Run Walk Repeat

A Fun Life At All Paces

Princess Half Marathon: Starting Corrals and Race Bib- What’s In a Number Anyway?

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What is with this bib?  Revealed here….

Its that time before the next runDisney Princess Half when anxious princesses everywhere want to know what their bib number and starting corral will be.  This information is printed ON your race bib which is picked up at the Fit For A Princess Expo. Your bib number will be on your waiver.  Waivers are emailed out per runDisney approximately a month before the start of the race, but it looks like the website has been updated! Wonder no more princesses!.  So what’s the big whoop about this?   Well your Corral and Bib number tell you where in relation to other start groups AND what time you start the race.  The starting corrals are a RANGE of bib numbers.

You will be emailed when you WAIVER is ready to print out. Take your waiver to the Race Expo to pick up your Bib – FYI, your waiver shows your bib number.

Here are Starting Corrals are for the 2014 Half Marathon – looking at Bib numbers and times:

AND for the Glass Slipper Challenge:

From runDisney.com:

Each runner will be issued a bib number at Packet Pick-Up. It is the responsibility of the runner to wear the bib during the race. If a runner is seen without their bib number while running on the course, they will be removed from the course for security and safety reasons. Please remember to fill out the Emergency Medical Information on the back of the bib number.

The letter on your race number will determine your assigned corral. Letters are assigned based on your estimated finishing time.

No corral changes will be made at the expo.

Whatever number you estimated your finish time and proof submitted when you registered for the event, that is the time they use for your race start placement.  Run a faster time since then?  They will not look at it like they have in the past.

Why Corrals, really its for runner safety and keeps the race moving along.  All the runners are about your pace that you start out with – its not a free for all start, AND you don’t have to worry SO much about starting and stopping, going around others, etc.  ITS A GOOD THING.

The past 3 years I have done this race, this little piece of info the Bib Number and Corral Start can freak people.  Really this is when drama happens and things can get dicey on the Princess Social Media Groups. I don’t know if its a competitive nature of humans or what, but it always seems to happen.  The corrals are a RANGE of numbers to start with people with similar pace. If you are worried or starting to freak out, just Believe in Yourself and YOUR race!

REMEMBER: We all get a chip on the back of our bibs and our race starts when we go over the starting line….. no matter where you start!  

I think knowing this ahead of time is extremely useful info.  People want to know where they start to know if they are with friends, to have some extra time for photos, and to know what to expect about waiting for start time.   Some people decide what kind of race experience they want, if they are up further – do they want to run with people at the same pace, maybe have more time for photos, or do they need to hang back to share the experience with friends. Look, I have no idea how things are done or decided, but basically its all about the time you submit that you estimate you will finish – and back up with your proof of time.

I have run alone and with friends, ITS ALL GOOD.  My race recaps for past 4 years can attest!

Looks like I will be in Corral H – middle of the pack, but Atomic #1 and first on the peridic table of elements…..yeah its where the fun run happens!  I am ready for a bomb diggety time…whomp whomp.  If you in H too, come say Hi!  You will be able to find me as I am working on race attire next and will post some photos prior to race weekend.

So how are you feeling about Waivers, Bibs and Corrals?  I am getting excited, no matter where you start, there is Magic Every Mile.

Julie @RunWalkRepeat
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About Julie @RunWalkRepeat

Wife, Mom, Southerner, Former Cubicle Dweller, Sting Fanatic and Reluctant Runner. I got started on family a little later in life than most and run for my health. A fan of Food, Entertainment, Travel, Galloway Running and Disney, I like to find the fun in all things in life.

Comments

  1. j says

    I’m confused… do the Princess Marathon Corrals and the GSC Corrals start at the same time? Are both numbers running together?

  3. Kim Wanders says

    I have a question for you — I submitted my time but didn’t show any proof – just the name of a race and my time and I got put in corral G … I’m not sure what they mean/meant by showing proof of time (this is my first disney race) so my number is my number right? They’re not going to shove me to the last corral now bc I don’t show anything when I pick up my bib (or are they??)

