2018 Princess Half Marathon

[bumbershoot]

We did a run/walk pace for the first 3 miles (until we got to Epcot) with an average pace just under 13 minutes.

Starting at the beginning of F you should have been a decent amount ahead of them, yes? But I know well that stops can take awhile.

How did you find out you were 30 seconds ahead of them? Did you see them? With them being that close you would have finished just before them, yes?

How did you and your Mom get placed so far apart in the corrals? Is there any way to avoid getting placed in the last one?

Put in an estimated finish time when registering.

And if you're doing the challenge but someone else isn't, even it you put in the same estimate you can be put in different corrals. My cousin and I had the same estimate, but I was doing the challenge so I was put in D for the challenge while she was put in C.

Reading through this thread though...I'm starting to wonder if there is any chance we will be able to even register for the 10k. Lots and lots of early birds, I hope they allow some room for newbies.

Of course there will be room.

Are there runners going through the park after it has opened to the general public?

MK is open to spectators BEFORE the park opens. Epcot is flat out open for many runners. To get into Epcot after it opens you have to have a ticket to spectate, but it's better IMO for a spectator to just wait at the finish line, which is outside Epcot in the parking lot. They'll have CMs manning the ropes that tell the runners where the course is, inside of Epcot, and if someone inside the park needs to cross the CMs will have spots for that.

She should have put in some type of estimated time and that might have moved her up to E.

My brother did that to himself when we ran Disneyland 2014; I had a POT for the Half and he input nothing, so we went back to where they put HIM. Ugh.

I heard (total corral gossip on the morning of the half with no basis in truth) that close to 100 people were swept at the start of the 10K because the balloon ladies jogged to the start and passed them before they even began. I find this a little hard to believe and haven't seen anything about on this site but was curious where that rumor came from. Did anyone else see/hear anything?

I heard gossip that day of the BLs going faster than they should have done (but I heard nothing about sweeping), but it's so easily checked if you can find the balloon ladies' bib numbers. And there are people online who DO know their bib numbers. If you're a member of the FB non-official 2017 princess page I would ask there. People keep the most incredible track of things over there!

I find it hard to believe, too, honestly.


OH, and there are some people who will find the BLs, get a bib number, and track that person. I tracked myself during the 10K and Half, so I got alerts on my phone as I passed the 5K, 10K, etc. It was fun to make SURE I was getting an official time. So if you did the same for a BL, you could keep track of how fast they were as they passed those markers.

 

[BelleWannabe4]

Starting at the beginning of F you should have been a decent amount ahead of them, yes? But I know well that stops can take awhile.

How did you find out you were 30 seconds ahead of them? Did you see them? With them being that close you would have finished just before them, yes?

I'm not really sure how far ahead of them we were to begin with, but there were folks on bicycles telling us that if we didn't start moving faster (we were walking pretty slow in Epcot), we would get swept in 30 seconds. I really don't know if that was true but when I looked, I could see the balloon ladies moving up on us. We also finished just barely ahead of them and could see them for the last 1/2 mile or so behind us. Like I said, we still had a great time but that added stress because we couldn't really move around folks to run/jog/walk like I'm late to work.

 

[bumbershoot]

Ok. I wasn't sure of if you knew officially (yes! If you see the bikes that's official!) or just from rumor.

 

[WIFriendofFigment]

Walking to the TTC makes a lot of sense.

UGH. I was so *toast* after the Half, and several others of us were as well, that we went to the buses to get back to Contemporary/Bay Lake. The sign still said Contemporary. One woman was *wheeled up* to the bus by a medic and a "plaid" and was helped onto taht bus. To go back to Contemporary.

After we got going we found out we were NOT supposed to have taken the bus (for some of us this was a reminder for something we forgot...for others they didn't know at all). And that she wasn't going to go there. UGH.

IT took about 5 very uncomfortable minutes (that felt like half an hour) but finally the bus driver said she would just do it. And she did. But she was going to make us get off at Poly or WL to make our way back to Contemporary. Including the lady that had been wheeled up to the bus with the sign for Contemporary, that wasn't going to Contemporary.

I keep forgetting about that...


Were you in a villa or the normal hotel after being moved from POR?

