Unofficial WDW marathon

[Muziqal]

Hello!

Me: avid WDW goer, did the Epcot International Program years ago (dating myself here), know the area well enough but kind of forget some of the backroads around the parks, but have never run in the area (outside of Lake Buena Vista where disney put me up for that year).

I am training for a 100-mile mountain ultra right now (deep intro training). I'll be in WDW in May for 14 days and have to do some training while down there. I want to make the long run as fun as possible. My thought: can I recreate my own WDW marathon even while there is no official race going on? No medals, no crowds, no glory. But I want to do a route that lets me have a bit of bragging rights and a fun facebook post.

Questions (please and TIA)!:

• Is it possible to do a WDW training marathon (yes, especially through the parks) on non-official race days? I get the logistics of maybe encountering crowds, etc. Bag check, etc. But has anyone ever done this? If anyone has done anything remotely similar, I imagine it would be in this community.
• If it is a possibility, can anyone point me to some gpx format routes I can download or mapmyrun links or Nike+ routes?; or
• Is this just a crazy idea? And I should map out my own route around Lake Buena Vista and area...(not my idea of a great Facebook post training update from FL)

As a (maybe?) funny aside, I am carrying bear spray with me on my training runs in the rocky mountains right now for the waking bears and cougars. What should I carry, if anything, to protect myself from crocs, armadillos, etc. on my planned WDW marathon (that's not going to get confiscated at bag check)?

 

[ywgckp]

I'm not sure many of the roads within WDW have sidewalks - so you will have a problem right there. I suppose you can run along the shoulder, although I don't think you're supposed to, but there's a lot of construction on World Dr now right outside the MK.

I think the in-parks bit might be the easiest - getting between parks (other than Epcot/HS) will be a challenge!

Great idea, though.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

While usually I'd say it's risky to run the roads around Wdw right now it is hazardous due to so much construction on most main roads- world drive, Epcot center drive & Osceola.. you could prob eek something out within a few resorts though

 

[BuckeyeBama]

With the number of buses on property and the lack of shoulders, no way. I have tried running on some of the roads and it is far more dangerous than anywhere else that I have ever run.

 

[FFigawi]

Considering you're not allowed to run in the parks, you're going to have a tough time getting the miles in on the roads.

 

[jmasgat]

I agree with what others have said--I think the parks are a no go. But you might be able to string something together in resort areas. Example: Downtown Disney/Springs to Saratoga, then OKW. You could connect via employee/back road to POFQ, then on to POR. You could then get to Vista Blvd and over to FW. Through there, you could connect to WL, and possibly via back road to TTC. From there, Poly to GF.

If you look on Google maps you can see how to string it together. Don't know what distance would be.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

@Muziqal - you're best bet may be to run from DISNEY Springs down 535 (going towards Windermere) then cutting into the Tibet-Butler Preserve (you could do around 6 miles back in there and it's BEAUTIFUL) then trekking back to DISNEY Springs. Still be super cautious on any roads near DISNEY. There are many sidewalks along 535 though between Windermere and the DISNEY Property.

 

[Allison]

Is it possible to do a WDW training marathon (yes, especially through the parks) on non-official race days? I get the logistics of maybe encountering crowds, etc. Bag check, etc. But has anyone ever done this? If anyone has done anything remotely similar, I imagine it would be in this community.

You aren't going to be able to run in the parks. When CMs see you they will tell you not to run.

 

[Muziqal]

Hey thanks everyone for the suggestions. Thanks for the helpful info on the highways and construction. I like the idea of the resorts and the preserve area.

As for guest compliance, I once tried to stop a guy from urinating in the circle vision movie. I was a CM. He didn't stop. Try doing crowd control in Epcot on a holiday. No one listens to CMs! Ha.

We would do this thing the last night of work during illuminations. Called the lumberjack marathon. You would have to run around the world showcase during illuminations and get back to Canada before the show was over then jump in the waterfalls down by the mine to finish it off.

Planning this just as an extension of that , I figure.

I get the rules. I'll let you know how it all goes!

 

[DOOM1001]

Double post

 

[DOOM1001]

I've tried to find a nice stretch to go 10 miles and its not easy,maybe look up the Celebration marathon course which is two loops of the half and do that,I've done the half there and its a nice race,you go through some boardwalks in the woods,nice lakes,etc..

 

[Muziqal]

I've tried to find a nice stretch to go 10 miles and its not easy,maybe look up the Celebration marathon course which is two loops of the half and do that,I've done the half there and its a nice race,you go through some boardwalks in the woods,nice lakes,etc..

Thanks! That sounds like a nice day. Appreciate it.

