Castaway Cay 5K

A lush tropical paradise, Castaway Cay conjures thoughts of hammocks, ocean breezes, fruity beverages and running along stretches of deserted airstrip.

Wait, what?

Well, for some of us anyway! After spending the beginning of the cruise lapping the admittedly beautiful views on deck four, a stop at Castaway Cay allows runners (and walkers as well) the chance to ignore the siren call of the ocean in the interest of lacing up sneakers and hitting the ground running, so to speak.

Since my first cruise, back in 2010, Disney improved and altered the 5K. So here's the latest scoop on how to join in on the Castaway Cay 5K.

The evening before docking at Castaway Cay, I check in my personal navigator for the meeting time and location for the 5K. Set out my running attire, ear buds, SPIbelt, sunscreen and anything else I need to run. Arrange for a wake up call or set an alarm on my phone or both. Set out and pack my beach bag for the day and try to drink plenty of water the whole day before the race.

Since my family involves many predawn risers, we enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Topsiders, Beach Blanket Buffet or Cabanas so that we can enjoy watching the ship dock. After breakfast, all runners (currently the age limit is 12 and up, but this changes from time to time) reported to the designated lounge (Rockin' Bar D, in our case) at 8:30 to sign in, receive a bib and then follow the cast members off the ship. As we leave the ship, have your Key to the World card at the ready. While following along down the walkways to the start of the race at Pelican Point, you pass right by Scuttle's Cove and anyone with children in the Oceaneer club or lab can take this opportunity to drop off your child for the duration of the race.

At the starting marker next to a large digital display clock, the coordinating cast member told us about the route, the water stops and the timing of the race. There is a large empty crate for people who wish to leave a beach bag, but they stress that it is unsupervised and unsecured. Without further ado, they started the clock and began running along after a cast member who biked ahead of the group up to the first turn. The heat and humidity in the Bahamas do not lend themselves to the best conditions for a  PR (personal record for you non-runners) and this definitely falls safely in the category of fun run with many walkers on our cruise as well.



Turn around point!

The out and back course, now clearly marked, starts right next to "Buy the Seashore" head out along the abandoned airstrip, loops through the bike path past the observation tower, back out onto the airstrip all the way out to the abandoned airplane at Serenity Bay and then all the way back again. The heat and humidity can dehydrate me quickly, but large crates provide water stops evenly all along the course. They run the clock up to an hour after the start of the race. On crossing the finish line, I take note of my own time (this is not a chipped event and they do not keep track of timing).

Castaway Cay 5K T-shirts and medals

After receiving my Mickey "Winner" Medal, I stop by the aforementioned "Buy the Seashore" and purchased the Castaway Cay 5K shirt ($21.95 last spring). I wish they sold a pin as well. After changing into my swimsuit and showering off quickly at the restrooms, we're off to find some hammocks, splash in the ocean and enjoy the rest of our day at Castaway Cay.

This event is currently included and for participating you receive a runDisney Castaway Cay 5K Bib and a Disney Cruise Line Mickey Medal that is the same medal used for winners of various events over the course of the cruise.

Have you had the opportunity to participate in the Castaway Cay 5K?