If you're looking for something to wear on 5K race day during the 2023 Princess Half Marathon Weekend, consider a traditional costume from Amazon, and have a look through Amazon Warehouse for some hard-to-beat deals!

Designed to be worn on Halloween or for other cosplay-type events, traditional store-bought costumes won't typically be made of moisture-wicking performance material. For that reason I would only recommend these for a 5K race, or maybe a 10K if you're not prone to sweating a lot and chafing. Cheap Halloween costumes can also be combined with tech running gear to make them more athlete-friendly.

I found all of these costumes searching through Amazon Warehouse (select Amazon Warehouse at the front of the Amazon search bar on desktops). Since these items are typically customer returns, they might be missing the original packaging or have the labels removed, which is why they are discounted. Style and size options will also be limited -- you'll have to work a bit for these discounts! You should check each item before purchase to be sure, but typically Amazon Warehouse items have the same generous return policy of new items purchased from Amazon.

The items featured below are just a few of the options I found today, with example actual price compared to the cost for the item when purchased new. Remember that Amazon prices change frequently so you might not find the same items or price points when you do a similar search.

Try specific searches in Amazon Warehouse for more costume inspiration, like these:

• Prince Adult Costume
• Royal Adult Costume
• Mermaid Adult Costume
• Disney Adult Costume
• Adult Crown

The eighth annual Shark Bite Half Marathon and 5K weekend took place on January 14 and 15, 2023. It was my third time participating; I ran the Shark Bite 5K in 2019 and the 5K Challenge in 2020. I also participated in 2021 when Shark Bite went virtual. This fun and popular event happens in the shark bite capital of the world: New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The event consists of a the Feeding Frenzy 5K on Saturday evening, and the Shark Bite Half Marathon and 5K on Sunday morning.  

Training & Goals
My knees continue to be a big problem, with pain hindering any progress I try to make in getting back into running. Regular steroid shots lose their effectiveness before I'm eligible to get a new one and they take longer to provide any relief. So it's not great. But I keep trying. I hadn't run at all since last week's WDW 5K. 

When reading through my personal recap of the events in 2020, I saw that I ran short 45:30 intervals. For this year's events, I decided to run 45:45 for the Feeding Frenzy Saturday evening, and mostly walk the Shark Bite 5K on Sunday.

Feeding Frenzy 5K

Race Day: January 14, 2023
I left home around 3PM and found a spot to park just off of Flagler Avenue. Packet pickup was smooth and I had plenty of time to drop off my stuff back at the car and use a portapotty before the race began. It was a pleasant 52°F with 43% humidity and clear skies when I started running at 5:03PM. 

Mile 1: 13:47
This event had a new course which was a simple out-and-back down Flagler Avenue and Riverside Drive along the Indian River. 

I know this is a very slow pace but I was surprised I could move this fast, considering my lack of workouts of late. I felt pretty good.

Mile 2: 13:29
I liked this course. Running along the river and looking at all of the nice homes and watching for birds distracted me. I was able to run all of my intervals pretty consistently.

Mile 3+: 13:45, 1:43
For these fun shark-themed races, it's always a lot of fun to see all the folks running in shark-themed gear. Someone running in a full Hammerhead Shark costume had me laughing.

After the Race
This evening event wrapped up shortly after the race was complete, and I headed out, though I know many participants stayed to enjoy the bars and restaurants in downtown New Smyrna Beach. 

Chip time: 42:41
Placement details: 32 out of 51 in my age group; 369th out of 516 finishers

Shark Bite 5K

Race Day: January 15, 2023
I left home at 5:53AM. I knew it would be tough to find parking so I wanted to arrive early. I found a spot off of Flagler Avenue about a half mile from the start. I stayed in the car to keep warm before heading out at around 7AM. I said hi to some club mates, posed for the group photo, and watched the half marathoners start at 7:30AM.

For this race it was my turn to wear a funny outfit -- a hooded shark dress I bought from Ali Express a few months ago. It was cold so I layered this over three long sleeve shirts and full length leggings. A hat and shark-pattern buff helped keep me warm.

It was a chilly 36°F with 87% humidity and sunny skies when my race started at 7:43AM.

