This year I did what I considered to be my first runDisney 5K race during the Wine & Dine race weekend.  I participated in the Jingle Jungle 5K race Saturday morning.  I consider this my first 5K because I typically don’t sign up for 5K races during the runDisney race weekends.  The reason for that is because I usually have to fly in the day before the bigger race or the challenge races so I can’t get the time off to participate in the 5K which takes place on the day I am flying.  With this race it occurs on the same day as the half marathon.  The first 5K race that I did run was during the Dopey Challenge last year, but I considered that different because it was the Dopey Challenge.  How does that make sense?  I don’t know but it does to me!

I also wanted to participate in this race because it starts at 7:00 a.m. (one of the latest start times of a 5K race in the runDisney series), and because it runs entirely through Animal Kingdom.  In most of the runDisney races I participate in we run through Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and ESPN Wide World of Sports.  But not as many races go through Animal Kingdom besides the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, a few miles during the full marathon and the Jingle Jingle 5K.

The morning of the race I set my alarm for 5:00 and was ready and in the car before 6:00.  Because my flight got in after the expo closed on Friday night I knew I would have to pick up my bib at the information tent at the race start.  I had to be sure I brought my license with me or else I wouldn’t be able to pick up my bib.  So when I arrived, I got a great parking spot and walked right over to the information booth and signed a waiver and picked up my bib.  Then I looked around to connect with my other racing buddies.  I spotted the Mickey Milers and their amazing costumes, said hello to them and then found Diana, Christina and Diana’s daughter Kenzie.  This was going to be Kenzie’s first 5K.

Since this was Diana’s first race with her daughter and they were in corral C I told them I’d stick with the Mickey Milers and hang back in corral D.  She wasn’t sure how long it would take them to get through the race and they were planning on stopping for every picture.

I went to my corral and reunited with the Mickey Milers.  The team was easy to find with Bill Taylor’s “Elf” costume!  Everyone was so creative with their costumes.  I went with my low key approach but should consider stepping it up next time if I decide to do that race again.  I also ran into Mike Rahlmann and his family in my corral so we got a picture together of course!  I always try to grab a picture with Mike when we see each other at our races.

The race started at 7:00 and we passed the start line at 7:10.  The first section of the race went around the outside edge of the Animal Kingdom parking lot and then we entered in through the front gate.  From there we walked towards the Tree of Life, towards Everest and then back stage before we went back to the finish line.

There were several character stops along the course and I was happy with the amount that was out there for the 5K.  There was Rafiki, Timon, Chip and Dale, Donald and Goofy, Pluto, and a few others that I didn’t snag pictures of.

It was a very very warm and humid morning so I am glad we took it slow and walked this race.  If this was any indication of how the rest of the race weekend was going to be, we were going to be up against some dangerous heat and humidity for the half marathon.  I was sure to drink a lot of water after the race so that I would be hydrated for the rest of the day.   I finished the race in a little over and hour which was perfect.  We were done by 8:15 and I had time to go back to my hotel to shower for our 10:40 Mickey Milers breakfast reservation at Kona at the Polynesian Village Resort.

I was also glad to see that starting in the last corral and walking the entire race I finished in a little over and hour and there are no sweepers at that race.  My mom is participating in her first runDisney 5K during marathon weekend and had been worried about not finishing the race in time.  There will be plenty of time to enjoy the 5K course through Epcot and even take pictures.  This race was a good way for me to estimate the pace and timing for our January race.

I really enjoyed this race and would consider doing it again.  The downside to it is that you have to wake up early for the 5K race on the same day that you will be starting the half marathon at 10:00 that same night.  If you are good about going back to your room and taking a nap then that works out great.  But like me, I enjoy the social events that take place during the short trips that I have there so I generally don’t take the time to go back to my room and rest, let alone nap.  So I ended up staying up for 24 hours straight.  But again, it’s fun, I see my friends, have a great time and I’m at Disney so sleep isn’t necessary right?!