Hello friends! I have been asked to do this post from several people I know, so I decided it was time to write it! Not only am I going to write it, I am going to break this down into different posts to make it super easy!
My first post in the series is going to be, What is the best race for me? RunDisney offers several options for different themed race weekends with races for anyone of any training level. All races are currently located at Walt Disney World, in Orlando, FL, or Disneyland Paris. Disneyland, in California, had race weekends in the past, but they are on hold for right now. Let's break down the different themed weekends:
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
This race weekend takes place in January and offers the widest variety of races. During this weekend you have the option of running the following:
5k (Run on Thursday)
10k (Run on Friday)
Half Marathon (Run on Saturday
Full Marathon (Run on Sunday)
Goofy Challenge
Dopey Challenge
The Goofy Challenge is where you will run the Half Marathon and the Full Marathon. This would be 39.3 miles in two days. If you are up for something more challenging than the Goofy Challenge, you can register for the Dopey Challenge. The Dopey Challenge is where you run all four races over the course of the race weekend. This is 48.6 miles in 4 days!
I have participated in Marathon Weekend twice and have run the half marathon. I was scheduled to run the full this past January, but was pulled out by my doctor three weeks before the race. Don't worry....it will happen one day!
Princess Half Marathon Weekend
The Princess Half Marathon Weekend takes place towards the end of February. During this race weekend you have the option of running the following races:
5k (Run on Friday)
10k (Run on Saturday)
Half Marathon (Run on Sunday)
Disney Fairy Tale Challenge
The Disney Fairy Tale Challenge is kind of like the Goofy Challenge, just not as many miles. This challenge is the 10k and the half marathon, which comes out to 19.3 miles in two days.
I have participated in the Princess Half Marathon weekend three different times and it is by far my favorite race weekend. There is nothing better than dressing up as your favorite princess and running with 25,000 of your closest friends! We will talk about costumes on another post!
Star Wars Half Marathon - Dark Side Weekend
The Star Wars Dark Side Weekend takes place in April and is the only Walt Disney World race weekend I have not participated in. This race weekend offers similar races to Princess Weekend:
5k (Run on Friday)
10k (Run on Saturday)
Half Marathon (Run on Sunday)
Star Wars First Order Challenge
The Star Wars First Order Challenge is like the Fairy Tale Challenge and is 19.3 miles over the course of two days. As I mentioned above, I have not participated in this race weekend, but it is the newest race weekend out of all of them. I will be running the Star Wars 10k in two weeks and am super excited to see what it is all about. Check back to see my race recap!
Disneyland Paris Race Weekend
The Disneyland Paris Weekend takes place in Paris, France in September. This race weekend is technically not run by RunDisney, but you can check out information about the race on their site. All registration and hotel bookings are handled through travel providers. This race weekend offers the following races:
5k (Run on Friday)
10k (Run on Saturday)
Half Marathon (Run on Sunday)
31k Challenge
When this weekend first started it was only the half marathon. Over the past few years, the have added the other races and the challenge. One special thing about this race is if you complete a half marathon in the U.S. and the Disneyland Paris half (or challenge) you will get the Castle to Chateau Challenge medal to go along with your other race medals.
I haven't done this race weekend either, but a friend of mine has and had a great time. Check out her pictures!
Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend
This race weekend is another of my favorites because it is during the International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. This race weekend is set up the same as the others with the following races:
5k (Run on Friday)
10k (Run on Saturday)
Half Marathon (Run on Sunday)
Two Course Challenge
I have participated in the weekend three different times, but I've only done the 5k and the half marathon. RunDisney just recently added the 10k and the two course challenge. When I ran this race it was held at night, but now it is in the morning like all of the other races.
If traveling to Orlando or Paris is not something you have the option of doing, Run Disney has no brought the races to you. Two years ago they created the Virtual Running Shorts which consist of three 5k races you get to run wherever you want! If you want to run or walk around the neighborhood that is fine, if you have a favorite trail you like to run on, you can do it there too! They create specialty medals for this event and if you sign up for the series of al three 5k's, they will send you a special fourth medal to congratulate you on your achievement.
If running a Disney race is something you are interested head over to rundisney.com to check out more information on these races! Whether you are looking for a specific mileage or to dress as your favorite character, Run Disney has something for everyone. My next post will be some special pointers about registering for the race you choose! What race interests you the most?