Day two of the Disneyland race weekend brings runners the 10K, this year themed to Pixar's Monsters University.

For this race I decided to run as Sulley from the Pixar franchise, along with every other runner in the race. Well, maybe not everyone, but Sulley was certainly a popular choice! I tacked (or basted -- temporary stitching) purple felt spots onto a turquoise tech top and a turquoise SparkleSkirt for the costume. I got a cheap blue cap on Amazon and hot-glued the Monsters U logo (cut out of foam paper) on the front and sewed Sulley's horns on the sides.

Disneyland race courses are known for having long stretches through the parks. We ran through California Adventure and Disneyland, along with additional backstage miles, to run all 6.2 miles of the 10K race.

Goals
Usually I try to take it easy for Disney 10K runs, especially when I've got a half the next day, but it was going to be our second day of visting the theme parks so I didn't dawdle too much.

Race Day: September 2, 2017
All of the races during the weekend started at 5AM. Each day I got up a little bit later and walked over to the staging area from our hotel. Since I was alone I was able to creep up in the corral for the start.

It was 75°F with 89% humidity when I started my run at 5:16AM from corral D.

Mile 1: 11:45
Like yesterday's 5K, we ran from the parking area starting line into California Adventure at Cars Land. I ran by two photo ops: Monsters U cheerleaders and Flik with Princess Atta (ants from A Bug's Life).

Mile 2: 13:32
From Cars Land we headed around the boardwalk at Paradise Pier and then back around Grizzly Peak, again exiting the park backstage by the old Tower of Terror. I ran by a few more photo ops: Roz (Monsters Inc character -- I ended up regretting skipping this one, bummer); Russell (Junior Wilderness Explorer from Up); and Mike & Sulley (Monsters Inc).

Mile 3: 12:20
We ran down backstage roads along the east side of Disney property up towards the north side of Disneyland. In the tunnel a couple of characters from the Child Detection Agency (Monsters Inc) were dancing around.

Mile 4: 13:14
After a bit more backstage running we headed into Disneyland via Toontown. We ran through Tomorrowland and finished up Mile 4 in Fantasyland. I ran by the photo ops I noticed: more Monsters U cheerleaders and Nemo with Dory and Marlin.

Mile 5: 14:07
Next we ran through the castle and then through Frontierland and Critter Country along the Rivers of America. Then it was back through the hub, down Main Street and back out of the park onto backstage roads. Here I stopped for one photo with Mickey and pals on a street trolley. PhotoPass got me, too!

Mile 6+: 12:46, 4:52
The race continued along the backstage roads, swinging back around the south side of California Adventure before heading to the finish line in the parking lot.

Post-Race
I zoomed back to the hotel to shower and change -- we had more theme park exploring to do! We went and had fun at California Adventure all day.

Recommendation
This was another fun race put on by Disney. Again I liked the smaller field than we see at Disney World and I enjoyed the less-crowded feel. I'm looking forward to running at Disneyland again.

Chip time: 1:22:27 (my fastest Disney 10K by over 24 minutes LOL)
Placement details: 139/558 in Age Group, 3033 overall out of 8198 finishers
Race Amenities: All that sweet, sweet Disney good stuff
Cost: $341.78 (for 10K/Half Marathon challenge)

Report written September 30, 2017

Arthur and I headed out on a long road trip this summer, starting from our home in Florida and driving across the country to visit a bunch of National Parks and other destinations. The trip was planned around two major events that helped dictate the rest of the itinerary. The first was the Great American Eclipse on August 21, which we viewed from Rexburg, Idaho, close to Yellowstone National Park. And then we had to make sure we'd be in Anaheim, California, from August 31st to September 3rd for the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend.

There were so many things to be excited about for this race weekend. It was our first visit to Disneyland. I'd be earning my first Coast-to-Coast Challenge medal for running Disney races on both coasts in a calendar year. And it was going to be Arthur's first race -- he ran the 5K with me!

The entire race weekend was themed to celebrate Pixar movies. The 5K's theme was The Incredibles. For the run we dressed up as Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

The 5K course would take us through parts of both Disney's California Adventure and Disneyland. The race would be our first view of either park.

