Feelin’ kinda
Dopey.

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48.6 miles of pain awaits at the most magical place on earth

Within the whimsical tapestry of Walt Disney World, where fairy tales come to life, there exists a challenge that will absolutely punish you and your body to a level you’ve never known. And when I found out about it — I had to do it. 

It’s called the Dopey Challenge. And it’s four consecutive days of racing through the enchanting landscapes of all four parks, for a mind-and-body-numbing total of 48.6 miles.

The mornings start early and this is the schedule of festivities. 

• Thursday — 5k / 3.1 miles 
• Friday — 10K / 6.2 miles 
• Saturday — Half Marathon / 13.1 miles 
• Sunday — Full Marathon / 26.2 miles

As I first read about this audacious endeavor, I couldn't help but think: back-to-back-to-back-to-back races in the happiest place on Earth?

Absurd, yet intriguing.

The decision to embark on this odyssey set up shop in my mind and lived rent free until I committed. It was a challenge of not just the physical but also the mental.

Training became my companion in the frosty New York winter. And I found myself on the frozen sidewalks — eerily quiet and solitude for housing 8.5 million people — as mile after mile faded into the background. The weekend runs were built around consecutive long runs, a prelude to the punishment awaiting me in Disney World.

Thankfully, Hal Higdon outlines a wise plan for approaching the Dopey, helping me stack large runs on top of each other.

And just when I thought the 18 weeks of training would never end, it was time to race.

The Dopey Challenge, Disney World, Florida

THE DOPEY CHALLENGE > RACE ONE > 5K / 3.1 MILES

Blasting through EPCOT

The 5K, a mere warm-up, unfolded under the darkness of night. The sun wasn’t even awake yet and there I was racing through literal darkness.

The undulating bricks and tree-root lined roads of backstage EPCOT revealed themselves as quickly as I could lunge forward at a 6-minute per mile pace.

RESULT: 19:33

THE DOPEY CHALLENGE > RACE TWO > 10K / 6.2 MILES

Hello darkness, my old friend

The next morning, the 10K beckoned with misty fairy-tale landscapes and mischievous Disney characters joining for bits of the run.

I was back to the hotel before sunrise, with disorientation becoming part of the experience.

RESULT: 43:17

THE DOPEY CHALLENGE > RACE THREE > HALF MARATHON / 13.1 MILES

The halfway point felt a lot farther than half way

Half way met me with the gift of a half marathon.

I was feeling better than I thought I should, so I picked up the pace. Maybe it was the enchantment of Disney fueling my determination to PR in each of the races. And so far, I was tracking right on time. 

RESULT: 1:41:47

THE DOPEY CHALLENGE > RACE FOUR > MARATHON / 26.2 MILES

Empty the tank

After locking up three of the four events, the crescendo awaited — the full marathon, a 26.2-mile spectacle weaving through all four theme parks.

I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t harder to wake up and get to the shuttle bus than it was to run the 26.2 miles.

My body was creaky and I had a blister the size of Texas from a wet sock during the half. 

Thankfully, I was able to suit up and make it to the corrals.

During the race, I was moving at a pretty good clip, but nothing tasted better than the banana I had around mile 20.

The finish line marked a triumph of both stamina and the enchanting spirit of Disney.

Yet, what I found is that the Dopey Challenge is more than the sum of its miles.

It’s a test of yourself.

It’s a test of what you will do when your literal body doesn’t want to move anymore.

Can you over power it? Can you push yourself to a place you’ve never been?

And at the same time, it's also a pursuit of a woman dressed as Cinderella when you’re already giving it your all.

RESULT: 3:29:39

ABOUT

Burke Lauderdale is a freelance Creative Director, Art Director who believes that without grit there are no pearls.

He hangs his hat in Austin, Texas and works anywhere planes fly.

CONTACT

Always available via burkelauderdale@gmail.com