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Well, we did it again! We just participated in the RunDisney Springtime Surprise 2024 Race Weekend – April 18 – 21st, 2024. It was our sixth in-person RunDisney event! This time, we “only” did the Hakuna Matata ten-miler, but we loved seeing the enthusiasm from everyone doing the Stitch Ohana Challenge (the Challenge was the 5k, 10k, and the ten-miler). You know we were there for the lion medal, lol!
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Springtime Surprise 10-Miler
Hakuna Matata 10-miler – Sunday, April 21, 2024 | 5:00am – 9:00am
- Race Start/Finish: EPCOT® Parking Lot.
- Official race start: 5:00am
We signed up for this race in October 2023, and I followed the Jeff Galloway 10 Mile Run Walk Run Interval program found on RunDisney.com under Training Programs. It’s a 13-week program that I modified for our trip to Japan. We also chose to do this particular race to get our coast-to-coast challenge medal when we go to Disneyland for the Halloween Half Marathon Weekend later this year. Lots of motivation!!
Springtime Surprise Bib Pick Up
The first step to any RunDisney Weekend Race-Cation is the Health and Fitness Expo held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Wide World of Sports is always our priority, driving from the Tampa Bay area. ESPN does a great job at providing complimentary and easy self-parking for the Expo. Buses are also offered at the Disney resorts for race weekend, but since we drive ourselves, it is easier to stop before checking into our hotel.
When we arrive at the Expo, we typically head straight to the State Farm Field House. This building is where you pick up your race bib and determine which corral you are in for the races.
I have a significant brag about my husband, who consistently placed in Corral A with the Elite runners for his last two races. He is incredible!
Balloon Ladies
I have notoriously been placed in the last corral for every race ( I don’t have suitable proof of time to submit), but this time, I was moved up one whole corral and was thrilled!
I’ve talked more about my corral experiences in my Princess and Wine and Dine posts, but the farther up in the corrals you are, the more of a buffer you create from the “balloon ladies,” and the more fun you can have on the course! You can stop for characters, use the bathroom, stretch, etc., without worrying about being swept.
When you start in the last corral, there is way more pressure to not stop and just keep moving forward, and in the Florida April, extreme heat and humidity – that can be tough! In the past, I started more than an hour after A corral and when the sun was already coming up. Those factors can take a lot out of you when you are wedged in a corral for over an hour.
Disney Races require a minimum pace of 16:00 min per mile, and the final two runners – they refer to them as the balloon ladies, track that time. If you fall too far behind the “balloon ladies,” the bikers will sweep you from the course, put you on a bus, and escort you back to the finish line, and you are considered DNF – Did Not Finish.
Springtime Surprise Expo
Our second stop during race weekend is the Athletic Center for the Health & Fitness Expo. This is the building where you collect your official RunDisney Race Shirts for the events you have signed up for. It is located directly across from the Field House. You can also browse and shop dozens of athletic, sports, and apparel vendors. You can even meet Jeff Galloway and speak to the official race pacers. Each weekend has unique food and drink items themed to the race weekend, and this time, it was all about Adventure and Ohana!
Official RunDisney Merchandise
Our last stop at the Expo is always the Official RunDisney Merchandise at the Advent Health Arena building. We typically don’t buy a lot of the Run Weekend Merchandise, but we like to look. By the time we entered the building, they mostly had Challenge Merchandise, but since we weren’t running it, we left empty-handed. This building always has lots of fun photo opportunities. Even if you don’t purchase anything, it’s fun to check it out!
Pro Tip: Run Disney started a new process for buying official RunDisney Merchandise at the races. It involves joining a virtual queue to enter the Advent Health Arena building on the first day of the Expo. There, you can shop exclusive Run Disney Merchandise that you can’t find anywhere else (except eBay). The rest of the weekend, you can just walk right in!
I bought my Hakuna Matata shirt from Amazon!
Our Race Morning Routine
For Springtime Surprise weekend, we chose to stay at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, a Value Resort. We have stayed here several times over the years, including during Mark’s first full Marathon in 2022. They provide buses to and from the races, and we have found it a good option for race weekends. You are still in the Disney bubble but not breaking the bank! Full post on this resort coming soon!
We always lay out everything we need for race morning the night before. We like to make sure all we have to do that early in the morning is robotically put on everything we laid out and walk out the door, including attaching our race bibs to our shirts the night before! Also, we pack our gear check bags and set out all our snacks and fluids to grab and go without thinking about it. It’s a game-changer to be prepared – it makes everything more fun because it’s less stressful!
Mark and I try to be on the first or second bus to the start line so we have plenty of time to get there and settle in our corrals. We set our alarm for 2:15 AM and are out the door and walking to the bus by 2:50 AM to leave on the 3:00 AM Bus. We usually arrive at Epcot security by 3:15 AM – It works well for us; we can eat, hydrate, get coffee, and use the bathrooms before settling into a crowded corral when they open at 3:30 AM. It’s always crazy how much energy you can find in yourself and others that early in the morning – it’s the Magic of Disney!
It’s Race Day!
Days before the race, we knew it would be unusually hot and humid for race weekend, so we spent a lot of time resting and hydrating before the race. Overall, the race went well for both of us despite the heat. Thankfully, the sky had some thin clouds that cut down the blazing Sun aspect of running on the highway in Florida, and it was pretty pleasant for two people who live and train here year-round.
After crossing the finish line, we had a glass of celebratory champagne and waited to meet one of our favorite Disney characters for the first time in WDW—Baxmax from Big Hero Six! We also saw the famous Jogging Jack, a cosplayer who runs all of the RunDisney races dressed as Jack Sparrow. He never breaks character!!
After the Race Plans
We headed back to the hotel to eat breakfast and clean up. It’s important not to overdo it after a race, but you should keep moving as much as possible. We decided to take our new Hakuna Matata 10 Miler medals to Animal Kingdom and get photos in front of the Tree of Life.
Animal Kingdom is one of the prettiest parks in the world. I love the details that went into this park, along with the unique merchandise and restaurants. One of our favorite places to eat is Yak & Yeti. We almost always have good luck getting a walk-up spot instead of making reservations, and the bar area is first come, first serve. The food here is excellent and perfect for post-race.
The entire race weekend was a blast! I highly recommend this race weekend; it felt calmer and less crowded than any other race weekend we have participated in, and we’ve been to the following:
Star Wars Darkside 2016
Star Wars Darkside 2017
Marathon Weekend 2022
Princess Weekend 2023
Wine and Dine Weekend 2023
Virtual Disneyland 2024
Virtual Princess 2024
Springtime Surprise 2024
Now it’s time to start setting new fitness goals, and training for our next two events this fall! Thanks for reading about our running journey and love for Disney!
p.s. All of the custom Minnie Ears and Disney shirts you see in our photos were either purchased on Amazon, Etsy, Hot Topic, Target, or at the official Disney stores! Find ALL of our affiliate links on our SHOP!
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Congratulations on getting another medal!
Happy you and Mark did well🥰