Spectating runDisney: A Special Report

Hi there! Jenn here. For the first time in my running career, I had spectators during a runDisney race! Kate and Becky graciously came out to bear witness to the 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon.

So what’s it like spectating a runDisney race? Kate is here with a special guest post to tell you all about it! Beginning in 3… 2… 1… GO!

Guest blogger Kate here again. Jenn asked me to recap my experience of
being a spectator, for the runDisney Marathon, and I am happy to do it. And better that
I get this down on paper now, since it has been five months since this race and I will
soon forget!

I am by no means a runDisney spectator expert; I am just sharing my experience, and
what an incredibly rewarding and fun experience it was. To be honest, the thought of
spectating was daunting to me. Waiting around for someone to come by for a brief hello,
and then they are gone again?

Don’t get me wrong, I 100% support my children in their sporting activities, cheering from the bench, shivering for hours in cold ice rinks, losing my voice screaming. But why would I want to cheer someone else at a runDisney event when I could run the race myself?

OUR WDW MARATHON WEEKEND

Going back to the 2025 runDisney Marathon Weekend, Jenn provided very detailed recaps of all the races with coordinated outfits and fun food. Jenn and Dr. Erika Sun were running the Dopey (5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Full Marathon – 48.6 total miles). I only ran the 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon with them: 22.4 miles. Saying “only” before 22.4 miles seems funny to me, because it’s still plenty far.

But I was not signed up for the marathon, having never run a marathon before, even though it was always on my bucket list. I would not have even considered running a marathon, but it was spectating this event that encouraged me to sign up to run my first marathon! (Future blog perhaps? St. Patty’s Day Yuengling Marathon, VA Beach?)

On that dreary cold Sunday, Jenn and Erika woke up at 0 dark thirty, approximately
2:30am, to get dressed for their final and biggest run. I sat straight up in bed,
instinctually, not because they were loud, but after waking up with them the prior three
mornings, I was indeed trained to wake up and get dressed at that daunting hour. I laid
back down and was grateful for my warm bed and not having to get up to go run 26.2
miles.

HOW KATE BECAME A SPECTATOR

After about 30 minutes, I heard them shut the door and they were off! I laid there, at 4am, trying to fall back to sleep, but was having issues sleeping that week anyway.

Around 5am, Becky got up and wandered into the kitchen. She said she was heading out, hoping to make it to Animal Kingdom on the bus before Jenn made her way through the park.

I heard Becky leave, and again I laid there for another full hour trying to fall back to sleep. I said to myself, “This is ridiculous. They are out there running their butts off, and I can’t sleep anyway. I should just get up and join Becky.”

I had considered spectating, to cheer them on, and told the group as much, but I wasn’t sure how it would work. How would we track them? Maybe I can make it there in time. I finally got up and took a shower, intending to leave the room by 6:30am, to head to Animal Kingdom.

Side note: another friend of mine, not staying in our room, was running the marathon
that day, and he shared his location with me. I followed him on Find My Friends, and he
was booking it, fast. Granted he started in corral A, so he had a head start ahead of the
girls. I knew I wouldn’t see him go through Animal Kingdom, as he was already to mile
14 by 6:45am.

INTREPID KATE SETS OUT

By 7am, I was headed on the bus toward Animal Kingdom. Something to keep in mind:
the roads in and around all the Disney parks are closed in some areas for the races and
many congested with traffic overflow. If staying at a non-monorail, bus, or skyliner resort,
the busses do have some authority to go backstage, or to non-public access roadways. runDisney specifically designated busses, if still running to and from at that hour, are
your best bet for getting to the finish line and rendezvous point. [Editor’s note: I believe you’re referring to the finisher’s area?]

Side squirrel two, it was freezing this particular week in January, in Florida. You would
never have suspected it would be 32 degrees at 4am, when lining up in those corrals,
and one day it rained. You have not felt cold until you were rained on, in 32 degrees,
standing in a corral with thousands of people waiting to cross the start line.

Bring hot hands, gloves ,and several layers. Plan to bring a blanket, or in worst case, a hotel
towel to wrap around you. They will collect these items and donate to charity or take
them back to the resort. The foil blankets that they provide to the race participants do not do much, and I feel disheartened using them, knowing they will just end up in a landfill.

Back to the blog at hand – as well as coffee in my hand. Did I mention I cannot function
without my morning coffee? I am one of the very few you will see sipping a room-produced coffee in the corral. Coffee in hand, I rush off the bus, breeze through security
and into the park.

SPECTATING IN EARNEST

Becky had texted me to meet her at Thirsty River Bar, which is a little spot just before Everest in Asia. I knew exactly where that was, and texted that I would be there by 7:15am.

Keep in mind at this particular hour, the park had nearly just opened, and people were still rope dropping. You need to have a park ticket or annual pass and be staying at a Disney resort hotel, in order to enter further into the park.

At precisely 7:15am, I approached and found Becky. Cowbell in hand, we were ready for
our girls to come by. Jenn had texted her approximate location, and so Becky knew
about when Jenn would arrive.

My timing was just about impeccable, because within 15 minutes, Jenn arrived. We screamed, we hugged, we encouraged. Jenn stretched, we took a quick pic, and she was off again!