We were in the normal hotel.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well I have our usual booked for princess (because that's what I can book 11 months out). Hoping I can change to Poly or GF villas at 7 months.

I would love to book a one bedroom anywhere, to lower food costs and be about healthier, but it's eating up the points!

And of course I haven't yet registered for princess but my cousin is lol.

 

[jdd]

Techinaly yes to get to link but if you get link you can register without.

Thanks for the info! If it's the same as a couple years ago (I ran the 2015 half), I should be able to get to the link on the AP holders webpage. I'm pretty sure I had access to that once I bought my AP online.

 

[KSellers88]

I already have FOMO and I have only been registered for one week. If I decide to change to the Challenge instead of just the half, can I call runDisney and get this done or do I need to wait until general registration opens to call?

 

[pluto377]

So I'm already starting to think about training. Did anyone use a plan other than Galloway? What was it? Did you like your plan? Thanks!

 

[keahgirl8]

So I'm already starting to think about training. Did anyone use a plan other than Galloway? What was it? Did you like your plan? Thanks!

Nope! I'm a Galloway girl all the way! I tried C25K when I first started running and switched to Galloway in week 4. That was 2013.

 

[xjillianpaige]

Under the Fairy Tale Challenge it says "If you finish both races within the pacing requirements, you will be awarded the 5th Anniversary Disney Fairy Tale Challenge finisher medal in addition to your 10th Anniversary Half Marathon and 10K finisher medals."

Does anyone know what that means? If you sign up for the challenge, but don't meet the pacing requirements, do you not get the medal? I'm assuming this means that if you complete the 10k but get swept in the half then you don't get the medal?

Anyway, I'm trying to convince my mom that we would be able to successfully complete either the 10k or half!! I really want to go with her and my neighbor and run! I just have to get back into running and probably get a decent knee brace.

Also, what if I've only run 5ks? If I pace myself with that training schedule they have posted on the website, should I be able to use that as a pacer? My neighbor has run a marathon so she'd probably have a proof of time and I know we'd all want to run together! I tend to be competitive so I would definitely match her pace as best as I could. But she'd probably slow down so my mom could keep up.

I'm rambling now. I'll stop.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm assuming this means that if you complete the 10k but get swept in the half then you don't get the medal?

This part is correct. Or if your flight is delayed or you have food poisoning and you can't make the 10K but you can make the half, you don't get the challenge medal.


But the other part...it's "just in case" language. They have never checked your actual pace time for each race against the 16mm. If you finished before the course is swept, then you qualify.

If you've only run 5Ks right now, when you register, use an estimate that goes along with what you think the slowest member of your group (since you want to run together) will run by that time. If that person gets faster, you can update the estimated times. If at some point the estimate becomes 2hours 45minutes or faster for a Half, you can update that, but then you will ALL have to have an official 10K or longer race, run at that pace or faster, to submit as Proof of Time. And you'll have to do that BEFORE the deadline.

Since your friend has run a longer race, she would have a race to submit (assuming it would show a time faster than 2:45), BUT if you guys aren't running at that speed, don't have her do that. Have everyone estimate the same time so you're placed in the same area. It's not fun to be placed in, say C corral for the 10K but move back to the D corral for your friend (I was the faster one last year 5K, but because I was doing glass slipper this year I was placed in D while my cousin was in C for her first 10K this year...so I've seen it from both sides!). So there's really no point for her to submit a faster time if she plans to start and stay with you and your mom.


Does any of that make sense? I'm tired and I'm about to go to bed, so if it doesn't make sense hopefully someone will translate for me.

 

[Sailormoon2]

Does anyone know what that means? If you sign up for the challenge, but don't meet the pacing requirements, do you not get the medal? I'm assuming this means that if you complete the 10k but get swept in the half then you don't get the medal?

Yes, in theory you have to complete both races and not get swept to earn your Challenge medal. However, I have heard of people receiving the Half medal even if they got swept off the course (just not sure about the Challenge one)

Also, what if I've only run 5ks?

If you do not submit a 10K POT then you will most likely be placed in the last corral. However, if you figure your time is around or more than 2:45 it doesn't matter, because you would be in the later corrals anyways.

 

[xjillianpaige]

Thank you both! That was immensely helpful!

