The Walt Disney World Marathon is getting a course facelift to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the popular race. The changes should please many veterans of the popular Florida race.
Earlier today WDW released a video, featuring Mickey Mouse, that highlights the biggest changes to the course for 2013.
The most noticeable changes will be removing one of the big loops around EPCOT to start the race. Instead the race will go from EPCOT straight to the Magic Kingdom where runners will run through Cinderella’s Castle just before Mile 6. This will be roughly 4 miles sooner than in past years.
Runners will also be running through the Disney Motor Speedway this year, around the NASCAR track, instead of outside of the facility, before rejoining the traditional course that then goes to the Animal Kingdom.
The last major difference will be that instead of the unpopular out and back at Mile 20 from previous WDW Marathons, runners will instead run to the Disney Wide World of Sports where they will run around the inside of Spring Training stadium of the Atlanta Braves.
Runners will then head to Hollywood Studios before finishing back at EPCOT.
The 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon will take place on January 13, 2013 in Orlando, Florida.
The WDW Half Marathon takes place the day before in the same location.
Runners can complete both races in what is called the Goofy Challenge. The GC does fill up fast.
If you are wanting to do your first marathon or half marathon then Disney is a great place to do it. It’s one of my favorite races that I go back to every year.
With her husband Dan, mother Joyce and 13-month-old daughter Maisie by her side, Lomas walked about two miles a day to complete the course. More than a fortnight later, on May 8th, a tearful Lomas crossed the finish line as thousands of cheering supporters urged her forward.
“The support has been breathtaking and it feels fantastic to finally finish,” Lomas, who was given a guard of honor by members of the Household Cavalry and the Virgin endurance trophy by CEO Richard Branson’s daughter Holly.
The ‘bionic suit’ runs about $75,000. The suit allows movement by detecting shifts in the movement of the human body.
Lomas was able to raise over $100,000 during her 16-day journey to complete the London Marathon.
However, organizers of the London Marathon refused to giver her a finisher’s medal or official time since she didn’t finish the marathon on the same day she started it.
But several generous marathoners gave Lomas their finisher’s medal from the race. She says she has over a dozen now.
People who win marathons can inspire others to run, but it’s people like Claire Lomas that inspire thousands of people, by overcoming impossible odds to complete what many consider an impossible task as it is.
Claire said her biggest accomplishment after the accident was giving birth to her baby daughter, Massie.
Congrats to Claire Lomas on her London Marathon finish!
About 25% of Run It Fast – The Club members have submitted their race data (January-April) to be tabulated into the Extreme Runner/Racer Standings.
The overall leader is Hideki Kinoshita (RIF #88) with 442.2 race points. Second place goes to Joshua Holmes (RIF #1) with 380.6 points and David Wingard (RIF #101) is in third with 365.4 points.
Runners are awarded a point for every mile of a race they complete. (Example: marathon = 26.2 pts, half marathon = 13.1 points, 50K = 31 points, 5K = 3.1 points, etc.). More details HERE
The male and female leaders at the end of the year will be named RIF’s Extreme Runner/Racer(s) of the Year.
Emily Conley (RIF #24) has a commanding lead among the women that have submitted data so far with 276.4 points. Laura Raeder (RIF #20) has the second most points with 160.3 and Russia’s Michelle Mitchell (RIF #133) has 137.4 points.
Extreme Racer Female Leaderboard
Emily Conley – 276.4 (RIF #24)
Laura Raeder – 160.3 (RIF #20)
Michelle Mitchell – 137.4 (RIF #133)
Mikki Trujillo – 134.1 (RIF #13)
Heather Shoemaker – 128.6 (RIF #44)
Lisa Gonzales – 119.9 (RIF #5)
Alicia Eno – 117.9 (RIF #126)
Nicole Knutson – 104.8 (RIF #47)
Daniela Obregon – 55.5 (RIF #49)
Christy Bowers – 54.1 (RIF #60)
Marj Mitchell – 30.2 (RIF #4)
Natalie Torres – 29.3 (RIF #72)
Debra Jacildo – 17.4 (RIF #98)
Meredith Yox – 15.5 (RIF #128)
Lisa Edwards – 15.1 (RIF #122)
Thanks to all 41 members who have submitted race data to date. This should become a lot of fun as the year goes on and more members start to participate.
