Every Mile is Magical โจ Hello all and welcome back to a very magical blog post! In preparation for my Virtual Star Wars Rival Run 10K this past week, I was inspired to do a bit more research into the history of the runDisney division and wanted to share my knowledge of this segment of the Walt Disney Company!
So first off, what makes a runDisney event different than any other race? According to the runDisney website
A runDisney race is anything but ordinary. Here, you’ll move with magic through enchanted Disney parks the world over. Become part of adventures that could take you under the sea or off to a galaxy far, far away. And from Kids Races to a full marathon, Disney Characters, live entertainment and a commemorative Disney finisher medal all await.
So between the thrill of the race and the added magic of Disney, it is not a surprise that these races are super popular amongst Disney fans and runners all over the world! So letโs dive deeper into this as we learn more about runDisney!
History
Formerly known as the Disney Endurance Series, runDisney is a unit of the Disney Parks, Experience, and Products segment within the Walt Disney Company that specializes and hosts races at the Disney Theme Parks, more notably in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris (and formally at the Disneyland resort). This division held its first event in 1994 when they hosted the first-ever Walt Disney World Marathon, which is still held to this day and is its flagship race.
runDisney Events
One of the great things about runDisney is that they host a variety of different race weekends! From classic characters, Princesses, or even Star Wars there is a race out there for every Disney fan! Check out some of the races that runDisney is host to:
- Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (early January)
- Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend (mid February)
- Star Wars Rival Run Weekend (mid April)
- RunDisney Virtual Series (June-August)
- Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon (early November)
Another big draw to a runDisney event is all the different features that are included with a race! Not only do you get the Disney magic with every mile but you also have:
Events for Everyone
- Kids Races
- Diaper Dash (12 months and under)
- 100-meter dash (1-4 years old)
- 200-meter dash (5-8 years old)
- 1 mike (4-13 years old)
- 5K
- 10K
- Half-Marathon
- Marathon (only available during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend)
- Challenges
- Each event allows runners to have the option to participate in a multiple race, themed challenges. One of the most notable, which began in 2014, is the Dopey Challenge during the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend where runners undertake the 5K, 10K, Half-Marathon, AND the Marathon.
Commemorative Medals
- Runners receive a commemorative medal after their race, themed to the event weekend to celebrate their accomplishment.
Magical Entertainment
- It also wouldnโt be a Disney event if Disney Characters werenโt there to help celebrate and enjoy special moments during your run! Each themed weekend brings a variety of characters that correspond with the race, and the longer the race the more characters are there to cheer you on!
ESPN Health & Fitness Expo
Before runners head to the starting line though, the weekend kicks off at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. Every runDisney weekend kickstarts with a trip to the Health & Fitness Expo an event which is held before each race weekend at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the official race headquarters for runDisney. All runners are required to attend the expo to turn in their waivers and receive their race packet which includes their race bib and race t-shirts. The best part about the expo however is after receiving their race packets, runners can head to the expo floor and visit with numerous vendors that specialize in health and fitness and visit the runDisney merchandise shop.
I was lucky enough to be able to be working at ESPN Wide World of Sports in 2020 and was able to work both the Walt Disney World Marathon Expo and the Princess Half Marathon Expo. These were my favorite events to work because everyone was so excited to be there and runDisney did a wonderful job of getting everyone excited for their races!
My Experience
My First Experience with a runDisney race goes back to 2018 when I ran the Star Wars Dark Side Weekend 5K during my first Disney College Program. While on my program, I wanted to experience everything that Disney had to offer, and while I was not a runner at the time, I knew I could handle a 5K. One of the most exciting features of the race is that not only was it Star Wars, but I got to meet some iconic characters including R2D2 and the Stormtroopers, who were the themed character of the race.
Just this week, I also ran the runDisney Virtual Star Wars Rival Run 10k! While all runDisney events are currently only virtual during this time, I decide to run this race on Disney Property since I am an Orlando local. I created my very own 10K course throughout the Skyliner Resorts running paths (Pop Century/Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach/Riviera, Yacht Club/Beach Club/Boardwalk) and I even dressed up for the occasion!
Resources
One of the great things about participating in a runDisney race is that they provide you with amazing resources to help you train! While preparing for my 10K, I followed runDisney trainer and former Olympian Jeff Galloway and his 18-week training program for my 10K (which you can find here)
Another valuable resource is checking out some runDisney focused accounts on social media! During my training, I followed alot of these accounts to help motivate me for my run and learn valuable information about running since I’m fairly new to it. Make sure along with those accounts to follow @rundisney to keep up with all the latest event and race information!
Thank you for reading along to some of the history and magic being the runDisney race series! I was overwhelmed with all the support that I received throughout my 10K journey and I just wanted to share a bit of insight about what I learned about runDisney from my time working at ESPN and even preparing for the multiple races Iโve run with them. I hope you learned something new or were inspired to make it a goal to run a runDisney race. Until next time
Keep Moving Forward
– Kacey
Marketing the Magic 