Disney somehow pulled off a very nice race with over 12000 people. The race was very well organized and the 6a start was exactly on the mark. Weather was perfect and the 6a start probably helped in this regard.

Disney used Corrals to align faster runners ahead of the walkers. I was supposed to start in Corral A (There were A-E) but decided to run with a high school buddy who flew in from the East Coast for his first half marathon and was in Corral D. I had decided earlier in the year to chase a PB on in this race. Fortunately I made that mark in my AFC run last month. This race I wanted to just enjoy the sights. Boy did I make a good decision. Perhaps chasing a PB would be possible from Corral A but not so much from D.

We didn't even start our run until 15 minutes after the gun....running (actually walking) past Mickey and Minnie as well as a handful of other characters waving from the windows of the Monorail perched above the start line. And then...it was walking and dodging the incredible number of walkers in the race. The opening 3-4 miles through the parks is in very tight quarters so trying to pass so many people during this portion of the run would only leave you frustrated.

The first water break was in a very tight area and was extremely congested. My buddy and I had to bull over 3 walkers leaving them on the ground wondering what just hit them. Just kidding...we went with the flow...grabbed a drink...had a conversation.....had another drink....talked to some other people.....almost felt like we had stopped in at a bar. So we tipped the powerade waitress...finished our hotwings and when things cleared we went back to running again.

We also quickly learned to avoid the characters hanging out in the park. Twice I was nearing some disney character only to be nearly accosted by 3-4 runners running diagnoly across the flow with cameras in hand! Later in the race ....as soon as we saw that big burly blue thing from Monsters Inc. we quickly moved to the other side of the path and watched two other unknowing runners be nearly accosted by the 'diagnal camera runners'. What a crackup! We were really having a good time.

The boring part through the major streets of Anaheim was made up for by the bands and entertainment placed out there....I particularly liked the Hawaiian band and the Hula dancers...but then I love all things Hawaii. The run along the Santa Ana river was almost my favorite part as it was a nice sandy path..not too soft but just right....and in a wierd way....picturesque. My real favorite part was the stadium. We ran into right field and out of left field while running behind home plate. Very cool.

The final 3 mile push to the finish was fantastic with lots of fan support, more bands, cheerleaders, and even a Gospel Choir...which was awesome. I ran with a constant smile on my face that last 3 miles. This was my buddy's first half and I kept telling him that this was very different from most half marathons so don't get used to it. Of course his next scheduled race is Disneyworld in January...so he won't believe me.

The finishing medal is fantastic....very large...perhaps 3 times the size of my other half marathon medals...worth the extra entry bucks in my opinion. I would recommend running this run for fun...and not with a PB in mind. It may be possible to chase a PB from Corral A...but I think it was much more fun to take in all the sights and sounds of the race. I even ran past Mr. Incredible..so I must have been going faster than I thought!

I have never stayed to the end of a race...especially one with a 3.5 hour cutoff time. This time I found myself there at the end and watched many first timers with huge smiles on their faces and sons and daughters yelling for their moms and dads to finish...taking pictures along the way. It really made me feel good to see that...what a sport.

Finally...we stayed at the Grand Californian. I'll only say that it was not worth the money and wont' be doing that again next year. Detailing my frustrations will only provide negative thoughts and I would prefer to remember what a fun race this was...sorry...I think that might be a dangling participle...but I don't feel like rewriting the sentence. Next year I drive in that morning or I'll get a hotel just offsite.

Take care all.