This time last year (and in 2020) I was finishing the Dopey Challenge in Disney World. I still can’t believe I did it. I realllly can’t believe I’ve done it twice. But, I sometimes joke that I want my epitaph to read: Tried everything twice. Liked it both times.
I thought I’d write a little about it because I learned so much from both 2020 and 2022. There is no way to fit in all the tips and tricks, but here are my biggest takeaways.
THE DOPEY CHALLENGE IS AN ULTRA MARATHON
The back-to-back-to-back-to-back race days make it feel like a broken ultra marathon. We figured that with each race: 5k on Thursday, 10k on Friday, 13.1 on Saturday and 26.2 on Sunday plus walking (to, from and IN) in a park each day we covered close to 75 miles. In 2022, we would wake up at 3:00AM, get dressed, have coffee, walk to the bus at the resort, head over to Epcot for the start, meet-up with all our friends from Wilmington, find our corral, wait for 45-60’ for our start, run the race, get on a bus back to the resort, take a shower, eat all the food, take a nap, head over to a park, head back to the resort and go to bed. The next day we would start again. On the night before the marathon we were in bed by 6:00PM and up by 2:30AM.
I would say that it’s a great introduction to ultra marathons. Maybe it’s an introduction to one of those last man standing marathons! I haven’t done an ultra yet, but, after Disney the thought did cross my mind.
YOU CAN’T TRAIN FOR IT
There is no way to properly train for this extravaganza of a race. Well, there is. But, until you do it, you can’t possibly know what it’s like to do all the things that you do (see above) for four days in a row. In a costume. Even then, it’s a little like what I’ve heard about childbirth: you need time to forget about it before you sign up for it again. I signed up for Dopey 2022 almost a year after our first adventure in 2020. By then, I had forgotten about the achy legs and the zombie-like look you display after four races, dozens of lines and a nalgene of wine in the park (shhh…don’t tell). You remember the Rise of the Resistance and Space Mountain and the gospel choir at the last mile of the race that is Disney. Plus, you forget about all the back to back training runs, the soreness, the chafing and the mental toughness the whole ordeal requires. You only think of the kindness of volunteers and fans and characters and the music (oh! the music is my favorite) and your friends and the finish line. And so you sign up again.
THE BLING IS BLINDING
I’ll admit it: one of the reasons I did the Dopey is for the bling. Waaaaay bak in 2006, I did my first 5k in Myrtle Vegas. There was a huge expo and on the way out of the main convention hall, RUNDISNEY had set up a boot to promote the Goofy Challenge (the 13.1 and marathon). I tried on the three medals and was lured into the magic. Before that, I had said I would never do a marathon. Suddenly I was saying….well, if I do a marathon, it will definitely be in Disney.
Flash forward to 2020 and suddenly, I’m signed up to do my first marathon. [I’ll save a story on this later.) I show to the marathon expo and get six shirts and six bibs! And, there are actually two expos - one for RunDisney gear and another for every other run product on the planet.
DON’T EXPECT TO SET A RECORD
There are a LOT of people in every race. It felt at times like an IRONMAN swim. There are other people touching you. And criss-cross running in front of you. You may have to swerve or duck or dodge to avoid someone around you. And the river of people does not diminish. It is 20 people wide for miles and miles and miles. It is overwhelming at times - especially in the dark around the highway ramps.
Plus, there is so much to see and take in along the route. Unless you are starting in one of the first waves, you may end up being behind so many runners that you spend too much energy bobbing and weaving. My suggestion is to enjoy the entertainment at each mile. Try to find the best costumed runner. Pose with at least one character along the way and, let the finish find you.
THERE IS DISNEY MAGIC EVERYWHERE
You might think that with all the miles and all the runners that you would lose all the magic. But, it is there around every corner. The most magical part of the half and the full races was the entry into the main street of the Magic Kingdom. As I made the turn around the giant Christmas tree at the entrance, I tried to look down at the feet in front of me. I listened to the quiet shuffle around me, mixed with the Disney theme songs playing on the speakers. Just as I made it onto the straightaway……I looked up. Seeing the castle for the first time was magic. I gasped and cried each time and I get goose bumps each time I think of it. My description will never do it justice!
The coolest part of 2020 was riding Expedition Everest in the middle of the marathon. The park had just opened as Jen and I reached the Asia section of the Animal Kingdom. I was able to hop in on the single rider line and rode a roller coaster at mile 17ish! I had such an adrenaline rush that I was able to catch Jen in the last few miles and we finished together.
