Official 2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend!

[ZellyB]

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?

That's the first I'd heard of that. Seems crazy to reroute the course in the middle of the race though right?

 

[Kender]

That's the first I'd heard of that. Seems crazy to reroute the course in the middle of the race though right?

That was my reaction. I've been trying to figure out if I just misunderstood, but the runner was very clear a different route was taken and the balloons stayed on the original route. I then thought maybe she meant some got bussed ahead, but even that didn't make sense because she mentioned nothing about transportation.

I also easily passed her just walking so I'm thinking it can't be that she suddenly had a huge burst of speed that took her from 30 seconds ahead to fifteen minutes ahead.

I'm googling right now, but haven't found anything yet to shed some light on this. Really hoping someone here heard something more.

 

[VickiHD]

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?

Have not heard about this. Honestly, the "drama" that's associated with this race continues.
If there was a "course" change....then rD would not have to sweep as many people. But it's also cheating the runners who signed up for 13.1 miles. Strange!!!!

 

[Ariel484]

I mean, I've heard of races changing courses like that toward the end, but have never heard of this at runDisney...

 

[Kender]

Have not heard about this. Honestly, the "drama" that's associated with this race continues.
If there was a "course" change....then rD would not have to sweep as many people. But it's also cheating the runners who signed up for 13.1 miles. Strange!!!!

That was exactly the reason she gave me: so that runDisney didn't have to sweep as many runners.

She seemed shocked I had no idea it had happened, but in hindsight I don't think she realized she'd caught up because of the reroute that supposedly happened to a part of the pack that was ahead of the reroute.

The fact she caught up after being that far behind sounds to me like at least a mile was cut from the route for some. I just don't see how!

I'm also baffled that I can't find anything about this. I know I didn't dream it. I confirmed it with a friend spectating. But it just seems so unreal.

 

[VickiHD]

Maybe the runners were just "clueless" and just went where they were told to go.

 

[Kender]

Maybe the runners were just "clueless" and just went where they were told to go.

Possibly. Would explain why no one is talking about it if most involved had no idea they went a different way. They might not have looked at the route beforehand either.

 

[The Expert]

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.

Wow - I had NOT heard this. I started in C and tracked one of the balloon "ladies" (a guy, actually). According to my tracking texts, I was 37 minutes ahead of him at the 5K mat, 44 minutes ahead by the 15K mat and I finished 54 minutes ahead of him at the end. If there had been a dramatic course cut between us, wouldn't there have been a substantial time change in the other direction at one of those points, where he "caught up" and got closer to me?

 

[Kender]

Wow - I had NOT heard this. I started in C and tracked one of the balloon "ladies" (a guy, actually). According to my tracking texts, I was 37 minutes ahead of him at the 5K mat, 44 minutes ahead by the 15K mat and I finished 54 minutes ahead of him at the end. If there had been a dramatic course cut between us, wouldn't there have been a substantial time change in the other direction at one of those points, where he "caught up" and got closer to me?

The balloons from what I was told stayed on the correct route. Only back of the pack runners got this supposed reroute. We wouldn't see anything change with them.

 

[roxymama]

Wow! I think I would be pretty heartbroken if I didn't get to do all 13.1 of my first half marathon. Then again, I guess I'd be more heartbroken if I was swept.
Do you think them stalling the race because of security and then having to still re-open the roads on time had anything to do with it????

 

[The Expert]

The balloons from what I was told stayed on the correct route. Only back of the pack runners got this supposed reroute. We wouldn't see anything change with them.

Oh yes - totally missed that. How strange!

 

[The Expert]

Wow! I think I would be pretty heartbroken if I didn't get to do all 13.1 of my first half marathon. Then again, I guess I'd be more heartbroken if I was swept.
Do you think them stalling the race because of security and then having to still re-open the roads on time had anything to do with it????

That's a real possibility. Though you wouldn't think 10-15 minutes would make or break it. There was a point in MK near the Tink meet-and-greet spot where it would have been easy for them to reroute people to the other side of the road going the other direction and cut about that much off the route. Hmmmm.

 

[singastory]

I was in corral B, finished in 2:08 and change, and my watch said I'd only done about 12.7 mi.

 

[Warm Hugs]

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?

Would suck if you thought you pr'd and then realize you really didn't

 

[Ariel484]

I was in corral B, finished in 2:08 and change, and my watch said I'd only done about 12.7 mi.

I'm starting to wonder now. Also in corral B and there were times where my watch was behind the mile markers, which basically never happens.

I finished with my watch reading 13.22, which I thought meant I'd weaved the least I ever have at a race, but it does make me wonder...

 

[Calfan]

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.

While I don't disagree with you on the Red Hat Ladies, I'm wondering if this is also the reason there were essentially no bands and cheerleaders on the route either. Last year at Tink there must have been at least 10 high school bands and cheerleading squads on the route outside the parks, in addition to the Red Hat Ladies. So much more energy than for Sunday's half. I'm wondering if Disney had also been providing them complementary park tickets as an incentive to come out on race day and pulled those back like they supposedly did with the Red Hat Ladies. Whatever the reason, it was very disappointing to have so little entertainment to provide that extra energy and fun vibe. Of the four runDisney 1/2s I have done so far, this was by far the least entertaining and the biggest slog. Still a really fun weekend and event, but I hope this isn't a runDisney trend...

 

[lpk29]

I got stuck around the castle for about 3 min trying to shuffle through

I also heard around the 7/8 mile where it made the little rectangle box they would shuffle people through that intersection vs going along the course

 

[Ariel484]

While I don't disagree with you on the Red Hat Ladies, I'm wondering if this is also the reason there were essentially no bands and cheerleaders on the route either. Last year at Tink there must have been at least 10 high school bands and cheerleading squads on the route outside the parks, in addition to the Red Hat Ladies. So much more energy than for Sunday's half. I'm wondering if Disney had also been providing them complementary park tickets as an incentive to come out on race day and pulled those back like they supposedly did with the Red Hat Ladies. Whatever the reason, it was very disappointing to have so little entertainment to provide that extra energy and fun vibe. Of the four runDisney 1/2s I have done so far, this was by far the least entertaining and the biggest slog. Still a really fun weekend and event, but I hope this isn't a runDisney trend...

Oh I completely agree - there was way less entertainment than when I did the DL Half in 2015. That one had the classic cars, HS bands, cheerleaders, dance groups...this one had one cover band and one HS band.

 

[SueInBoston]

I'm starting to wonder now. Also in corral B and there were times where my watch was behind the mile markers, which basically never happens.

I finished with my watch reading 13.22, which I thought meant I'd weaved the least I ever have at a race, but it does make me wonder...

OK...I'm starting to wonder too. I was with the 3:00 pace group but fell behind around mile 10 as my blister was really bothering me. I thought I finished around 3:15 but rD had me at 3:07. My Garmin reading 13.23, and I know I weaved a lot with the pace group.

 

[SueInBoston]

Oh I completely agree - there was way less entertainment than when I did the DL Half in 2015. That one had the classic cars, HS bands, cheerleaders, dance groups...this one had one cover band and one HS band.

DL Half 2015 was my first DL race and the reason I fell in love with DL races and have done Star Wars and Avengers. I love the community support and entertainment. I was so disappointed this past weekend.