This is now the third year I've run this race, and I will keep coming back. Excellent course support, mostly flat course, enthusiastic and appreciative volunteers, great post-race snacks, access to real bathrooms and space to wait inside in case of inclement weather. Registration is only $20, but you are encouraged to do some fundraising, as this is intended to benefit Vermont Respite House. They give age group awards for 1st and 2nd place in each 10 year age group male/female, as well as overall winners male/female. I do wish they'd give tech shirts as opposed to cotton, but for a charity race, that's perhaps unrealistic. If you want a fun, feel-good 5k race, this is a good one for you.

This was my first year running this race; I was registered last year but couldn't run due to injury.

Pre-Race:
Registration was available online, with incremental price increases up to $55. Registration fee includes the Santa suit with pants, jacket, beard and hat, and if you have a suit from a prior year, you can get a "race only" registration for $10 less. You are "required" to wear the suit in order to race, but people definitely made modifications. Packet pickup was available the two days prior to the race as well as race morning right at Ri Ra's Irish Pub downtown. They were well organized, and in addition to my Santa suit, I got two $5 off coupons for Ri Ra's, a coupon for a free cup of tea at David's Tea, and a running magazine. Tech shirts were available for purchase for $15. I personally would rather get a nice red long sleeved shirt or half zip to wear for the run than the cheap felt Santa suit, but the event is a fundraiser, so I guess I get it.

Race Day:
Parking downtown can be tricky because of road closures, so I recommend parking South of Main Street. Since it was Sunday, parking was free at all meters, so I parked in the lot at the corner of King Street and St. Paul. Ri Ra's is less than a half mile from the lot, and I was able to get out of the downtown "core" and home with zero hassle.

It's a great party atmosphere at Ri Ra's on race morning. There was a DJ and music, lots of photo ops, news coverage, and the restaurant was open for bathrooms and to get out of the cold. There was also a coffee station, which I thought was really nice. The PA system made it really easy to know what was going on, and we started about 5 minutes late because it's tough to wrangle 1500 runners in such a small area.

The race course is somewhat hilly; within the first mile you run up Battery Street, which is sort of Burlington's own Heartbreak Hill during the Vermont City Marathon. There are some nice views of the lake as you run down Main Street, and when you run down South Willard there are some great views down the hill as well. The race ends right back at Ri Ra's, and right after finishing I got a full-sized bottle of water.

Post-Race:
The race is chip-timed, and results are available online. As part of your registration, you get a free Irish breakfast, which I didn't end up getting; breakfast was at Memorial Auditorium, which was just far enough away that I didn't feel like walking all the way over, plus I was busy that day and needed to get home, but I've heard great things about the food.

Overall, this is a fun race, but I HIGHLY recommend that you DON'T run in the flimsy felt Santa pants that come with registration. I can't even begin to count the number of folks, myself included, who were struggling with ill-fitting pants that kept sliding down--I had to stop to re-tie my drawstring twice. In the future, I'll be wearing red leggings.

First things first, let me be clear that the 2015 Wine and Dine Half Marathon was not a typical runDisney event. Due to "severe weather" warnings, the start of the race was delayed an hour, and due to the delays and permitting restrictions, the course was shortened to just under 7 miles.

Pre-Race:
Registration for this race was available online in March, and sold out in less than an hour, so I consider myself very lucky to have gotten in. Registration was just about $200, which is much more than I would normally pay for a race, but runDisney races are incredibly popular for a reason; they pull out all the stops regarding medals, shirts, merchandise, and post-race experience, so I was willing to spring for it.

This was my first ever expo experience, and it was a little overwhelming. The expo opened at 10 am on Friday, and I got there around 10:30. I got my Bib, post-race party bracelet, and gEAR check back at the Josten's Center, then headed over to the Field House to get my shirt and check out the vendors. There were SO. MANY. PEOPLE. I wandered around with my friends for a while, but the crowds and lines were crazy so I didn’t buy much.

On race day, free shuttle bus transportation was available from all Disney "host" resorts starting at 7 pm, and runners had to be on a bus by 8 pm to ensure that they made it to the staging area by the 10:00 pm start time. I walked onto a bus shortly after 7 pm with no wait, and was at the staging area right around 8 pm. There were lots of porta-potties all around, and the gEAR check area was clearly marked. There was a big stage area with music and emcees, and lots of photo ops. There was also a water table in the Runners Only area.

Around 9 pm, we received word that due to severe weather warnings, we would be evacuated either into the Stadium or the Field House. We were delayed for about an hour, and while runDisney tried to keep runners entertained, there weren't enough bathrooms in the stadium for everyone, and they kept blasting music while making important announcements, so it was hard to know what was going on. Eventually, the herded us back to the staging area, where we waited for another little bit, and then we finally headed into the corrals. Runners are allowed to drop back to a slower corral to stay with friends, but they do actually check your bib to make sure you're not jumping up.

During the Race:
While waiting in the corrals, we found out that the entire Animal Kingdom portion of the race would be eliminated, which was a huge bummer. runDisney only had permits to keep the roads closed for so long, and because of the delays, they knew not everyone would be able to finish the entire course in the allotted time.

They set off fireworks before each corral, which is a really nice touch. I was in Corral F, and we started around 11:30 pm. The first mile or so was on highway, but there's music and character stops to keep runners entertained. There were water stations every mile or so, with both water and Powerade. Because there are so many runners, there are parts of this course that are EXTREMELY crowded, and I was actually pushed by another runner at one point.

As I stated above, the course was just shy of 7 miles. We ran through Hollywood Studios, and the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, which was one of the coolest things I've ever seen during a race. The path along the Boardwalk from Hollywood Studios to Epcot is by far the most crowded portion of the race. Just go with the flow and try not to get frustrated. The finish is in Epcot, and seeing Spaceship Earth all lit up at night is really cool.

Post-Race:
Post-race is a bit overwhelming. The finisher's chute is really long and winds around toward bag-check and the changing tents. You get a medal, Powerade and/or water, a box of snacks (processed cheese, crackers, some trail mix, and chocolate), and you have to carry all this stuff until you get to gEAR check, which was actually INCREDIBLY organized. They had my bag ready for me seconds after I walked into the tent.

The changing areas were divided into Men and Women, but the lines were really long, so I went straight to the line for free beer, which took a while, and then the free beer was Mich Ultra, which was a bit disappointing, as I've heard that in years past it was Yeungling, which is a far superior beer. I changed in a bathroom in Epcot instead of waiting for the changing tents, which was a great choice.

The post-race party in Epcot is pretty cool. The parks stay open for runners and spectators until 4 am, and you can ride rides, take character photos, and take part in the International Food and Wine Festival. I stayed until they closed the park down, and had a great time. I never had to wait too long for food or drink, and got some great pictures.

Overall:
If you don't like crowds, runDisney is not for you. If you don't really like Disney, runDisney is not for you. If you're trying to run a competitive race, make sure you're in a speedy corral and seed yourself appropriately.

If you love Disney, don't want to speed through, and want to have fun, this is a great race. The medal is large and of high quality and the long sleeve tech shirt was nice as well. You just need to be prepared for the cost and the crowds. I was very disappointed that the race was cut short, but that will not stop me from registering for future Wine and Dine races.