• Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Services and Products
    • Educational Guide
    • Travel Agent

Disney in your Day

A blog all about Disney

  • Disney World planning
    • Theme parks
    • Resorts
  • Disney Subscription Boxes
  • Gift Guides
    • Disney Stocking Stuffers Guide
    • Disney Etsy Holiday Gift Guide
  • Disney at Home
    • Recipes
    • Crafts and DIY
You are here: Home / Disney World / Princess Half Marathon 2016 recap

Princess Half Marathon 2016 recap

March 3, 2016 by Becky 10 Comments

Princess Half Marathon Recap

Maybe I’m crazy, but apparently I thought it would be a good idea to run a 10k on Saturday morning followed by a half marathon on Sunday morning.  It’s called the Glass Slipper Challenge, and you get a special Disney medal for completing it.  The races also require you to wake up at about 3 am, so it’s definitely a challenge in many ways.

This was my second year running the Princess half marathon, so I knew a little bit more about what to expect going into it.  What I didn’t expect, however, was that our bus driver would get lost on the way to the race start.  We were at All-Star Movies and boarded a bus supposed to take us to Epcot at 3:30am.  We rode along and saw the corrals set up.  Then we drove past them.  Were we taking some sort of back way?  But soon it definitely felt like we had gone too far, and the bus was pulling into the Ticket and Transportation Center at Magic Kingdom.  Without saying a word the bus driver got off to talk to a security guard.  There were no other race buses around.  He got back in and drove around to the other side of the TTC and dropped us all off, still not explaining anything.

Luckily the monorails were running due to the people staying in the hotels there going to the races.  A volunteer looked confused as she asked, “got dropped off in the wrong spot?”  At least we boarded a monorail and finally made our way to Epcot.  By the time we got to the bag check area it was past 4:30, having taken over an hour to get there – a marked difference from the previous morning, in which we got from All-Star Movies to the same exact spot in less than 15 minutes.  Needless to say, it was not the best way to start the morning so my anxiety was already high.

Princess Half Marathon - Disney in your Day

But I made my way to my corral, which was F this year.  We started running around 5:45.  It was a bit chilly at first but not as bad as last year, or as bad as the previous morning.  After about a mile I was comfortable.  I knew my pace would be slower than my other two most recent half marathons due to some ankle pain I was experiencing and the crowds that Princess weekend attracts.  So I tried my best to enjoy the 13.1 mile run!

At about mile 2 we passed the first character stop, which was the heroes – Phoebus, Prince Eric, Flynn Rider, and John Smith.  Some really rare ones but the line was quite long.  I kept going and crossed the gates into the Magic Kingdom area.  Along the way I also passed Jasmine and Abu and Jack Skellington and Sally.  Around mile 4 I ran through the Ticket and Transportation Center where I passed my husband, Jason, cheering me on!  As I ran onto Magic Kingdom he hopped on the monorail to get to Magic Kingdom himself, where he was again able to cheer for me as I passed by on Main Street.

Princess Half Marathon - Disney in your Day

Seeing that castle and running through the Magic Kingdom is truly a magical moment.  Even though I’d done it before I still somehow felt myself tearing up a bit being there – thinking about what I was able to accomplish and doing it in my happiest place.  There were plenty of characters out here as well.  I passed Buzz Lightyear, the Queen of Hearts and White Rabbit, Lady Tremaine and the Stepsisters, and Woody.  Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff were also on top of the castle waving to us.  As we were leaving Magic Kingdom the train was out and I stopped for a quick picture with the conductor.  Just outside of Magic Kingdom they also had Belle and the Beast and Aurora and Prince Phillip.  I still continued on.

Princess Half Marathon - Disney in your Day

The next part is what many dread – the long run back to Epcot with nothing much to distract you, the dreaded miles 8-13 when you start to feel like you’re done, and a couple of hills.  Plus, it’s gotten late enough in the day that the sun is starting to rise and you’re getting hotter and sweatier.  I was glad to still see a good amount of characters out.  The genie (same one as yesterday) was there, and Bert with his Penguins.  Also a random bride and groom by the wedding pavilion.  After them I came to Mrs. Incredible, who had a short line.  I felt like I was doing a Disney race so I needed some character pictures, even if it slowed down my pace.  Who cared?  So I grabbed a pic with her!

