Official 2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend!

[jaxonp]

I'm glad I did Tink. Everyone was great that I met and the weather couldn't have been better. The event itself was my least favorite I've done so far. This is my 5th event since Wine & Dine last year. Marathon, Star Wars Light Side, Dark Side and Now Tink are all under my belt. I've been very fortunate and lucky to attend all these events and run the challenges. I have to say that I'm not sure I'd run this race again. I realize that I'm not the target demographic for this race and I'm totally fine with that. I saw how happy and excited many people were. I do feel that RD could change this race up. Many other people I spoke to over the weekend thought this to be the weakest theme of all the RD events. I'd be curious to hear what you guys think? Does Tink need a replacement or a refurbishment.

 

[singastory]

Data dump on the Pixie Dust Challenge for those interested. I didn't like that the results are in PDF form so I converted to Excel to look at age bracketing.

Challenge finishers: 4378 (3717 female, 661 male)

• CA residents: 2200 (50%)
• All other US states were represented (smallest were MS and SD with 2 participants each and VT with 1 participant)
• Other participating countries: Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, French Polynesia, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Tunisia, United Kingdom, Vatican City

Average challenge participant age: 39

Component times (Day 1 and Day 2)

• Average 10k: 1:23:07
• Average half marathon: 2:54:35

Net Times (19.3 mi)

• Fastest male: 1:34:42
• Fastest female: 1:57:58
• Slowest male: 5:55:32
• Slowest female: 6:20:30
• Average: 4:17:42

 

[courtneybeth]

The slowest female is surprising. With course cutoff limits, I wonder how one does 6:20?

 

[Ariel484]

The slowest female is surprising. With course cutoff limits, I wonder how one does 6:20?

4ish hour half, 2ish hour 10K?

Start in a higher corral and take the races at a really relaxed pace, I guess.

 

[roxymama]

So glad your mom had a great time! Seeing this pic I realize my dd and I walked in right behind you to the area where you pay at The plaza inn, lol.

What a small world! The fairy godmother meeting my mom was a highlight for us.

@roxymama - Just saw part of your runner blog and race pic. YOU LOOK AWESOME! Congrats on an amazing race and now... you're a half marathoner

Thank you!

On the security topic...
We were wondering in the Corral if they stalled the race start to let people get through security. Anyone keep track of actual start time? My brain can't remember now.

 

[Warm Hugs]

4ish hour half, 2ish hour 10K?

Start in a higher corral and take the races at a really relaxed pace, I guess.

If you know you can run way ahead of the pace, you start in lower corrals. Some will stay in the park for over half the race... characters often switch out so some will wait for switch out after taking pictures with current characters and then take a picture with a different character. For example, in disneyland half last year, stitch was a character. However, people waited out for stitch to switch out to get pictures will lilo who is less common than stitch. People will do that for every character stop that switches. If you ask the cast member at the station, they will know what character will come in and switch out at the station.

And yes, back of the packers will probably scream "unfair" as they can't even get one character stop. But faster runners have that right and are within the limits rundisney sets out.

 

[singastory]

The slowest female is surprising. With course cutoff limits, I wonder how one does 6:20?

4ish hour half, 2ish hour 10K?

Start in a higher corral and take the races at a really relaxed pace, I guess.

Her 10k time was 2:13:51 and her half marathon time was 4:06:39. She was the last challenger to cross the finish line in both races.

 

[Ariel484]

On the security topic...
We were wondering in the Corral if they stalled the race start to let people get through security. Anyone keep track of actual start time? My brain can't remember now.

I wanna say it started at 5:38 or 5:40...I remember we were talking about how 5:30 came and went and they (the announcers) were clearly stalling for time.

 

[courtneybeth]

The collective research and math skills of this group are admirable.

 

[HockeyMomNH]

I took all my medals out to the parks today.

 

[Ariel484]

View attachment 237499 I took all my medals out to the parks today.

So jealous. I wish I'd thought of that!

 

[Ariel484]

Does Tink need a replacement or a refurbishment.

I'm really not sure. It seems like this weekend and Avengers/Super Heroes are the weakest sellers, so I could see either getting changed/axed.

Was this your least favorite because of the theme or because of all of the "tests" they did this weekend (no character 5K, paid temps instead of volunteers, new security, lack of Half entertainment)? I do think the theme is very limiting for them - they seemed to try to combat that by having Hook/Smee and Lost Boys on the 5K and 10K medals, where last year the fairies were also the 10K medal. I liked that change and I liked that they didn't just have fairies as the on-course characters.

I think Tink's biggest problem is that it falls on Mother's Day weekend.

 

[ZellyB]

View attachment 237499 I took all my medals out to the parks today.

Great pic!!

 

[The Expert]

Cute pic @HockeyMomNH - me too! Wish I'd thought to pack all of my other Princess medals, but I just brought the Glass Slipper one.

 

[JulieODC]

According to my photo timestap Coral B went off at 5:40am - so 7 min late or so. That was actually not as late as PHM went off this year - which was also delayed due to heavy traffic getting runners in buses to the starting line.

 

[jaxonp]

Tink

I'm really not sure. It seems like this weekend and Avengers/Super Heroes are the weakest sellers, so I could see either getting changed/axed.

Was this your least favorite because of the theme or because of all of the "tests" they did this weekend (no character 5K, paid temps instead of volunteers, new security, lack of Half entertainment)? I do think the theme is very limiting for them - they seemed to try to combat that by having Hook/Smee and Lost Boys on the 5K and 10K medals, where last year the fairies were also the 10K medal. I liked that change and I liked that they didn't just have fairies as the on-course characters.

I think Tink's biggest problem is that it falls on Mother's Day weekend.

