My runDisney Race Weekend Sponsored by Enterprise
On April 3rd I had the incredible opportunity to run The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler as part of the runDisney Springtime Surprise weekend. I partnered with Enterprise, the official rent-a-car of Walt Disney World, for this experience.
Rental Car Experience
I partnered with Enterprise during the runDisney Springtime Surprise weekend, and as part of the partnership, I received a rental car for the weekend. We picked up the car at the Car Care Center at the Walt Disney World Resort. This was a quick and easy process that took us about 15 minutes, from checking in with an Enterprise representative to having the keys in my hand and getting our weekend adventure started. The staff was welcoming and friendly, but truly the best part was seeing my daughters’ reactions to our rental car. We had a Ford Edge - an SUV - for the weekend, and this type of car is affectionately known as a “big utt” car in my household. The car was clean, easy to drive, and big enough to keep my family entertained (aka, the backseat was big enough to keep bickering sisters separate). Returning the car was an even easier process and I really appreciated the follow-up call I received later in the day to ask about my experience with the car and service.
Expo
runDisney Health & Fitness Expo is always one of my favorite expos because the runner celebration starts at the expo with plenty of photo opportunities throughout the different expo locations. As is customary with runDisney expos, bib pick up is in one building and T-shirt pick up is in another building. Packet pickup was quick and easy, taking us a total time of about an hour between bib pick up, T-shirt pick up, walking around the expo to see the runner-focused vendors, and grabbing a quick bite to eat.
Accommodations
We stayed at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. The room was spacious and perfectly sized for my family of four. We didn’t get to explore the property much when we arrived on Saturday because of the rainy weather, but we did walk around the property Sunday after the race. Our room was spacious, and I had plenty of space to get through my runner workout routine Sunday morning without waking anyone up.
Pre-Race
As expected, my five alarms did not get me out of bed early enough, so I ended up driving to EPCOT. I left Caribbean Beach Resort at 3:30am and the total time from leaving my room to arriving at the EPCOT parking lot was about 15 minutes. I went through my pre-race routine of drinking an energizing drink an hour before start time and snacking on graham crackers while walking around to explore the start line and finish line areas. There were plenty of bathrooms and I was able to hop into one before entering my corral.
Post-Race
Medals at the finish line, along with water, sports drinks, and runDisney’s signature snack box (banana, tortilla chips, cheese dipping sauce, sunflower seeds, and a fruit bar) started the post-race celebration. There were a few picture opportunities including a Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary background, Springtime Surprise race background, and a golden Mickey Mouse. There was a DJ playing music, a tent for race merchandise, a tent for drink and snacks, and plenty of space with tables and bleachers for post-race reunion with spectators and resting.
On the Course
The course is 10 miles all on Walt Disney World Resort property. The course starts in the EPCOT parking lot and the first 4.5 miles of the race takes you through World Showcase in EPCOT, Disney’s Boardwalk, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The next 3 miles or so cover the highway going back toward EPCOT. Mile 8 is on an uphill with a downhill that takes you back into EPCOT where the race wraps around Future World and leads out to the parking lot finish line. Hydration stops are every 1 to 1.5 miles and energy chews are around the 10K mark of the race. Character stops were mainly in the parks and included Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Pluto, Goofy, and Scrooge McDuck.
My favorite part of the course were all the live musicians including a singer in EPCOT’s France Pavilion, a piano player on the most incredibly lit piano in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and a doo-woo sounding trio on the highway. There were also plenty of runDisney photographers on the course to capture running memories with the most magical backdrops.
Race Experience
My plan for this race was to continue the celebration of my 10-year Runniversary and dedicate each mile to something or someone special. There was no pace plan other than running for joy, running for fun, and running with a heart full of gratitude. These were the mile dedications that got me through the race:
Mile 1: Myself. This running journey all started because of me.
Mile 2: My husband. He’s an angel when it comes to supporting me.
Mile 3: My oldest. The one who made me a mother.