The last time I was running, I was in the 8-9 minute mile pace, but I was only doing 3 miles or less. When my knee went bad I switched to the elliptical and was able to do 6 ish miles in a 9-11 minute pace. I think if I get back into it (and use my inhaler and a knee brace) I could get back into that pacing. It's just a matter of convincing my mom that she can do a run/walk pace of way less than 16 minutes (and i KNOW she can - she just needs to believe in herself!)

I'm feeling like we need to start with the 10k and not go crazy that weekend. Maybe do a half one day, just not that day.

 

[courtneybeth]

Yes, in theory you have to complete both races and not get swept to earn your Challenge medal. However, I have heard of people receiving the Half medal even if they got swept off the course (just not sure about the Challenge one)

My friend got pulled off the half course by the bike brigade and medical because she was injured badly. Felt fine during the 10k and completed it... but did not finish the half. They were super awesome to her - gave her the half medal, the snack box, and a lot of attention before taking her to the finish area. She did not get the challenge medal but was happy that Disney pulled her because she was limping and in the end didn't do further damage to her foot. We still don't know what caused it but she's back to training for her next race.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm feeling like we need to start with the 10k and not go crazy that week

Not a bad plan.

My cousin started with the 5k in 2016. This year she did the 5&10. Next year she's doing the challenge.

You could also just do the runs each of you wants to do. The first year I did the 5&10 and this year I did all 3. My cousin just slept in the morning of my extra race. It would also slow you down for the 10k, if you and your friend were doing the challenge and your mom isn't, which might make her happier.

 

[bumbershoot]

However, I have heard of people receiving the Half medal even if they got swept off the course (just not sure about the Challenge one)

Yes you get the medal for that race if you are swept. But you don't get the challenge medal.

 

[DVCFan1994]

So I'm already starting to think about training. Did anyone use a plan other than Galloway? What was it? Did you like your plan? Thanks!

I am a fan of the Hal Higdon plans. There are a lot of different levels. I've used the novice 2 for my four half marathons (which were all challenge weekends). I like it because it has 4 days of running, and I like his mileage progression as well. I am planning to use his intermediate one for PHM next year if I do it.

The most important factor in my opinion is that you pick a plan you will stick with and that works with your life. If you pick a plan that sounds awesome but you can't really stick to it, it will be of little use in the end. Be reasonable and realistic in your training plans.

 

[Fire14]

For the ones asking about Challenge medal. Both friend as I signed up for Challenge, Both of us ran 10k and got our 10k medals. I ran half but got swept at Mile 8 so I got half medal but not challenge medal. My friend got Disney Flu or whatever was going thru world and never made it to start line Sunday so she got nothing for sunday.

 

[sidrich]

Also, what if I've only run 5ks? If I pace myself with that training schedule they have posted on the website, should I be able to use that as a pacer? My neighbor has run a marathon so she'd probably have a proof of time and I know we'd all want to run together! I tend to be competitive so I would definitely match her pace as best as I could. But she'd probably slow down so my mom could keep up.

I'm rambling now. I'll stop.

There is nothing that prevents moving back into a slower corrall- only moving forward. Trying to submit proofs of time calibrated to get you exactly together is a little tricky because where the corrall breaks is not always the same. So I'd say you and your neighbor submit your best times and then she comes and joins you.

I totally think having your Mom maybe start with just the 10K is a good idea- even if you end up doing the Challenge with your neighbor. I did the reverse- ran the half while some friends ran just the 10k or one did the Challenge- and it meant everyone had someone on the course to wave at during her race but not all of us had to get up early two days in a row.

Our friend Andy sounds like your Mom- she was not a runner at all and this was her first 10k and it was just the right amount of runnning for her. She got the excitement of the Disney race- but didn't have to try and train for a half or both. She loved it so much she wants to do the half next time.

FWIW my pals and I had a weekly email starting the summer before that chatted about or training and we posted our paces- so we knew how far apart we were. Being kinda competitive we each ended up really wanting to run the half (it was our first) and since our paces ranged from 9:30 to 11:30- we did end up each starting in her own corrall. But I had trained alone so I'm not sure I would have been a good buddy runner anyway.

 

[disneygal100]

any speculations on the theme of next year's princess? I'm hesitant to sign up, but I wouldn't forgive myself if it was moana themed and I didnt get the chance to run it.