Tuesday, March 8, 2016

2016 Disney Princess Half Marathon

I did my first half marathon, the Disney Princess Half, back in 2012.  My friend V ran with me the whole way.  So when my friend Anna set her sights on doing a half, we registered last year for the Princess.  Even registration was a whole different ballgame from my first RunDisney race just a few years ago; if you want to run, you have to be ready to register online the minute the race opens (6+ months before the event!) because these events sell out quickly.  It's like trying to buy Adele concert tickets, but for masochists who want to run all over Disney creation.

At the Expo

We drove in from Tampa the Friday before the race, and the following morning we picked up our race packets first thing.  I love the RunDisney expos because the shopping, while expensive, is awesome!  My favorite booth this time was Raw Threads, which had some adorable Disney-themed shirts.

And, like any RunDisney race...  we started in the dark with an obscenely early wakeup.




That said, it was fun to run this stretch of land again.  It was my 3rd time completing the run from the start near Epcot, to the Magic Kingdom, as you also cover that stretch during the full marathon.  We grabbed a quick selfie on Main Street, because it's one of the best parts about running these races.  If you do a RunDisney race, I highly recommend submitting a proof of time that allows you to start in earlier race corrals; if you start further back, I noticed it gets a lot more congested, and at some points you really can't even weave in between folks!




Overall, we were successful!!!  We pushed through those 13.1 miles, and we triumphantly earned those beautiful medals.  It was warmer than past Disney races I've done, but no big surprises really.




I don't know if I will do the Princess again... it has gotten to be a very congested race, and there were some catty folks out there on the course.  (Where was their Disney spirit?)  I think if I do another half, it would be something different, like a Disneyland race of the Indianapolis Mini.  RunDisney puts on a great race, but the masses (15,000 26,000+!) make it a bit chaotic and planning-heavy.




I did get to see some other friends during the weekend!  I caught brunch at Epcot after the race with my friend M and her crew.  Check out the picture below, what a great group of people!  THAT is how you do a RunDisney race right.  Anna and I had her boyfriend to cheer us on too, and the more the merrier definitely held true.



Do you have any questions about running a RunDisney race?


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