    Thanks for this post, super helpful!

  4. Anonymous says

    I’ve never run a Disney race. My girlfriend wants me to join her and we are looking into finding a bib in the ‘H’ corral. Has anyone known someone who’s had luck buying someone else’s bib? I feel kind of funny about it because I didn’t have the ‘qualify’ Just wondering what the general consensus is on this.

  6. spiritedsoul says

    This is my first and I am in L … all I want is to come in in front of the Balloon ladies and have FUN!!

  7. spiritedsoul says

    This is my first and I am in L … all I want is to come in in front of the Balloon ladies and have FUN!!

  10. Anne says

    I’m in J :/ Hopefully this means less “Princessy” shoving in front of others to get 8 pictures going through the castle 😉

    In all the events I’ve run at Disney I have NEVER gotten a castle picture 😀

    Wow. That sounds way whinier than intended 🙂

    • Julie Franklin says

      Oh its all good…… I have never run through the castle and last year…it was a shuffle…but the castle photo line LOOKS long it moves…so treat yourself! 🙂

    • K. Ryan says

      I’m in J too! This is my first runDisney race, so I’m pretty excited/anxious. I’ve been wanting to do this since February 2010, and this is finally my year 😀

  11. Fairytales and Fitness says

    You are in the “H” Happy corral!
    I am fine with my corral placement and believe I am were I should be for the time I submitted but I am very frustrated for those people who have submitted the exact same time as me ( before the deadline even) and ended up being 4 ( or more) corrals behind me! I don’t know what Disney’s Method is, but if they are trying to be fair, then they need to be fair all around, not pick and choose! Okay I’m getting a little passionate here, sorry! Can’t wait to see your costumes Julie!

    • Julie Franklin says

      I do think if they screwed up with submitted time, they will make good on it….and yeah I would not be happy either, but just know I had to stop by at the Expo to chat and show them what I submitted to get it fixed. Who knows their method? They are human, so they do make mistakes, but they seem to take care of stuff like that…..they are good that way. BUT not on the phone or emails for now, you have to visit at the expo. Snowed in the last few days….I need to get to the store for my costume supplies LOL. Time is wasting away.

  12. Angie says

    I know some people are upset about lost submitted proof of times. I would be upset also, but going by what time they are submitting they are fast enough to finish the race even with stopping for pictures. I am in F, and I am pretty excited. This will be my first half marathon.

  13. Kristine Barnes says

    Thanks for this post! I am a pre-race “mess” and so being able to only have to wait for one corral in front of me, has always saved me from getting too crazy nervous! I am in F this year, and while it makes me a little nervous about how much of a “mess” I may become, I know that there are AMAZING people sharing the corral with me, and that makes it very exciting!! 🙂

    • Julie Franklin says

      I will say at Wine and Dine it went super smooth, and I didn’t feel like it was a long wait. I dropped back to H, I was in G for that smaller race. It will be fine…and so much excitment too. I have been in C, so while worried after the Wine and Dine, trust me its all good.

  14. Karen Orozco says

    I’m feeling pretty excited but bad for people who are having issues with their submitted times not being inputed. Definitely lots of drama and in some cases I can understand. I’m overjoyed about my “F” corral placement. I traveled over 100 miles to do one of my 10K’s and then shaved 4 minutes off a few months later. It’s important for me especially now because of the runner’s knee injury I’m nursing right now. I feel like even if I have to walk, I will get it done. AND, the corral placements just seem to make it all more REAL!

    • Julie Franklin says

      Yep they sure do! Oh and IF you show what you submitted and it is NOT in line with pacing, they WILL move you up at the Runners Relations Booth. They are good that way! But you HAVE to show this is what I sent in……. And yeah, the drama has started. I just go for fun, so if I can stop less for photos is all good, I have fun either way.