The Disneyland Paris Half Marathon (Recap from September 24, 2017)

Disneyland Paris Half Marathon

Short, short review:
Good. Almost great.

Some logistical snafus that remain no matter what distance. The Corral loading was a multistage sprint. We’d hit a holding pen checkpoint, they’d check bibs (I was shoved back for a moment because my tash was blocking the Corral assignment in my bib) and they’d funnel us again to another holding pen. Hurry up and wait. Barrier drop and shove and jockey for better front of Corral placing. A bit dangerous and creepy but it’s what you do here. In the USA runDisney events I feel like they walk us out by corrals with a banner between holding pens to try and prevent the push and shove for placements but maybe I’m misremembering with rose colored glasses.

The photo opportunities with official photographers were front loaded in the opening 8km (culminating with a flag of, obviously, BB-8 at that kilometer marker).

The next 8km were run in the French countryside and local village. Pretty fun to be out and about there and if you had taken time for photos you could make some up here. As I was able to shove and spring to the almost front of Corral B my wait times for characters was very little if at all in some cases.

 

The final five kilometers were back on Disneyland Paris property, mostly in the back stage areas and Santa Fe Hotel before weaving back through Walt Disney Studios park to the finish (or as the French say “arrivee”). My baguette was a hit and I heard quite a few chuckles from the crowd. It was intact for the first 11 km and only as my ‘Stache also gave up did it seem to trqkbihto two. Doffing the slimy soup strainer I kept ahold of the wrapped baguette to the end.

 

I regret only partially the cigarette handed to me by s spectator at 19 km didn’t survive to the finish for a final photo. But there was no way I was going to stick it in my mouth and when I slid it into my pocket to take a selfie with Tink, it disintegrate. I should’ve kept the crumpled butt though for a funny photo. Things we realize after the fact. But here’s a a badly framed selfie on the course. I had trouble juggling it, the baguette, and my camera so I’m holding it super weirdly. Not that I really know any other way to hold a cancer stick…  You have to look hard but it’s there, not airbrushed out like all the new Walt images…

Mom ran into some troubles. Her alarm didn’t go off as planned and there was a diverted bus route for road closures. She wound up splitting a cab to a Disney hotel and hoofing it to the World of Disney for our rendezvous… so she did yet another Amazing Race leg in France to meet me. Way to go, Mom.

 

As for the rest of the day, we tried to play it low key and slow in the hopes of pacing myself to see the fireworks at park closing.

  

      

Mission: Accomplished.