Training & Goals
Disney challenge weekend always means a nice and easy 5K. We had been hiking a lot during our trip but I hadn't run for about ten days prior to race weekend. So training was not ideal. I had a good feeling that our goal to have a fun 5K would be met.

Race Day: September 1, 2017
We were staying at a hotel close to the parks. Since it was our first experience at Disneyland, we left our room early and walked about 15 minutes over to the starting area. We were super early but that meant we could watch the stage entertainment for a bit and find a good spot close to the front of our corral. Between folks wearing the race shirt and dressed up as Incredibles, we were in a sea of red from the start.

It was 73°F with unseasonably high humidity (89%) at the start.

Mile 1: 14:28
We started in a parking area next to Disney's California Adventure, then ran through the park. We entered at Cars Land and then went through "a bug's land" and Pacific Wharf.

Mile 2: 23:05
This mile took us briefly back into Cars Land and then around Grizzly Peak and Hollywood Land. We exited the park backstage by the old Tower of Terror and finished up our second mile just before entering Disneyland via Tomorrowland backstage.

Following the controversy after the Tinker Bell 5K back in May, which lacked characters on course for photos, I was pleased to note all of the opportunities for selfies and character photos on this course. Besides Mater with Lightning McQueen and Jack-Jack with an Edna Mode wannabe, we also saw Mrs. Incredible and Merida in the second mile, as well as a Hollywood Trolley out for photos.

Mile 3+: 19:51, 4:37
After running through Tomorrowland, we headed to Fantasyland. We took a photo with the toy soldiers and ran by Frozone, Jessie, and Mr. Incredible.

We ran through the castle. The tiny, tiny castle! I had to giggle when I first saw it -- it's so cute and small compared to the castle at Magic Kingdom. Next we ran down Main Street, out of the park via the main entrance, and through Downtown Disney to the finish line back in the parking area.

We picked up our medals after crossing the finish line and got our cooling towels, water, bananas, and treat boxes. Arthur's first 5K was in the books!

Post-Race
There are no photo ops with characters in the staging area at Disneyland. We walked back to our hotel to shower and change before spending the day having fun in the parks.

Recommendation
I just love me a runDisney race! I thought it was super fun to see the parks for the first time by running through them in the dark. The field was much smaller than what we experience in Florida. There were just as many run-walkers and walkers, proportionally. I never felt like the course was crowded.

Garmin Time 1:02:01
Race Amenities: All the fun Disney stuff including a cotton unisex shirt and cute finisher medal
Cost: $80.00

Report written September 27, 2017

One of the theme nights our local minor league baseball team, the Daytona Tortugas, had planned for the 2017 season was Bob Ross Night, honoring the Daytona Beach native. The team was going to give away a bobblehead of the painter. As the date approached, more promotions were added, like a painting class, a t-shirt package, and a fun color run 5K race the morning of the game. I participated in the run.

Pre-Race & Expectations
It was to be my first color run! The event was untimed so I planned to take it easy. I had a runstreak for the month so a little race like this fit in with my plans.

I found a skirt at Goodwill that was perfect for this artist-themed color run. Although not made for running, the cotton skirt had an awesome color palette print all the way around. I wore it over a Sparkle Skirt so I still had all my pockets. I used puff fabric paint to draw a palette on a white tech shirt to complete my race day outfit.

Race Day: July 15, 2017
Arthur and I drove out to Jackie Robinson Park ("the Jack") the morning of the race and right away it was obvious this would be a very small event. I picked up my shirt and bib and then waited around for the start. This was a late one, with runners taking off at 9AM. It was 84°F at the start with blazing sun and a feels-like temperature of 94°F.

The Race
Before the race started we all threw our color packets into the air so everyone got nice and powdered. Then we left the stadium via the southeast entrance and headed out on City Island to the Sweetheart Trail.

The course was well-marked with arrows stuck to the sidewalk and trail indicating turns along the route. We passed the water stop twice.

Along the way race organizers had put out a couple of photo ops in the the form of huge posters of Bob Ross. There were also a couple of color stations where volunteers doused us with more colored powder.

Towards the end of the race there was a big painting that we could stop and add to before running back to the stadium.

