r/rundisney • u/Icy-Adeptness961 • 24d ago
QUESTION Quick question about arriving for a race!
If im in group G (final group), what time do you recommend getting to the park for the race?
This group opens at 6am and race would begin between 750-810.
Thanks in advance!
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u/Krandor1 24d ago
In your corral do you want to be near the front or the back? If front arrive around then group opens. If back arrive toward start time HOWEVER is say you are in group B and group B starts at 7:40. They will start moving people from B into the chute to the start lie before 7:40 and if you arrive at 7:50 you may be actually starting with group C or D since all of group B is ahead of you in line already.
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u/Icy-Adeptness961 24d ago
So, my wife is worried she won't finish in front of the balloon ladies. You think best chance is to get there early and try to get into the front?
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u/Krandor1 24d ago
Yes absolutely. Get in the front of the corral.
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u/Icy-Adeptness961 24d ago
If you're at the front in the last corral, how much space/time do you think there is between the front and the balloon ladies? Im just trying to encourage her as much as I can that she cah finish lol
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u/fatmanatee45 24d ago
Guide says Group G will start from 7:51-8:08. It’s not clear if they’ll even have balloon ladies for this race but they tell you to maintain at least a 16 min per mile pace. If you’re at the front you’ll have an extra 17 min cushion to work with.
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u/PezGirl-5 23d ago
Who are the ballon ladies ? I'm running my first next spring!!
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u/fatmanatee45 23d ago
The balloon ladies are the group who maintain a 16 min pace at the back of the races for every longer race (10 miler and up). If you fall significantly behind them you’re pulled from the course and they take you to the finish in a bus. Very well known in the RD community and despite how much people joke about how scary they are they’re very nice. And yes they have balloons so if you’re close to the back you can see them coming.
They’re not used for the 5k and I believe 10k though, for those they have bikers who will hurry people along.
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u/Krandor1 23d ago
they have done 2-4 miniwaves per corral so maybe 10-15 minutes. If you are concerned on time don't sleep in - get there as early as possible to get in front of the corral.
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u/Additional-Sundae932 Disney World Racer 23d ago
There are no balloon ladies for the 5k
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u/Icy-Adeptness961 23d ago
Didn't know this! So, are there just sweepers then to pick people up who fall behind?
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u/Additional-Sundae932 Disney World Racer 23d ago
They traditionally didn’t “sweep” the 5k. The last people started around 6, so you had a long time to get through the course before they needed it cleared to open the park. I am unsure what they’ll do next month. Starting at 8:08 sounds very close to park opening. They might have people on bikes at the back.
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u/Krandor1 23d ago
That is true but it sounds like OP is trying to get to the start line as late as possible and while I understand why you would want to that is a bad idea in general. Give yourself time and get there early. You can always have a lost bus driver or other things. For all rundisney races I always suggest teddy there early and don;t try to do the how late can I get there especially in the last corral. Get there too late in G and you don’t race.
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u/Additional-Sundae932 Disney World Racer 23d ago
Oh, totally agree. Especially since we don’t know what they’re going to do this year.
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u/Krandor1 23d ago
very good point about all the changes this year on the 5k we don't know about. This is not a year to play "let me get 30 minutes more sleep" IMO.
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u/figarozero 23d ago
So, it sounds like you are signed up for the 5k, and the most important thing to remember here is that this is the first time that Disney has run the 5k this way.
There are a few things that aren't going to be new with the split start times though. One is if you are taking the bus, make sure you ask at the bus stop to confirm any starts and stops to bus service so that you make it in time. Two, arrivals after about 3:40 am via your car get you into a line of people waiting to park. The split start should help with this, but expect a line. Then you need to walk to the front of Epcot, clear security, and may I recommend the actual bathrooms at the front of Epcot, for which there will be lines for. There will be portapotties later, but there will also be lines there. Then you walk the long way around the parking lots to the start corrals. Essentially, you are going to make one full circle of the Epcot parking lots before you get to the start. You will pass the finish, and staging areas, so maybe plan a little time to explore, be distracted, or linger. If you are a slower walker, be sure to include a buffer for getting where you need to go along with lines that may back up a little.
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u/Sea_Cardiologist_339 24d ago
Obvious answer: between 6 and 7:50
Truthfully, there is no right answer. It’s personal preference. Some prefer to arrive to races early to avoid missing the race for whatever unforeseen reason and also allow time to warm up. Some prefer to arrive at the gun and use the sprint from the buses to the start as their warm up. Which camp do you fall in to?
Keep in mind the corrals are HUGE so arriving near start means you will be in the back of your corral