Another Milestone for runDisney

May 30, 2012
By

 

It seems runDisney enthusiasts are always anticipating and speculating about the next new must-do Disney endurance event.  2012 brought the Inaugural  Tinker Bell Half Marathon, and the fast approaching Twilight Tower of Terror-themed race revival:  The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend.  While the adrenaline is pumping for those “firsts”, now is the time to celebrate the past with the upcoming 20th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.  It is hard to envision, but the Disney Endurance Series (the precursor to runDisney) sprang to life in 1994 with a mere 8,200 runners for its inaugural marathon.  (And even more astounding, was organized before Disney owned its own sports marketing franchise.)   What began as an effort to increase attendance at the Orlando park during the slowest weekend of the year has catapulted into a yearlong calendar of signature events, run at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, that appeal to both every age and training ability.  It is no wonder that The Walt Disney Company is showing considerable pride and care in planning this remarkable birthday party.

The 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is scheduled from January 10th to January 13th, and will include:

  • 26.2 mile Marathon on Sunday
  • 13.1 Half Marathon on Saturday
  • Family Fun Run 5K (3.1 miles) on Friday
  • Kids Races (age appropriate dashes open to children 13 and under) are scheduled for Thursday afternoon and Friday and Saturday mornings.
  • Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge- running the Half and full Marathons back-to-back; a whopping 39.3 miles!
  • Pasta in the Park Party held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights
  • Health and Fitness Expo held Thursday through Saturday at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
The headline event, the Walt Disney World Marathon, will again offer fireworks, trademark Disney Character entertainment, and a course that traverses all 4 Theme Parks with two distinct surprises.
Runners will lap the Walt Disney World SPEEDWAY and Champion Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports! Judging by the enthusiastic feedback from Disneyland Half Marathoners who sprinted through Angel Stadium in Anaheim, running through the spring training ballpark of the Atlanta Braves should be an absolute home run.  After leaving the stadium, runners will begin the “Mile 20 surprise spectacular”, and receive their newly designed Commemorative 20th Anniversary Mickey Mouse finisher medal on the grounds of Epcot.  Add in a new post-race party on Sunday evening at Downtown Disney Westside, and it is no wonder that runDisney expects to close this race at 20,000 participants- their biggest race yet…
Would you like to become a part of Disney history?  Whether you are an elite runner looking for a PR in the Goofy, or a complete novice looking to walk your first 5K, there is a specific training program available to you via Jeff Galloway, runDisney’s Training Consultant.  Check back here regularly for a program made for you.  The only thing left is to ask:  How will you top this, runDisney?!
If you would like to read more about runDisney, visit my blog at DIStherapy, or follow me @DIStherapy, on Facebook or Pinterest.

 

Share

DMCA.com

Other Articles You May Like:

  1. Tempted by the Bling: the first steps in finishing a runDisney event Tweet After seeing the medals from running races at Walt Disney World, the thought of having your own bling is very tempting.  The medals are so bright and shiny.  And that one with a Princess crown would be so gorgeous hanging on the wall.  There is only one problem with this scenario…you have never run a race...
  2. The runDisney Obsession Tweet   I have finally committed to participating in the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February 2012. Yes, that is 13.1 miles, or about two and a half hours of continuous running. Even as I type this, I am intimidated to the point of nausea. I have run this distance before and I won’t lie, it is...
  3. Achieving Success at a 5K runDisney Event Tweet Often a runDisney 5K event tempts individuals into lacing up the sneakers for the first time for a fantastical 3.1 mile journey in the parks.  It is awesome that a Disney sponsored event can influence people to try something new and maybe even scary.  What is even better is that training for the race helps people get off the...
  4. The New Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend to Debut in Disneyland Tweet After much anticipation and speculation, runDisney announced a new race weekend to debut in Disneyland January 27-29, 2012.  The Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend will feature the Tinker Bell Half Marathon, Half Marathon 2 Person Team event, Never Land Family Fun Run 5K and Disney Kids’ Races.  With the Half Marathon focusing on women, Disneyland...
  5. Essential Baggage During a runDisney Event Tweet During my first Walt Disney World Full Marathon in 2009, someone may have mistaken me for a pack mule.  I had about everything a runner could have possibly needed hanging on me (no kitchen sink, thankfully).  When planning for the event, I continuously thought of one more item that would make the race more...

Tags: , , ,

This entry was posted on May 30, 2012 at 8:00 AM and is filed under Columns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

2 Responses to Another Milestone for runDisney

  1. Kathleen Kelly on May 30, 2012 at 8:20 AM

    Whew! I’m getting tired just looking at that course!!

    Reply
  2. DIStherapy on May 30, 2012 at 8:26 PM

    Not to worry Kathy- the 5K or Half Marathons are a good primer!! ;)

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *




Tools