The race information given prior to raceday indicated we would finish with a run around the outfield at Jackie Robinson Park, crossing home plate. Unfortunately this was changed at the last minute and we finished by running through the southwest entrance gate. The course change also made the route somewhat shorter than 5K. Oh well.

After the Race
I picked up my free beer and we sat around for a little while before I cleaned up as best I could and we headed home.

We came back to the Jack that night for the game. All of the entertainment was Bob Ross or art-themed and the mascot Shelldon was even wearing a Bob Ross wig!

Recommendation
It was fun but I am not a huge fan of untimed races. I don't need to do another color run, that was a mess. The changed course ending was a small disappointment. In all it was well organized but I'm not sure I need to do this again (if there is another).

Garmin watch time: 39:10 (for 3 miles)
Race Amenities: Bob Ross Night t-shirt, very cool race bib
Cost: $27.50

Report written August 7, 2017

Earlier this year a fun new activity was introduced at Walt Disney World: themed fun runs at resorts. It looks like it started with the Beignet Dash at Port Orleans: French Quarter; the Derby Dash at Saratoga Springs was added later. If these are successful they may add more.

I participated in the Derby Dash on July 27, 2017 and the Beignet Dash on August 6, 2017. Each race is a short run or walk through resort property. Check-in begins at 7:30AM race morning for a 8AM start. The Derby Dash takes place on Thursdays and the Beignet Dash on Sundays.

Derby Dash at Saratoga Springs
There were about 20 runners participating on the morning I attended this fun run. Check in was smooth and we could all sit comfortably in an activity room while we waited for the run to start.

What should have been a fun little run around resort property turned into a hilarious comedy of errors as the entire field took a wrong turn and ended up running around without a clue of how to proceed. We cut across a parking lot and ran down a wheelchair ramp, hitting the finish line of the approximately 1.44 mile race after about a half mile of running and hysterical laughter. A bunch of us tried it again and we could see our mistake the second time -- but a castmember (CM) was to blame, too! We took a turn right by a CM on traffic duty and he didn't say a word -- we should have gone straight!

After that the route was actually very clear with signs posted along the way, and even little cones to indicate where we should not go. We had some nice views of Disney Springs as we ran along the water.

At the end of the run, participants could pick up fruit and granola bars as well as water. Everyone got a finisher medal.

Here's an aerial video rendering of the run from relive. The first loop is the error; crossing the start again for the second loop is the correct route. relive Derby Dash with unintended detour (or extra magic)

Beignet Dash at Port Orleans French Quarter
This race was better attended with 50+ runners participating. Check in was hindered by a tech-fail: the credit card machines were broken so CMs were taking payment by writing down everyone's information.

The course for this run is a nice pathway along the river with runners circling around Riverside and French Quarter. There were signs out on the course and a few CMs out pointing the way.

At the end of the run everyone got a finisher's medallion on a lanyard of beads, plus a small goodie bag with more bead necklaces and a couple of themed pins. A voucher attached to our bib could be redeemed for an order of three beignets from the resort's food court when the race was over.

Here is the relive map recap of this run: relive Beignet Dash

Recommendation
These little fun runs are a cute experience for resort guests and visitors alike. They are extremely walker-friendly and short enough for nearly everyone to be able to participate. Each dash costs $15 plus tax. I think the Beignet Dash is a better value because of the tasty beignets at the end, but both dashes are a fun way to spend some time before hitting the parks.

This beach race sponsored by Halifax Health benefits Team RWB, a military veteran support group. The run was full of folks dressed in patriotic gear and included a few in over-the-top costumes as well. The Team RWB Freedom 4 Mile Beach Run is a four mile out-and-back on the beach in New Smyrna Beach.

Goals
I don't particularly like running off-road so my main goal was to finish uninjured.

Race Day: July 1, 2017
I didn't have a chance to get my packet before the race. Pre-race info indicated parking might be tricky so I left home very early to snag a parking place in the lot close to the starting line. I got a great spot in the main lot and picked up my shirt and bib with plenty of time to spare for the restroom and oogling at the pretty sunrise over the ocean.

In line for the restroom I recognized a birding acquaintance I hadn't seen for a long time. We chatted before the race and ended up running a bit together before my run-walk-run intervals split us up.

After the playing of the national anthem, a squadron of three small planes passed over the beach in formation to kick off the run.

