Let the 2018 Dopey Challenge begin! I was so excited and nervous for this weekend for so long, and the time was finally here! In just a few days I would be running my first marathon, but first, as part of the Dopey Challenge, I had three other races to run.
First up -- the WDW 5K!
This run would be a fairly standard WDW 5K from the parking lot in Epcot, through the park, and back out to the parking lot.
I dressed up as Dr. Seeker from the Dinosaur attraction in Animal Kingdom for this race. I pieced together a thrift store lab coat, old blue fishing shirt, and new khaki running skirt along with a replica of Seeker's neck tie for this look. Arthur designed my tie and created a Dino Institute name badge for me as well. The finishing touch was an Iguanodon puppet I picked up on eBay and brought out for photo ops.
It was extremely cold for this race so I brought along a throw-away hat that I kept on for the whole race. I brought a pair of socks to wear as mittens. I also layered with running tights, a long sleeve running shirt, and extra arm sleeves. I was still uncomfortably cold.
Training & Goals
The last 3+ months had been all about Dopey training, with the goal being to finish and have fun.
Race Day: January 4, 2018
I left home at about 2:40AM and drove down I-4 with very little traffic. I had the car parked by 3:32AM. I sat in the warm car for just about 10 minutes before venturing out to the staging area. It wasn't very busy yet and I was able to get photos with all six of the characters that were out before the race; the longest line was for Dopey.
Unfortunately my photos with Mickey didn't come out and my Minnie photos never showed up in my PhotoPass.
It was cold waiting in the corral. By the time I started running at 5:42AM it was 28°F -- frigid!
Mile 1: 12:16
An easy mile with some of the usual jostling around for position. Before going into Epcot Chip and Dale were out for a photo op but I didn't stop for them.
Mile 2: 15:01
Inside Epcot there were plenty of photo stops (I ran by most). There were vikings in Norway; Jiminy Cricket in Italy; and Vacation Genie in Morocco.
Mile 3+: 19:56, 4:11
Kenai and Sitka from Brother Bear were out in Canada. I stopped for Horace Horsecollar by The Land.
And then just like that day one of the 2018 Dopey Challenge was complete! A typical slow and fun Disney 5K for sure.
After the Race
I didn't linger too long -- there were still three days to go after all. I left by 7:20 to get ready for the coming days.
Recommendation
A+
Chip time: 51:19
Placement details: The 5K wasn't timed except for Dopey runners; no placement information was given
Race Amenities: Usual Disney goodness
Cost: $576.30 for all four Dopey races
Report written January 14, 2018
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