Princess Half Marathon - Disney in your Day

Continuing on we actually passed the heroes from the other direction, around mile 10, with a much shorter line.  Since I had my Rapunzel costume I wanted to meet Flynn and the rest of the rare characters, so I stopped!  It took about three or four minutes but totally worth it.  I know some people say that stopping makes them feel like they’ll never able to start again, but I enjoyed the little break and felt a little more energy when I started again.  Another weird thing that happened to me during this race is that I was totally craving sugars.  I usually stick to only water, but around mile 6 I started trying Powerade instead.  Not gonna lie, it tasted amazing and kept me going.  I alternated between Powerade and water after that.

Princess Half Marathon - Disney in your Day

The green army men were there to whip us into shape and get us through mile 10.  They are pretty funny!  Up the two hills and back into Epcot, where there was a photo spot with the Major Domos and the carriage.  I got into Epcot and stopped for a quick picture in front of Spaceship Earth.  And then, finally, I was at the finish line!  I met up with Jason and my brother-in-law’s girlfriend, who had finished a good half hour before me.  She got a massage and I got a glass of champagne, and we both had our shiny medals!

Princess Half Marathon - Disney in your Day

All told I finished the half marathon in about 2 hours and 37 minutes, with a pace of 12:03 minutes per mile.  Not my best half time but much improved over the Princess half last year – and last year I didn’t really stop for any characters!  I’m improving overall, I feel good, and I had a fun time, which is what really matters!  Odds are I’ll be back for the Princess half again next year… unless I decide to do the full marathon in January instead…

half results

Filed Under: Disney World, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Run Disney Tagged With: Glass Slipper Challenge, half marathon, Princess Half Marathon, RunDisney, running, Tangled, The Incredibles

Comments

  1. Greta Hollar says

    March 3, 2016 at 9:34 am

    This looks like so much fun! The medals are so pretty, congrats on the races and getting up at 3 a.m. to do it!

    Greta | http://www.gretahollar.com

    Reply
    • Becky @Disney in your Day says

      March 3, 2016 at 7:04 pm

      Thanks so much! The medals are some of the best I’ve seen 🙂

      Reply
  2. Emily Kib says

    March 3, 2016 at 2:47 pm

    I’ve heard about the half but I’d never seen pictures before! That looks like so much! I definitely would have stopped to take pictures, especially with Flynn!

    Reply
    • Becky @Disney in your Day says

      March 3, 2016 at 2:04 pm

      Yes, it’s definitely the most fun half marathon I’ve ever seen!

      Reply
  3. Joules (Pocketful of Joules) says

    March 3, 2016 at 2:49 pm

    Congratulations! If I ever worked my way up to a half, I’d absolutely do this one… it looks so fun!

    Reply
    • Becky @Disney in your Day says

      March 3, 2016 at 7:04 pm

      Yes, if you get the chance to do it I highly recommend it!

      Reply
  4. Debbie Kolacki says

    March 3, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    So what was up with that bus driver? Did you ask him what was going on? I’m glad it all turned out OK despite the rocky start and I am so proud to see that you’re sticking with your running and even thinking about a marathon! I hope the ankle problem clears up.

    Reply
    • Becky @Disney in your Day says

      March 3, 2016 at 2:05 pm

      I don’t know, he never explained anything to us! Just glad we left with plenty of time to spare. The full marathon will be a one-time thing but I would like to do it so I can feel like I accomplished it.

      Reply
  5. indiesuns says

    March 3, 2016 at 10:50 pm

    Can you believe I’ve never been to Disney? Seeing how often you get to go makes me so jelly! Hopefully I can go soon!
    xx
    Ana
    Indie Suns | Bloglovin’ | Instagram

    Reply
    • Becky @Disney in your Day says

      March 4, 2016 at 8:35 pm

      Oh goodness, if you ever get the opportunity to go I highly recommend it! Disney’s not just for kids and such a magical place 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Hi, I'm Becky!

I'm a huge Disney fan in my early 30's and always trying to find a way to put a little bit of Disney into everyday life. I live in Pennsylvania but travel to the theme parks several times a year - I'm an annual passholder at Disney World! In addition to Disney I love traveling, running, and theater.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
[popup_manager id="51"]

Archives

© 2023 · Disney In Your Day · Theme Design by Rakshi Creations