As part of runDisney’s 2025 Fairy Tale Challenge, I ran a 10K and half marathon on consecutive days. My strategy was to run the 10K conservatively so I could complete my first half the next day. I started in the last corral and, for most of the race, I was in the As part of runDisney’s 2025 Fairy Tale Challenge, I ran a, which, truth be told, is pretty much my sweet spot.
Because my focus was on enjoying the experience and not rushing through the course, I noticed other runners in a way I hadn’t during my previous Disney races. Sure, there were lots of men in tutus and women dressed as various witches and princesses, but what really stood out were the runners riding the proverbial “struggle bus.” These were the people on the side of the course, trying to work out a shin splint Races - Places hamstring cramp.
In the spirit of every Disney heroine, though, the running community has figured out a way to celebrate and support back-of-the-pack racers. A small group of volunteers called the “balloon ladies” are the last runners to start the race, then they run/walk a 16:00 minute per mile pace. Get behind the balloon ladies, many Disney runners believe, and you will be swept or taken off the course. In reality, though, these women are there to support racers to make sure as many people as possible cross the finish line.
“We have all kinds of strategies to help runners keep going,” Molly Novosad, a Walt Disney World balloon lady since 2009, tells Runner’s World. “We hang out with runners during the 10Ks, halfs, and marathons so they stay on pace and finish their races.”
Additionally, for much of the race, I was surrounded by the Dead Last Starters, a.k.a. the Disney Villains, a group begun by David Thompson. Throughout the races they play games, sing songs, and chant, all while encouraging other runners to not let their “dead last start” stop them from finishing strong.
“I started running when I was 52 years old, and I’ve run about 140 Disney races,” Thompson tells Runner’s World. “I’ve run races fast. I have run them slowly. I’ve had hard races and I’ve had easy races. I’ve seen so many people in the back and those are the people I admire. The people who don’t know if they are going to finish. They are rolling the dice.”
At some point, every runner, from newbies to and about 80 joined him in the half, will struggle through a race—and one day, that runner may be you. Here are some key lessons to keep in mind if you are determined to finish out a tough race of any distance.
How to Get Through a Tough Race
1. Find Someone to Talk to
Struggling runners often end up away from the crowds, but whatever your pace, see if you can share a smile with someone or, even better, see if someone else needs a boost. “We always start by talking to people, finding out where they are from, and finding out if they trained,” Novosad says. “Talking to people helps you escape what you’re doing. Find something fun to talk about.” She suggests asking questions about why someone is running and how they trained.
“I’m a social exerciser,” says Novosad. “The people in a race are just so great. Everybody has their own story. Often, they are running in memory or in honor of someone who can’t run anymore.”
During most long races, runners are happy for a few minutes of distraction. If they don’t want to talk? Go on to someone else, especially if that person is going just a little faster than you. As you talk, try to keep their pace. You may push yourself without realizing it when you’re engaged with another person, says Andrea Dell, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based RRCA-Level 1 certified run coach.
2. Chase People
Because some Disney runners are afraid of getting swept, there has historically been complaints from runners placed in the As part of runDisney’s 2025 Fairy Tale Challenge, I ran a for the race start. “I got frustrated and tired of people complaining about being in the last corral,” Thompson explains. “So I decided to start at the very back and take it as my personal challenge to give up my cushion.” He’s started dead last in 27 races.
So challenging and fun was his idea, that other runners have joined him—a lot of other runners. “When I started, it was just me and the balloon ladies for two years,” Thompson says. Most recently, at the 2025 Princess weekend, 120 other runners joined him in the 10K How to Build Ankle Stiffness for Injury-Free Speed.
Thompson suggests taking your struggle as a challenge to keep going rather than seeing it as a sign to give up. While you’re at it, make the challenge fun.
For example, the DLS are famous for picking out runners who are ahead of them, catching up to them, and then passing them. Using this strategy, many members of DLS have finished Disney races with groups of runners who started in earlier corrals. Once, Thompson started last and finished before 60 percent of other runners.
