runDisney: In-person vs Virtual Races

In light of the recent decision from runDisney to make both the Walt Disney World Marathon and the Princess Half Marathon virtual in 2021, many people will be trying to decide whether its still worth signing up. These are my experiences with runDisney in-person and virtual races to hopefully make that decision easier, or at the very least, give people some things to consider.

runDisney

In-Person Races

I have had the pleasure of running the Fairy Tale Challenge three times — in 2016, 2018 and 2020 (we got this one in right at the buzzer before COVID shutdowns.) My friend Julia and I have a standing plan to run it every-other year and we are always accompanied by her mom, Lori, and Grandma, Alice. Lori is a Disney Vacation Club member and Annual Passholder so we usually stay on-property at Saratoga Springs and we always spend five or six days in Disney. Not only do we run two fun races through Disney property, but we also get to trade the frigid Ohio winter for sunny Florida’s 70-degree weather. The vacation alone always makes this race attractive to me.

Every year as soon as we arrive at Saratoga, there are signs up welcoming the racers and giving information about race weekend. We always love going to the expo to check out the race merch and see all the sponsor booths. This year the expo was a bit light on third-party sellers, but I’m assuming that was because of Covid. Disney offers free shuttles to and from the expo and races for everyone staying on-property during race weekend so we never have to worry about how we’re getting anywhere. There is always a general air of excitement and anticipation leading up to the races that I absolutely love.

For those of you that don’t know, the Fairy Tale Challenge includes both the Princess Half Marathon and the Enchanted 10k (three medals for two races!) Julia, Lori and I agree that the 10k is the better course because the boring highway section is at the beginning — when we’re still jazzed up from the start line — and the last half of the course goes through the World Showcase and around the Boardwalk at Epcot — giving us plenty to look at and enjoy right when we might be starting to flag a bit. The Half does run through the castle in Magic Kingdom and ends at Epcot, but the six miles in-between are mentally brutal (and sometimes physically brutal if its really hot.)

The races are always EXTREMELY crowded and we somehow always miss the deadline for proof-of-time so we’re usually in one of the later corrals for the half. By the time we get started, we’ve been standing for close to an hour, watching other corrals head out, and because we get started later, the sun ends up beating down on us at the end. I feel like Disney’s corral system is off in general because this past time we were dodging around people that started three corrals ahead of us and seemed to be walking the whole thing. We expended so much energy dodging people that we were way more exhausted at the end than we should have been — not to mention it’s just incredibly frustrating. There are a couple places in the half marathon course where people always end up bottle-necking and this year it was even worse with the construction outside of Magic Kingdom. Again, there are just SO MANY people that this is unavoidable.

All that being said, Disney does a lot to make the races special. They always do fun interviews and things at the start line and they make sure that every single wave is sent off with exciting music and fireworks — making it seem like you’re at the start of the race, no matter which corral you’re in. They have character meet and greats throughout the course where runners can stop and get a photo (which we never do because the lines are insanely long) as well as giant screens that play songs from everyone’s favorite Disney movies. There are plenty of water, food, port-o-potties and First Aid stations and all of the volunteers are amazing. The finish line is a huge party area with up-beat music, an announcer saying everyone’s names as they cross and tons of people cheering on the finishers. There are photo booths and food boxes beyond the finish line and runners can take the shuttle back to their hotels immediately.

The rest of the week we always see people wearing their medals around the parks and cast members are sure to congratulate them on their finish. Overall, its a magical weekend that falls prey to the pitfalls of any other large race.

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Virtual Races

The past two summers I have signed up for the runDisney Virtual Series, which is a series of three 5k races from June to August. These three races can be run/walked at any time and anywhere over the three months. Disney tries to get people engaged and excited about the race through social media and they even have a bib that runners can print off and wear while they’re running their favorite course.

I love these virtual races for the simple fact that they give me incentive to get out and run when I otherwise wouldn’t want to — in theory. While they do incentivize me, I’m much more likely to put it off for a week or walk more than I normally would in a real race. It’s easier to push myself and commit to a pace when I have people around me, racing toward the same finish line. I enjoy being able to choose my route and pick the day and time I race based on the weather and my schedule. It’s nice to take my husband or my dogs and use that time to bond. I enjoy running through my neighborhood and not being brushed by 30 sweaty runners or dodging around five people walking abreast. A virtual race definitely has its merits.

The virtual Princess Half and all of its affiliated races are moving forward this year with a tiered system where you can spend more or less money depending on the commemorative items you want. For instance you can pay $59 for the “Magic Option” of the half marathon to receive the finisher medal and virtual items (printable bib, certificate, mile markers, a digital goodie bag and playlist), or you can pay $159 for the “More Magic” option which basically adds a finisher shirt to the Magic Option. The Fairy Tale Challenge has three tiers where you can decide if you want just the three medals, the medals and one shirt (Fairy Tale Challenge), or the medals and all three shirts (10k, Half Marathon, Fairy Tale Challenge.) The Walt Disney World Marathon has utilized this same tiered system where-in the more expensive tiers include finisher shirts.

I can imagine how difficult this decision was for runDisney and the race organizers. I have seen first-hand how the race directors of our local Flying Pig Marathon here in Cincinnati agonized over the decision to go virtual this year. They originally postponed the May race to October, but eventually decided to go virtual all-together. It was not an easy decision and though it’s a bummer, it’s probably for the best.

The virtual experience will never compare with the in-person race. The magic of a Disney race is not replicable outside of that wonderland. The beautiful weather and scenery, the crowd cheering on the runners, the over-the-top finish line and the general excitement make it one-of-a-kind. That’s why we keep going back; a little bit of magic in a world that can sometimes be dull. However, with current health concerns, a virtual race is the best alternative. I personally will not be spending the extra cash for the shirts, but I can definitely see myself signing up for at least one race to break up the cold, monotony of February in the Midwest and maybe bring some Disney magic to Ohio.