Official 2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend!

[Ariel484]

https://flic.kr/p/UFiMSt

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.

Awesome!!

There's some kind of "share" option on Flickr - if you copy and paste the BB code to a post here, it should work.

 

[VickiHD]

Got back home late last night. Reading the many pages on the tread kept me busy while we were on the 5.

https://flic.kr/p/UFiMSt

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.

Glad you had a good time. My husband and mouseketeer did the chEAR squad too. They showed up super early and was escorted into the empty park and had the best time ever. They really had a blast cheering with their signs. It was great to see them twice in DL and at the finish.

 

[AuntieBean]

Awesome!!

There's some kind of "share" option on Flickr - if you copy and paste the BB code to a post here, it should work.

Testing the BB Code thing...with another early Morning park photo[/img]

 

[roxymama]

https://flic.kr/p/UPiqFs]https://c1.staticflickr.com

Testing the BB Code thing...with another early Morning park photo

You can see chip n dale off to the right cheering on the speedy runners

 

[VickiHD]

We got home late last night. But enjoyed reading the pages of the thread while we were driving back home. Spent all day unpacking and doing laundry. I'm exhausted but had a great weekend !!!
Thoughts on the race weekend....I love Tink race weekend. I like that it is a female themed race and the expo is more girly than others at DL. For me it's a fun theme and I'm happy that rD has changed up the medals. However, it is difficult to see the changes (cutbacks) over the years. I've done this race since the beginning, it's sad to see things like speaker series (with interesting speakers), plenty of course entertainment, even the paper race program being changed over the years and mostly I missed the Red Hat Ladies these things have all gone away. It's those details that I thought made the race experience "magical". Will I continue to do this race...yes, I want to keep my legacy status and as long as my knees let me.

I did have a nice surprise....I was given a Legacy Bib and when I crossed the finish line I was told by 2 separate people (rD or volunteers can't remember) to look for a special volunteer to receive a special legacy lanyard with finishers medal.

 

[JediLeia]

Congrats to everyone! I got back last night and just started catching up with the forums. I was able to stop for a few pictures during the half so that made me happy. This was my first Disney half (I've only done 10Ks) so I didn't know what to expect for entertainment outside of the park. It sounds like it was much better in past years. I'm debating on trying the Pixie Dust Challenge for next year.

 

[jaxonp]

Congrats to everyone! I got back last night and just started catching up with the forums. I was able to stop for a few pictures during the half so that made me happy. This was my first Disney half (I've only done 10Ks) so I didn't know what to expect for entertainment outside of the park. It sounds like it was much better in past years. I'm debating on trying the Pixie Dust Challenge for next year.

You're name indicates that you're a Star Wars fan... I'd recommend one of the Star Wars races. The entertainment, merchandise and characters are far superior, imo.

 

[The Expert]

My husband and mouseketeer did the chEAR squad too. They showed up super early and was escorted into the empty park and had the best time ever. They really had a blast cheering with their signs. It was great to see them twice in DL and at the finish.

Testing the BB Code thing...with another early Morning park photo[/img]View attachment 237663

My mom and aunt did cheer squad and LOVED being in the park while it was empty. They got some great photos and video. I was able to see them three times on the course! Well worth the cost. We'll have to look into it for WDW races now.

 

[bellanotte10]

Strange question. Does anyone remember me wearing my tink headband at the meet up or had I taken it off by then? I wore it for an hour and took it off because I was worried I was going to lose it... and it's not in my purse and suitcase and I've checked everywhere.

 

[roxymama]

Strange question. Does anyone remember me wearing my tink headband at the meet up or had I taken it off by then? I wore it for an hour and took it off because I was worried I was going to lose it... and it's not in my purse and suitcase and I've checked everywhere.

It didn't have any ears on it right...was just a head band? I think I do remember you wearing one. Was it a really light color? My brain was half fried by that time though.

I'm sorry you lost it!

 

[JediLeia]

You're name indicates that you're a Star Wars fan... I'd recommend one of the Star Wars races. The entertainment, merchandise and characters are far superior, imo.

I did do the Star Wars Light Side 10K this year - couldn't resist that BB-8 medal! The timing of the Tink races work out a little better for me, but I'd like to do a Star Wars one again. I'm also a member of the 501st and Rebel Legion and I know we get invited to volunteer each year. With the Red Hat ladies gone from Tink this year, I wonder if that will happen with the Star Wars races. Maybe runDisney will rethink it after all the backlash from this race!

 

[Ariel484]

Do we know for sure why the Red Hat Ladies weren't there this year?

 

[JulieODC]

Do we know for sure why the Red Hat Ladies weren't there this year?

According to someone on FB, the official email from Red Hat says they wouldn't have a presence at the race because Disney was not going to give them the free park tickets.

 

[Ariel484]

According to someone on FB, the official email from Red Hat says they wouldn't have a presence at the race because Disney was not going to give them the free park tickets.

Yeah, that's what I'd heard too.

So the only reason they ever came out to cheer was to get free park tickets?

 

[JulieODC]

Yeah, that's what I'd heard too.

So the only reason they ever came out to cheer was to get free park tickets?

I know....

Not having seen them in action, I was surprised that they were classified as race volunteers. Seems like they got caught up in the volunteer/paid staff thing.

 

[Ariel484]

I know....

Not having seen them in action, I was surprised that they were classified as race volunteers. Seems like they got caught up in the volunteer/paid staff thing.

Yeah, I mean - There were some great spectators there on Sunday out to support us just because they wanted to, not because they were comped with tickets.

Maybe I don't know all of the details of the situation, but if they didn't show up purely because they didn't get free tickets, I think that's a little crappy of the Red Hat Ladies, personally.

 

[JulieODC]

Yeah, I mean - There were some great spectators there on Sunday out to support us just because they wanted to, not because they were comped with tickets.

Maybe I don't know all of the details of the situation, but if they didn't show up purely because they didn't get free tickets, I think that's a little crappy of the Red Hat Ladies, personally.

Agree completely!

 

[Kender]

Did I miss this being discussed? I was talking to another runner around mile 9 and she asked me what my pace was (I had zero idea; I just never worry about it since I know I'll have no trouble finishing even when I decide I want to take things easy). She was trying to figure out where she was in relation to the balloon ladies (and gentleman?). I told her last I heard around mile 8, balloons were at least 15 minutes behind. She insisted she met with one of them, showed me a sticker she'd be given, and that she'd only been 30 seconds ahead of them so there was no way we were now so far ahead comparatively. I figured there was no way I'd suddenly lost so much time since while I wasn't watching my pace closely, I know I wasn't far off from where I should be going by the mile marker clocks.

She then told me how she got trapped at the castle for seven minutes and there was a course change for us, but the balloons kept on the same path? I was so confused. My friend who was tracking me and a few others said back of the pack did get a reroute, but I wasn't part of it.

So either this runner hauled some serious tail to get up to where I was, or there was a huge cut in the course for some of the runners. Because I definitely didn't get trapped for more than a minute at the castle congestion (I had much worse at WDW half marathon in January 2016) and I was never near balloons not once even with my character stops and easy pace I decided to take.

Anyone hear anything else about this?

 

[darienne8187]

I heard from the RDR facebook group that there was a massive route change and people were finishing up and their Nike apps, garmins, fitbits were saying they had only done 12.5 miles.

 

[Ariel484]

Whoa. Someone I know (an acquaintance) did get stuck at the castle for a few minutes but she didn't mention a re-route...