2014 runDisney Princess Half Marathon – Inaugural Glass Slipper Challenge

The Princess Half Marathon was the last race of the 2014 Princess Half Marathon 3-day weekend and the premier event.  It was also the second race of the Glass Slipper Challenge. This was my second time running Princess Weekend.  runDisney’s Princess is a totally different vibe than Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.  I would consider it a “girls getaway weekend” with a race(s) thrown in for good measure!

Anything goes for running dress.  Dress in costume.  Wear a tutu.  Whatever you want is perfectly acceptable at Princess.  We dressed according to the Princess theme, but chose our outfits based on the weather and having to run a Half Marathon.  Comfort was key for us!

The Princess Half Marathon course began and ended at Epcot.  The course ran up to the Magic Kingdom and through Main Street, U.S.A., Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Liberty Square and Frontierland before making its way back to Epcot park. There we ran into Epcot behind the Living Seas and to Showcase Plaza before turning around and back towards Spaceship Earth and out into the parking lot to the finish.

We woke up early once again at 3:45am for the race start of 5:33am (wheelchair).  We made it to Epcot’s parking lot by 4:15am, made a quick potty stop and found our friends to make our way to the corrals.  There were 16 corrals for runners and they were labeled A to P.

Today’s plan was to run the race, however, the humidity was high and we decided that we rather have fun then go crazy really running in the Florida heat.  So the plan was revised to run 2 minutes and walk 30 seconds and then stop and pose with all the characters.  Soon we were off and we were glad we changed the plan!

I was running with friends – Fast Eddie, Dave, Perfect Goofy Gail and Pammy!  I strongly recommend running a runDisney race with friends! We had the best time acting like complete fools.  Right from the start we waited in the long character lines planning out our poses and making sure that we caught each character stop on not one, not two, but FIVE different cameras!!!  It’s a good thing we had multiple cameras because with the poor light and humidity our photos weren’t coming out!

The Princess Half Marathon’s entertainment didn’t disappoint.  I counted over 20 different character stops.  Yes, the lines were long, but they moved quickly.  The longest line was in Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland for Royal Mickey and Minnie Mouse.  The mile in the park – Mile 5 to Mile 6 – took 28 minutes to complete and had 5 characters stops (Buzz, Queen of Hearts, Mickey & Minnie, The Princess & the Frog and Woody).  This mile also had the stop in front of Cinderella Castle.  However, Mile 7 took us 31 minutes and only had 2 character stops – the Walt Disney World train and Sleeping Beauty with Prince Philip!

Never-the-less, we waited in the lines, it was worth it!  Sure the congestion through “cone alley” was still there, but the crowd moved along cheerfully throughout the course.  Everywhere I looked I saw runners having fun.  My group finished with a time of 4:18 – a new personal worst for me!  But we enjoyed every single mile and finished upright with smiles across our faces!  With this race, Perfect Goofy Gail and I would earn our 12th, 13th and 14th runDisney medals for 2014 – the Princess Half Marathon, Glass Slipper Challenge and Pink Coast to Coast Medals!