It was 77F° at the start with partly cloudy skies and 94% humidity. The ocean gave us no breeze to speak of.

Mile 1: 10:26
The start/finish mat was in soft sand far up the beach. After crossing the mat runners headed for the hard packed sand closer to the shoreline. It was a long straight out-and-back run.

Mile 2: 10:40
My run club, West Volusia Runners, manned the water station after Mile 1 so I got a nice ego boost from the shout-outs. It was hot so the water was pretty good too.

Mile 3: 10:28
Another water stop at the turn around. I was sweating buckets.

Mile 4: 10:48
I tried to save some gas for a "sprint" at the finish but it was a slow slog back through the soft sand to the finish mat. My pace actually slowed at the end as I wobbled along trying not to twist an ankle or fall on my face.

After Party
Finishers were offered a nice spread of bagels and cream cheese provided by Panera. Slices of orange and half bananas were also offered. I picked up my medal and an ice cold towel and headed right to my car to change into sandals and grab a dry towel to sop up some of my sweat. I headed back to the finish line to watch other runners complete the run. There was a nice atmosphere at the finish area and I stuck around to watch most of the awards and see the last runners cross the line.

Recommendation
This race had good course support and benefits a great cause. It was a fun race, welcoming of all paces, with some participants in costume and many in patriotic kits. It's fun to run a holiday race but I'm not sure I'll do this one again, only because I've got no love for running on sand.

Chip time: 43:00:07
Placement details: 5th of 15 in age group, 117th overall out of 280 finishers
Race Amenities: We got a nice tech t-shirt but the sizing was a bit large and I was disappointed I could not trade my medium for a small. We also got a nice finisher medal. Age Group winners received a stainless steel RWB travel mug.
Cost: $28.50 (used International Run Day discount code & includes $3.50 processing fee)

Report written July 5, 2017
Labelled pro photo (c) Almost There Photography

I ran the 4th annual Echo Half Marathon in Volusia County back in June. The point-to-point course takes runners from Beck Ranch Park in Osteen along multi-use trails back to Gemini Springs in DeBary. The race benefits Friends of Volusia County Trails, Inc..

Training & Goals
As I usually do in preparation for a half marathon, I followed a program designed to finish healthy that was not focused on speed or any time goals. I gradually increased my weekly long run leading up to the race, finishing with a relatively easy week prior to race day. Because of the heat and humidity expected for this June race I had absolutely no time goals and only hoped to finish "in the upright position" as they say. In general my midterm running goals are to keep fit, have fun, and not burn out.

Race Day: June 4, 2017
Arthur drove me to the starting line at Beck Ranch Park. The race provides a shuttle at the end to return runners to their cars parked at the start, but since I live about a mile from the finish line I would be walking home. There were apparently some issues with the shuttles last year but after this year's race I didn't hear any complaints.

It was 72F° at the start, overcast and a bit foggy with 100% humidity.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 10:45, 10:50, 11:19
These miles took us up the multi-use trail along 415 out of Beck Ranch Park. Mile 3 concluded shortly after crossing a pedestrian bridge over 415, the only "hill" of note on this mostly flat route.

Mile 4, 5, 6: 11:19, 11:05, 11:22
The crowd thinned out a bit for me here, a long stretch on the East Regional Rail Trail. My running club, WVR, had a water stop around the Mile 4 marker. They had written club member names on the path -- hey, there's my name!

Mile 7, 8, 9: 11:35, 11:54, 11:50
We continued along the East Regional Rail Trail until about Mile 9, when we took a detour through Green Springs Park and ran along Lake Monroe on Enterprise-Osteen Road. We joined the path, now a spur between the Rail Trail and the Spring-to-spring Trail, again shortly after a sharp turn at the end of Mile 9.

Mile 10, 11, 12: 12:02, 12:15, 12:26
While much of the course is on shaded roads under oak canopy, these miles at the end are a hot slog in the blazing sun. Water stops here were staffed by kids with water pistols to cool us off and even offered special treats like cold chunks of liquor-soaked watermelon. Somewhere along the way I also grabbed a Twizzler.

