It seems to me that the size of the island changes if you are biking or doing the free run. I have biked the same path the Mii follows in the free run, and the distance traveled is farther on the bike. Has anyone else noticed this?

It's not just the distance that changes but some parts of the island itself. For instance, there is a fallen tree trunk bridge that you can run over but the bridge isn't there when for any of the cycling games. A great pity, that. The lighting is different, as well. When you run through the tunnel leading to the path to the castle, it is reasonably well-lit, but it is dark, almost too dark, when you go cycling through there.

[quote
It's not just the distance that changes but some parts of the island itself. For instance, there is a fallen tree trunk bridge that you can run over but the bridge isn't there when for any of the cycling games. A great pity, that. The lighting is different, as well. When you run through the tunnel leading to the path to the castle, it is reasonably well-lit, but it is dark, almost too dark, when you go cycling through there.[/quote]

I think the light difference is due to a different time of day. When I bike, I think it's sunrise (or possibly sunset), but running is full sunlight.

Oh no, the light in the tunnel when one runs really is different from that of when one cycles. There is much more light in the tunnel when you run in there. I suppose they wanted to make the cycling games challenging, but didn't want people to feel claustrophobic when they run.

Oh, and have you ever observed the Miis while on the free run? Some smile at you when you approach them, some turn and look at you if you are somewhere in the vicinity, and some just look straight ahead (no smiling or turning to look). Different instances of the same Mii do different things. I wonder if there is a pattern to it or if it is just random? Ah, the things you think about when you are jogging...