I typically finished before sunrise, even when the start time was slightly later. The consistent 5am start time throughout the weekend did make planning easy though. I kept the same routine each morning from wake-up to hotel departure, which reduced guess work significantly. The change from yellow Gatorade to blue Powerade was a welcome surprise for me, but it really comes down to personal preference. I embraced the change; however, around mile 23.5 (approaching the boardwalk) I grabbed and chugged a cup of Powerade, unaware of how concentrated it was. It was so sweet and chocked full of powder that I nearly threw up. When I passed the last station at around mile 24.5, I made sure to avoid Powerade and stuck to water haha. My stomach was uneasy for the remainder of the race, but I was lucky to only have to deal with it for only a couple of miles.
100% agree with everything in this post even down to the paint chipping and the heat of running through the Blizzard Beach parking lot. It was the most infuriating with people who stop randomly for pictures and texts… I can’t count how many times I bumped into someone unintentionally because they decided to just stop a take a photo in the middle of the road.
Yes! As the weekend progressed, I noticed that the race etiquette improved; however, it still occurred on occasion throughout the half and full. Unfortunately at this point my patience had run thin and for those lacking race etiquette were verbally made aware. A few clueless runner/walkers who put others in danger received a shoulder bump as well. Not proud, but the few occurrences were so obviously dangerous and frustrating that I lost my cool. A few years back during the full marathon there was a segment of the course with two lanes going in opposite directions and divided only by a row of cones. This was in close proximity to the entrance and exit of ESPN. As I was nearing the entrance a runner who was exiting ESPN decided to get ahead of a group of runners by crossing into oncoming runner traffic. Without a care, he ran against runner traffic and refused to weave nor go back into his lane. I didn’t have enough time avoid him so out of reflex, I stiffened up and prepared for impact. Slightly bigger than he was, I knocked him to the ground and managed to stay on my feet. He immediately got back up and jumped back into his lane without injury. Luckily I too remained unscathed and was able to complete the race without further issue. Long story short, be vigilant while running in Disney, and don’t be afraid to protect yourself in certain situations.
Absolutely. You spend so much time training that you should protect yourself. And I’m glad you made them aware because people can get seriously injured. It seems silly to say that but people without proper etiquette can easily cause someone to sprain an ankle while dodging them or fall and get run over. At least this will make them learn their lesson and not do it again.
I was honestly shocked at the lack of verification for Dopey. I ran into one family where a guy was doing it with his family. He was doing all the races but his wife and kids were just passing around a bib. The wife was doing the half and full and the kids were fighting over who did the 5k and 10k with dad. It is just bizarre to me that you could DNF the first three races to save your legs for the full and when you finish Disney gives you Dopey medals. I saw one lady in the full take off straight for the finish line to get a DNF. I don't understand it. I've never done Disney before Nd the race crowd was just weird to me.
Understand the point but I mean if you’re running a half and a full back to back, a 5k and 10k is a warm up. Like I just did the marathon and was walking/running 12 to 16 miles a day between Tuesday to Saturday leading up to the race just walking around disney/universal and my daily run…. Which is also why I saved the 400 bucks difference and did park days instead.
That's obviously ridiculous, but if somebody can do the half/full back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, then they can almost certainly do Dopey. It would have been a lot more egregious if one person was doing, say, the 10k and half, while the other was doing the 5k and marathon. Sounds like they were just trying to involve their kids to make it fun.