Mile 1: 15:19
My plan was to walk this mile. I jogged a little bit here and there when the course was congested and I wansn't able to walk my desired pace.

Mile 2: 14:37
I did a slow 45:45 run:walk for most of this mile. The water stop was towards the end of the mile and I started walking when I got a cup so I didn't quite run the whole second mile. 

Mile 3+: 15:48, 2:21
I walked this mile, too. It was fun to wear this ridiculous outfit. I got some compliments and made others laugh. Good times.

After Party
The after party for Shark Bite is consistently pretty awesome. There's lots of treats for the runners, free beer, vendors with swag. Unfortunately there was no mechanical shark this year. I didn't linger -- it was cold! 

Chip time: 48:01
Placement details: 33 out of 44 in my age group; 463rd out of 612 finishers. 

Recommendation
Great swag and a smooth operation. You can't ask for more. Highly recommended.

Race Amenities for 5K Challenge: Runners got a nice soft cotton unisex shirt for each race, a big finisher medal for both races, plus a large challenge medal. I got last year's pint glass after the Feeding Frenzy and a new pint glass on Sunday morning. There is a finisher hat for top 10% half marathon runners, plus free race photos. Great support and after party with free beer and treats.

Cost: $85.14 for the two 5K challenge

Branded photos (c) Almost There Photography

Note: This post was originally published on 1/10/18. It has been updated with currently-available Amazon products along with a few new selections.

Are you looking for a non-traditional tiara to wear during Disney's Princess Half Marathon race weekend next month? Wearing a tiara or crown-style hat is a fun way to get into the royal princess theme of race weekend and can be worn with a regular race kit or added to your full princess running outfit. Check out these princess-ready caps, visors, and beanies.

While I'm back to participating in in-person events, I've still got some virtual runs on my calendar. 

These virtual runs and walks are often completed alone, in my neighborhood or on local trails, so they unfortunately aren't particularly memorable. They may also be completed in conjunction with another race, or during a group run. It doesn't make sense to write up individual reports, but I still want to make some note them, especially to shout out the charities involved. Here are my brief recaps from virtual events completed in the second half of 2022.

Five years ago this week, I was running my first Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World, getting ready to run my first Marathon as part of the race weekend. This year I took part in the 5K (and volunteered for the half marathon and marathon).

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend typically takes place in early January. Four events are offered: 5K on Thursday; 10K on Friday; Half Marathon on Saturday; and Marathon on Sunday. (Kids Races have not returned since the pandemic.)

For this race I decided to dress up as Train Conductor Mickey Mouse. I had the hat in my collection already and asked Arthur to design a skater dress inspired by the character. The Walt Disney World Railroad recently re-opened (12/23/22) after a long hiatus due to the construction of TRON Lightcycle, so it was good timing to dress up as this character.

Training & Goals
My knees continue to be a big problem, with pain hindering any progress I try to make in getting back into running. Regular steroid shots lose their effectiveness before I'm eligible to get a new one and they take longer to provide any relief. So it's not great. But I keep trying.

In the weeks before race day I didn't get out much -- Arthur and I were on a cruise and I only managed to get in one cruise ship run.

I had no goal in mind; runDisney races are for fun and the 5K is the most casual distance, with no timing and no hard sweeps (within reason). I just wanted to have a little fun!

Race Day: January 5, 2023
I left home at 2:32AM and had the car parked at Epcot by 3:23AM. The reunion area was already extremely crowded. I got into a very long line to have my photo taken with Mickey and had to head right to my corral as soon as I got my picture.

The character lines in the reunion area were very long; other characters were Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck.

The first runners started the race at 5AM. I was in corral C (out of A-D) and I guess I started in the second half of the group. It was 70°F with 100% humidity when I crossed the start line at 5:48AM.

Mile 1: 15:02 (untimed; Garmin data)
I expected I'd mostly walk this 5K, but I mixed in a few short jogs here and there as the field was so crowded. I was just trying to keep out of the way from other participants.

I saw one character stop here, Tarzan with Kala (switched out with Kerchak) just outside of Test Track.

