Monday, March 20, 2017

runDisney 2016 Lumiere's Two Course Challenge Review

As you may know, runDisney made many changes to their 2016 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.  Despite unfavorable weather in both 2014 and 2015, Wine & Dine Half Marathon was my favorite race.  I even preferred it over Princess Half Marathon which will always hold a special place in my heart as my first Half Marathon. 


These changes involved the addition of a 10k which also opened up the opportunity to run Lumiere's Two Course Challenge.  The challenge was a great addition, in my opinion.  In gaining the challenge, they sacrificed the Saturday night 10:00 PM start time to host the events on Saturday and Sunday morning, respectively.  I was skeptical of this change since the night run through the parks is what made Wine & Dine Half Marathon a unique race.  I won't elaborate on all the changes though because I'd prefer to focus on sharing my experience running the 2016 event, exclusively.  I will disclose that due to the changes, I contemplated back and forth whether to participate at all in 2016 and after running the event I can confidently say I am glad I didn't miss it.


My original plans for this weekend included running Lumiere's Two Course Challenge on November 5th and 6th and staying in Orlando for a week to run Race 13.1 Orlando on November 13th.  I unfortunately had to unexpectedly take some time off work in October which caused me to cut my vacation a little short, eliminating Race 13.1 Orlando from my race schedule.  I am pleased to share that they graciously allowed me to transfer my registration to Race 13.1 Durham with no problem whatsoever.  Customer service is very important to me when selecting races and Race 13.1 has always gone above and beyond to provide A+ customer service.  I hope to be able to share a review of Race 13.1 Orlando with you in the near future although they have yet to release an official 2017 date.


I arrived in Orlando early Friday morning and went directly to Epcot.  Orlando is approximately a nine hour drive from my current location so I like to leave my home around midnight and drive straight through.  I had not yet ridden Frozen Ever After and it was my top priority to get in line before it got too long.  I waited just short of an hour which I consider a win.  I would not wait that long again to ride Frozen, but it was worth it for my first time. It was also the perfect way to kick off a runDisney race weekend by frantically changing clothes in the parking lot and running to the gates. 


I then went to check into my hotel, shower and head to the expo.  runDisney expos are exciting and full of new things to do and see.  They host guest speakers and dozens of vendors for runners to experience and shop.  Official runDisney merchandise is also available at the expo.  I ended up purchasing a wine glass, a Lumiere's Challenge pin and a performance tank.  After the expo I went to Epcot for mango margaritas and fish tacos.  I swear I could spend all day in Mexico... That boat ride inside the Mexico pavilion is one of Disney's hidden gems. 


The 10k began at 5:30 AM on Saturday so I awoke bright and early.  The race began and finished in the Epcot parking lot.  Many of runDisney's events are held here.  The course was actually the same as the 10k course during WDW Marathon and Princess Half Marathon weekends.  The course goes through Disney's Boardwalk and the World Showcase of Epcot with several character stops along the way.  I stopped for several character photos, but many of them I already have.  While Pinocchio was on the course, I don't recall any other rare photo opportunities.  It's been years since I took a photo with Pinocchio! 


I spent the remainder of the day in Disney's Hollywood Studios.  Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was closed for refurbishment during my trip so there wasn't much to do other than walk around and enjoy some shows.  While I love Voyage of The Little Mermaid, my absolute favorite show is Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage with a margarita in my hand.  I don't typically drink before races, but I was in no way expecting a PR for Wine & Dine Half Marathon so I didn't let my "rule" stop me from having fun this weekend. 


After my birthday trip to Chicago for the 2016 Chicago Marathon, I discovered Giordano's Pizza and they conveniently have a location in Celebration.  Because I love to relive anything to do with my Chicago experience and carbo-loading is a favorite hobby of mine, I ordered a stuffed cheese pizza on Saturday night.  The epic cheese pulls on that pizza were just as glorious as I remember them being in The Windy City.  I stuffed my face while watching E! Network in my hotel room and went to sleep. 


Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend happened to fall on Daylight Savings which meant an extra hour of sleep.  Most runners were very appreciative of this convenient timing.  They failed to realize it essentially meant the sun would rise an hour earlier, causing participants to run an extra hour in the hot Florida sun.  I don't care what time of year it is, the sun in Florida is always bright and hot. 


The half marathon featured a brand new course, beginning at ESPN Wide World of Sports and ending in the Epcot parking lot. I prefer to start and finish in the same place though just to avoid waiting on transportation to my Jeep. For the most part, I enjoyed this course. It went through Animal Kingdom and then finished up with the same route as WDW Half Marathon and Princess Half Marathon, circling the World Showcase at Epcot.

I didn't run a great pace because I hadn't done much running since Chicago Marathon. I also didn't stop for any character pictures along the course on Sunday. After completing the race, I took a nap and spent some time in Magic Kingdom. I planned to get back to my room in time to freshen up and drink some wine before the post-race party at Epcot. Admission is included in the cost of registration to all half marathon participants as well as challenge runners. Because of the after party admission, I consider Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend to be the best value amongst runDisney races. Included with admission to the post-race party is also a $10 Disney gift card.

Out of pocket, I probably spent around $50 drinking and eating around Epcot on Sunday night. Between martini slushes, lobster roll with Chardonnay and my favorite, the Fisherman's Pie, I had a grand time in Epcot. I loved having the park to ourselves and enjoyed the very short waits. I think many runners returned home on Sunday before the party because it was much less crowded than previous years. For runners wishing to return home on Sunday, the modified schedule would definitely be a disadvantage.

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