Mile 13+: 13:48, 1:53
I was completely soaked. My Sparkle Skirt (Enchanted Green to match my WVR shirt) was dripping with sweat. I had kept a lousy pace and still didn't have anything left at the end. Then a club member saw me about 800 feet from the finish line and ran me in. He stayed an arm's length in front of me and I struggled to keep up for a "strong" finish. Thank you, Joe!

Arthur was at the finish and grabbed some photos of me crossing the line.

We lingered around for a while, watching runners finishing the race while I drank some more water and then a complementary beer. Then we walked home to prepare for a fun afternoon at Disney.

Recommendation
I enjoyed the race despite the heat, humidity, and sun. The route would be awesome as a winter race. Support was great, too. I like this race because it supports the trails with both publicity and funds. I am not sure how much money from the runners goes towards the trail system and I would like to know more about it before running this race again. I wasn't happy with the racerback shirt female runners got but no t-shirt exchange was available race morning, which was disappointing.

Chip time: 2:34:20
Placement details: 18 out of 42 in Age Group, 298th overall out of 479 finishers
Race Amenities: Swag included a drawstring backpack, tech racerback tank, nice medal
Cost: $38.60 (early bird price including $3.60 processing fee)

Report written July 5, 2017
Photo of chalk names (c) Cindy Durney
Labelled race photo (c) Almost There Photography

The Run 4 life 4 Miler for Suicide Prevention is a charity run through the tree-covered roads of historic old Enterprise, Florida. Runners also race along the shore of Lake Monroe. The race starts and finishes at the Florida United Methodist Children's Home (FUMCH). This year was the 7th annual running of this race.

Race Day: May 20, 2017
It took me about 15 minutes to bike to the FUMCH start/finish area from my house. I couldn't find a rack so I locked my bike against some bleachers, hoping it was out of the way. It was 75°F with 94% humidity at the start. In other words, awful racing conditions. At least most of the route was shaded by oak trees.

Mile 1: 10:02
We ran out of the FUMCH property and out onto Lakeshore Drive along Lake Monroe.

Mile 2: 10:24
We did a long out-and-back along Lakeshore Drive. It seemed a bit odd to be running on the roads so close to the East Regional Rail Trail, but it was a nice route.

Mile 3: 10:40
After the turn-around we headed back along Lakeshore Drive back towards the FUMCH.

Mile 4: 10:33*
For the last mile we ran along a road inside the FUMCH property and were teased by passing the finish line area on a short curvy out-and-back.

After the race members of WVR (West Volusia Runners) got together for a group photo.

Recommendation
This is a nice, well-organized race. There was one water stop that runners passed twice on the route, which was adequate. It's a great cause and a pretty route. I would run this again.

Chip time: 41:33 (27 seconds off of my PR)
Placement details: 35th of 156 women; 62nd overall out of 220 finishers
Race Amenities: Nice soft cotton shirt (different color for men and women cuts), nice finisher medal. The top 10 men and women finishers received cute bobblehead awards
Cost: $33.50

*I often forget to turn off my Garmin after a race, so the final time is skewed.

Report written May 29, 2017

Group & running photo (c) Almost There Photography

The U Pick U Run Blueberry 5K is fun themed race that takes participants along a clay road course through and around Southern Hill Farms in Clermont. Blueberry pancakes are offered to runners following the race, and spectators can also join for breakfast for a small fee. Afterwards, particpants and spectators are invited to pick blueberries to take home.

Training & Goals
Through September I'm keeping my modest base, hoping to remain "half (marathon) ready". This race sold out last year and I was sorry to miss it. I signed up early for this race and purchased a spectator breakfast voucher. Arthur ended up traveling during race weekend so my mom came with me. This was my first run on the locally-known clay roads of Clermont and I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I had no notions of a PR and only planned to have fun and finish healthy.

Race Day: April 29, 2017
Mom and I left my house nice and early but we shouldn't have followed my car's GPS because we got extremely lost. There is a lot of new construction between DeBary and Clermont and for a while we were on roads my car's GPS didn't recognize. We managed to find our way using Google Maps on my phone but we arrived much later than I had hoped and we ended up in long slow line of cars filing into the parking area with little time to spare. Race volunteers had us park in a soft dirt lot and we passed a couple of smaller cars that were stuck, abandoned by their drivers in the middle of the through lane. I was fairly panicked we would also get stuck in our Prius but we managed to plow through and actually lucked out with one of the last parking spots in the over-stuffed lot. There were a lot of runners in line behind us also trying to park and I'm not sure where they ended up but the race was significantly delayed due to parking problems (apparently exacerbated by a tractor accident on the road as well).