Mile 2: 16:55
After little over a mile of running through the parking lot and back entrance roads, we passed under Test Track and entered World Showcase between Mexico and Norway. This mile took us around World Showcase with a quick exit via International Gateway. 

I saw two character stops in this mile: Mushu in China; and Genie with Abu in Morocco. I've never seen such long character lines in a race before. It was unreal.

Mile 3+: 17:03, 4:13
For mile 3 we entered World Showcase again, between the UK and Canada. The course headed towards Future World where we exited at Test Track. Here we ran by a backstage part of Test Track I'd never seen before. Somewhere around here we could hear a choir singing a medley of Queen songs. After turning under part of the Guardians of the Galaxy ride building, the choir was revealed, which was super cool. 

Max Goof was a character stop backstage during this mile. I've never seen this character before but the line was so crazy long I didn't stop. Chip 'n Dale as Rescue Rangers were stationed between International Gateway and the UK.

Sport Goofy was cheering on the runners as we approached the finish line.

After the Race
After collecting my medal, drinks, and snacks, I headed to Gear Check. I had dropped a bag with a change of clothes. I intended to head to my volunteer shift at Audubon Center for Birds of Prey after the race, and dropping the bag saved me some time. I headed over to the restrooms by the bus drop-off and changed into my volunteer clothes. I was able to head out by around 7:30AM or so.

Recommendation
With a good amount of characters, a fun theme park course, and ample perks, I always find runDisney races a lot of fun. Recommended.

Race time: 53:13 (Garmin data)
Race Amenities: Long sleeve tech shirt, finisher medal
Cost: $103.40

Over the Christmas and New Year's holidays, Arthur and I took an 11-night Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Dawn. I did one 5K on the ship for a virtual race (Stress Buster), which I completed while the ship was at sea on Christmas Eve.

Garmin Set Up for Cruise Ship Running While At Sea

For this run I used my Garmin Forerunner 245. I added a custom activity, following this flow:

- Start / Stop button
- Scroll down activities to ADD and select
- Scroll down to Other and select
- Name your new activity (Cruise Ship Run) and save

At this point it's possible to customize the new activity. I customized my data screens to have the following options. On my first screen I had Laps (Other), Timer (default), and Heart Rate. My second screen showed Battery Percentage (Other), Lap Time (default), and Total Calories (Other). I left Heart Rate (default) as the last screen. 

I also turned off Auto Lap (because I would be manually clicking the Lap button for each lap). My last step was to turn off GPS for this new, custom activity. You can customize other options as you wish, like Auto-Pause on/off, Auto-Scroll on/off, etc.

Tracking a Run on a Moving Cruise Ship

During the run, it's important to click the Back (lap) button on the watch each time a lap is complete. On the Dawn I did this every time I passed the bar. 

Once the run is done, it's easy to multiply the number of laps done by the distance of the cruise ship's track.

On the Norwegian Dawn, the jogging track on deck 13 is 325 yards, or about .1845 miles. So 17 laps was good for a 5K!

Cruise Ship Run Data 

Once the run was complete, I double-checked my math to calculate the mileage I covered during those 17 laps. Using the Garmin Connect app, I edited the activity to add my mileage. I could also check my pace-per-lap time, and standard data like heart rate, workout intensity, and calories burned.

One thing that won't be available is a map of the run, because my GPS was not tracking. If you complete a cruise ship run while using your GPS, you might be surprised by what your map would look like. You can check out this post from DC Rainmaker to see: Fun with a Garmin GPS while running on cruise ships at sea.

This wasn't my first time running on a cruise ship. Back in 2017 we took another New Year's cruise where I had a couple of short runs on the track of the Norwegian Jade.

This was the fourth year I participated in the holiday-themed Naughty or Nice 5K in Lake Mary, Florida. You can see my other reports here: Naughty or Nice race recaps.

Training & Goals
After last week's Lake Eola 5K I wasn't feeling great. I took the week off from running. I also had some weird stomach bug that was bothering me during the last half of the week, which unfortunately continued through the weekend, making me keep it slow for yesterday's Reindeer Run and this race. I planned to proceed based on how I was feeling. Luckily, this is another walker-friendly race.

