***which leads me to my next point and one Keels makes, the merchandise, runDisney is sucking people dry and they know it, the "I did it" shirt is ridicules, we are each given a finisher shirt..disney just know they can sale anything.
Those "i did it" shirts kill me.
At Star Wars DH noticed that the font of the Half I Did It shirts made it look like it said "IDIOT".
I did the 5K last year and loved it, and most of the runners I met in the parks were really sweet and encouraging, which is part of why I figured it would be a good race for me (the other part is the princess thing). But from some of the things I've seen here, it sounds like those sweet and encouraging runners are in the minority.
People *in person* were pretty decent. People on the course could be jerky, but you see that, or I've seen it, in all the events I've done. People with just no clue of where to go or how to move around in the course, etc. But in person people were nice.
My son saw my medal and asked if I won. When I told him no he said "so you got a participation medal like I get in baseball." Well, kind of I guess.
It IS a participation medal. I have no problem with that. There are ALSO winner medals. For those who win.
Disney can charge more if they give everyone some sort of medal (and the winners also get their prizes), so they do that. And all they have to do is call it a participant medal, and then everyone would be happy. Go, participate, be happy.
These same women slowed down before they got to the finish line and linked arms to cross. I get it, you want to cross with your friends.
There. Is. A. Picture...on the official FB rundisney page...of three women in Minnie skirts holding hands as they apparently cross the finish line.
This is what rundisney chooses to put on their page. THEY are part of the problem.
They had some out afterwards.
I think I got lost in my multi-quote. If this isn't what you're talking about, ignore me.
The grey, with a castle, "run princess run", tanks with NO race distance on it?
People at the expo we asked for help kept handing me a Half Marathon shirt that was basically like that, but with the Half and a little extra color on it.
we didn't arrive at the Expo until 1:30 on Thursday. I was expecting bedlam, from what I'd read here. Nope. There was NO ONE in the bib pickup, we walked right up to the desks. Same with picking up shirts and bags. The Official Merch had all the "I Did It" shirts- with the map on the back. Magnets. Long sleeved shirts.
So you got in around the time we were leaving. Timing is everything! We had madness. For some reason we went against our plans, and got in the bib line first. The one that started near the parking lot. Then, the line that was non-existent as far as I could tell when we got up there, the main expo line, went nearly to the kid's Mile run area. It only took 8 minutes in that line, once we got to the very end of it, to get into the building, but it felt longer.
Did they have the tanks I mentioned above?
I saw two over two days. One XL that was snaked out from me by a lady behind me as I waited patiently for the person in front of me to move (on Thursday), and one that's borderline small on me but I got it anyway because I wanted it (on Friday after my cousin stalked an employee restocking items one at a time).
And the inside of the tank, where the transfer is, feels rubbery and damp all the time, because it's such poor quality. Sigh.
if you frequently run races that send off runners with fireworks and feature marching bands and drum lines and Disney characters along the route- then variations in the number or frequency of those things are going to matter more to you than they will to someone who is not accustomed to those things.
So true.
Except that corral C for the 10K got NO fireworks.
They even did the "ready, set, go" thing again, and still no fireworks. It was sad. (don't know about later corrals as I was gone for them, but they had them for A and B!)
finisher medals (which is how rD refers to them on their website)
And all they have to do is change the name.
not all of them are people who admit they never should have started and even joke about it.
Exactly. So true.
I still have not seen or read anyone saying/writing that. I've been told that people were, but I didn't notice it.
Rock N Roll series was built SOLELY on the idea of selling out races and challenges. And sorry to say, you don't see them handing out a medal if you don't finish.
Rock and Roll Vancouver:
Their sag wagon will take you to the finish OR will take you further in the course, where you can get off the sag wagon and continue.
Tell me how that isn't doing just about the same thing Disney is doing?
I also got to start that Half last year half an hour before the race started, because that's something they offered to the slower ones in the last corral. (we have our own division for results, which amuses me)
I ended up with the wrong size of that tank- way too big for me so I'll only wear it for working out in the house I think.
The one without the distance? Grey with silver castle and run princess run on it? If you have a M and need a S, let's swap.
I am normally against the "everybody wins" mentality.
Maybe it's because my kid isn't in soccer, but I still haven't seen "everybody WINS". Participant trophies are accurate and fun. I've only heard of events where everyone gets those AND the winners get a winner thing.
But honestly, just putting one foot in front of the other for something like this is a form of winning. I might have a unique perspective, though, as I have been a self-doubting, body-dysmorphic (first diet at 9 years old!), introvert my whole life. I always wanted to take gymnastics but wouldn't get out of the car. It's been my whole life. I have to surprise myself with things, just sign up or show up suddenly, so I don't talk myself out of it. Last year I started taking ballet, after thinking about it for over a year. I was SO nervous, even though I had hubby's and son's support. Son's was the biggest deal, because he dances, and I was going to be dancing at the same place he was, with his friends.
