Disclosure: This post is sponsored by runDisney, however, all opinions are my own.
It had finally arrived, the final day of the runDisney Springtime Surprise Challenge: the Tower of Terror 10 Miler. I was able to run this race once back when it was at night many years ago, and it was SO much fun. I loved the distance, and was so pumped it was coming back for 2022. I was pretty exhausted after two races, lots of park time, and very little sleep, but that’s just how a runDisney race weekend goes, and I was ready for the grand finale.
The bus ride went smoothly and I made it to EPCOT. Spaceship Earth looked so beautiful as I walked by!
I made it to the starting line with time to spare, and even found some friends in my corral. Small world!
There was a lot of excitement in the air, and I couldn’t wait to get going on this all new race course.
The fireworks soon blasted, and I was off and running for the third time of the weekend. My plan for this race was to just keep moving and have fun. I didn’t plan to stand in a lot of lines but did stop to get some character selfies along the way!
Running through Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land was a lot of fun in the dark! I was smiling the whole time and enjoying the awesome scenery around me. I stopped and took some video footage of this storm trooper for my Star Wars obsessed husband!
Hey there, toys!
They had a great set up in front of the Toy Story Land entrance sign where you basically ran up, Photopass took a pic, and you just kept on going. It was SUPER quick and much appreciated! I was also happy to see the Tower of Terror looking beautiful, and they had a photographer set up on the sidewalk off to the side. Well done runDisney! (I was in line when I took the below photo.)
I made it out of the park and onto the road. The volunteers at the water stops were great and plentiful, as well as encouraging. There was a stop with some energy chews, which I realized a few minutes after I ate them were MUCH needed for a boost. I had not realized how quickly I was fading. My ONE request would be to space out the water stop after the energy chew station. They are one right after the other, and there was no way to finish the pack in time before you got to the water stop (even walking). But since the chews are sticky/thick, you definitely want something to wash them down with, so I was shoving them in my mouth like a squirrel eating them as fast as I could before the water station. Giving another tenth of a mile before the water stop would be super helpful here (but LOVED having the chews, so a huge thanks to runDisney there!)
It was starting to get daylight at this point, and I was getting closer and closer to EPCOT. As I approached the park, I saw Goofy with a not super long line, so I decided to hop into it. I also ran into a few other characters and took pics with them but in an effort to not make this post super duper long I am not posting them all! But I was pleased with the amount of character stops on the course.
I made it around the corner and could hear the announcers. Almost home! All the exhaustion, training, and hard work is all worth it as you come into that home stretch before you cross the finish line. There is nothing like the feeling of looking up at that big sign, hearing the crowd cheer, seeing the cameras, and knowing that YOU JUST DID THAT! I seriously get emotional every time. 5k or marathon, it doesn’t matter. Doing what percentage wise so few people will ever do, in my favorite place on earth, means so much to me and I will never take it for granted.
I grabbed my Tower of Terror medal and then continued on through the chute to get my CHALLENGE MEDAL! Yay! I was alone so of course stood in line to get my photo taken.
I DID IT! After hurting my back so badly and not knowing if I would ever run again, I am so thankful that I was able to run not one, but THREE races pain free. So much joy. So blessed.
I hopped a bus back to the hotel, showered, and then we headed to the breakfast buffet at Boma to celebrate. I think I deserved it!
runDisney weekends are tough, but also so rewarding and will always be my favorite. the runDisney Tower of Terror 10k and the Springtime Surprise were no exception. A huge shout out to runDisney for hosting me for the weekend so that I can share my experiences with all of you in hopes you, too will get to live out your dreams and run at Disney. I posted a TON of Instagram stories during the races, so if you want to check them out, there are in highlight bubbles on my profile labeled:
-runDisney2022
-runDisney 2022(2)
Related: runDisney Race for the Taste 10k Race Recap
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