Yesterday I ran in the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon. It was one of the more elaborate races we participated in this year. The race begun at 6 am so it meant waking up at 4 am and leaving the house by 4:45. The drive to get to Disneyland took 20 minutes but it took us even longer to park. By the time we parked and made our way to the starting line it was 10 minutes till the race start.
The starting gates were a mess and was packed with people like a cattle drive. I squeezed my way into the middle of my assigned starting corral which was the the first wave of runners. Once the MC announced race start lasers and flames erupted above the starting line. The first stretch of the race was on the street and quickly turned back towards Disneyland. The path then cut through a parking lot and into Disneyland. The park was closed but Disney cast members lined the course. Various Disney characters were strategically placed along the course and racers were able to stop and take photos with them. Some of their parade floats were stationed with characters such as Ariel. Also, the different employees such as concession vendors, firemen and cooks cheered all the racers along. Although I am not a big fan of the Disney, it was good to be inside the park outside of operating hours.
The next leg of the race took the runners back onto several miles of Anaheim City streets and over to Angels Stadium. This section of the race had high school marching bands, hula dancers, mariachis, and cheerleaders invigorating all the participants. My favorite section of the run was the Angels stadium leg of the race. Although the course did not go through the Stadium this part of the race was lined with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Brownies that were cheering at the top of their lungs. The kids put their hand out for high fives and looked offended when they went un-slapped. They cheered as though each person was an Olympic runner. Their energy was definately transfered onto the runners.
From the stadium leg of the race continued back onto the streets to Disneyland. The course went near the freeway and into Disneyland for the final stretch. The last leg was through Downtown Disney where it funneled into the finish line. My time: 1:51:31.
Afterwards I grabbed my free food and headed over the spectator area to wait for Maria. They had a big screen TV set up with a live feed of the finish line. While I was waiting and watching the screen I noticed a guy walk by. He was wearing a white running shirt and he had 2 blood streaks on his chest. The streaks were at lease 3 inches long and started from his nipples downwards. He had chaffed nipples-- ouch! Also, from on the big screen you could see people collapsing as they crossed the finish line and being carted away in wheel chairs. Not a fun sight. I'm not sure if I'll do it again because of the high entry fee and the large crowds. It was a fun race and a great way to see Disneyland up close.