He totally gets me. He has heard my gymnastics story more than once. The day of my first class, hubby dropped us off (DS had a different dance class at the same time). As we walked into the YMCA, DS turned to me and said "you got out of the car".
Just CHOOSING to participate can be an amazing, astonishing, HARD thing. And that's why I'm in support of stuff for participants.
I'm also supportive of stuff for winners, too.
For me though, I don't think someone having a medal even if they didn't finish has any bearing on how I feel about my medal and my race. It doesn't cheapen anything b/c I'm not worried about what everyone else is or is not doing.
SAME.
So I got my dang medal and feel like I truly deserved it, even if they swept me.
So previously you didn't agree with it and now you do? That's cool.
Can I just rant for a second? I think y'all will understand this more than my non-runner friends.
I have had zero support from anyone outside of my husband and a few friends and you guys. My parents never said congratulations, even when I wore that giant, heavy medal to their house on Monday! Last night my husband talked to MIL and when he mentioned that I ran the 10k she said "well, is she ever going to run a half marathon?" Because 6.2 miles isn't good enough I guess.
Yes, I am 46 years old and wanting validation from these people. I've never been an athlete. My dad always jokes about how I can't walk and chew gum. I didn't have the great PE teachers that my son has so I never developed the motor skills that were needed for most sports. It isn't like I do this all the time and they are tired of cheering me on at the Olympics. For me, 6.2 miles is a huge deal!
I'm so sorry.
All the older generation around me thinks I'm really stupid for running. Sigh.
They don't care who buys the stuff, they just care that SOMEONE buys it.
I get it. But they SHOULD care.
So, who is in for next year?!?
Thought I was one and done.
But at 2.5 miles into the 5K my cousin and I wanted to do the finger twirly thing and ask if we could "go around again". We were having fun.
Apart from some craziness during the 10K, I actually quite liked that, too. Didn't PR but I wasn't too far off, and I did better than RnR Vancouver 10K in October (which I did with my son), so I was happy.
My cousin wants to do it again, and is planning on the 5&10 like I did. So I'm planning it too, now.
especially since I kept up with my friend who was running while I was walking.
I have that type of run as well. My cousin, who is taller than me with longer legs, was walking briskly as I jogged. Kind of embarrassing, kind of funny. Ultimately totally OK.
Hello, I have heard it suggested that Disney call this a participant medal rather than a finisher medal - perhaps that would be a good approach?
Since I'm one who mentioned it previously I'm all in support.
I'd be pretty angry if they changed to a lottery system.
I cannot even imagine them doing that.
If anything, they might start adding more pre-sale bundles that you can purchase when you register for a race (they keep adding more each race weekend -
Disneyland had one where you could pre-purchase the race weekend Tervis tumbler, hat, pins, etc.).
The key would need to be pictures. I just won't give them $100 for something sight unseen for 6 months! I won't. Even if I can return it.
DD and I woke up at 2:30, got dressed and headed to the food court to get drinks. Downed those, back to our room to ditch our mugs (we had an awesome room location! On the 2nd floor in the building closest to the food court. Would have preferred 1st floor but it was so easy to go get drinks and come back to our room.
What resort?
I did hear a couple of people complaining about one of the Pace groups running and walking right up the middle of the path.
I saw that twice in the 10K. Not sure if it was two different groups or if I managed to find the same one twice. It was VERY uncool. And it forces you to run or walk on the wrong side, depending on what the situation is around you as you approach.
A large chunk of these issues could be handled by offering a presale a month or two before the race, where we could all see PICTURES of what's available. Disney gets our money up front (good for them), we don't buy anything sight unseen (good for us), and product doesn't run out leaving unfulfilled demand (good for EVERYONE!).
Seriously, RunDisney needs to hire me.
Pictures pictures pictures.
They need to hire me, too, for proofreading and making sure they make sense.
Because this was NOT correct for Contemporary or Bay Lake. (west side of the convention center was where the buses were, not the port cochere, and the valet/bell people in the p.c. had ZERO clue as to where transportation was, and were giving out wrong info)
Nor was the sandwich board off at the corner where Contemporary meets the convention center that had an arrow pointing the correct way labeled for Expo busses, and an arrow pointing back to Contemporary labeled with "runners use monorail for ALL RACE EVENTS".
First, the sandwich board was off where no one but a weirdo like me would walk (other runners were going on the diagonal to save steps), so no one saw it, and second, no, NOT all race events at all. 1/3 of race events to be specific. Saw that after the 5K (when I brought Lisa-the-transportation-lady a coffee because she was so awesome) and went to a CM immediately (Cydney), but it was still there the day of the Half (and the 10K). Not that anyone saw it, but it was wrong all the same.
(still pretty stiff in the AM or after being seated for a while and I can't walk too long without the hip starting to feel 'hitch' like) I was going to run. I guess I'm officially a runner. I'm chomping at the bit already to run again. 5 days ago I could barely walk across a finish line. 
now? I'm like 'jesu, how much longer till I can run again?'