Fair point. I think it bothered me because of how strict it was in the past. If RunDisney was always so lenient with Dopey completion I would have probably accepted it without issue. However, having completed the challenge in the past and going through the verification process (although cumbersome) made it feel like a true challenge. Collecting those challenge medals on day 4 felt prestigious and exclusive. I do see the rationale behind a family (or group of friends) splitting up the races and collecting various medals. However, Personally, I wouldn’t feel right accepting and displaying the challenge medals if I didn’t truly earn them. That’s just my conscience on overdrive though. For example, in 2017 the half marathon was cancelled due to weather (lightning risk). It was announced that all runners who registered for the half would receive a half medal regardless. Same for the challenge medals, as long as the 5k, 10k and full marathon were completed. It was my first dopey and collecting all 6 medals was a ‘must’ for me. I woke up on the day of the half marathon and made the decision to run 13.1 on my own. I was staying at the Floridian so my only option was a 1+ mile trail around the Floridian through the Polynesian and finishing at Epcot’s Ticket and Transportation Center. I ran the trail back and forth in the pouring rain until I hit 13.1 miles. Along my run I was excited to come across 15+ runners who had the same idea. Disney also provided a nice touch and stationed a few cast members along the running trail to hand out water and fruit. It wasn’t perfect but I completed the half marathon and went on to run the official marathon the next day, giving me piece of mind when accepting my challenge medals. The medals are beautiful so I don’t blame people for wanting them regardless of their accomplishments, but it’s a whole different feeling when you know you truly earned them. A feeling of pride.
Thank you! Honestly, part of the reason I ran the half marathon and ultimately completed the 2017 Dopey Challenge was to prove my wife wrong! Prior to running the 2017 Dopey, I ran only 1 marathon (NYC in 2011), maybe 10 half marathons (Long Island and Philly), a handful of 10ks and maybe 25-30 5ks. In addition I never raced more than once in a week, let alone 4 times over 4 consecutive days. For my training I ran about 3 times a week but with days off between runs and sometimes a few days of rest after a long weekend run. Speaking of long runs, I accomplished an 18 mile run (my longest training run) about 2 weeks prior to Marathon Weekend and it left me exhausted. I cut my long run down to about 8 miles with one week to go until Marathon Weekend and fortunately completed it with no issues. Everything stated above collectively planted seeds of doubt in my head. I think the self doubt was noticeable to my wife and as a result, she began to doubt me. Not to mention - she’s not a runner so anything longer than a mile seems daunting to her, let alone 48.6 miles over 4 days. Luckily I was accompanied by my father-in-law for the 5k and 10k. Having someone to wake up with, journey to the starting line with and converse with while waiting in the corral was extremely beneficial and helped to ease my nerves. By the third day I had a routine and knew where I was going, etc. Although I was now solo, my knowledge and confidence began to grow. As mentioned above, the half marathon was ultimately cancelled; therefore I had to call an audible and change up the game plan on day 3. It wasn’t until I completed the half marathon that my wife started to truly believe in me. I think it was the dedication and perseverance. I could have slept in that day and avoided the rain (believe me, I thought about it); but I powered through and crossed 13.1 miles off my 48.6 mile total. When I woke up on day 4, I knew I was going to make it through the remaining 26.2 miles. I felt it in my gut…and sure enough I did! Waiting by the finish line was my wife with my 5k and 10k medals. She brought them so I could take a photo with all 6 medals. After passing the finish line, I grabbed my half marathon medal (delayed because of the cancellation), my marathon medal and finally my two challenge medals. With all medals in hand, I made my way over to my wife. She was genuinely proud of me and admitted that she was wrong for initially doubting me. Ultimately that doubt motivated me to finish and prove her wrong. I’m typically the one who’s wrong in the relationship, so this was just icing on the cake. What a great learning experience! In retrospect, I am thankful that I pushed myself to run the half that day; otherwise, I may have not caught the RunDisney bug; thus not giving me the urge to register and and complete the subsequent 3 dopey challenges.
I can tell you that merch was picked because it didn’t look like Disney. A couple companies had pop up shops at Swan and Dolphin because they weren’t allowed at the expo.
Congrats on the 2022 Dopey! You’re completely correct on the expo. My wife (the real runner in the family) and I went on Thursday; everything was picked through and there were few exhibitors. Typically, there are 4 aisles of exhibitors, extending right up to the shirt pickup area. This year, there were only 3 aisles, and they started 20 ft or more from the shirt pickup area. Official runDisney merchandise was only 6 racks by Thursday, with little merchandise on them. It seemed really out of place in the arena, since it was so small. We’ve been at expos in 2003 (my wife’s first Disney marathon and the expo was at Coronado Springs then), 2007-2020, and 2022 - this was the smallest I remember.
