Race Recap: Disneyland 10k

On Labor Day weekend, The Disneyland 10k was the first part of the inaugural Dumbo Double Dare Challenge.

Thanks to the time change, I was up and ready to roll for this run.  From the Grand California, we had a really short walk to the starting area.  When we got there it was a bit confusing since the 5k had just started.  And, that also meant the 10k runners were being held and not allowed into the corrals.  Jake said goodbye and made his way back to the hotel area so that he could snag a cheering spot near downtown Disney.  I tried to not get annoyed by the mass confusion and ended up bumping into running bloggers, Kat and Brian.  We chatted for a bit and after what felt like an eternity, the staff allowed us into the corrals.

Going into the race weekend, I wanted to try for a 10k PR since I knew I was going to take it easy on the half.  Once I knew I was in for unseasonably high temperatures, I had a feeling a PR was not going to be in the cards.  While standing in the corral before the start, I still figured I would try and race and see if things were too hot to handle.  I know I suck at running when I get too warm so I figured I better have a backup plan that involved having fun and stopping for pictures.  I was totally okay with a game-time decision.  And sure enough, once I got moving, I knew I was going to have trouble trying to PR.   I decided to stop , enjoy myself and take photos along the way.  I am so glad that I did because the majority of this course was through the parks which meant lots of characters and photo opportunities.  I had a blast seeing all of the characters that were out!

I think Chip was checking me out… Whoops!

Mile 1:  8:10 / Mile 2:  8:23 / Mile 3:  8:36 / Mile 4:  9:00 / Mile 5:  10:22 / Mile 6:  9:50 / Mile 6 +:  7:12

Official Time:  55:51 / 9:00 minute miles

After the race, Jake met me back in the finisher’s area.  I decided to make use of the ice and snacks provided by runDisney.  All in all it was a great race close to the whole race spent in the parks and tons of character photo opportunities.  Since this is an inaugural event, I would recommend ironing out the issue with the corrals and the back to back 5k/10k races.  My only other recommendation would be to have one more water stop.  It was warm out there and I have a feeling I wasn’t the only one that was parched!

Do you enjoy stopping for character photos in runDisney races?  Who would be on your MUST STOP AND TAKE  A PHOTO list?  Chip and Dale are always top on my list, even if they always seem to be a little naughty.

Next up, my recap of the Disneyland Half.

Lisa