Race Day: December 11, 2022
With a race start time of 8AM and a driving time of about 15 minutes, leaving home at around 7:10AM worked out just fine. I had time to pick up my bib & shirt, take a few photos, and chat with run club friends. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see runDisney MC John Pelkey for the second weekend in a row (he was at OUC last week), working this local race. 

By the time I crossed the starting mat at 8:01AM it was 64°F with 94% humidity and cloudy skies.

Mile 1: 15:39
I felt alright here, running very little bit and trying to walk fast otherwise. I heard an American Kestrel calling and that distracted me greatly at the start of the race. After looking all around, I found it hovering over the path. 

About halfway through this mile a couple of cyclists were slowly making their way against the race flow on the path, and one of them yelled out "it's a bike path!" to which I shouted back "it's multi-use, dude!" LOL

Mile 2: 14:56
I found a rabbit -- someone to follow who was just a little bit faster than me. I had to run a few times to keep up with her.

Mile 3+: 15:07, 2:16
I didn't feel great in this mile but I kept up with my rabbit. I ended up passing her while pretending to run for a photographer.

After the Race
Santa and Mrs. Claus cheered the runners coming back, then mingled a bit for photos. There was plenty of water, bananas, bars, and munchkins for finishers. A photo booth took festive photos and a giant inflatable Santa overlooked the event. 

There was a kind of chaotic raffle after the run -- not all of the tickets were distributed, so very few of the called numbers were claimed. Exasperated, the race director started tossing out the prizes to the crowd, and the ensuing frantic grabbing was kind of funny. I managed to snatch a holiday themed potholder. 

As the event wound down, I asked John Pelkey for a selfie and he gladly obliged. During our short chat I found out that his wife plays my favorite holiday storyteller at Epcot, La Befana. In fact, his wife usually MCs Naughty or Nice but she was working so he stepped in. 

Recommendation
Back in 2016 I had been disappointed by the similar shirt and medal from the previous year, and guessed I wouldn't participate again. And yet here we are. This is a fun race with good support on nearby trails. Good amenities like the post-race snacks, photos with Santa, and giveaways make for a fun local race. Recommended.

Chip time: 47:53
Placement details: 18/31 in Age Group; 430th out of 578 finishers
Race Amenities: Last year's shirt (discounted entry), finisher medal, free photos & photos with Santa
Cost: $24.40

Branded photos (c) Almost There Photography

Arthur and I participated in the Reindeer Run at SeaWorld Orlando on December 10th. The untimed fun run is hosted by Orlando news personality Greg Warmoth and raises money for local pediatric health programs as well as Toys for Tots. 

Training & Goals
After last week's Lake Eola 5K I wasn't feeling great. I took the week off from running. I also had some weird stomach bug that was bothering me during the last half of the week, which unfortunately continued through to race morning. Arthur and I only planned to stick together and see how we felt about running. Fortunately, this holiday race through SeaWorld is very walker-friendly.

Race Day: December 10, 2022
We left home at 5:23AM and had the car parked at SeaWorld about an hour later. The last 20 minutes of that was a long slow merge into the parking lot.

While waiting for the race to start, we dropped off our Toys for Tots, and got our photo taken with Santa & Mrs. Claus. 

It was 63°F and overcast when we started our race at 7:20AM.

Mile 1: 15:40
This mile took us around the parking lot. It was very congested for most of this mile. We ran a little but were mostly stuck to walking -- though I didn't mind as I was still not feeling great.

Mile 2: 17:05
Most of this mile was still in the parking lot. Towards the end we entered SeaWorld via a back entrance at Sesame Street Land. This was our first time ever being in this theme park so we took it slow to take it all in. 

Mile 3+: 19:51, 1:39
This last mile was all inside SeaWorld. The race even ended inside the theme park. We had a lot of fun looking at all the park has to offer, admiring the holiday decor, and seeing some of the sealife that was on the course. There were a few photographers on the course towards the end and at the finish line. Arthur and I trotted to the finish but a couple of other participants stopped and started to turn around (to look for their friends I guess). Arthur and I had to split and run around them and I was pretty annoyed. I even muttered "don't stop at the finish line!" Ugh.

