runningUniversal Part 2: 10k Race Recap

Race morning came cold and early! The race was scheduled to start at 6:15 am so we got to sleep in a bit compared to a runDisney weekend. That was really nice. The temperature was in the mid 40s which is great for running but not so great for waiting around in the corrals. Will and I both had to tweak our running costumes at the last minute for some extra layers. We stayed at one of the Universal onsite resorts and they provided transportation. Unlike Disney, the bus drivers were the regular drivers so they all knew exactly where to go. Plus, there's a lot less to get lost in at Universal.

 The race start was over by the Volcano Bay parking entrance so once we got dropped off at the normal resort drop off location, we headed back into the giant parking garage. They had plenty of staff members to direct runners. The security was set up in the parking garage for us and included medal detectors. It's definitely something to keep in mind when planning your costumes for future Universal races. They had a ton of port-a-potties immediately after security but none further down by the corrals. And that was about it.... No prerace characters and no prerace water available.

There were four corrals-elites/wheel chairs, A (sub 60 min 10k POT) plus B and C which were self seeded. The corrals were on one side of the parking toll booths and the start line and prerace announcers were on the other side. So it was really hard to see what prerace things they did have going on. The announcers tried to get us all excited but it was really cold and none of us were really having it. The did have King Julien from Madagascar up on the stage with the announcers but again, he was really hard to see. I don't think I saw anyone in corral C and we definitely didn't need to get there as early as we would for a runDisney race. This race was just not that big and there wasn't that much time between the first runner starting and the last runner starting.

I did have some huge issues with the corals. They were letting people in corral A without A stickers on their bibs. If you are going to do POT corrals, you absolutely cannot do this! I'm not sure what was going on but the people checking bibs at the corral entrance need to do a better job. Also, there was a couple with a jogging stroller and infant in corral A despite strollers being specifically prohibited in the race rules. This kind of race is not a good one for strollers and them allowing strollers would definitely make me less inclined to run this race again. Hopefully, this will all get cleared up for next year. The race ended up being pretty spacious since there was a pretty small field but this kind of thing will become a huge issue as this race becomes more popular.

Will and I were running this race with Gerald from RezRuns over on youtube. We decided to run the first mile or two and then start doing intervals so I could keep up with the boys. Plus it was cold and we all wanted to get moving and warm up. The first 3/4 of a mile or so are on highway so there was a lot of space but it was pretty dark. It was a bit difficult to keep an eye out for tripping hazards in this section. Then we headed back stage of Islands of Adventure back behind Hulk and the Marvel Super Hero area. There were a lot of tripping hazards in the back stage areas-grates, cracks in the pavement, speed bumps, etc. They did have some marked out by cones but it's definitely an area to be careful. We hit our first water stop right before heading into the park at Toon Lagoon.

Right inside Toon Lagoon, we passed our first in park bathrooms as well as the first character stop, Betty Boop. They did have a photographer as well as a team member who would take a photo with your phone. The character lines were generally quite short which was really nice! We then headed out passed the Marvel area. I was hoping they would have some Marvel characters out but no such luck! Will and Gerald were Winter Soldier and Captain America, respectively. The course went out the front of Islands of Adventure and we looped around City Walk. There was a great photo op in front of the Universal Studios ball.

Then we did a short jaunt backstage before coming out in Seuss Landing. There was another water stop and some Whos out taking photos. About this time, I was nice and warm and ready to start intervals. It was still dark out and so pretty to be in the parks with them all lit up. Over in the Lost Continent, we stopped for our first character stop Puss in Boots and his girlfriend kitty (It's been forever since I've seen that movie and I can't remember her name.). Then we were into Hogsmeade.

It was so beautiful!!! I've never seen that area so empty either. I know a lot of people run theme park races for character photos but I do them to be in the parks when they are all lit up and beautiful. Loved it! They did have some team members out in Hogwarts robes but no photo ops. Next was Jurassic Park. There's a lot of construction going on in this section right now so while there was still plenty of room to maneuver, it was not the most exciting part of the course.

Then the course headed back stage again past Skull Island. We hit mile 3 backstage as well as another water stop and some DJs. We did get to run under the Hogwarts Express track which was really cool! I had no idea how it actually worked but it's up on an elevated track with the ground level road underneath it. So if you want your train photo, grab it with the dummy engine in Hogsmeade. At mile four we headed back into the park by the San Francisco area before popping backstage again.

Then we snuck in a back way to Diagon Alley. It was so cool to run through there! A lot of the shop doors were open and the team members were setting up for the day. That section of the park is just so immersive because you literally can't see anything outside of that area while you are in there! We ran out past the bar and I was hoping we could grab a hot Butterbeer but no such luck! It wasn't open yet!

The next stretch was backstage again. We looped around behind the Men in Black ride and then popped in right next to it. We did a bit of zig zaging past the false front of Diagon Alley to make up a bit more milage. It took us right past the Knight Bus. The driver and talking head were out if you wanted a selfie. Then we headed back around the lake. The fountains were on so it was really pretty along this stretch. Then we had a few more character stops-the Simpsons (which we decided to skip), Winnie Woodpecker, and the big Transformer (one of the good guys I think).

Mardi Gras had started the night before so there were some Mardi Gras performers out for photos as well. I felt so bad for those poor girls! The costumes looked absolutely freezing! I hope they got plenty of breaks and hot coffee. Lastly, we ran out past New York to finish backstage behind the Blue Man Group building. The finish line was not crowded at all and they did have a few photographers here. They were also videoing the finish and showing it on a big screen. It didn't look like there was a lot of spectator area and there wasn't really anyone there cheering. It was really chilly and I think you had to buy the spectator pass to watch at the finish line so I wasn't surprised to see very few spectators. (Gerald had a friend buy the spectator pass and the verdict was unless it's your very first race or something else super special, let your support crew nap at your resort instead and save yourself some $$).

Time: 1:29:24

Distance: 6.2 miles

Pace 14:28

They had Blue the velociraptor right next to the finish line. His photo line was the longest of the whole race. It probably was about a 30 minute wait. But we all got really cold as soon as we stopped running so we moved on to the water, bananas and snack boxes. I was pretty happy with the snack boxes. We got Go-Go Squeeze apple sauce (of course! lol), pretzels, a granola bar and trail mix. Plenty of options for after a 10k. Then the Minions were out and had a much shorter line so we waited for a post race photo with them. So the finish line atmosphere was not as exciting as I would have liked but I think a lot of that had to do with the weather and the lack of spectators.

I did get to meet up with a running friend Audrey and also ran into two of my local running friends after the race. We did not end up staying very long after we finished. I needed a hot shower and then some breakfast!

Given how the expo and corrals went, I was super nervous about this race but I ended up having an amazing time! The course itself was so great! So much of the course was in park. I loved it! There was minimal highway stretches and the backstage portions were intermixed with park time so there was always something really cool to see. We ended up with about a 14:30 pace which included character stops, plenty of walking and stops for Gerald to film. There was so much space on course that it never felt congested. This course could definitely handle more people in the future. There is very little about the actual race that I would change. Way to go, Universal!

The medals were a really cool spinner. The ribbon was really pretty with a different design on each side. Size wise, they were a bit smaller than a standard runDisney 10k medal but still had a good weight to them. The design was really detailed and the characters look nice. I love having it hanging on my wall!

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runningUniversal Part 1: Expo
runningUniversal Part 2: 10k-You are here.
runningUniversal Part 3: My Quick Thoughts