runDisney - Inclusive for All Abilities?

bethan92

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 21, 2012
Hi all,

Whenever I've taken part in a runDisney event it always makes me happy to see the vast range of runners taking part!

There was uproar following London Marathon this year after the poor treatment of slower runners, as told by the events official 7hour 30 pacer.

So I'm intrigued to find out what you think runDisney do to appeal to all abilities and ensure they're an inclusive race. Alternatively, what you think they should do to be even more inclusive to all those wishing to take on the challenge!
 
I think runDisney is very open to all abilities as it is now especially with Jeff Galloway and run walk run as its main training source. I don't think they could be more lenient than they are.
I agree - short of letting the races have an even greater impact on their other patrons by allowing even more time to finish, I can't think of anything else that they could reasonably do.
 


Hi all,

Whenever I've taken part in a runDisney event it always makes me happy to see the vast range of runners taking part!

There was uproar following London Marathon this year after the poor treatment of slower runners, as told by the events official 7hour 30 pacer.

So I'm intrigued to find out what you think runDisney do to appeal to all abilities and ensure they're an inclusive race. Alternatively, what you think they should do to be even more inclusive to all those wishing to take on the challenge!

I from what I've read there were two issues with the London Marathon:

1. Water stops and other areas of the race had shut down before these runners had passed even though they were running under event pace. Disney does do a great job of ensuring that everyone gets food and a medal and stuff stays around.
2. People along the course were mocking slower runners. I don't know that you can fault a marathon for the behavior of spectators. In general I find Disney to be runner friendly but I don't know that it's possible to guarantee that someone along the course won't mock a runner.

7:30 is 30 Minutes longer than Disney offers for the full. I don't see them lengthening the time because they have to get the parks cleared of runners.
 
I think they do a great job, not everyone is meant to run/walk a marathon/race. Just like I’m not meant to do a triathlon, I wouldn’t expect the organizations to change their requirements to accommodate me. I’m not a strong swimmer and I know that so I found a sport that I am capable of doing.
 
So I'm intrigued to find out what you think runDisney do to appeal to all abilities and ensure they're an inclusive race.
runDisney is already very appealing to runners of all abilities. They offer an enticing destination to many people and their courses usually have a lot of entertainment and plenty of support.

Alternatively, what you think they should do to be even more inclusive to all those wishing to take on the challenge!
Absolutely nothing!!!! RunDisney already offers a generous required minimum pace of 16 minutes per mile. With proper training and dedication beforehand, it is very possible for most people to complete the event. Fresh off the marathon high, I looked at other marathons closer to home. And I discovered the San Francisco Marathon with a time limit of 6 hours, which is 1 hour faster than what runDisney offers. I am running the San Francisco Giant Race Half Marathon in September. That race advertises itself as being one of the friendliest races for new runners, with its 3 hour and 15 minute time limit, which is 15 minutes faster than what runDisney requires for the half marathon distance. RunDisney is already very welcoming to new runners.

Running is not easy. It requires time, dedication, and effort. If a prospective runner really wants to finish a runDisney race, they will very likely do so if they put in the time and effort to prepare for that race in the weeks or months leading up to the race itself. We all toe the line as runners although some may be much faster than others.

In general I find Disney to be runner friendly but I don't know that it's possible to guarantee that someone along the course won't mock a runner.
It probably isn't. I've read stories about angry guests behaving very rudely to runners after the race because that race somehow ruined their Disney vacation. While a race can control things such as aid stations, etc., it's not possible for the race to have control over spectator behavior. At best they can remove spectators if they catch bad behavior happening. And maybe it's easy for me to say this, but I would truly hope that any runner of any size would understand that their effort to get out there and run the race means they're doing something that day that any obnoxious spectators did not do that day.

7:30 is 30 Minutes longer than Disney offers for the full. I don't see them lengthening the time because they have to get the parks cleared of runners
Honestly, they do not need to lengthen the time. I would in fact argue they are even more generous because they allow the races, especially the marathon to go through their already open theme parks and possibly impact the experience of non runner paying guests. Let's assume the balloon ladies start the marathon at 6:15am. At pace, they will finish at 1:15pm, 4+ hours after every theme park has opened for the day. Runners go through a good portion of Epcot, including almost all of World Showcase and quite a few, if not most of them probably do so after World Showcase opens 2 hours after the rest of Epcot.

I think they do a great job, not everyone is meant to run/walk a marathon/race.
Agreed. RunDisney offers a pace generous enough to allow a slow runner or walker sufficient time to finish the race while also having a pace just enough to likely require that the participant train for the race in order to finish. I came close to withdrawing from my first race less than half a mile into the race. I fear I would have if I had known that all I had to do to receive the medal was start the race. But I believed I had to finish. So I slowed down and did my best on that day. It turned out to be plenty fast enough to finish. If I had simply gotten the medal for showing up, I know I would have never ran another race again. And lost countless opportunities to learn more about myself, including my ability to accomplish things I once believed impossible. At the same time, I cannot will another person to start the race and cross that finish line. They have to want to do that for themselves. I will help and encourage as able, but ultimately it's up to each runner to put in the work themselves. And runDisney offers a good path for a beginner to undertake the effort and see how they like it.
 


