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Thread: WDW Marathon Weekend is back!

  1. #1

    WDW Marathon Weekend is back!

    Looks like in person Run Disney events are back at WDW. WDW Marathon weekend is January 5-9, 2022! Hoping to get in and do the Dopey Challenge. Been waiting for this to come back!


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  3. #2

    Went crazy yesterday and signed up for the Dopey Challenge. Time to start training.


  4. #3
    Fun is wherever you find it... olegc's Avatar
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    i still cant bring myself to travel for a run event at WDW. I've been running half marathons for several years now (will have three in three months later this year) but just never got the bug to travel for a run. My lack of desire is compounded with the fact my wife is not a big fan of repeat visits every year - so this will have to wait for me. I have so many friends ready to run Princess next year.

    "[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by olegc View Post
    i still cant bring myself to travel for a run event at WDW. I've been running half marathons for several years now (will have three in three months later this year) but just never got the bug to travel for a run. My lack of desire is compounded with the fact my wife is not a big fan of repeat visits every year - so this will have to wait for me. I have so many friends ready to run Princess next year.
    The 2020 Disney World Half Marathon was my first Run Disney event. I was always skeptical of "paying to run". But I had a blast. The whole vibe of that weekend was very cool. Everything from the festival/check in, the run itself, and the runners in the parks with their shirts and medals. Going through MK before the sun is up, running down an empty Main Street was worth it alone. The worst part of the event is actually walking to the starting corrals. I can live with that. LOL. The Disney runs are no doubt pricey, but Disney does a good job with the events. It was kind of a joke the past couple of weeks that I was going to sign up for the Dopey Challenge. But when I couldn't get in the half marathon, I said let's just do this!

  6. #5
    Fun is wherever you find it... olegc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jrsharp21 View Post
    The 2020 Disney World Half Marathon was my first Run Disney event. I was always skeptical of "paying to run". But I had a blast. The whole vibe of that weekend was very cool. Everything from the festival/check in, the run itself, and the runners in the parks with their shirts and medals. Going through MK before the sun is up, running down an empty Main Street was worth it alone. The worst part of the event is actually walking to the starting corrals. I can live with that. LOL. The Disney runs are no doubt pricey, but Disney does a good job with the events. It was kind of a joke the past couple of weeks that I was going to sign up for the Dopey Challenge. But when I couldn't get in the half marathon, I said let's just do this!
    oh I've done a ton of Disneyland runDisney events. They've always been a blast - but I guess I don't have to fly or pay for a hotel which tends to change the vibe a little but definitely still fun being in the parks, etc.
    "[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney

  7. #6

    Just completed the Dopey Challenge this past weekend at WDW! What a blast! That was my first marathon. Already looking to head back to WDW for Wine & Dine Half Marathon and definitely going to try to do Dopey Challenge again in 2023.


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    Quote Originally Posted by jrsharp21 View Post
    Just completed the Dopey Challenge this past weekend at WDW! What a blast! That was my first marathon. Already looking to head back to WDW for Wine & Dine Half Marathon and definitely going to try to do Dopey Challenge again in 2023.
    Dopey is a great name for that challenge. Good grief! Congratulations on your amazing accomplishment, jrsharp21! Any idea how many folks did the Dopey? I know of another person who did it.
    Karin


  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Karin View Post
    Dopey is a great name for that challenge. Good grief! Congratulations on your amazing accomplishment, jrsharp21! Any idea how many folks did the Dopey? I know of another person who did it.
    I think there was an estimated 6,000 Dopey Challenge participants.

  10. #9
    Fun is wherever you find it... olegc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jrsharp21 View Post
    I think there was an estimated 6,000 Dopey Challenge participants.
    I can only gauge from social media but it sure does seem there are many more this year.. Congratulations on your achievement. Well done.
    "[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney

  11. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by olegc View Post
    I can only gauge from social media but it sure does seem there are many more this year.. Congratulations on your achievement. Well done.
    From what I read, the number of runners for all events this year were limited compared to years past, which is understandable. For the Dopey Challenge results, they have 112 pages listed of runners who completed the challenge, at about 45-50 runners per page. So there are probably a couple hundreds of runners who either didn't make it to the event due to illness or because of travel cancelations, decided to bail out of the marathon part, or didn't finish the marathon/got swept on course.

    They don't post the full 5k results, but here are the numbers by the other three events:

    10k - 10,513 finishers
    Half Marathon - 12,699 finishers
    Marathon - 11,317 finishers

  12. #11

    I'm way late to the party but glad to hear that the run events are back, congrats on your finish. I wonder if rundisney will ever return to anaheim again

    Just keep trying, trying, trying.....
    I did it! Woo Hoo Star Wars 10k completed
    Disneyland Half Weekend 10k "I made it~ woo hoo!"
    Yippee! Another Star Wars 10K Finished with style and a pr ::happy dance::

  13. #12
    Fun is wherever you find it... olegc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fishgal View Post
    I'm way late to the party but glad to hear that the run events are back, congrats on your finish. I wonder if rundisney will ever return to anaheim again
    I doubt it. When the fighting with the City Council became too much to secure road closures for the 10K and Half , coinciding with SWGE land construction, this turned TDA to the races. As well a lot of regulations around volunteering and contractual obligations with outsources I think made them realize it was too much. And now they have not had races here since January 2018 I dont think they will come back - even with a favorable City Council in place. There's just not enough ability for Disney to control the entire event soup to nuts.
    "[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney

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