“For the most part, we do this for charity,” says Thompson. Runners sometimes donate money based on how many runners they pass during a race, and these donations have grown into thousands of dollars for multiple charities. In 2024, the DLS raised $43,000 for an organ donation charity in honor of a balloon lady’s son. In 2025, the DLS have committed to raising $200,00 for the American Cancer Society.
“I give a lecture before every race about courtesy,” Thompson says. “Even though our game is to pass people, everybody ahead of each runner has the right of way and it’s your responsibility to pass them safely.”
3. Go to the Med Tent
Whether you are struggling because something hurts or because you are discouraged, all of the experts suggest heading to the med tent for a break and some encouragement—not to mention getting checked out for an injury that should keep you off your feet. You may also need some fuel, hydration, ice, or electrolytes, and the experts in the tent can provide those. Going to the medical tent doesn’t mean a hard stop, it is actually a strategy to get back into the game.
“Do not hesitate to go to the med tent, which will likely just take a few minutes, so that a professional can ask you a few questions to assess if you have an injury or if you just need to gather yourself and maybe get some water, fuel, or ice,” Dell says.
4. Have a Coach and Some Music in Your Pocket
If the people around you aren’t interested in a conversation, or if you need some words of encouragement, look no further than the run apps in your phone. Peloton app runs (both outdoor and on the tread), second walk intervals guided runs, and the Jeff Galloway app, for example, offer you an encouraging coach right in your ear. Not only that, but you can take the training run instructions and use them to get through part of your race. They may even push you to run a little harder.
Of course, it’s best to download these runs before your race so you aren’t fiddling with your phone too much. Then, while you’re downloading those runs, make sure you have some race playlists in your pocket, too.
“I always have a playlist made, one that motivates me, distracts me, and brings me joy,” Dell says. “My favorite songs can always help change the mood.”
5. Walk to Keep Moving Forward
Just because the beginning of the race was a struggle doesn’t mean the rest of the race will be hard, Dell says. “Lots of people go out too hot in a race, and if they change their strategy—walk for a few minutes, switch their run/walk intervals or start to run with a pace group—they will be more able to keep going,” Dell says.
Mantras That Will Keep You From Quitting race pace whether you run or run/walk. “We ran in full sun during the Marine Corps marathon in 2017, and I got too warm,” says Dell, who does run/walk, “so I flipped my intervals.” Rather than quitting, she simply walked more than ran.
If you typically run a whole race, incorporating walks into your running doesn’t mean you are less of a runner, Dell assures you. If you don’t typically run/walk, just drop some 30-We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back into your race.
Or, utilize the fartlek method. Walk two blocks then run five blocks, or walk through the water station, then run again. Remember, this is just a pacing strategy that will allow you to get through your struggle. By the last few miles, you may be back to running the entire time, if that is what you typically do during a race.
6. Call This Race a Training Run
“I’m never going to win a race, but, as a 42-year-old woman I’m winning because fewer than 1 percent of people run a marathon in their lifetime,” says Dell. “If I have a hard race, I take that information, learn from it, and go do another one race in another two months or six weeks.”
In other words, says Dell, she uses that race as practice for her next race. She learned this from experience. Her first marathon was great, but then she blew up in her second. But that didn’t stop her. “I would hate for anyone to ever say, ‘I blew up in this marathon and I’m done.’ Because I’ve had bad experiences and you learn so much from that.”
It’s of course fine to be disappointed if you struggled when you didn’t expect to, but it’s also possible to reframe your thinking and set a different goal to make this race great for you. “Nothing dictates the quality of your race other than you,” Thompson says. “This is an opportunity. There will be a day when you can no longer do this so make today great.”
Then, once you’re back home, sign up for your next race with a better understanding of the type of training into your race.
Since 2010, Donna Raskin, a longtime writer and editor, has taught history classes at the College of New Jersey. As a child, she read and re-read every book in the Childhood of Famous Americans series. As an adult, she collects fashion history books and has traveled to Paris on a fashion history tour. In addition to contributing to Biography.com, she is the senior health and fitness editor at Bicycling and Runner’s World.