OP, Disney has time limits that include many. You can check out many other races to find that a 16 minute mile isn’t done everywhere.

But at some point they have to open the streets and parks. They have to end it at some point.

And...running (and even walking briskly) is no joke. This weekend again there was a fatality during an event. One of my first events there was a fatality of a 20 something man in good health, who collapsed almost in site of the finish line. It’s serious business, and cannot be inclusive of absolutely everyone.



People along the course were mocking slower runners. I don't know that you can fault a marathon for the behavior of spectators. In general I find Disney to be runner friendly but I don't know that it's possible to guarantee that someone along the course won't mock a runner.

The accounts I read were somewhat hard to follow, but I got the impression that it was the same workers trying to clean up that were mocking them, not the spectators. After all, what spectators would be left at that point if they were not going to be supportive?

It also might have been accidental spectators. I did the Vancouver Rock and roll half, and those of us slow enough to be put in the last corral were given the opportunity to start half an hour before the elites.

As we were going through gastown, many were walking and many were doing intervals. Like I said, we were slow enough that we’d been assigned the last corral. And men hanging out on the streets were mocking us. Sitting there on street corners at 5:30am on a Sunday, mocking us for walking. Whatever.



And just referring to the cleaning up, obviously those people weren’t told of those last corrals. I think there was some poor communication happening.



7:30 is 30 Minutes longer than Disney offers for the full.

I hadn’t done the math, but wow. I can’t imagine they will have a corral with that long a time at London next year. It almost sounds like they didn’t fully intend to this year, and someone didn’t tell others that they did.
 
I did R&R DC in March. I'll admit I wasn't prepared enough for the 1/2. But I kept on going. There were spectators out the whole way, and they were so supportive even with those of us at the end.
They kept the bands playing the whole time as well. Their race time was an 18 min mile, which I wish Disney would have, especially since you have to sign up so far in advance and can't defer.

I wasn't quite last, but I did finish. They still had the medals out, but were packing up the end of the race "expo". The only thing that would have been better would be to not mark the course as "flat" (Loads of hills!) and to move it later in March (which they did for next year) it was really cold and damp that day.
 
Disney has sweep busses to pick up those behind pace and does clean up after the busses. London despite offering the pace, had cleaning trucks on the course around the last pace group (I saw this as I was heading into my last few miles and they were almost to the half way point).
I don't think more should be done by Disney. They have a generous pace and have a park to open up. Their races are inclusive, but do require training as it is an endurance event .
 
I heard someone say once that road races are like mullets....all business in the front, and a party in the back!

I can't imagine Disney being anything less than a big party, no matter your effort level. I'm sure it'll be as inclusive as it possibly can be for all. In fact, I kinda think if you're using a Disney race to set some sort of PR, you're doing it wrong...

:cool1:
 
I heard someone say once that road races are like mullets....all business in the front, and a party in the back!

I can't imagine Disney being anything less than a big party, no matter your effort level. I'm sure it'll be as inclusive as it possibly can be for all. In fact, I kinda think if you're using a Disney race to set some sort of PR, you're doing it wrong...

:cool1:
Agreed! I always try to make the most of all my runDisney races. It’s all about having fun.
 
I from what I've read there were two issues with the London Marathon:

1. Water stops and other areas of the race had shut down before these runners had passed even though they were running under event pace. Disney does do a great job of ensuring that everyone gets food and a medal and stuff stays around.
2. People along the course were mocking slower runners. I don't know that you can fault a marathon for the behavior of spectators. In general I find Disney to be runner friendly but I don't know that it's possible to guarantee that someone along the course won't mock a runner.

7:30 is 30 Minutes longer than Disney offers for the full. I don't see them lengthening the time because they have to get the parks cleared of runners.

From what I understand the problem with London was the actual course will be open time was 7 hours but finish line would be open for 8 but after the 7 hour pace people would get moved to the sidewalk.

However, they then decided to have a 7:30 pacer without telling pacer or runners signing up for pace group that they would be moved to sidewalk at 7 hour pace.

If 7:30 pace people will be on sidewalks, don't have a 7:30 pace group.

One time I was doing a rundisney race and was having some cramps slowing me down and got into one of the later pace groups ( 3 or 3:30 half). There were a few people worried about being swept and I remember the pacer saying that as along as runners are with a pace group they won't be swept even if something happened and the pace group got behind pace. I don't see many/any of the Pace groups getting behind pace unless an issue with congestion or something but IMO that is how it should be. If you are with an official pace group you should be completely fine from any risk of being swept/moved to sidewalk/not having water stops/etc.
 

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