Mile 4: My youngest. The one who reminds me that I can do hard things with a smile on my face.
Mile 5: Friendship. My word for the year.
Mile 6: 10 years of running. How has so much time passed?!
Mile 7: The love of this sport.
Mile 8: All the other runners out here with me.
Mile 9: The Enterprise partnership and the creation of this opportunity for me to race at runDisney.
Mile 10: Myself. I physically got through the miles and it’s time to bring it home!
The weather on race morning was a mixed bag with temperatures in the 60s, but humidity at over 90%. For the most part, I felt cozy and anytime I was starting to feel the effects of the humidity, there was a character stop to help me recover from the effort of running. The character stops are something I truly enjoy about the runDisney races because they are not only motivation to keep it moving forward (you have no idea which characters will be on the course!), but they are also a great way of breaking up the race into manageable chunks.
The course itself was an interesting one. On the one hand, I loved that the race started and ended in the same area. On the other hand, the course felt a little unbalanced because there was so much activity in the first few miles of the race followed by middle miles that are along the highway. So, there was excitement and momentum as I ran in the parks and then a lull in feeling as I had to focus on keeping the steps moving forward until I made it back to Epcot. Don’t get me wrong, it was highly motivating, but I went from being distracted and dazzled by the sights to hyper focused on staying strong until I could get distracted and dazzled again. This, however, may have just been my experience. Having done other runDisney races, I understand that the course route made the most sense for the distance. There were also a few points along course, particularly on the path from the Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios, that were narrow. Again, the narrow parts of the course made sense given the overall direction of the course, but I wasn’t prepared to slow down as much as I did.
All this aside, I loved this course because of how much of both parks I got to run through. Running through the EPCOT countries when it’s dark outside is pure magic, and I was geeking out running through every area of Hollywood Studios. To see the theme parks full of runners, especially runners in costumes, and all those supporting runners is amazing. I don’t know how else to describe it other than to say that I feel special being able to see Walt Disney World Resort when the theme parks are closed to the rest of the world.
Overall impression
runDisney always delivers with a unique running experience. Any race that sees you off with fireworks and flames is bound to be an epic experience. Costumes and characters on the course make it feel like the coolest Disney-inspired party. I mean, you’ve got race announcers pumping up the crowd pre-race and a DJ playing music that makes you want to dance like you didn’t just run 10 miles post-race!
If I could relive each part of this weekend, I would in a heartbeat. The experience with picking up and dropping off my Enterprise rental car was seamless, and it was so fun to drive a “big utt” car around for the weekend. Staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel is always a treat and runDisney knows how to put on a memorable race. In general, it felt like a true runDisney race-cation.
Pros
Quick and easy packet pickup.
Themed technical race shirt.
Start early, finish early enough to make it to the parks.
Course that showcases the best of Epcot, the Boardwalk, and Hollywood Studios.
Character stops and on-course entertainment.
Free race photos!
Runners in costumes.
Well supported hydration stops.
Plenty of bathrooms throughout the entire race experience.
Pre- and post-race entertainment.
Hydration and snacks post-race.
Post-race photo opportunities.
The medal is GORGEOUS with a Goofy that travels up and down the Tower of Terror.
Cons
Early start time, but runDisney races are known for this.
Bottleneck points on the course.
Depending on course preference, miles 5-8 might be a mental challenge as it’s all highway. There is on-course entertainment in these miles, but it’s not like running through the parks.
Whether or not you have sea level legs like I do, this course is “hilly” with climbs of different elevations.
For those of you who like numbers, this is my seventh start line of the year and my second runDisney event of the year. My official time was 1:56:48.
Thanks once again to Enterprise for partnering with me during runDisney’s Springtime Surprise weekend. My love for the running community and especially the runDisney running community is immense; my gratitude cup for being able to return to Walt Disney World to run is overflowing.
Next up for me: keeping my fitness up until I start my next block of training this summer.
*Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of Enterprise
