Mindy Sutton's Staging Area

Since Delaware is a state I needed to complete and the weekend of the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Half Marathon worked well for my schedule, I signed up for this race in early-September. I had never been to Delaware before and was very unfamiliar with this part of the country, and I wasn’t sure how easy hotel reservations would be to come by, either (at least for those at a convenient distance from the start and end). So – in addition to registering for the race, I also made a reservation in September at the Bellmoor Inn and Spa. This turned out to be a great decision on my part…it is in a great location and such a charming inn! I planned to fly into Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) as well and rented a car to drive the 2.5 hours to Rehoboth Beach.

Even though I believe I made some good choices and planned well for this trip, we all know that you cannot predict the weather, and unfortunately, the weather played a pretty considerable role on the morning of the race. The forecast had been a little all over the place in the week leading up to the race, but rain was predicted on race day…and it went from light misting to a considerable downpour by the time I finished. As you’ll see, this led to some less-than-ideal conditions and resulted in me ruining my iPhone (which is a whole other story), but there is no sales tax in Delaware and I needed a new phone anyway, so that kind of worked out! 🙂

As far as the race itself – I must say that this is a well-organized and well-executed race. I feel like I received plenty of communication in advance of race day and knew what to expect. The Rehoboth Beach Running Company also hosted a very nice after-race party, although I have to admit I did not take advantage of this. (At least, the buffet line looked pretty expansive!) I was soaking wet at that point and just wanted to get out of my wet clothes. And, there were plenty of volunteers and helpful on-course support…there was a water and gatorade stop approximately every two miles. I do wish there had been more photographers on the course; I got the impression from the communication around the race that there would be a number of photographers but I only saw a couple along the entire half marathon course.

The course itself is fairly flat. It winds through the town a bit before ending up on the boardwalk. To me, this was definitely the highlight of the race. It’s really beautiful to run along the beach at sunrise! You also run through some neighborhoods with amazing beach homes and end up on the Junction & Breakwater Trailhead, which is most of the second half of the half marathon. The trailhead is not paved and mostly gravel, so it got a little messy at times given the rainy weather. But, it was really lovely scenery otherwise.

Because I arrived in Delaware on Friday and left on Sunday morning, I didn’t have a lot of time to explore and I really wish I could have spent another day checking out the beaches and shopping. Rehoboth Beach is a really cute, beachy town with lots of dining and shopping options, including outlets. (Don’t forget – no sales tax in Delaware!) I guess this just means I’ll have to come back!

One final word – I found all the people I met to be so friendly and nice! I’m not sure what I was expecting, but everyone (shopkeepers, race volunteers, fellow runners, etc.) was so pleasant and helpful. If it weren’t so far away from my home (and not exactly the easiest to get to), I would definitely want to do this race again. An overall delightful experience!

The Cowtown has been on my list of races to run for several years now, and I was able to sign up at the Dallas Half Marathon Expo in December at a reduced rate ($100). I had heard a lot of great things about The Cowtown, so I had fairly high expectations going into race weekend.

While I generally enjoyed the race experience overall, it definitely came with its share of challenges. I’m not particularly familiar with Fort Worth, and I think this contributed to some of my frustrations and confusion throughout the weekend as well.

To start, I had a lot of difficulty finding the Expo. I was able to identify the general area where it was and navigated my way there fairly easily, but I could not figure out where I was supposed to park and then had a lot of trouble finding the correct building where the Expo was taking place. (It is located in a complex of buildings, and I walked through multiple buildings, parking lots, and loading docks before figuring out where I was supposed to go! Signs would have been helpful!) Again, I’m sure if I was more familiar with the area, it would have been easier to find (and if it’s in the same location in the future, I know I will be able to find the Expo more easily). But, this was a little stressful as an introduction to the race.