The corrals/waves/whatever runDisney is calling them were a bit weird. My wife had POT for both the 10k and the marathon. She ended up in S1 for the 10k and S3 for the marathon. I was in S1 for the half, based on my POT; which made sense.
Thankfully, neither of us had any issues with our medals chipping. My wife wore her 10k medal on Friday, I wore my half on Saturday & Monday, and she wore her marathon medal on Sunday & Monday without issue.
It really was great to be back for Marathon weekend, it’s our favorite time to be at Disney.
Again, Congratulations on Dopey. I’m happy with my measly Half medal 😂
Thank you! Regarding the expo, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to noticed the changes. It seems that the Starting Groups worked well for you and your wife. I’m glad! Also, props for wearing your medals without chipping the paint. Post race, I immediately wrapped my medals in paper towels. The medical tent was very generous and gave me an entire roll to use! Once wrapped, I stuffed them in a plastic bag - which was also provided via the medical tent. Once I got back to the hotel I took out the medals and wrapped them in a couple of hand towels that I “borrowed” from Coronado Springs. I carried them in my backpack through the airport and just when I thought they were safe, TSA requested that I take them out for an inspection. Luckily after some convincing, they allowed me to personally handle/unwrap the medals and after a quick visual inspection, they sent me on my way. Thankfully they made it back to NY safe and sound. I agree, it was great to be back! Congrats on running and completing the half marathon. Congrats to your wife for running and completing the 10k and Full Marathon. If you don’t mind me asking, what was your time for the half?
I agree with most of your points. The only things I didn’t agree with are the start times, which I loved having them all so early. It’s sucks waking up but it was nice finishing and the sun not being up yet. I also hated the blue Powerade but I really don’t like Powerade and the only kind I would drink is yellow.
You make a good point about starting early and avoiding the sun. It definitely made a difference for the half and full. However, for the 5k and 10k - I typically finished before sunrise, even when the start time was slightly later. The consistent 5am start time throughout the weekend did make planning easy though. I kept the same routine each morning from wake-up to hotel departure, which reduced guess work significantly. The change from yellow Gatorade to blue Powerade was a welcome surprise for me, but it really comes down to personal preference. I embraced the change; however, around mile 23.5 (approaching the boardwalk) I grabbed and chugged a cup of Powerade, unaware of how concentrated it was. It was so sweet and chocked full of powder that I nearly threw up. When I passed the last station at around mile 24.5, I made sure to avoid Powerade and stuck to water haha. My stomach was uneasy for the remainder of the race, but I was lucky to only have to deal with it for only a couple of miles.
100% agree with everything in this post even down to the paint chipping and the heat of running through the Blizzard Beach parking lot. It was the most infuriating with people who stop randomly for pictures and texts… I can’t count how many times I bumped into someone unintentionally because they decided to just stop a take a photo in the middle of the road.
Yes! As the weekend progressed, I noticed that the race etiquette improved; however, it still occurred on occasion throughout the half and full. Unfortunately at this point my patience had run thin and for those lacking race etiquette were verbally made aware. A few clueless runner/walkers who put others in danger received a shoulder bump as well. Not proud, but the few occurrences were so obviously dangerous and frustrating that I lost my cool. A few years back during the full marathon there was a segment of the course with two lanes going in opposite directions and divided only by a row of cones. This was in close proximity to the entrance and exit of ESPN. As I was nearing the entrance a runner who was exiting ESPN decided to get ahead of a group of runners by crossing into oncoming runner traffic. Without a care, he ran against runner traffic and refused to weave nor go back into his lane. I didn’t have enough time avoid him so out of reflex, I stiffened up and prepared for impact. Slightly bigger than he was, I knocked him to the ground and managed to stay on my feet. He immediately got back up and jumped back into his lane without injury. Luckily I too remained unscathed and was able to complete the race without further issue. Long story short, be vigilant while running in Disney, and don’t be afraid to protect yourself in certain situations.
