Kellen Faechner's Staging Area

Disney always puts on a great race weekend. Easy transportation. This weekend, bag check was a little rough. I stood in a long line to drop my bag, maybe 15 minutes. Then it was a long walk to the chutes to start. Course was nice, flat, and entertaining. Lots of pace groups if that is your thing. Sometimes the courses get congested, which can be frustrating. The energy is electric at these races though. Great swag, and post race environment.

I’ve run several runDisney races and I’ve loved them all, but this one was extra special. Aside from it being in France and a bit out of the way, the race itself was pretty incredible. Navigating Paris was easy, and my check in process at the expo was very smooth. The expo itself is very small compared to those in the US, and I was there pretty late, but I got everything I needed. Getting to the race in the AM was pretty smooth. I shared a taxi with some people I met at the hotel and it was a small walk to the start. Bathrooms were readily available and it had all the excitement that regular runDisney races had. What made this run so special was the cast members. They were so kind, so supportive, so enthusiastic, just absolutely incredible. They really made you feel special before, during, and after the races. I loved it. I was a bit undertrained for this half so I made sure to stop and take lots of pictures. The course was stunning. The park was beautiful and running on the roadways was even great. There weren’t quite as many character meet and greets as some others I’ve run, but still enough to be magical. However, unlike other runDisney races, they wouldn’t use your phone to take photos with the characters. So you have to get the photo pass or purchase photos after the race releases them. The medals and T-shirt’s were stunning. My favorites yet. I loved this race, I will absolutely be back to run another one in my lifetime.

This race is always incredible. The energy from staff, volunteers, runners, and the community is amazing. Race production is always spot on, no glitches. Beautiful race expo in the heart of downtown. The race course itself is great, mostly flat, and beautiful. When you get into the residential areas, many members of the community come out to cheer everyone on, it really is an incredible feeling. They offer bag check because it’s a point to point race that runs very smooth. After 5 years, I’ve never ran into any problems at this race. They did move the date up to late June instead of the second weekend in July. I was very cold at the race start this year. Since you are bussed to the start line, you could potentially be sitting there for over an hour depending on when you catch the bus. I was there for 45 minutes prior to start, and was freezing. Since there is a gear check, I regret not packing a small blanket or oversized sweater to toss in my bag before the race started. A good thing for me to remember for next year. Other than that, it was amazing as always. Oh, the the medals were gorgeous as usual. Way to go Missoula Marathon.

This race is in the beautiful coastal town of Birch Bay, which would be so lovely, but as the race is in early April, the race morning was pretty chilly. The rain held off, which was lucky, but I think I would have enjoyed it much more if it wasn’t so chilly. The course was beautiful along the coast of the bay and a little bit through Birch Bay State Park. It was essentially a flat out and back with a small hill to get you right up to the end, so just be ready for that after you’ve already put in nine miles! I didn’t spend much time in the morning at the pre-race festivities, choosing to stay in the warm car until it was time to race. Post-race was great. They provided soup and fruit and some sweets for race recovery, and people at the tents were very helpful and friendly. They also had a big bell for people to ring if they got a PR, which is super fun. Unfortunately this year they had some issues with the company who did their medals, so those are being shipped after, which is a bummer, but things happen. Overall, it was a good. Birch Bay was a lovely time, I would run this again. I just wish it was maybe later in April, so we could get some sunshine and warmth!

This was my first Wine and Dine Half and 10k, but not my first Disney race. I love Disney races, although they are expensive. This was my favorite of all the ones I have run so far. Great characters in course, music on course, and this one came with entry into the food festival with a $15 dining credit. As always, race production is fantastic and the medals and T-shirt’s were incredible. The race expo is huge, and all staff and cast memebers are very supportive before, during, and after the race. Just remember to always put down a previous race time during registration, so that you get an accurate starting corral and don’t end up at the last one if that’s not where you should be. I love runDisney, they are pretty amazing.

This was my second year running HTC, loved it, even if I was a little under the weather. This year I ran Leg 5 in Van 1, it was pretty challenging! If you can get your runners together and get some vans, HTC is a must do!

This race was no joke, but the views are worth it. You get bussed to the start line, and begin a pretty intense 1,250ft. climb for 5 miles. The next 5 are downhill and are a welcome break. Watch out for the hill at mile 10, it will get you! The race was smooth, weather wasn’t great. Chilly, rainy, and a bit of hail. But the views were amazing, and the race swag helped out a lot!

Disney puts on a good race. The race runs smooth with gear check and their corralling system. The races start on time, and the course is exciting, as long as you’re in the park. I love running through the parks, fun characters, great scenery, but once one the streets of Anaheim, it gets a little boring. Though, high school bands and cheerleaders come help along the way! Gets more exciting when you get to run through Angel Stadium, then back into downtown Disney. Super fun! Would recommend running a Disney race!