I stayed at a nearby hotel (Residence Inn), which happened to be in the middle of a renovation during my stay. Again, I know the hotel will be great once it’s complete, but it was not a good experience staying there this time. I literally had to visit the front desk no less than five times to re-program my key (three different times on the morning of the race alone after I had already run 13.1 miles and walked a fairly significant distance!). Additionally, I was woken about 3:00 am the morning of the race to my neighbor yelling profanities for no less than 30 minutes; finally, I heard someone from the front desk knock on his door and he quieted down after that. Needless to say, I was quite frustrated by the time I checked out. I recognize that all of these issues are not necessarily a reflection on the production of The Cowtown other than this was on their list of preferred hotels with reduced rates, but I think it contributed to my overall experience and may be helpful for someone else planning their trip for The Cowtown in the future. I usually try to stay at a hotel where I can walk to the race start, but I only saw one or two hotels that would have been within walking distance of the start and finish of this race. And, I still had to drive a short distance to park on the morning of the race (which wasn’t a problem to find free parking if you arrive at least 45 minutes or more before the race begins).

The morning of the race was pretty cold, and the race started early (7:00 am) for a winter race, in my opinion. The first third of the race was fairly nondescript and uneventful…a few hills through business districts and neighborhoods. I was a little surprised there wasn’t more community support given all the positive things I had heard about the race, but this improved quite a bit once we hit the historic Fort Worth Stockyards around Mile 6. Running through the Stockyards was fun, and the race became a bit more interesting as far as scenery goes after this point. From the Stockyards, the course headed south toward downtown Fort Worth, which required climbing a pretty steep hill at Mile 9. This was brutal and seemed to really slow down a number of folks. After this point, the race went through downtown and turned west toward the start/finish, which also seemed to be uphill a significant portion of the way. While I had wanted a better time, I was satisfied given how hilly this course was.

The swag definitely was the best part of the race to me. I received two shirts (technical tee at the Expo and finisher t-shirt at the finish) and a little paper-thin jacket at the finish as well. The medal also was nice, but I am confused as to why it is in the shape of a puzzle piece. I may have missed the reason for this somewhere, but I have looked and can’t seem to find any explanation. There was also quite a bit of food and hydration at the end of the race, which was great. Given the cold weather, I was surprised there were no mylar blankets at the end, but this wasn’t a make-or-break thing for me. The finish was also a little chaotic without a lot of direction about where to go for the exit, but I finally figured it out!

Overall, I think the race was okay. I will likely run it again at some point in the future, but I don’t know that this will be an annual race for me. I am also hoping that some of the construction that was present at the Expo, hotel, and neighboring areas will be over in a few years, which will make parts of the race experience a little better. A generally good event for which I will be much better prepared in the future!

The 2022 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Half Marathon was the third half-marathon I have run at WDW. (I ran the 2017 Wine and Dine and 2019 Half Marathon as part of Marathon Weekend previously.) During the 2022 weekend, I also ran the 5K and 10K races (everything short of the full marathon…just not ready for the full Dopey yet!). And, in all honesty, I think I have finally figured out how to run (and enjoy!) a runDisney event!

Given I was up at 2:45 am three days in a row for the three races I ran, this has the potential to be a tiring weekend. There is also the temptation to go to and spend time in the parks each day, which could add to the physical exhaustion. As I approached and planned for my trip, I made the conscious decision to build in time each day to take at least a two-hour nap either in the morning after each race or later in the day before dinner. This was critical to me not collapsing at any point during the trip!

When I participate in a runDisney race, I also make the decision that I will not be running for time. Instead, I’m trying to soak up every possible experience that I can on the race route. Disney races are known for the character stops along the way, and this race was no exception. I was able to get pictures during the Half Marathon with Mary Poppins and Burt, Clarabelle the Cow, Tinkerbell, Buzz Lightyear, and Thumper from Bambi. I also was able to get my picture made in front of the castle in the Magic Kingdom. Standing in line for each of these characters takes time, which is why I simply throw any time goal out the window for runDisney races.

As I mentioned, I do feel like I have figured out the “right way” to do runDisney races (at least for me) now that I have run a few. It’s important to know that runDisney is very strict about being able to finish the race at a 16-minute pace. About three “balloon ladies” walk at this pace after the last corral crosses the starting line, and if you get behind them at any point, you will be swept from the course. Everyone tries to avoid the “balloon ladies,” although I have heard they are actually very nice and supportive (albeit scary!).