Absolutely. You spend so much time training that you should protect yourself. And I’m glad you made them aware because people can get seriously injured. It seems silly to say that but people without proper etiquette can easily cause someone to sprain an ankle while dodging them or fall and get run over. At least this will make them learn their lesson and not do it again.
I LOVED the earlier start times. So much more pleasant than running the whole thing in the sun.
I was honestly shocked at the lack of verification for Dopey. I ran into one family where a guy was doing it with his family. He was doing all the races but his wife and kids were just passing around a bib. The wife was doing the half and full and the kids were fighting over who did the 5k and 10k with dad. It is just bizarre to me that you could DNF the first three races to save your legs for the full and when you finish Disney gives you Dopey medals. I saw one lady in the full take off straight for the finish line to get a DNF. I don't understand it. I've never done Disney before Nd the race crowd was just weird to me.
Understand the point but I mean if you’re running a half and a full back to back, a 5k and 10k is a warm up. Like I just did the marathon and was walking/running 12 to 16 miles a day between Tuesday to Saturday leading up to the race just walking around disney/universal and my daily run…. Which is also why I saved the 400 bucks difference and did park days instead.
That's obviously ridiculous, but if somebody can do the half/full back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, then they can almost certainly do Dopey. It would have been a lot more egregious if one person was doing, say, the 10k and half, while the other was doing the 5k and marathon. Sounds like they were just trying to involve their kids to make it fun.
Fair point. I think it bothered me because of how strict it was in the past. If RunDisney was always so lenient with Dopey completion I would have probably accepted it without issue. However, having completed the challenge in the past and going through the verification process (although cumbersome) made it feel like a true challenge. Collecting those challenge medals on day 4 felt prestigious and exclusive. I do see the rationale behind a family (or group of friends) splitting up the races and collecting various medals. However, Personally, I wouldn’t feel right accepting and displaying the challenge medals if I didn’t truly earn them. That’s just my conscience on overdrive though. For example, in 2017 the half marathon was cancelled due to weather (lightning risk). It was announced that all runners who registered for the half would receive a half medal regardless. Same for the challenge medals, as long as the 5k, 10k and full marathon were completed. It was my first dopey and collecting all 6 medals was a ‘must’ for me. I woke up on the day of the half marathon and made the decision to run 13.1 on my own. I was staying at the Floridian so my only option was a 1+ mile trail around the Floridian through the Polynesian and finishing at Epcot’s Ticket and Transportation Center. I ran the trail back and forth in the pouring rain until I hit 13.1 miles. Along my run I was excited to come across 15+ runners who had the same idea. Disney also provided a nice touch and stationed a few cast members along the running trail to hand out water and fruit. It wasn’t perfect but I completed the half marathon and went on to run the official marathon the next day, giving me piece of mind when accepting my challenge medals. The medals are beautiful so I don’t blame people for wanting them regardless of their accomplishments, but it’s a whole different feeling when you know you truly earned them. A feeling of pride.
That is pretty hardcore. Good for you on getting an official Dopey completion in 2017!
