Dopey Challenge Redux: The WDW Half Marathon

Hello and welcome to my Dopey Challenge 2025 trip report! Today I’ll be recapping the WDW Half Marathon. Read all the entries in this report here. Onward!

After two distressingly chilly race mornings, the WDW Half Marathon promised milder conditions. Even in the middle of the night we were looking at temps in the 60s. The only potential dampener* was possible rain showers, but I figured that was okay as long as I wore my hat. I was kind of right…?

* Rim shot

THE NEW WDW HALF MARATHON PLAN

Remember the whole drama with Kate catching up to us from several corrals behind during the 10K? We were also in different corrals for the half, and initially intended to enact the same plan for this race.

Erika and Kate conferred, however, and decided that we would instead split in two: Becky (of Disney In Your Day fame) and I would start in our assigned B corral, and Erika would drop back to run-walk the half with Kate.

As much as we would have all loved to run in a big Aristocats costume group, we all agreed that this division made sense. Kate wouldn’t feel as much pressure, Becky would be free to race her half as she wished, and nobody would languish in a corral alone. Brilliant.

I’M ONLY A LITTLE BLACK RAIN CLOUD; PAY NO ATTENTION TO ME

About that rain forecast…

Radar and weather predictions suggested scattered showers. Becky and I wore hats as a preemptive measure, but as the threat seemed mild we didn’t bring plastic bags or anything.

Well. Shortly after arrival at the staging area, it started POURING. And not just pouring, but pouring sideways, leaving those of us milling about the parking lot huddled behind trucks and signs. The temperature was indeed warmer, but suddenly finding my little cloth throwaway “cape” soaked left me shivering.

Finally the downpour at least slacked off a bit, so Becky and I made the trek over to corral B. She informed me that she had tremendous powers of weather prognostication, and she could assure me the rain would stop soon. And whaddya know, she was right!

Thus the remainder of the preamble was as usual: announcer chatter, the anthem, and then we were off!

BUT HOW WAS THE WDW HALF?

Let’s see. I walked the 5K. I ran-walked the 10K. Therefore, while I hadn’t exerted any major energy in the last 48 hours, neither had I exerted no energy. I also hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days. With that particular cocktail of circumstances, things could go a variety of directions. As it turns out, my WDW Half was… fine. Not great, but fine.

Indeed, I had briefly entertained the idea of trying to stick with Becky. Then she took off like a shot, and I immediately gave up. Normally we have fairly compatible paces, but my body just wasn’t feeling it. If the half were the last race of the weekend, I might’ve pushed; as it was most assuredly not, I wished her Godspeed (45) and settled into the ol’ slow and steady.

The WDW Half course exhibited some curious changes this year, although we started in the prescribed and inevitable way: roads. Hamlet said words, words, and runDisney said roads, roads, and now here we are.

Luckily there were some interesting characters out to break up the roads, roads. I stopped for both Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood, neither of whom I had personally seen out before. I harbor a nostalgic fondness for this movie, so that was exciting. Here’s the real question, though: is there a costume for Sir Hiss?! (I wanna run as him so bad but I have these pesky limbs that ruin the concept.)

While in line for… um, I want to say the Sheriff? … a light rain set it. The Cast Member keeping the line organized warned us that if it rained much harder the characters would retreat to their trailer, but I managed to avoid this fate. Some characters did wind up going inside for a bit, but the gentle shower passed quickly and didn’t return. Whew! Don’t regret the hat, though. I hate rain in my eyes.

Although historically we would’ve approached via the other direction, our course brought us first to the Grand Floridian – and whaddya know, there was Marie from The Aristocats! Being as I was dressed as Berlioz, I greeted her with “Hello, sister!” and I was tickled to see her match my enthusiasm. She drew me a heart as I left and everything. I love it when character performers demonstrate their knowledge of the character!

As an aside: I can’t remember which, but one of the CMs staffing a character recognized me as Berlioz! It wasn’t Marie’s either. Whoever this unsung hero was, I was impressed; I wouldn’t have thought any single Aristocat aside from Marie was recognizable divorced from the rest. Disney+ MVP right there.

We stomped forward past the Grand Floridian and over the new(ish) bridge that connects the walking path to the Magic Kingdom. Major props to Disney for having the Electrical Water Pageant out for our enjoyment – based solely on the chatter around me, we all adored it!

Just past mile five we stomped into the Magic Kingdom itself, taking the traditional route up Main Street USA with its lines of cheering spectators. Truly an iconic moment every time.

Then we veered away from the usual route, cutting a left into Adventureland. I briefly debated stopping for Captain Barbossa, but his line-to-desire ratio didn’t pass muster so I quite literally jogged on. I did stop in Frontierland for the Hitchhiking Ghosts, and I regret nothing.

After that little diversion I got down to business,* stomping through Fantasyland and under the castle before I stopped for a picture in front of it. Mine came out hella blurry; I suppose they can’t all be winners.

* To defeat the huns, obviously

From there we continued to reverse the old course, tripping our way into Tomorrowland. A very underrated race vista too if you’re asking me. I was ecstatic to see Lewis (Tom Selleck?) from Meet the Robinsons out. I love that movie!

Shortly after that my time in the Magic Kingdom came to an end. We headed away toward and then passed the Contemporary (going backwards under the bridge/hill was weird!) and as mile seven dawned it was back to the roads, roads.

I honestly don’t remember much from those interstitial miles. Probably they were also… fine. I didn’t have much pep for this one, but I never deteriorated either. So that’s something. Stompity stomp.

Let’s see, next item of note… Somewhere inside the back half of mile eleven we came upon the Epcot bus stops – and Meeko! With no line! Is there an enormous Flit costume, do you think?

And of course shortly after that we entered Epcot itself. This was nice, of course, but not as nice as it would have been had it finished through World Showcase. But then I think that about every runDisney course that doesn’t finish through World Showcase. Yes, I will be penning a polite letter to corporate.

Anyway! I ran past Spaceship Earth and then outside the berm, ready to bag this one up… Except that the last character of the race was now in sight, and it was none other than my childhood favorite Darkwing Duck!

Then I bagged it up. I trotted underneath the finish and that was my WDW Half Marathon done.

I met Becky in the finish area and we visited with Pooh. Following this vital task, we did a little dancing while we waited for Kate and Erika, who also ultimately met with success. One quick photo with all the Aristocats and we were ghost like Swayze. Brunch and naptime ahoy.

22.4 down… 26.2 to go!

Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Threads @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!