Racing Disney: The Best Places To View Your Runner! by Guest Blogger Addie Clark
Hey there Main Streeters! Last week I gave you the 411 on the official chEAR squad packages offered by runDisney. Regardless of whether or not you choose to purchase to watch your runner, you can still cheer your runner on throughout the course!
Today, I’m going to give you the information about the best places to view your runner. Please note that this is based on the courses for the 2015 Princess Half Marathon weekend. The courses can be different depending on the race (Wine and Dine, for instance, is a completely different course), but hopefully this will give you a general idea of how to “follow” your runner around the course.
Let’s start with the 5K. The 5K course on this map is PINK and so I’ve highlighted the best viewing areas in PINK. With the 5K being so short, there are really only TWO good viewing areas: the start and the finish.
- For 5K START viewing: You can line up to watch your runner run through the starting line, but that can be very crowded and hard to see your runner (or your runner to see you), so I would actually recommend going beyond the start line to where the course bends around the parking lot and see them as they make that turn.
- For 5K FINISH viewing: There are grandstands at the finish. Note that the START and FINISH are not in the same place, and while your runner is running 3.1 miles, you should be crossing the parking lot to get to the finish to see them!
Now for the 10K course. The 10K course is on the map with the 5K and is PURPLE, so I’ve highlighted the best viewing areas in PURPLE. There’s a total of THREE good viewing areas, though one has a lot of options for you.
- For 10K start: The 10K doesn’t make the same turn the 5K did so your only option is to watch them cross the start line.
- Before and After Mile 5: This part of the race takes place on the Boardwalk area. Basically, anywhere along the Boardwalk you will be able to see your runner and cheer them on and there is no bad spot. However, if this is where you choose to view your runner, it will most likely be the only place you can see them and you will need to skip Start viewing.
- For 10K finish: Once again, there are grandstands at the finish. Alternatively, you can be beyond the finish and see your runner get their medal.
For the half marathon, you have the most choices for viewing your runner. The map shows the course in PURPLE and I’ve highlighted it appropriately.
- There is no opportunity to view your runner at the start of the race as only runners are allowed to the starting line (it’s in a completely different place.
- Mile 4: Your first real opportunity to view your runner is at the Transportation and Ticketing Center. If you take the bus with your runner to Epcot, you can immediately get on the monorail and take it to the TTC.
- Miles 5 and 6: This viewing is in the Magic Kingdom and is definitely the most magical place to view your runner. Also, it’s possible to see your runner twice in this area. If you station yourself on Main Street close to the castle, you can see your runner before they make the turn into Tomorrowland and then make your way behind the castle where they will run by you again on their way into Adventure/Frontierland and out of the park.
- Mile 7: You can view your runner as they run behind the Grand Floridian by the golf course.
- Half Finish: Like all the previous races, there are grandstands at the finish line. Alternatively, you can be beyond the finish to watch your runner get their medal.
Depending on how fast they are, you will have to pick and choose your viewing areas. For the half course, I would suggest either doing the Miles 5 and 6 MK viewing OR the Mile 4 and Mile 7 viewing. But if your runner runs with their cell phone (most do), you can download apps to be able to track their phone to figure out when they are getting close to you.
Hopefully this helps give you an idea of where to watch your runners at WDW events.
Keep running, Main Streeters.
TMSM is very excited to publish the first in a series of runDisney articles by Addie Clark. Please keep an eye out for more of Addie’s articles as she prepares for her upcoming race! If you missed the first articles in Addie’s series make sure you check them at www.themainstreetmouse.com/tag/addie/
If you are planning on running in a runDisney event and have questions, or have participated and want to talk about your experiences make sure you visit our runDisney Forum at http://goo.gl/RLB5ka
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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