Because of the delay I had time to pick up my packet, hand over my shirt and goodies to my mom, and have a look around before getting lined up to run. The race was delayed by about a half hour.

It was 73°F and partly cloudy when we took off around 8AM.

Mile 1: 11:18
It was a crowded start out of the blueberry patch. The dirt road had a lot of puddles and ruts from recent rains and footing was tricky.

Mile 2: 11:52
And then I found out I don't like to run on clay roads. I felt like I had to watch my feet the whole time and couldn't really enjoy the course, which took us along some woods as well as the blueberry fields.

Mile 3+: 11:45, 2:45

After Party
I found my mom and we spectated at the finish line for a little bit before lining up for blueberry pancakes. There wasn't enough seating for everyone so we huddled over a utility box of some sort with a few other runners. When we were done we picked up a bucket and container for blueberries. I thought it was fun to go out and pick berries. The little farm shop window had fresh blueberry treats for sale, and I got a couple of blueberry muffins to go.

When I went to check the results later, I couldn't find my name. When I got home I sent the race director an email and was told to check again -- they had been added. The results are pretty far off from my Garmin data. It looks like they recorded my clock time and not my chip time? I'm way out of the running for any placement so I'm not too bothered.

Recommendation
While I don't personally like running on clay roads, I know they are popular with some runners. The parking situation was unfortunate, as was the late start, but I don't put too much blame on the race organizers -- we were late due to our own mistake and a traffic accident can always unexpectedly add extra trouble. I don't plan to run this race again but I hope to get out to the farm in a future season for blueberry picking.

Official finish time: 38:35
Placement details: 33rd of 68 in age, 378th overall out of 828 finishers
Race Amenities: Runners received a nice cotton race shirt, custom medal, blueberry pancake breakfast, and 1 container of u-pick blueberries.
Cost: $42.00 including $5 spectator pancake breakfast voucher

Report written May 18, 2017

The second annual Star Wars Dark Side race weekend concluded with the half marathon on Sunday. This year I had also run the 10K on Saturday which meant I was in for the Dark Side Challenge and would be getting an additional medal once this race was over.

For this race I kept my kit simple by wearing last year's Dark Side Half Marathon shirt paired with a SparkleSkirt (SolarFlare).

The course for this race was different than last year. As in the 10K, runners would start in the Magic Kingdom parking lot and finish through Epcot.

Goals
Same as yesterday: have a good time, and don't get hurt.

Race Day: April 23, 2017
I left home around 3AM and got the car parked at Epcot. Bus transportation to the starting area went pretty smoothly. For the first time at a runDisney event I used the gEAR bag service, which took a bit longer than I would have liked. After dropping off my bag I had little time to use a portapotty before heading to my corral (D for the half).

It was 72° with 83% humidity when I started running at 5:41AM (5:30AM for the elites). It was overcast and fortunately remained so for the entire morning. Here's a start photo from runDisney:

Mile 1, 2, 3: 11:31, 12:34, 12:43

We left the Magic Kingdom parking lot heading out on Floridian Way. We passed a marching band playing Star Wars music. Marching bands at races are the best. I passed a long line for R2D2 before hitting the Mile 1 marker about halfway down Floridian Way. The next photo op was the pair of Speeder Bikes.

Next we turned onto Bear Island Road, which was very dark. Soon we passed through a very cool display of music, sound effects, and lasers approximating the Battle of Endor. Before we finished Mile 3 there was another (related) photo op: the Ewoks once more. (In Return of the Jedi, Luke & Leia use Speeder Bikes during the Battle of Endor which is the planet of the Ewoks. See what they did there?)

Mile 4, 5, 6: 16:04, 13:02, 18:04

We continued on Bear Island Road, past Disney greenhouses, towards Animal Kingdom. Along the way there was a photo op for which I stopped: the trash compactor from A New Hope. This was a fun stop but I felt really rushed going through. I guess the castmembers and PhotoPass photographers did a good job of moving everyone along because this stop didn't take too long.

