Race Recap: 2017 Wine & Dine Half Marathon

On Sunday, November 5th, I took on my third Wine & Dine Half Marathon (if you want to know about race 1 & 2, check them out HERE and HERE). This was my first time running since runDisney changed the race to a morning race. I have never been thrilled about the change. I loved the night race, the after party, and the uniqueness of the old Wine & Dine. But I digress...

This year, we stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek. They have awesome race morning amenities! I started my day surrounded by "cheerleaders" and inspirational signs, while having a bagel and hydrating. It was a great kick-off.

Always a great start to a race!

We arrived at Epcot, then had to do the long walk to the buses to be transported to the start line. This was definitely a drawback of staying off property, but really wasn't too bad (it was definitely worse after the race). Once we were at the Magic Kingdom parking lot, we had plenty of time to use bathrooms and rest before the start of the race.

My running has been way less than stellar lately, so my proof of time got me in corral E. I'm definitely not complaining, because my pregnant self was not planning on a lightening speed race. Boy was THAT the truth!

The course didn't feel much different than the January half or the Princess half to be honest. It was another early morning race, you got a few different areas of WDW, and you finished outside of Epcot. I just did get much of the "Wine & Dine" feel. It was very much like most other runDisney races. Now don't get me wrong, running in Disney on a bad day is better than anywhere else on a good day. I just missed the night, the lights, the wine at the finish line, and the specialty of this race.

Yep, lot's of bathroom stops

Now let's talk about me: I had a terrible race. I wasn't properly trained and little dude was dancing on my bladder the whole time. I ended up taking 7 bathroom breaks and walked the entire second half. It definitely didn't help that I was running on tired, blistered feet from days of non-stop Disney. It was really unfortunate, because the day had the makings of a great race. The weather was perfect, the course was easy to navigate (only got stuck a few times by pacing groups), and the mood was great from other runners. This was my last real "run" of my pregnancy. I'm definitely ready to get back to running well-prepared and happily.

This was my first look at Pandora

Overall, I'd still say Wine & Dine is a favorite race of mine, I just wish it would go back to being a night race. I know it'll never happen, but a girl can dream! I love that time of year at Disney, and we were able to straddle both Halloween and Christmas in terms of special park decor. I like that generally it is a smaller race weekend when compared to Marathon or Princess (still haven't run Star Wars, so I can't speak much in comparison).

Registration for 2018 is now open (and some races are already sold out)! Make sure to register ASAP! Also, I'd be happy to refer you to friends who are Authorized Disney Vacation Planners if the race you are looking for is sold out. I have great friends in high places :)

Glad to have the anniversary Coast to Coast!