I didn't have London on my bucket list originally but maybe I should have! A group of running buddies were signing up via Marathon Tours so I joined the crew. Note, spots for internationals are EXTREMELY limited so we paid to join the Marathon Tours Seven Continents Club to get priority. When we got there I learned they had to turn away 1000 applicants, which made me truly realize how rare and special this opportunity was!

Overall, the city really shows up to support this race. Here's a breakdown of what to love and what could be improved:

WHAT TO LOVE:
Crowd Support - People cheering almost the entire 26.2 (other than the first mile or so of residential area)
Swag (except shirt) - AMAZING freebies at the expo AND post-race. Full boxes of vitamins, multiple chocolate/cookie bars, snacks, etc! One of the best I've seen
Course Highlights - Running on the tower bridge is one of the best parts of the entire course. It is SO gorgeous and just FEELS epic. Also finishing by running towards Big Ben and then at Buckingham was such a thrill. They also manage the crowd very well through controlled crosswalks.

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED:
Aid Stations - They use full bottle water/lucozade and it creates a HUGE liability for runners! It's also VERY wasteful since most are just taking a few sips and then throwing away the rest of the bottle. They also could've been a little longer to account for the crowding. I know multiple people missed a few stations. Plus there were signs for Buxton (water) and Lucozade (electrolyte) in places there were NOT aid stations which was very confusing! They were just ads, but as a runner you expect signs to mean there will be hydration.
Crowding - The beginning was SO SO crowded despite there being 3 start areas. They didn't space out the start of the corrals so all corrals started right after another so the first few miles were extremely treacherous and SLOW.
TShirt - This is why my swag got a 4-star because I think the shirt is VERY important!! There were no gender specific sizes!! As someone that wears a Women's XS I definitely cannot keep or wear my shirt :(

Those were the main highs and lows but overall it's one of most exciting and well supported races I've ever run (the only one to rival it is Boston crowd-wise). I didn't end up having a great race due to a slow start, trying to make up-time and that costing my legs in the end. But, the city support was amazing and made every second worth it!

I've been wanting to do the Disney Marathon for years and finally signed up. After hearing and reading tons of great reviews I had high expectations and it did not disappoint.

OVERALL: The race is extremely well managed and organized! They truly make the experience magical. It's also very entertaining course and easy to run. I would recommend to anyone that loves Disney or anyone looking for a great PR course in early Jan!

WHAT TO LOVE:
Aid Stations - Amazingly well run and staffed. Powerade before water. Friendliest volunteers ever! They were thanking US for running! Most food/aid I've seen on a course between multiple gu, banana, and chocolate stations
Course Scenery - I didn't mind the highway roads and when you did get into the parks it got VERY exciting!! Plus there were tons of volunteer cheer stations throughout the course!
Medal - Disney does an amazing job. The medal cannot be beat!
Post-race - I've never done such a big marathon where you could get from race finish, get food gear, and then on a bus leaving the race so quickly and in such quick proximity! No extraneous or extra walking needed, which often happens in large marathons. Also loved the post-race towel to wipe off - so nice!

Only thing I would mention is I didn't gear check so I had a lot to carry between water, Powerade, box of food, banana, and fruit pouch. Loved all the post-race goodies but a bag would've helped :) And some of the characters early on could use extra light for pics (my Buzz Lightyear pics turned out too dark!).

Hope to make it back again!

I've always wanted to do the Disney Marathon and decided to sign-up for the Half as well to do the Goofy.

The entire weekend was extremely well run and organized. The pre/during/post race details were also extremely well managed.

WHAT TO LOVE:
Aid Stations - Amazingly well run and staffed. Powerade before water. Friendliest volunteers ever! They were thanking US for running!

Course Scenery - I didn't mind the highway roads and when you did get into the parks it got VERY exciting!! Plus there were tons of volunteer cheer stations throughout the course!

Medal - Disney does an amazing job. The medal cannot be beat!

Post-race - Tons of food, hydration etc and it never felt over crowded.

Only thing I would mention is I didn't gear check so I had a lot to carry between water, Powerade, box of food, banana, and fruit pouch. Loved all the post-race goodies but a bag would've helped :) And some of the characters early on could use extra light for pics (my Buzz Lightyear pics turned out too dark!).

Hope to make it back again!

Note: I ran this race in 2011, 2012, and skipped 2013. I heard major improvements had been made and my company sponsored race entries for employees so I got to try the race again for free.

This is always a good fun race for a group.

What was great:
The shortest lines for a port-a-potty I've ever seen! Seriously there were NO lines! They clearly invested in this which is great.
HUGE aid stations - they were also prepared for the crowds. The aid stations were very large, well manned, and the water vs gatorade was well marked by the cup color (a pet peeve of mine)
Candy on the course - I loved this addition (since I was running for fun). Who wouldn't love grabbing some flavored marshmallows and tootsie rolls on a chocolate run!
Post-Race gear + chocolate - All moved very quickly. Again, they were VERY well staffed for this and prepared for the crowds
Start Line - Great start-line music and a very pump you up environment with the race countdown!

Still needs to improve:
There was a bottle neck to get into the Wave 1 corrals. The opening was not large enough for the amount of people, and at one point it was a huge stand still and no clear indication what was causing the delay. May need to reconsider the route from gear check to the corrals. Again, because I was running for fun I wasn't stressing about it but others around me were panicking.

This is such a fun race to do with a group of friends. There were 13,000 Ditkas this year!! Love the aviators and moustaches, and the shirts are freaking adorable.

It's a relaxed race. You can choose your corral start but it's not chip-timed so don't run it to set any records. Just go out and have a good time!

And obviously, rock the 'stache!