We entered Animal Kingdom around Mile 4.5 where we were greeted by some Stormtroopers.

I always like running through Animal Kingdom. Dinoland is a particularly festive part of the park.

We left the park around the marker for Mile 5 where some characters from the 501st were posing for photos. I snapped some pictures on the run but I didn't stop for any here.

In the Animal Kingdom parking lot was the one photo op I'd really regretted not stopping for last year: upside-down on Hoth with a wampa. When I arrived the line wasn't bad at all. I remembered to hold my skirt so it wouldn't fall over (LOL) when I posed for the shot. We finished up Mile 6 in the Animal Kingdom parking lot, where there were some spectators with fun signs.

Mile 7, 8, 9: 18:17, 13:19, 14:03

These were fairly uneventful highway miles taking us along Osceola Parkway onto World Drive. The Emperor's Chair was available for photos again. This time I noticed a poor castmember wiping runner sweat off of the seat between each photo. What a job.

Sabine & Ezra were available for photos once more, this time located somewhere along the course in Mile 9.

Mile 10, 11, 12: 14:14, 18:05, 16:11

Mile 10 took us onto Buena Vista Drive via an overpass.

Darth Maul was stationed just outside our entrance to Hollywood Studios, around the marker for Mile 10. When we got into the park I dashed into a restroom to splash my face with cold water and try to dry off my hair a bit. I'd take the last miles easy so I hopefully wouldn't be too sweaty for the upcoming photo ops. Inside the park more Stormtroopers were on patrol.

Oh, a PhotoPass tent! Better pretend to run!

Next we ran out onto the Boardwalk area on our way to the finish at Epcot. All along boardwalk there were spectators cheering with signs and even some candy treats! I took a Twizzler and it even got caught by the PhotoPass photographer! And I took a selfie. Members of the 501st were also there to cheer us on and give out high fives.

On the way into Epcot Chewbacca was once more set up for photos.

We ran around World Showcase. Most of the lands were abandoned because the park wasn't yet open.

Mile 13+: 17:39, 12:45 Leaving Epcot runners were once again treated by the presence of 501st members. More photos, more high fives, and a sprint to the finish put another half marathon in the books!

After picking up my Half Marathon and Dark Side Challenge medals, I went to bag check to get my gEAR bag with my 5K and 10K medals. Then I waited in line for photos with Captain Phasma and Darth Vader.

Recommendation
It's Disney, and it's Star Wars. You'll probably either love it or hate it. Go with your instincts. I'm a fan of both worlds so I love it. I was pleased with the amount of new stuff on the course this year, not to mention the new course route itself. Good stuff.

Chip time: 3:28:24
Placement details: 689th out of 939 in Age Group; 13215 overall out of 16302 finishers
Race Amenities: All the runDisney funtimes, nice medals, tech shirts, etc etc
Cost: $341.78 (the cost for the Dark Side Challenge which includes the 10K and the Half Marathon)

Report written May 3, 2017

Yay, my first Dark Side 10K! I missed the race last year because of newbie reasons so I was happy to be running it this year, along with the half marathon for the Dark Side Challenge.

For this race I ran as Han Solo. I bought a Han Solo skirt from ThinkGeek.com, and I used a tan tech shirt I already had with a thrift store vest on top. I wore a SparkleSkirt under my Han Solo skirt so I would have pockets a-plenty during the race (I'm hooked on these skirts and hated having to run with an arm holster for my phone and running belt for the 5K).

For Han's holster I cut out pieces of foam sheets and attached them together with paper fasteners that were supposed to look like metal studs. I used cardboard to make a template before cutting the foam. I cut out a blaster shape from black foam and glued it into the holster. I fortified some of the studs with glue as well, and attached the belt together with safety pins that were hidden in the back underneath the vest.

I didn't have a lot of confidence that my rinky dink belt would last the entire 6.2 miles, but it did! I brought along extra safety pins in case of costume malfunction (I had a worry that the vest might flop around as well) and while standing in line for a photo I did end up pinning the belt in place to my shirt because it kept shifting to one side when I was running. Anyway it might not look like much but I was pretty pleased with how it came out for my first attempt at a DIY running costume prop piece.

