In 2016 I told my wife I wanted to run the Disney Marathon. NOT WITHOUT ME! she emphasized. So I signed us up for the 2017 Disney Marathon. I didn’t tell her I did. She just got the email in the middle of class (she’s a teacher). WHAT DID YOU DO? she exclaimed (with a mix of OMG, curiosity and excitement, not anger).
That was 9 years ago. This past weekend for the 5th time we ran the Disney Marathon together. It is a REALLY nice day with a REALLY early morning start. The race starts at 4:30 AM. The wait to start take a while, but for a Disney enthusiast and runner, very little beats running through EPCOT at 5 AM. The Disney staff are exactly what you expect. They are enthusiastically cheering you on. There is plenty of hydration throughout the race (as opposed to disgraceful races like the Honolulu Marathon that give you next to no Gatorade/Powerade to keep you healthy and hydrated).
The Disney product is exceptional in everything they do, and our 5th Disney World Marathon was no exception to their being exceptional! Note that if you are trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon or are looking for a Personal Best time, Disney, as Obi Wan may say about certain droids, is not the marathon you are looking for.
If you are looking to take your picture with Chewbacca and the cast from Up and Jiminy Cricket (I was), then this is the marathon you are looking for.
And in all things you do in life, truly follow Jiminy’s advice. You can put the poster on your wall to “Let your Conscience be Your Guide”, but you have to live it AND have a good conscience. Living the Jiminy Cricket principle is a lot like running. You can buy the treadmill and the shoes, but if you aren’t using it, you are just fooling yourself. Your conscience, just like your daily step count, must be your guide. One for your inner peace and one for your health, but they both matter!
Morbidly Obese to MARATHON Runner 