In the past, runDisney has labeled their corrals with letters, but they numbered the corrals this year. I was in Corral 2 (of 6) for the Half Marathon, which made me feel less stressed about being swept if I stopped for multiple character pictures. It is important to be aware of your corral placement, and how that might help or be limiting to your experience. Keep in mind that there are also literally thousands of people in the corral with you…that are a number of “mini-waves” within each corral. By the time I crossed the starting line in Corral 2, there were probably 10 or so mini-waves that had already crossed the starting line (with the requisite fanfare ahead of me).

As far as the course itself goes, it is fairly flat with a couple of “hills” you have to climb in order to run across an overpass. There are also some significant stretches where it seems like there is “nothing”. Although it can be (and is!) fun to run through the parks and on Disney property, there are also some long stretches of highway between parks and these more scenic places. Disney does try to strategically place characters, but there is maybe one character/mile, which can make the rest of that mile a little boring at times. I still rated the scenery high, though, simply because Disney really does a great job of keeping things interesting. There are also some points on the course that are quite narrow, and given the volume of runners, I had to slow down, walk, or even stop in order not to trip or step on someone. And, because there are so many folks who participate in this race who are new to running, not everyone knows the proper “race etiquette” in these situations, which can be a little frustrating and dangerous, to be honest. There are ample water stops, medical tents, and port-a-potties and bathrooms, though.

Overall, I love the Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World and am sure that I will sign up again for future races, Registration does fill up quickly (often within hours of it opening), so it’s important to be “fully in” before registration opens so that you are ready to go. And, I might also suggest making your hotel reservations before or immediately after securing your race registration and staying in one of the Disney resort hotels since it makes transportation the morning of the race SO much easier. Disney provides busses from the resort hotels to the race starting area for each race.

I have also joined a number of runDisney Facebook groups that have helped me prepare for and stay motivated with my training for this race as well. I encourage folks to find these to get more inside scoop and tips about these races if you’re interested in participating as well. Overall, a truly “magical” experience!

Does a 5K get any better or magical than one at Walt Disney World?? For a short race, this is a really fun (albeit expensive!) option. This was my second time to run/walk a 5k during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, and I enjoyed this one even more than the first, probably because I had a better sense of what to expect and how to prepare.

As with all the Disney races, the 5k starts at 5:00 am, but shuttles begin departing resort hotels at 3:00 am. So, I was up at 2:45 am to get ready and catch the bus to the resort. (Plus, if you’re spending all that money on the race, you definitely don’t want to miss it!) My assumption is also that the most people participate in the 5k of the four races presented that weekend, so it can be a bit crowded getting to the start line and then throughout the race.

Overall, I had another great experience at the 5k. Given the short distance of the race, there aren’t a lot of character stops (as there are during the 10k, half marathon, and marathon), but I managed to get a picture with Lumiere and Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast. There were a few other options this year (Pinocchio and Abu from Aladdin, to name a couple), but I didn’t bother to stop for those just because they didn’t interest me as much and there is still a 16-minute/mile time limit as there is with other races (although the race is not officially timed) and I didn’t want to get swept.

A lot of participants choose to wear costumes for the race, which are really fun. In the future, this is something I would like to do also…just ran out of planning time this year! It’s also important to note that the race course can be quite crowded and most people seem to be walking the race. Given it’s also dark when the race starts (and ends for some folks!), the conditions can be a little dangerous. It’s important to be aware of this.

As I mentioned, I really enjoy this race and hope to sign up in future years as well. Being prepared to sign up the day the registration goes “live” is critical…it sells out quickly! And, like all other Disney races, there is a great shirt, and the medals this year were especially cool! Overall, another magical experience!!

This was my second time to run the Route 66 Half Marathon, and I am planning to make it an annual event. From communication to race organization to on-course support, this is an overall great race. The past two times I’ve run the race, I’ve also stayed at a downtown hotel that is literally at the start line, which has been especially convenient, and the finish line isn’t too far away.

Unfortunately, the medals had not arrived when the race occurred, and not having a medal to hang around your neck at the finish line was a little bit of a downer. (I obviously run for the medals! Ha!) But, I know the organizers will make good on getting the medals to us at some point in the near future.

Truly, the on-course support is also one of the best I have experienced. The city really turns out to support the race and runners. The race weaves through many lovely neighborhoods, and this is really where neighbors are present to cheer folks on, which is much appreciated!

Overall, this is a great event and one I plan to participate in for the foreseeable future!