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A Cold Reception Awaits Disney Marathoners in Orlando, FL
By David Monti(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
Used with permission
New York (January 6)--The frigid weather gripping much of the United States has extended to central Florida, meaning that the 55,000 runners who have signed-up for the 17th Disney Marathon weekend (January 7-10) presented by CIGNA in Orlando, FL will be getting a cold reception.
"We're looking for a slight warm-up on Thursday out ahead of our next approaching cold front," weather forecaster Elizabeth Hart told her viewers on the Local 6 newscast on January 5. She added: "But guess what? Here comes our next blast of Arctic air. We'll be back in the basement Saturday and Sunday."
Weather forecaster Hart said that the high temperature would only hit 52°F (11°C) on Saturday for the race festival's half-marathon, before dipping down to the freezing mark in advance of Sunday's marathon. Sunday's high would be a little warmer (58°F/14°C), but since both events start at 5:40 am, it should be much colder when each race begins. The average high temperature for this time of year, according to Weather.com, is a pleasant 71°F (22°C).
The Disney Marathon weekend has grown into one of the largest race festivals in the United States. Last year's marathon had 14,940 finishers, while the half-marathon had 12,427 finishers (there is also a 5-K and children's races which make the festival even larger). Organizers reported that some 7,500 runners had signed up for the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge, in which runners do the half-marathon on Saturday, the full marathon on Sunday, and are scored on their combined time from both races. One hundred ninety-three of those runners will be doing their fifth consecutive Goofy Challenge.
Adriano Bastos will be chasing his sixth straight Disney Marathon men's title, and his seventh overall. The 31 year-old Brazilian, who finished 19th at last summer's IAAF World Championships marathon in Berlin with a personal best 2:15:39, got his first Disney victory in 2003. He next won in 2005, and has won every year since then, often by wide margins. Last year he clocked 2:20:38, beating second place Aaron Church of South Riding, VA by nearly seven minutes.
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