Above are photos from Marist Running Alums Caitlin Garrity and Tom Dixon at the Disney Marathon. Below are their race reports, sent via email. Thank you to both for the info and great job!
Caitlin’s race report: The marathon is definitely a tough and challenging event. During the last five miles I kept asking myself what I was doing out there but I have to say I am looking forward to competing in another. The first marathon is such a learning experience and Disney doesn't make things easy. We left the hotel at 3:15 a.m., and made a slow shuffle to the start line which was about a mile or so from the bus stop. Then we stood in line at the start for another hour and a half before the gun went off. It was a lot of fun and great to see the characters out cheering the runners on but not really a race if you are going for time. We made sure to wear our Marist Alumni shirts and heard a few "Go Marist!"
T-Dix’s race report: I signed up for the marathon in late November after catching the running bug watching Caitlin run a fast half marathon up in Boston. My first day run since the Fox Trot was actually Thanksgiving Day. I have been battling a pretty stubborn IT Band issue since late last year and have had a pretty tough time keeping up any kind of consistency in my running. Fast forward a month and a half, I was able to get in a 15-miler and a 20-mile long run, with a few fartleks between Thanksgiving and Christmas (when I dialed it back in anticipation of the marathon). I ran just about every other day and just mixed in other work on the other days so that I wouldn't put on too much holiday weight. Race Day: Going in my goals were to run sub 3:30, and just have fun with it. The conditions were pretty much exactly what I was hoping for. It was probably around 50 degrees, no wind, not too hot, not too cold. One drawback of the Disney Marathon, it starts at 5:30 a.m. The last bus to the starting line is at 4 a.m., so we had set our alarm for 3 a.m. From around 4:00 when we checked our bags, until 5:30 we were on our feet as we had to do a slow shuffle to the starting line with the other 15,000 + runners. Luckily we were in the first corral so when the race started it didn't take long to settle into a pace. There were Disney Characters, fans, marching bands, and choirs cheering you on a good portion of the way as you make your way through all of the parks. I even heard a group scream "GO MARIST COLLEGE" at one point in the Magic Kingdom. I made it until mile 19 until the IT Band flared up. I was able to fight through the pain until about mile 22 when I stopped to stretch it out for about 30 seconds. I had to use the Porta-Potty at around mile 7 as well. From 22 though the finish the IT Band pain was pretty bad. I contemplated walking at a few points but the desire to get to the finish line and be done with it was a little stronger. I only had 2 miles that were over 8 minutes, the bathroom stop and mile 26 where I hit the wall in Epcot. It is a very fun/ entertaining atmosphere and Disney really puts together a great experience but it is an expensive trip especially if you intend to walk around the parks for a few days. We found that out the hard way as we pretty much limped around the parks for three days after the marathon trying to get the most of our money/ time down there. Overall a good experience. Not sure if it is a marathon I would recommend for those seeking a PR or qualifier, but if you are looking for a fun one, Disney can deliver on that.
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