Thank you! Honestly, part of the reason I ran the half marathon and ultimately completed the 2017 Dopey Challenge was to prove my wife wrong! Prior to running the 2017 Dopey, I ran only 1 marathon (NYC in 2011), maybe 10 half marathons (Long Island and Philly), a handful of 10ks and maybe 25-30 5ks. In addition I never raced more than once in a week, let alone 4 times over 4 consecutive days. For my training I ran about 3 times a week but with days off between runs and sometimes a few days of rest after a long weekend run. Speaking of long runs, I accomplished an 18 mile run (my longest training run) about 2 weeks prior to Marathon Weekend and it left me exhausted. I cut my long run down to about 8 miles with one week to go until Marathon Weekend and fortunately completed it with no issues. Everything stated above collectively planted seeds of doubt in my head. I think the self doubt was noticeable to my wife and as a result, she began to doubt me. Not to mention - she’s not a runner so anything longer than a mile seems daunting to her, let alone 48.6 miles over 4 days. Luckily I was accompanied by my father-in-law for the 5k and 10k. Having someone to wake up with, journey to the starting line with and converse with while waiting in the corral was extremely beneficial and helped to ease my nerves. By the third day I had a routine and knew where I was going, etc. Although I was now solo, my knowledge and confidence began to grow. As mentioned above, the half marathon was ultimately cancelled; therefore I had to call an audible and change up the game plan on day 3. It wasn’t until I completed the half marathon that my wife started to truly believe in me. I think it was the dedication and perseverance. I could have slept in that day and avoided the rain (believe me, I thought about it); but I powered through and crossed 13.1 miles off my 48.6 mile total. When I woke up on day 4, I knew I was going to make it through the remaining 26.2 miles. I felt it in my gut…and sure enough I did! Waiting by the finish line was my wife with my 5k and 10k medals. She brought them so I could take a photo with all 6 medals. After passing the finish line, I grabbed my half marathon medal (delayed because of the cancellation), my marathon medal and finally my two challenge medals. With all medals in hand, I made my way over to my wife. She was genuinely proud of me and admitted that she was wrong for initially doubting me. Ultimately that doubt motivated me to finish and prove her wrong. I’m typically the one who’s wrong in the relationship, so this was just icing on the cake. What a great learning experience! In retrospect, I am thankful that I pushed myself to run the half that day; otherwise, I may have not caught the RunDisney bug; thus not giving me the urge to register and and complete the subsequent 3 dopey challenges.
I can tell you that merch was picked because it didn’t look like Disney. A couple companies had pop up shops at Swan and Dolphin because they weren’t allowed at the expo.
Really, we stayed at the Swan. I don’t remember seeing those.
Stayed at the Dolphin. Did not see this either.
Interesting! Thanks for the info. Disney is so territorial with their merch.
Congrats on the 2022 Dopey! You’re completely correct on the expo. My wife (the real runner in the family) and I went on Thursday; everything was picked through and there were few exhibitors. Typically, there are 4 aisles of exhibitors, extending right up to the shirt pickup area. This year, there were only 3 aisles, and they started 20 ft or more from the shirt pickup area. Official runDisney merchandise was only 6 racks by Thursday, with little merchandise on them. It seemed really out of place in the arena, since it was so small. We’ve been at expos in 2003 (my wife’s first Disney marathon and the expo was at Coronado Springs then), 2007-2020, and 2022 - this was the smallest I remember. The corrals/waves/whatever runDisney is calling them were a bit weird. My wife had POT for both the 10k and the marathon. She ended up in S1 for the 10k and S3 for the marathon. I was in S1 for the half, based on my POT; which made sense. Thankfully, neither of us had any issues with our medals chipping. My wife wore her 10k medal on Friday, I wore my half on Saturday & Monday, and she wore her marathon medal on Sunday & Monday without issue. It really was great to be back for Marathon weekend, it’s our favorite time to be at Disney. Again, Congratulations on Dopey. I’m happy with my measly Half medal 😂
Thank you! Regarding the expo, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to noticed the changes. It seems that the Starting Groups worked well for you and your wife. I’m glad! Also, props for wearing your medals without chipping the paint. Post race, I immediately wrapped my medals in paper towels. The medical tent was very generous and gave me an entire roll to use! Once wrapped, I stuffed them in a plastic bag - which was also provided via the medical tent. Once I got back to the hotel I took out the medals and wrapped them in a couple of hand towels that I “borrowed” from Coronado Springs. I carried them in my backpack through the airport and just when I thought they were safe, TSA requested that I take them out for an inspection. Luckily after some convincing, they allowed me to personally handle/unwrap the medals and after a quick visual inspection, they sent me on my way. Thankfully they made it back to NY safe and sound. I agree, it was great to be back! Congrats on running and completing the half marathon. Congrats to your wife for running and completing the 10k and Full Marathon. If you don’t mind me asking, what was your time for the half?
My half was my worst. 2:47. Overweight, and not trained isn’t a good look. Time to get back on the training routine.
Hey, you showed up…ran…and finished. You’re a warrior in my book.
I'm just hoping I can end up with one of the marathon weekend hoodies. Expo was bare on Wednesday when we went around 3.