What A Goofy Idea
[Jan 2012]
I think that it was the great medals
that inspired us to take on the Goofy Challenge in Disney World Florida in
January 2012.
This race comprises of Donald Duck
half marathon on Saturday, and Mickey Mouse full marathon on Sunday, for which
you get the prestigious Goofy Medal.
Both races started at
As typical with Americans, both races
were really well organised at both the start and the finish. There were loads
of toilets (unlike the Great North Run) and loads of razzmatazz at the 
start,
with Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and Goofy starting the races. Followed by firework
displays both in front and behind the corrals (well it was still dark).
Both races started in Epcot and ran
through the
At mile 21 on Sunday we were both
starting to wilt a bit (the sun had come out and it was getting a bit hot), but
then we went into Hollywood Studios and were suddenly running through
This was a real Mickey Mouse Marathon,
with runners just enjoying themselves. There were queues all around the course
with runners having their photographs taken with Donald and Mickey and other
Disney characters such as Cinderella and Snow White. At the finish we heard a
runner telling his waiting family that his time was rubbish but his photographs
were awesome!
If you want a fun marathon, with quite
easy relatively flat terrain this is one for you. Although one runner did
complain to us about the hill over the freeway we hadn’t even noticed it.
(Believe me after doing the Kielder marathon it was nothing, but he was from
We were pleased with our times. Coming
3350/13508 in the marathon. 971/6336 gender and 84/704 for my age.
The half marathon results were also
good coming 4237/22423, 1312/12330 gender and 117/1310 for age.
We had the rest of the week in Orlando
and people asked if we were going to the theme parks. No way we had run around
them twice, the rest of the holiday was spent lying by the pool and relaxing.
Full results can be found at www.mydisneymarathon.com
Davina