Walt Disney Marathon Weekend 2020 Recap - Part 1: Expo and Half Marathon

I love running at Walt Disney World. My family has been coming to the resort since the first year it was open. I was a baby then and don’t remember the early visits, but it’s safe to say I grew up at Disney. I remember watching Epcot being built when I was in elementary school and visiting the brand-new park in middle school. So, running at Disney is like running at home. It’s a good thing.

What makes it even better is that many people who run Disney run it more for the experience than for specific athletic goals. More people make Disney races their first distance races than anywhere else in the world. All of these newcomers to running give the races a very different vibe. It’s not for everyone, but I enjoy it.

I was registered to run the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge, combining the Saturday half marathon and Sunday full marathon. I’ve run this challenge multiple times in the past, so it’s like an old friend. A long, painful friend, but a friend all the same.

The weekend began with a Friday trip to the expo for packet pickup. I love Disney, but they have a remarkable skill for over-complicating and over-monetizing races. The expo is held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports, a sprawling complex of stadiums, arenas, and athletic fields. The challenge for new runners is to figure out which buildings to go to - in what order - to get everything needed. There seemed to be more people helping with directions this year, which I appreciated. I navigated the maze, claimed my packet and race shirts, visited the Cigna booth for my customary temporary airbrushed “runDisney” tattoo, and bought my obligatory armload of Disney merchandise.

I brought Shaw the Snail with me and took pictures with him in a few locations. I couldn’t really connect well with others though. We were all too focused on getting through the crowds and finding what we needed. I hoped this wasn’t a bad omen for how I would feel with the puppets for the races.

On Saturday morning my alarm awakened me at 3:00 AM. One of the challenges of Disney races is the early starting time. The half marathon was only scheduled to start at 5:30 AM, but there were the additional challenges of transportation and getting to the start line that required extra time. My family and I enjoy camping at Fort Wilderness Resort, so I had my running gear set up in the middle of the camper. I was a bit nervous about my clothing choices. I had decided to run in costume as the adult Christopher Robin as portrayed by Ewan McGregor in the live action film. My puppet partner was to be an amazing Winnie the Pooh that looked exactly like Pooh in the movie. I had found a long-sleeved t-shirt that was 3D printed to look exactly like a realistic business suit complete with shirt, tie, and pocket square. Paired with a lightweight fedora, it was almost an exact recreation of Christopher from the film. Well, from the waist up - I was running in gray shorts. My concerns were two-fold: it was really too warm for long sleeves and I had never run in the shirt and hat before. Adding something new on race day is a big no-no. I had planned to run with a familiar base layer underneath the costume, but the heat made that impractical. So, I slathered on athletic lubricant and hoped for the best.

After a quick trip to the comfort station - where I saw several other bleary-eyed runners getting prepared for the race - it was time to head to Epcot. While Disney provides bus transportation to the race, I always drive in when I stay at the Fort. As usual, it was a confusing and frustrating drive. I know Disney property VERY well after more than 40-years-worth of visits, but road closures and traffic always makes the drive interesting. I finally made it to the Epcot parking lot where I lost the parking lottery: I was sent to park at the complete opposite end of the lot from the starting area. It made for quite the warmup walk.

If you’ve never done a Disney race, you’ll be astonished by the size of the staging area: massive tents, stages, jumbotron screens, and hundreds of portable toilets. I went through security where my plastic bag of water bottles was inspected. The guard then felt the need to inspect Pooh for weapons too by gently poking him in the stomach. It really struck me as funny.

I never get too into the character photo ops and stage entertainment before the races. My main concern is getting to the porta-potties enough times. Pooh got quite a number of looks as I was waiting in line. Someone asked me if I would take him in with me. I told them I was only waiting in line because Pooh had to go. They weren’t sure how to deal with me after that conversation.

Pooh and I then headed to the corrals. For the half and full marathons the corrals are located a looooong way from the staging area - a legitimate 15-minute (or more) walk. This walkout felt very strange. The crowd I walked with was very quiet. Pooh’s waving was largely ignored. It was strange and uncomfortable and made me nervous about the run.

The corrals themselves stretched forever into the distance. I walked forward to Corral D which was near enough to the starting line that I could at least see it vaguely in the distance. I chatted with the others in the corral and watched the endless pre-race entertainment on the big screens. I always enjoy listening to the interviews with runners and some of the special guests. After a beautiful rendition of the national anthem - complete with firework accents - Donald Duck, the race conDUCKtor, came out to get us going. Disney races don’t have just one start - they have dozens, each with fanfare, buildup, and fireworks. Coming from Corral D there were probably at least 8 previous starts before I finally got to the line. I had a lot if fun having Pooh wave at volunteers as we approached the line, then we video bombed Riley Clermont, one of the race announcers, as he delivered an energetic rally cry to the runners. Suddenly, with yet another burst of fireworks and music, we were off and running.

