We arrived at WDW Friday evening, raced over to WWoS to see if we could pick up our race packet, but we were too late. Checked out the merchandise..no pin for RftT. Checked into our off site hotel. It turned out to be just down the road from WWoS, which is what I had hoped, but you never know.. By then it was too late to do any of the parks, so we had dinner and called it a night.

Saturday we got up to try and catch our teammates at the finish, but miscalculated! They were already cooling down when we found them. It was so much fun to see Nancy and Barry, Lynnda, Bill and Billy. Lynnda and Nancy did a great job!! Nancy and Barry had invited us to breakfast at Boma's..yummmm!! We had a great visit and were sorry to leave them! Race packets were calling, though, so it was back over to WWoS. We had a little time before we had to meet our DD, so we zipped over to MGM as Lights, Motor, Action was one of the shows we wanted to see. Unfortunately, once we got the schedule, the first show wouldn't be starting while we were there! While we were wandering around, I did manage to get a picture with Minnie to make up for May when I couldn't wait around.

Sunday saw us up and ready to go. In the race packet was a plastic wrist band with tags 1,2,3,4 on it. No explanation in the information letter. I put mine on before the race, DH decided to leave his in the car. We figured it had something to do with the food, but as we had never done this race, thought maybe it was for inside EPCOT. We parked at EPCOT and took the bus over to the start at WWoS. The first "unusual" thing was the set up for the port-a-potties. They had plenty, but they were in two rows, facing each other! So if you can imagine a crammed area with alternating lines...just weird!! Can't add much to what has already been said. It was a good race, but I'll take EPCOT in May with flowers over October for a race!! I kept hoping that I would round a corner and come upon a character..but nary a one. I did think it was neat that they had "chefs" at all of the mile markers and along the route!
It was great for me to be walking over a familiar route. We got encouragement from the transportation boat at the Swan (Thought of you Kristi and how you were an encouragement at Minnie!) View from the Boardwalk
Once in MGM, we ran into
where they did the Jumbotron
and apparently for the first runners (like Matt), they lit the water up with fire as they passed!!

Here's the Mullet Marathon Team Chester talked about. DH thought they were a riot with their "Rocky" music!
These guys were at the beginning, but I didn't see them until the end..

And our teammates..Scott passing me Wendy passing me (note the sweeper bus!) Sorry, Wendy! I even took two pictures, but they were both blurred!
And then those speedy ones that I never see until the end...
Mel and her family
and Matt and Cheryl
I'm sorry I missed Krista and Steven! and CHESTER!! I thought that was you I saw..but there was no beard!! so I didn't say, "Hi!"

DH was waiting for me at the end to get our medals. We got a bottle of water and as we headed out, a volunteer told us to grab some more water as no one was allowed back in. That was the first time I experienced that. Later on, though, there were teenage volunteers carrying water bottle pallets through the crowd and offering bottles of water.

Those plastic wrist bands? Yes, they were your meal ticket for the four tents set up at the finish. DH had to walk back to the car, which was parked close by!, to get his band. Somehow between the time he left to get his band and we got into line 1 (all of 10 min, maybe) I looked down at my wrist to see NO BAND!! (Yes, I thought of you, Dana!) I went to the information tent to plea my case, and they told me several other people had the same problem. The kind volunteer just opened a box and put a new band on me. I was impressed that there was lots of food for all of the racers. No running out of food by the time us last people got there!

We even got to see the awards given out. The organizers gave a check for $500 to Second Harvest as well as all of the cans of food that was collected during packet pick up and before the race.

As far as my stats..I am a poster child for all of the REAL Penquins! I thought that I did much better with doing the angles on the turns. GARMIN had my distance at 6.36 which is much better than my last 10K distance of 6.60! It had my pace at 14:19, but chip had my pace at 14:39 which is still fine by me. Thanks again, team, for encouraging this old body to get moving!! Anne