Ran the inaugural Disneyland Halloween Half to celebrate a milestone birthday. I was fortunate to have gotten a great corral and was able to cross the starting line not long … MORE
Ran the inaugural Disneyland Halloween Half to celebrate a milestone birthday. I was fortunate to have gotten a great corral and was able to cross the starting line not long after the start. This mattered because it ended up being an extremely hot day (hit 108 degrees day in the afternoon). Temps were in the 70s early on. Running thru DCA and Disneyland Park were as magical as you might expect. Characters and cast were out in force. Cast members made the race for me. They were cheering runners on and out, even in the backstage areas we ran thru. A little dark in some pockets of Disneyland Park but overall amazing. Anaheim was a bit boring but there was the occasional band or DJ. Another highlight was running thru Angels Stadium and having my name called by the PA. The medal and swag was great. The only suggestion I’d have for Disney is move the race to October in hopes for cooler weather. I understand the race brings in crowds during September but it was brutally hot for a race. I know runners in the other corrals faced 80 degree heat due to starting later.
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Magical Experience
Ran the inaugural Disneyland Halloween Half to celebrate a milestone birthday. I was fortunate to have gotten a great corral and was able to cross the starting line not long … MORE
Ran the inaugural Disneyland Halloween Half to celebrate a milestone birthday. I was fortunate to have gotten a great corral and was able to cross the starting line not long after the start. This mattered because it ended up being an extremely hot day (hit 108 degrees day in the afternoon). Temps were in the 70s early on. Running thru DCA and Disneyland Park were as magical as you might expect. Characters and cast were out in force. Cast members made the race for me. They were cheering runners on and out, even in the backstage areas we ran thru. A little dark in some pockets of Disneyland Park but overall amazing. Anaheim was a bit boring but there was the occasional band or DJ. Another highlight was running thru Angels Stadium and having my name called by the PA. The medal and swag was great. The only suggestion I’d have for Disney is move the race to October in hopes for cooler weather. I understand the race brings in crowds during September but it was brutally hot for a race. I know runners in the other corrals faced 80 degree heat due to starting later.
Disneyland Run
You have to know what you are getting into with a Disney run. Don't expect a personal best. Pros - running through the parks and Angels stadium is so cool. … MORE
You have to know what you are getting into with a Disney run. Don’t expect a personal best. Pros – running through the parks and Angels stadium is so cool. Lots of things to look at in the parks. Community support outside the parks. Cons – huge number of people, long wait to start, lots of people walking on the left or stopping randomly, over half the miles outside the parks, and having to weave through other people in order to run. You will either love it in spite of its flaws and be hooked, or you will vow never again.
Not an event if you want to actually run
This event is walker-friendly, and while you're ostensibly placed in corrals based on estimated finish time, everyone 2:30 and up is kind of mixed in. If you don't have proof … MORE
This event is walker-friendly, and while you’re ostensibly placed in corrals based on estimated finish time, everyone 2:30 and up is kind of mixed in. If you don’t have proof of time for <2:30 (a recent race time) then you just get what you get as far as start placement. This means that a lot of runners get mixed in with a lot of walkers, most of whom either don't know or plainly ignore race etiquette. Things like walking in wide groups blocking parts of the course, not staying right, and so on, were prevalent.
The early part of the course was kind of cool since you get to run through both Disneyland and DCA. I will say, however, that it’s entirely pre-dawn and so the effect is somewhat blunted. Plus, there are tons of backstage areas on the course, which aren’t particularly interesting or magical. I guess if you aren’t running it seriously for time and want to stop and wait in lines for photo ops, that’s cool, but it wasn’t my plan. Different strokes and all that.
The course after the parks is just suburban Anaheim, pretty boring. There were occasional bands and DJs to liven it up, and running through the baseball stadium was kind of cool (if very slippery).
The aid stations were fine, nothing to rave about or complain about. I didn’t take food, but there were plenty of opportunities for water and powerade.
The finish line treatment was good, with plenty of snacks, fluids, and cooling towels, along with a handful of food trucks and photo areas and such. Swag is the usual – medal and a tech shirt. They have tons of other event merch for sale at the expo at Disneyland prices, if that’s your thing.
Overall, this is a mediocre race but a pretty good event. I wouldn’t sign up for this to PR, but if you like Disney and want to enjoy some Disney magic, it’s fun.