Disney Marathon 2016 (Pre-Race)

Any marathoner will tell you the block of time pre-race, in the lead-up waiting for that starting gun, can sometimes feel like an interminable stretch of anxiety.

All the self-doubts, the questioning about the long road of training that brought you here, the apprehension of what's to come in the next 26.2 miles, they all congeal and make for an introspective period that can test the nerves.

Not so at Disney.

Here, you can't wait to get the run underway because you know there's a lifetime of memories awaiting you on the roads ahead, and you're already trying to predict which characters you're going to encounter and mug up with in the hours ahead.  Like Hercules, somehow, it doesn't feel as daunting to Go the Distance in this particular race.

But first, you've got to undergo a running rite of passage, waiting in line at the porta-potties.  Of which there are a magic kingdom full in the parking lot of EPCOT. 

And yeah, harlequins on stilts.  They get an even higher five. 

Waiting in the queue, with thousands behind us, thousands in front of us.  We were packed in like the wildebeests of the Serengeti of the Lion King

The temps were on our side, heading toward some of the warmer numbers we'd reach during the entire Marathon weekend.

But right away, we knew we were in for some interesting weather - the humidity felt like it was about 100%, a condition that would come into play even in the first three miles - in fact, the stretch running in the darkness was probably the sweatiest of the entire day!  (Runners know what this might forecast for the run ahead.  Thankfully, Andrew and I were well armed with compact BodyGlides.)

We had a very special guest for our starting gun and starting line fireworks

Andrew just wanted to get the race underway

A father-son first - a full marathon, start to finish, side-by-side.  Sorta.  The lad could easily have dusted the elder, but chose to hang in to soak in the event together.

Iron Man and Captain America, assembled.

Finally, the vaunted starting line.

Let's get it started!