Race Recap: 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon

The second half of the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge included runDisney‘s 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon.  {Read about the first part of the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge, the Disneyland 10k here.}  Jake and I both wanted to take it easy for this run.  I was treating it as a long training run for Marine Corps Marathon and this gave me a chance to take in the sights of the race.

Just after Mile 1, runners entered the back lots of California Adventure and into the park.  The fountains from the World of Color and running through Carsland are two of the highlights from this stretch of the race.

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Around Mile 3 we entered Disneyland and Jake and I stopped quite a bit during this stretch.  Here are a few of our photos!

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IMG_4070Sadly, by Mile 4 we were pretty much done running through the parks.  It was pretty disappointing since the rest of the race was on the streets of Anaheim.  And, yes, I understand that you cannot possibly run 13.1 miles solely on the grounds of Disneyland and California Adventure.  But, I ran the Tinker Bell half marathon earlier this year and was really, really impressed and I could swear that we spent a bit more time on property than we did for this race.

Once out in Anaheim, there were high school bands and cheering squads that lined the streets along with a mile stretch of classic cars.  Then, the Santa Ana trail, complete with cockroaches, was underwhelming at best.  The change from pavement to gravel was a surprise that brought us through Angel Stadium.  The stadium was filled with cheering spectators which was a great surprise but once we exited the stadium it was another lonely 5k stretch to the finish.

Don’t get me wrong, while the miles in and around the parks are certainly magical, I am not sure that the cost of this race would bring me back to California for the Disneyland Half again.  If you wanted bang for your buck on this race weekend, I would tell you to run the 10k over the half marathon.  All in all, I’m just happy that I was able to enjoy the company of my hubby for those 13.1 miles.

IMG_4074_2 And as usual, the runDisney medals are amazing.IMG_4079

What was your experience of the Disneyland half?  Have you ever run a hyped up race that ended up being a letdown?  I want to hear about it!

Lisa

Comments

  1. Mike Greenwich says:

    I've heard from friends that most Disney marathons are disappointing but I want to try one when time permits next year.

  2. This was SUCH a fun race! So glad we got to bump into you again 😉
    My recent post We're Going, Going, Back to, Back to, Austin!

  3. wdickson210 says:

    I want to try a Disney Half. It's a goal for next year. You had fun and it shows.

  4. I'd love to do a race at Disneyland, since I've done so many at Disney World. I have similar feelings about Disney World races, as so much of your time is spent on the highway. Not sure I would have loved the Disneyland half, so maybe the 10k is a better bet… but if I'm flying all the way out to Cali for a reason, might as well get as much bang for the time, ya know?

    Congrats on your races!

  5. wow really great celebrations in marathon race. i am really interested to participate in marathon race. That's great Disneyland

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