Pros: - superb organization
- the bling
- great expo
- you get to run through the various "lands"in DisneyWorld
- the weather ( sometimes)
- great volunteers, aid stations, and hydration/nutrition areas
Cons: - cost - very expensive - both to register and to visit the area
- very crowded with runners and walkers along with some very narrow sections of the route
- 2 hour wait to start the race
- lots of inexperienced beginning runners - thus pandemonium in the water/pwerade stations
- the weatgher ( sometimes)
The slightly longer version
- Mrs. tortoise and I were among alomost 30 individuals who traveled here this year to participate in one or more of the events. About 20 were runners. My plan was to run a sedate half-marathon with bumbleG and then an even more sedate marathon with my friend Caity. A few yrs ago I paced her to her first running race, a ten km Resolution run in aterloo.
I was suffering from a cold/flu episode all the way during the drive down and for a couple of days after arriving. No carbo loading for me. I did get in a couple practise runs before Saturday's half-marathon.
Saturday's Half-Marathon: BumbleG was suffering from the flu and could not run. thus I was in for an unplanned solo effort. I was up by 3 AM and drove to Epcot, parked and was in the staging area by 4 AM. At 4:45 AM, I walked wioth the other 24,999 other particiapants to the corrals. As I had entered a conservative number for my expected finish, I was in corral for both races. My corral started at 5:56 and I crossed the start line about 6:00 AM. It was very crowded and I just tried to settle into a comfortable pace, which proved to be about a 10:00 minute mile ( 6:15 km ) pace. I soon found that if I wanted to maintain that, I was faced with a severe problem - crowding!1 There were a lot of very narrow sections of thew route and many, many people who had misrepresented their ability and were in the faster corrals. I was still trying to get past groups of walkers 4 and 5 miles in. I also ran into several people during the watrer/powerade stations as so many people either stopped right in front of me or crossed into my path. This did allow me to vary my pace. I ran slower when forced to and when the route stread out wider I did a number of fartlek sections. In this manner, I was able to maintain my 10:00 minute/mile average pace. The temperature at the start was 63 F and about 72 F when I finished. Very pleasant although the humidity was a factor.My age group placing was 14/136. an interesting sidenote. The first twelve in front of me started in corral A and the 13th in Corral B. I was in Corraql D. If I was to run here again I would make sure that I was in Corral A. Overall a great day for me though.
Sunday's Marathon: The getting up, travelling to the epcot parking area and getting to the staging area was the same as Saturday. temps at the start were similar. I met with Caity and her mom Vy who decided to run with us as she is having foot problems. We left early for the corrals and lined up in corral E as this was Caity's assigned Corral. We were off about 6:03 AM. The conditions for running were identical to Saturdays's and even though we were running slower if was still an annotance. We were following a 4 and 1 run/walk pattern and try to maintain a 13 minute/mile pace. Everything went well unill the Magic Kingdom where I lost caity and Vy when they stopped for pics without telling me. After I noticed them missing I thought they must have passed me so I sped up a bit. By mile 7 I figured that they were behind me and I started walf until they caught me. they didn't catch up until mile 10. Then we resumed 4 and 1's . By the half-way mark the heat was beginning to be oppressive. Caity started slowing down a bit. We kept up a decent pace until mile 20. At that point ( an out and back section ) I saw bumbleG who had decided to try to get the marathon run at least. We had a great hug and mentioned how much we each missed running together and then parted to continue our separate sections. This gave me a great lift. However both Caity and her mom started having more heat related problems. I was soaking my buff at every water station and placing it around my neck .We continued in this fashion to just past the 24 mile mark when vy and Caity stopped to get some first aid help. I decided to keep running as I was afraid to stop completely. My calves were starting to cramp a bit. I ended up running the rest of the way solo. Then I waited at the finish area to congratulate the ladies. Caity and Vy then went the first aid area and I headed on back to the condo.
BumbleG ended up getting her marathon Mickey medal.
I also want to mention the volunteers, especially three ladies who at different parts of the route were handing out minature chocolate bars!!! 
My chip time was 5:48:54 53/122.Then , of course, at the condo I iced my legs, had a hot bath, sticked my legs and had a nap!!
When BumbleG and I ran the marathon here in 2006 and the in 2008, the temperature was quite cold - hard waiting for the races to start but excellent running . This year's heat on Sunday was a real problem for most everyone. Two of our group were unable to finish the marathon. Thus ends my first racing adventure for 2013.
So, you gonna be returning in 2015 for the 10th Anniversary, perhaps ?? 