It was so exhilarating to catch her, after her having completing 17 miles at that point. I could feel her energy, and although she was tired, she was pumped. Luckily I think our spectating, our showing up for her, actually gave her more juju to go again. I know it does the same for me. [Editor’s note: Yeah it did!!!]

THE MAGIC OF SPECTATORS AT runDISNEY RACES

For those experienced runDisney runners, you know that feeling, running down Main
Street USA, in the Magic Kingdom, and the spectators are cheering you on. They don’t know who you are, you don’t know who they are, but they are screaming your name
(since it is printed on your running bib after all), and they have encouraging and
sometimes funny signs. They say “You’ve got this,” and “Keep going!”

And of course runDisney runs are unique because of the characters, and the music and camaraderie. runDisney is just altogether a different kind of race than your neighborhood race.

WE ARE ALL TEAM ERIKA

Our other dear friend, Erika, was also running the marathon, but was back in corral D,
and was further behind in miles. Without going into any details regarding her medical
situation, Erika was not feeling well at all, and if it were anyone else, they may have not
run that day.

For the record, she was not feverish, nor was she contagious, but she had
a personal health issue that was keeping her from running her best race. Still, she was
determined to finish out the marathon, for the Dopey! I mean, if you come that far, are
you going to quit on the last race?

That being said, Erika is one of my biggest cheerleaders. Not only has she stood by me in multiple races, but she has encouraged me to go on, and to push myself. Of course she was going to finish this race! She has the will and determination to push through anything, and she was going to do it, no matter how bad she felt.

We could all sense she was not feeling great, and we were texting her encouraging
words. It was going to be a while before we would see her in Animal Kingdom.

DIVIDING & CONQUERING

So it’s about 7:30am now, and Becky and I decide to grab breakfast at Santuli Canteen, which was delicious, a real hidden gem. We all know Santuli for their delicious bowls at lunchtime, but did you know they had a scrumptious breakfast too?

At breakfast, Becky tells me we need to divide and conquer. Becky intended on staying at Animal Kingdom, and sent me to the finish line to meet Jenn. It’s nearing 9am, and I raced to the front of Animal Kingdom to catch a bus over to Epcot.

Informationally, the Disney bus does not run from park-to-park until 10am, so this required quick planning. Any bus to an Epcot neighboring hotel could work, such as the Boardwalk, Yacht or Beach Club.

Again, the Disney bus system came through for the win. I got off the bus at Yacht Club and booked it through the lobby and down the pathway to Epcot. At this point, I had texted with Jenn, and she was able to let me know she was approaching Boardwalk, as I was running down the pathway on the other side of Crescent Lake.

YOU JUST CAN’T ESCAPE JENN

Within 10 minutes, Jenn came running up. It was truly miraculous timing, and she really couldn’t miss me, jumping and carrying on!

The sun was bright, and Jenn only had a short 5K to run, and she was ready to be
done. So I told her I would meet her at the finish line Reunion Area, and that was it.

She went her way, and I went the narrow pathway for spectators. Of course she finished well before I was able to make my way to her. And when I found her, she already had her
celebratory beer in hand.

After being up since 2:30am, starting her run at 4:30am, and finishing just over 5 hours, Jenn was plenty tired. But we both knew we had another
job, and that was to stay and cheer our other friend.

runDISNEY CELEBRATIONS

When Becky joined up, the girls decided to grab some more beers, but for some reason
I just couldn’t do it. I mean, I felt I didn’t deserve it, I didn’t run the marathon after all! Later on I thought about it, and I should have had a beer. I mean, after all, I was chasing around after my friends, trying to catch them on the course. Isn’t that deserving?

Then Erika finished and joined us at the Reunion Area. And there were tears… tears of
joy, pain, and exhaustion. I could see it in her face – she was done. But we managed to
snap one final photo together with the Genie.

And although we could have waited for Dopey, which would have made more sense for Jenn and Erika, the line was just too long. We had all been up for HOURS, and just wanted a shower and a nap! The Genie was a solid choice and fan favorite anyway!

I said that spectating for WDW Marathon Weekend prompted me to register and run my first
ever marathon. Jenn and Erika inspired me! And although I wasn’t properly trained, and
went into my race knowing full well how long it was going to take me, I was not going to
quit, come hell or high water. And for the St. Patrick’s Day race…well, you can imagine
there was beer and other fun things afoot.

SPECTATING runDISNEY IS INSPIRING

To wrap up, spectating was fun and inspiring. I think it meant something to Jenn and
Erika to have us there cheering them on. To see a friendly face after running so many
miles. To know someone is tracking you and concerned for your well being. Sometimes the miles can be lonely – but less so if you know someone out there is waiting for you!

I likely will be spectating the marathon again, because I’ll be doing the half during the 2026 WDW Marathon Weekend. And that is ok, because it might be the universe telling me that I shouldn’t be running any more marathons. One and done? We’ll see!

Okay, it’s Jenn again (booooo). Thank you so much, Kate! I can’t wait for our next runDisney adventure! If you decide to write that Shamrock Marathon recap, it has a home on this blog for sure.

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