After the Race
There was a long chute to walk through when we were done. We were offered water, bananas, and sport and caffeine drinks before we reached the medals, which are tree-shaped cookie cutters on a branded lanyard (cute). Walking on, we were also able to get some yummy ice cream, sport gummies, and a fun elf hat. We stood in line for a bit to have our photo taken with Rudolph, then sat for a while at Bayside Stadium to relax and watch the beginning of the costume contest.

Recommendation
It's always fun to see runners and walkers dressed up in funny holiday costumes. We had a blast seeing SeaWorld for the first time and will probably do this run again. 

Garmin time: 54:15
Race Amenities: Long sleeve tech shirt, cookie cutter medal, super fun run through SeaWorld theme park
Cost: $72 for two bibs

Watermarked photos (c) BB Action Photography

The OUC Orlando Half Marathon put on by Track Shack has been a local favorite for years. The signature event is accompanied by a 5K. I participated in the 5K event this year.

Training & Goals
My knees continue to be a big problem, with pain hindering any progress I try to make in getting back into running. Regular steroid shots lose their effectiveness before I'm eligible to get a new one and they take longer to provide any relief. So it's not great. But I keep trying.

In the month or so before race day I had been getting out to walk/run a 5K 3 times a week. I planned for easy 1:15 run / 1:45 walk intervals for the race. I had no concrete goal but hoped to come in under 45 minutes.

Race Day: December 3, 2022
I left home around 5:45AM and headed to a downtown parking lot I had prepaid $11 for. There were a lot of runners heading to the Library Parking Lot so it was a slow crawl for about a half hour before I got to the entrance, where I saw that the price to park was $10. What the heck?

I found a spot and headed over to Lake Eola at around 6:45AM, which was perfect for the 7:15AM start. I had time to use one of the park's restrooms and drop off my gear bag before heading into the start corral, hanging out in the back. The corral was very crowded and as the start time approached, lots of runners were trying to cram themselves forward. Both the 5K and the half marathon started at 7:15AM and I think some half runners who didn't get to the start in time were frustrated to be stuck with 5K walkers in the back.

It was about 63°F with 88% humidity and clear skies when I crossed the start mat at around 7:20.

Mile 1: 14:05
I'm not sure why but this run was a huge struggle. My knees weren't worse off than usual, but my lungs weren't having it. I was super discouraged since I've been getting out regularly. My runs have been short but I've been consistent. 

Mile 2: 14:51
Anyway, running on the streets of downtown Orlando was fun. Even all the brick stretches. Somewhere in this mile I saw my run club friend Tom and we exchanged encouragements.

Mile 3+: 14:29, 1:51
I was a little worried about missing the turn on the course when the 5K split from the half marathon, but the route was extremely clear. There were multiple volunteers standing by, clearly shouting out directions for each race.

Race announcer John Pelkey did a great job MCing the race and it was fun to hear him call out my name as I tried to run in for a strong finish.

After the Race
There was a long chute after the finish line, with lots of goodies like water, sports drink, full bananas, oranges, and granola bars available. Runners also received a food passport punch card to redeem snacks in the finish area. Before exiting the chute area we also got sport towels and a drawstring backpack to keep all of the free goodies on offer.

Attached to our bibs were tabs to redeem for chocolate milk and 2 free beers from local vendors. The food passport was good for four more treats: donuts or mac & cheese; beans and rice; a small cup of ice cream or sorbet; and a tequila sunrise. I picked up various other freebies from the vendor tents, including race staples like lip balm, a stress ball (which becomes a toy for the kitties) and a small hand sanitizer.

All these great after-race perks are perfect for a half marathon and really nice for a 5K runners! I got my bib at the bargain price of $26 by using a coupon from least year's Best Damn Race, making this one of my best value races ever.

Recommendation
Course support is amazing -- there are lots of road closures and crossings, all manned by law enforcement or volunteers. The organization is great and the after-party is high quality. Highly recommended. I hope to run the half marathon some day.

Chip time: 45:11
Placement details: 43/70 in Age Group; 648th out of 898 finishers
Race Amenities: Gender-specific tech shirt, finisher medal, lots of free swag and a great after-party 
Cost: $26

Branded & overhead start photos (c) BBAction Photo