Training & Goals
Same as yesterday -- I was well-prepared for this mid-distance race since I'd be running at half-speed or slower. Have a good time, and don't get hurt.

Race Day: April 22, 2017
Arthur came with me for the 10K. We left home at about 3:30AM and Arthur dropped me off at the starting area at Magic Kingdom for this point-to-point race that would finish at Epcot. Runner drop-off was pretty great from this runner's perspective; it was a short walk to the starting area and then on to the 10K corrals. I had time to get a photo with Kylo Ren ("hello, son" -- no reaction) before getting into my corral.

On the way I saw the "balloon ladies" so I asked for a quick photo. This team of runners starts at the back of the last corral and maintains a 16-minute-mile pace, which is the required minimum for runDisney races. If you fall behind the balloon ladies you are in danger of being swept from the course and not finishing the race. For this reason they are deeply feared by some runners.

The course would take us from the Magic Kingdom parking area, along World Drive, through the Boardwalk area, and through part of Epcot to the finish line. It was 66°F at the start with 94% humidity. I was in Corral B and started running at 5:39AM (5:30AM start for the elites).

Mile 1: 11:36
Shortly after hitting the road a school marching band was playing Star Wars music along the side of the road. The best! The first photo stop for the 10K was R2D2 once more, with the expected long line. I skipped the droid again. We exited the Magic Kingdom area under the parking lot arches as we headed on to mile 2.

Mile 2: 12:04
Sabine & Ezra's photo op was placed along the road in this mile. I was just taking it easy and kept moving.

Mile 3: 12:29
Another photo op to skip in mile 3: the Emperor's Chair once again.

Mile 4: 29:52
This mile took us over World Drive via Buena Vista.

Darth Maul was set up just outside of Hollywood Studios so I stopped for a quick picture.

Next we were inside the park proper, greeted by a large contigent of the 501st Legion. Photo time! The 501st are what make the 10K and half marathon the best runDisney races around. It was a bit chaotic with runners forming short lines by each character but some people jumping from photo to photo with little waiting and others squeezing in for quick selfies. For the most part runners could pass their camera to the next runner in line for minimal waiting, though Disney castmembers did arrange a couple of lines for some characters and even took photos for us runners. It was a lot of fun to see these guys and grab some photos. Unfortunately the backlighting was intense so some photos didn't come out very well.

A little bit further into the park we were greeted by two sets of two Stormtrooper "official" Disney photo ops.

A pair of Speeder Bikes was out for photo ops but I thought it would be sad to have that photo taken solo so I skipped it.

Mile 5: 16:58
Next we ran from Hollywood Studios out to the Boardwalk area, where there were lots of spectators cheering on the runners.

Mile 6+: 13:45, 10:57
The final mile took us from Boardwalk through part of Epcot to the parking lot finish line. Again we passed Chewie posing for photos on the way into Epcot. And again a pair of Stormtroopers patrolled the stage in front of Spaceship Earth for a fun photo op. Just out of Epcot we were greeted by another fun group from the 501st.

Then it was a quick sprint across the parking lot to finish.

After the race I met up with Arthur and we headed to Art of Animation so I could freshen up and change and we could have some breakfast from the food court. Next we headed to Hollywood Studios which wasn't too busy when we arrived about 15 minutes after rope drop. We rode a few rides and then met with BB8 and Chewie in the Launch Bay. Chewie gave us both a big hug but after he had a look at my medal, which features an Imperial Stormtrooper, he acted mad at me. I tried to explain but he wasn't having it.

Back out in the Launch Bay a Jawa tried to steal my medal when we asked for a selfie.

Finally we headed to Starbucks to get a celebratory Darth Cupcake before heading home in the afternoon.

Recommendation
So much fun for Disney and Star Wars fans. Also, so expensive, so crowded, so hot (Florida in April). I love it!

Chip time: 1:47:35
Placement details: 623rd of 712 in Age Group, 9904th overall out of 10892 finishers
Race Amenities: The usual from a runDisney race.
Cost: $341.78 (the cost for the Dark Side Challenge which includes the 10K and the Half Marathon)

Report written May 2, 2017