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

A B O U T   >

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.

C O N T A C T   >

Always available via
burkelauderdale@gmail.com

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