Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon

You are totally in my head with this one. Dark side has been inside of tax season before... and light side is impossible. This was the one year chance for anyone who enjoys the 80 hour tax weeks and no life through April 15. Im just hoping it will keep my motivated, because its hard to find time to run when life is work full speed and crash hard.


When I went out for my 8 mile run last Saturday, I thought to myself, "8 miles aren't going to run themselves and tax returns aren't going to prepare themselves either. Such is the price to pay for running a half days after the deadline." After using 2016 as a mock training run to see just what training for a race in tax season and running one days after the deadline and then spending 2017 in training for the real thing, I was looking forward to a training free tax season. Until I convinced myself that I don't know when future Dark Side weekends will take place as they could fall before or on the deadline itself. So here I am training again. For Star Wars races, I will do it.
 
I get what you're saying, but it may be that the number of additional medals they need to order is substantially greater than demand. For instance, if the manufacturer requires that they order 5,000 to get the price point they're used to and they only need 500 to meet demand.

When they announced the virtual half, they were very clear that the virtual race could sell out and not be offered at any moment. My guess is that they got enough registrations to cover available supply and it's too cost prohibitive to order more.

I would think Disney has some serious buying power, that to add an extra 250 medals, the vendor would be all about it.. I am sure they use multiple vendors and I am sure they also buying other items like pins form that very same vendor..
 
So if I'm doing the Kessel Run Challenge, is it confirmed I get both my virtual medal AND the Kessel Run Challenge medal at the Expo in April? Or do I get my virtual medal at the Expo and the Challenge medal after the Dark Side Half Marathon?
 
So if I'm doing the Kessel Run Challenge, is it confirmed I get both my virtual medal AND the Kessel Run Challenge medal at the Expo in April? Or do I get my virtual medal at the Expo and the Challenge medal after the Dark Side Half Marathon?

I think I remember reading you get the virtual medal at the expo and the Challenge medal in the post race medal area after the Half.
 


It's definitely virtual medal at the Expo and Kessel Run medal after finishing the Half. While there are many reports of swept runners receiving medals after being swept, the website makes it very clear that challenge medals, including multi race challenges or the former coast to coast and current castle to chateau, are awarded only after finishing both required races.

In other words, if a runner was swept from Light Side 2016/2017 and finished Dark Side 2016/17 they may have both the Light Side Half and Dark Side Half medals from those years, but they would not have the Kessel Run medal because being not finishing one race meant not being able to finish the Challenge. Likewise, a runner could finish the 10K, be swept from the half and still receive both the 10K and Half medals, but not the challenge medal.

This year they have been clear that a Kessel Run registered runner must finish the Dark Side Half according to the rules outlined by runDisney to receive the Kessel Run medal. If a Kessel run registered runner does not finish the Dark Side Half, the same runner will not receive the Kessel Run medal.
 
Has anyone else submitted their times for the virtual half yet? I completed mine this morning and submitted it, but it seemed extremely light on how they'd tie me to my official RunDisney registration. I only had to enter my name, DOB and time.
 
Has anyone else submitted their times for the virtual half yet? I completed mine this morning and submitted it, but it seemed extremely light on how they'd tie me to my official RunDisney registration. I only had to enter my name, DOB and time.

The tie-in should be on your order history on Active. Mine shows Virtual Half Kessel Run. I’m don’t remember anything linking the two when I entered my time, just the ability to print a finishers certificate.
 


Has anyone else submitted their times for the virtual half yet? I completed mine this morning and submitted it, but it seemed extremely light on how they'd tie me to my official RunDisney registration. I only had to enter my name, DOB and time.
Exactly what's said above, submitting your time has nothing to do with getting your medal. You don't have to submit at all and you'll still get the medal.
 
Exactly what's said above, submitting your time has nothing to do with getting your medal. You don't have to submit at all and you'll still get the medal.


I didn't realize that. I was just primarily concerned with getting my Kessel Run medal at the end of the weekend!
 
I didn't realize that. I was just primarily concerned with getting my Kessel Run medal at the end of the weekend!

I looked mine up on Active after posting and it appears when you've finished a race (or entered time for a virtual race) that race "greys" out. If you've not done the races, like the upcoming Dark Side stuff, it is still "blue" or clickable. I'm making an assumption here but I think you HAVE to input a time before March 31 for the Virtual Half in order to receive the Kessel Run. This virtual/Kessel thing is a first as far as I know so anything is possible though!
 
I didn't realize that. I was just primarily concerned with getting my Kessel Run medal at the end of the weekend!
Just make sure you finish the Dark Side Half and you should be fine.

I looked mine up on Active after posting and it appears when you've finished a race (or entered time for a virtual race) that race "greys" out. If you've not done the races, like the upcoming Dark Side stuff, it is still "blue" or clickable. I'm making an assumption here but I think you HAVE to input a time before March 31 for the Virtual Half in order to receive the Kessel Run. This virtual/Kessel thing is a first as far as I know so anything is possible though!
I believe that's just to give people the option to print a finisher's certificate if they want to. There is nothing that says you must input your time.

From the virtual half portion of the runDisney website.

Important Information for runDisney Kessel Run Challenge:

In order to participate in the runDisney Kessel Run Challenge, runners must be registered for the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon or Star Wars First Order Challenge PLUS the runDisney Kessel Run Challenge.

The Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon and Star Wars First Order Challenge are subject to eligibility requirements and capacity limits. runDisney Kessel Run Challenge participants must complete the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon within the pacing requirements in order to receive their Kessel Run Challenge medal.

All the language about finishing there pertains to Dark Side Half and the First Order Challenge.
 

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