The first few miles of any race are about getting into a comfortable groove. This is especially true with puppet running. Each puppet has different capabilities and challenges. I had never run with Pooh before. He is a fairly large puppet but not terribly heavy. He has a very realistic and expressive mouth, but his arms stick straight out to the sides and are difficult to control. Pooh is a glove puppet which means the thumb and pinky are intended to work the arms while the other fingers work the mouth and snout. I was getting more comfortable by the moment with him and started having fun communicating with the runners around me. One of my favorite things was to have Pooh climb onto my shoulder and sit facing back to wave at people behind me. This maneuver forced my arm into a challenging position, but it was worth it to hear the reactions behind me.

I especially liked making Pooh seem to behave independently from me by having him wave at people while I was looking in another direction. I quickly discovered another fun move with Pooh. Since he looks like a stuffed animal (that being the basis of his character) I tried to hold him as if I was just running with a normal toy. Then, when he would wave or smile at someone it would be a huge surprise. I enjoyed this part of the performance way too much.

By the time we had turned onto World Drive and were approaching the Magic Kingdom parking gate, I was feeling great. I thanked the endlessly repeating “Magic Voice” for telling me about the speed bumps ahead and enjoyed hearing “It’s a Small World” playing as we ran through. I remarked to the runners around me that it was indeed a small world - right until you tried to run it.

After a tour through the Magic Kingdom parking lot we reached the Ticket and Transportation Center. I LOVE running through this area. It’s already special to me since the many Disney school trips I took began with us being dropped off here. But the real reason to love Ticket and Transportation is that this is the first place since the start with spectators. They pack the left side of the course, and they are loud - especially when Pooh runs by them waving and accepting high-fives. I was grinning so much from the experience that I must have looked a bit unhinged as we headed toward the Contemporary Resort. On the way we ran through the tunnel that goes under the waterway connecting Seven Seas Lagoon with Bay Lake. I encouraged my fellow runners to hold their breath as we went underwater!

After a few more twists and turns we approached the Magic Kingdom. I was thrilled to see that the course was going to bring us right in the front gates and under the train station - a real treat. Running down Main Street has to be experienced to be believed. People line the left side of Main Street and their enthusiasm combined with the lights and grandeur of the street itself make for an overwhelming moment. I ran right beside the crowd so Pooh could wave and interact with people. They loved him. In fact the response was so intense that it nearly took my breath away. When we finally turned towards a largely empty Tomorrowland, my arm and hand were aching from my over-enthusiastic reaction to the crowd. I enjoyed seeing the sights of Tomorrowland and Fantasyland and savored the rush of running through Cinderella’s Castle and waving to the huge crowd. The subsequent tour of Liberty Square and Frontierland went by too quickly before we were running through the backstage area.

Disney has numerous character stops along the way for runners to stop for photos. I enjoy seeing the characters, but I rarely stop. I was tempted though by Pinocchio since we have the puppet connection, but I resisted. We worked our way through another water station and headed out of Magic Kingdom’s backstage.

I should discuss Disney’s water stations. The volunteers do an amazing job with seeing to the runners’ needs with equal parts of hydration and encouragement. Pooh and I tried to thank the volunteers at every water stop (they’re located on almost every mile with medical assistance a bit less frequently.) While the water stations are always handled well, they are a challenge. You can’t put 20,000 people through a gauntlet of water and Powerade without a bit of crowding and people-dodging.

I enjoyed the many chances I had to interact with runners and spectators as we headed past the Grand Floridian, Shades of Green, and Polynesian Resorts. Pooh and I posed for numerous selfies and enjoyed the smiles and laughs from the people near us. I even liked the dreaded ramp up to the overpass that crosses World Drive headed back to Epcot because I could talk first to the people above me and then a few minutes later to the people below.

The road leading back to Epcot always seems a little endless, but my legs were feeling good and Pooh was making the miles go by quickly. I was hoping to see the Puppet Runner Family at the Epcot bus lot. When we reached it, though, my family was nowhere to be found. I assumed transportation didn’t work out for them and basked in the warm reception we were receiving from the crowd.

I enjoyed the backstage tour of Epcot before emerging into the park itself behind the Imagination pavilion. It was still dark, and there’s nothing quite as beautiful as seeing the lights of World Showcase shining across the water. We exited Epcot way too quickly and entered the final short stretch through backstage leading to the finish line. As we entered the finishing stretch, Pooh and I ran down the left side waving to the enthusiastic crowd. I was pleasantly surprised to see my wife and boys cheering from the stands - they had barely gotten there before me. I crossed the line with my usual heel-click jump and waved at the volunteers as I picked up my medal, blissfully cool cloth, hydration, and the infamous runDisney snack box.

My family and I had a long walk back to my truck, but it was a joyful time. Pooh was a wonderful running companion. So many people have an emotional connection with him. It was an honor to escort him around Walt Disney World!