Honestly, all of the above. I didn't hate my experience, at all, but I just didn't find the theme to be spectacular like the other races I've done. The characters, the repetitive non-interesting music, the mostly bland merchandise... it's just all weak in comparison to the other weekends I've done. Also, all the tests and lack of oversite seem to really hurt this race. Obviously RD is trying to find a way to combat the added expense at the loss of volunteers in California. That had to sting the budget more than most probably realize. For me, I love disney, runDisney and most importantly, Disneyland is a treat when your home park is WDW.

That said-

Disney could totally do a new theme... pirates or haunted mansion would be at the top of my list.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks all.

Before the race started I think it really depends on which direction you came from. Over by Paradise Pier they were using the wands on every person, and over by ESPN they were just checking bags and having you go around the metal detector. The big issue by ESPN was funneling everyone through a very narrow gate and walkway next to Earl of Sandwich after going through security. It created a huge backup.

After the race they were pretty much just letting everyone with medals on pass the medal detector when I was leaving.

When I read your post it sounds like Light Side but when I read others I get even more of the picture.

Afterward was a mess when they wanted us all to go BACK through security to get into Downtown Disney - eventually they just let runners go back through with no screening.

Same happened at Light Side half.

For the 10K, I walked out of the back of Paradise Pier to find screening right there - great! There was, what I thought was, a short line - but like David said, it was 2 people wanting everyone. I waited for 20 minutes to get through. No screening coming back.

Screening was just as you exited PPH? Where did you go after that?

For the half, that same Paradise Pier line was 3-4 times bigger than the day before so I ended up taking the advice of the security CMs to go to Downtown Disney - so much faster! I did encounter the narrow path but I was just glad not to have to wait to get wanded. Again, no screening coming back.

How did you get to DTD? When I read about security at PPH I then imagine the whole area is secure, but not if you can bypass it to get to DTD. Trying to get a menta picture here.

I didn't run the Light Side, however for the Tink, I came from Walnut and Katella through the parking lot to the back side of Paradise Pier. On the morning of the 10K the line wasn't too bad, it maybe took 10 minutes to go through. They only had two people with wands, but we were early enough (4:45). When I came the same way for the Half, the line was down to the end of the Paradise Pier parking garage. I walked up to the security gates next to the Disneyland Hotel where there was no one in line. It took me less then 5 minutes to walk up get through security and back.

After the race, the security to get back into downtown Disney by the ESPN was a mad house. I've never seen so many people. There were no lines, just a crush of people. I waited in the masses, until I could see runners heading down the far right side, so I followed and was able to walk straight though. But there was no signage for the runners only line at security checkpoint .

Interesting that you could choose to just walk past the PPH stuff and get to DLH. Curiouser and curiouser.

the corral entrance was a small walkway they created along the side of the movie theater, not by the precorral area. so the space inbetween espn and earls just became this choke point for people going to corrals and people trying to get to gear check. so for lightside you would only go thru dtd security once to go gear check/corrals . For tink you would hit the dtd security twice , once to go gear check then dtd again for the corral. for the 10k they used this space to hold people before the corrals opened, that was crazy . for the half they allowed people to wait in the movie theater parking area. I did the dland hotel security point and as i was walking by paradise pier in the corral shoot i felt very sorry for the people choosing to be checked by the wands. those security folks were going so slow and thorough with the wands.

security was just on high alert for some reason. after the expo on friday they made me open the cardboard packaging on body glide that i had got. When i run i use a hip belt and i remember light side they just kind of felt it. for tink they took the time to look in the small compartment.

Bizarre about the entrance to corrals being near the theater.

Her 10k time was 2:13:51 and her half marathon time was 4:06:39. She was the last challenger to cross the finish line in both races.

Oh you were counting both. I though it was saying that it was 6+ for the half.

 

[kirstie101]

Tink


Honestly, all of the above. I didn't hate my experience, at all, but I just didn't find the theme to be spectacular like the other races I've done. The characters, the repetitive non-interesting music, the mostly bland merchandise... it's just all weak in comparison to the other weekends I've done. Also, all the tests and lack of oversite seem to really hurt this race. Obviously RD is trying to find a way to combat the added expense at the loss of volunteers in California. That had to sting the budget more than most probably realize. For me, I love disney, runDisney and most importantly, Disneyland is a treat when your home park is WDW.

That said-

Disney could totally do a new theme... pirates or haunted mansion would be at the top of my list.

I didn't do Tink this year, but have done it 3 times. I do think the theme is limiting like another poster said. With Princess they can mix it up. With Tink, its just Tink. I do like that it is a race marketed towards women though. My first half was Nike Womens half in SF and Tink has the same "girl Power" vibe I used to get at Nike. And I love that part about the race. However the theme does get a bit old. It seems the characters are the same most years. And how many medals do I need with Tink on it? So all in all, I wouldn't mind a new theme. But I hope it stays marketed towards women. How you do that I'm not sure. The mothers day date is one of the things that keeps me from doing this regularly. Its too close to the end of the school year to take the kids out of school for a trip down to DL. I dont want to be away from them on Mothers Day every year either. So its more of an every other year race for me now.

From the changes I heard about, I would have been very disappointed in the lack of marching bands and cheer squads on the course. They definitely help keep me going! And I would have really missed the red hat ladies. I cry every time I run by them! I dont run the 5ks, but if I had I would have been pissed about no characters! I hope these aren't permanent changes that will affect future DL races.

 

[singastory]

@ashley0139 I just PMed you the link to the 10k national anthem!

 

[AuntieBean]

I was in the Hub at 5:30 am on Sunday, ready and waiting for the Half Marathon to start and ready to start cheering! It was really cool to be in the park with all the lights up and music playing and barely anyone around.

Im trying to put photos up so ya'll can see how cool it looked ...but I'm a noob on here still and am not sure how to upload files.