 

[IamTrike]

So I have strung together 14 milers and helped a buddy put together a 20 miler Disney. Some of it has to do with where you are staying. If you start at boardwalk and run out towards studios there is a ramp next to the bridge that takes you out to Buena Vista Drive I think Buena Vista has a fairly wide sholder (I've run on it from Chelonia Prkway to Cayman Way but not from the Bridge to Cayman. ) Turn into Cayman way. The only bummer about this is that you have to cross Buena Vista. Once you are inside Carribean beach run around the lake and exit at the South end. Go out the employee entrance from Caribbean Beach run directly across the road and over the berm. You'll be by the little mermaid buildings and you can run around the Pop Lake. Run back the way you came to the entrance of Caribean Beach. and then Turn right on Buena Vista, Take your first right into Chelonia and run back to the end of that road. It's a little over 9 miles to that point. Dending on your route back it would get you to 15-18 miles.
Route is below:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7058624

I've also strung together 10 milers between OKW,SSR and Disney Springs (although on one of my recent early morning runs I had problems getting into Disney Springs. My buddy ran there more recently and didn't have an issue. With the spur out on Hotel Plaza Blvd (there is sidewalk the whole way ) this is about a 5 miler each way. I've added mileage to it by looping around all the SSR and OKW buildings. It's pretty easy to tack on another 2-3 miles that way.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7058634

 

[Muziqal]

So I have strung together 14 milers and helped a buddy put together a 20 miler Disney. Some of it has to do with where you are staying. If you start at boardwalk and run out towards studios there is a ramp next to the bridge that takes you out to Buena Vista Drive I think Buena Vista has a fairly wide sholder (I've run on it from Chelonia Prkway to Cayman Way but not from the Bridge to Cayman. ) Turn into Cayman way. The only bummer about this is that you have to cross Buena Vista. Once you are inside Carribean beach run around the lake and exit at the South end. Go out the employee entrance from Caribbean Beach run directly across the road and over the berm. You'll be by the little mermaid buildings and you can run around the Pop Lake. Run back the way you came to the entrance of Caribean Beach. and then Turn right on Buena Vista, Take your first right into Chelonia and run back to the end of that road. It's a little over 9 miles to that point. Dending on your route back it would get you to 15-18 miles.
Route is below:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7058624

I've also strung together 10 milers between OKW,SSR and Disney Springs (although on one of my recent early morning runs I had problems getting into Disney Springs. My buddy ran there more recently and didn't have an issue. With the spur out on Hotel Plaza Blvd (there is sidewalk the whole way ) this is about a 5 miler each way. I've added mileage to it by looping around all the SSR and OKW buildings. It's pretty easy to tack on another 2-3 miles that way.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7058634

Thanks for this. I am starting from Animal Kingdom Lodge my planning to date is a route that is west of where you have started. I have a little stretch on buena vista mapped out - a little west of the section you went on (Coronado and then to epcot resorts). You're right, from the satellite views the shoulder looks wide when there is no walkway/path present (after Coronado). Thanks for the confirmation.

I have a couple of sections I am a bit iffy about:

• Osceola pkwy from AK to Buena vista (then doing a loop in the all stars) - can't really tell what the shoulder is like. But it's only for about 2k
• Buena vista from coronado to epcot resorts
• Crossing epcot center dr at overpass road to bonnet creek pkwy with a little stretch on bonnet north to old key west
• Vista blvd from port orleans to golf view dr heading into the fort wilderness campgrounds area

From my satellite views I think I am in the clear for everything else but not really sure what these little highway stretches and connections are going to be like.

But honestly, I'm far less worried about these little connections than the 50-60km trail days and overnight runs in pitch black and snow I am doing in the rocky mountains right now. The headlamp picking up glowing eyes a few meters out at 3am in the mountains has me more anxious than these sections right now, unless you tell me otherwise.

If you're on mapmyrun, I can connect and you can critique my route.

 

[IamTrike]

Thanks for this. I am starting from Animal Kingdom Lodge my planning to date is a route that is west of where you have started. I have a little stretch on buena vista mapped out - a little west of the section you went on (Coronado and then to epcot resorts). You're right, from the satellite views the shoulder looks wide when there is no walkway/path present (after Coronado). Thanks for the confirmation.

I have a couple of sections I am a bit iffy about:

• Osceola pkwy from AK to Buena vista (then doing a loop in the all stars) - can't really tell what the shoulder is like. But it's only for about 2k
• Buena vista from coronado to epcot resorts
• Crossing epcot center dr at overpass road to bonnet creek pkwy with a little stretch on bonnet north to old key west
• Vista blvd from port orleans to golf view dr heading into the fort wilderness campgrounds area

From my satellite views I think I am in the clear for everything else but not really sure what these little highway stretches and connections are going to be like.

But honestly, I'm far less worried about these little connections than the 50-60km trail days and overnight runs in pitch black and snow I am doing in the rocky mountains right now. The headlamp picking up glowing eyes a few meters out at 3am in the mountains has me more anxious than these sections right now, unless you tell me otherwise.

If you're on mapmyrun, I can connect and you can critique my route.

 

[IamTrike]

Wow that looks to be a pretty interesting route. My big concern is that it looks like you have a lot of time that you will be running next to pretty major thorough-fares. I don't necessarily think that there will be an issue with space to run as I think most of that space has pretty wide sholders and medians, but I am not sure how Disney security will handle it. In particular the area around Epcot Center and Overpass Drive.

 

[Muziqal]

Well - an update for anyone interested:

https://www.facebook.com/theyonbrosfinishsinister7/posts/197891204064907

 

[Jackie Skellington]

Well - an update for anyone interested:

https://www.facebook.com/theyonbrosfinishsinister7/posts/197891204064907

Well done and congrats!