4.5/5.0 Well... It's one day after the race and I thought I would include a few thoughts/suggestion/pointers.... Whatever you may want to call it.
The Good...
1) The race was great! Very well coordinated. The start went off at exactly 5:50. Since I was in the first group behind the elite runners it only took about 1.5 minutes to get to the start. That's only because we took our merry old time getting to the start and were at the back at the A corral. Water every 2 miles... although NOT all on mile markers... which can be hard if you're doing run/walk splits and want to do 1Mile/1min
2) If you are situated in a lower group and want to move up... fold your bib and PIN it down so u can't unfold it. If you have an unlikely number for the group you are trying to sneak into you can also fold your bib the long way to make it look shorter, or tell them you were moved up a group at check-in--- This worked well for CB as we snuck her into group A with an 18,000-something number.
3) There was entertainment almost the ENTIRE way from the fire works right next to you at the start to the characters, music and gospel choir at the end!! There were a couple miles in the back lots, but they filled those with interesting facts and other things to think about. The only place I found lacked characters, music, etc. was between 23 and 26... There wasn't much.
4) Your "ChEAR squad" was adequately prepared! They provide 2 tools that I posted below-- Runner Tracking and Tool to locate where your runner will be based on time. BOTH of those worked superbly!!! MB and Michael were getting texts at 5:50 am!!! ... which I'm sure they appreciated. Ben-- my chEAR squad-- was able to find me at EVERY stop they had listed.
The Bad...
5) $$$-- Expect to lose a LOT of it! The price of the marathon truly reflects the destination. It is a rather expensive marathon. As are the hotels that weekend, and the merchandise. AND there is NO discount or free passes for the theme parks!!! HOWEVER-- you get a GREAT long sleeve breathable stitch running shirt, and the entertainment throughout is priceless.
6) HEAT!!! This if Florida after all... throughout the week we thought we would have light rain. Well... that was not the case at all. About 2 hours into the race the sun came up, clear skies, and HOT! I've been in Florida for the past 6 months, and I still thought it was HOT! And shade wasn't always easy to find.
7) If you're not used to getting up at 3am (and I mean the ENTIRETY of you-- even the potty side) then this might be tricky. The roads close at 4am so you'll have to get your car to epcot or yourself on a monorail before 4am! If you're a very .... ahem, "regular" person, the 3am wakup call may prove difficult.
The Ugly...
8) DO NOT use running flats unless you can run ...3:15 or less!!! They hurt hurt hurt. There was virtually NO shock absorption and now my legs hurt and my ankle is QUITE swollen.
9) My thoughts on running shorts: You know true "Running shorts" with the little fake undies built right in? Yeah those are TERRIBLE for chafing. If you wear them use body glide (Yeah CB, I know!!!)! (as you can tell, this was a bit of an uncomfortable marathon for Moi!). Both of these things I purchased at a Nike Town. Welll... it's back to ALL mizuno for me!!!
By far the best shoes, shorts, etc. in the running world...
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