Your Guide to Walt Disney World Marathon Merchandise
The races that set off over Marathon Weekend just mere weeks ago marked the third time I ran a runDisney race, and I was familiar with the protocol. Packet pick-up, a quick tour of the expo, and an even quicker look through the merchandise building, and I was back out in the Parks before high noon had struck.
The 2019 Marathon Weekend Expo, though, was unlike any I’d been to previously…and it should have been my first sign that Marathon Weekend would be an experience unlike any other runDisney race!
The Race
As much as I love to run, I’m a relative novice to the most challenging mental and physical sport I’ve ever attempted. I laced up my first pair of running shoes only 2 years ago, and although I haven’t worked my way up to a full marathon just yet, my love of running paired with my love of Disney inspired me to run my first ever Star Wars Half Marathon and, the following year, the Dark Side Challenge!
I might be a novice in the sport of running, but once you’ve woken up to perform an endurance event at 3:00am once, you’re a seasoned pro. I was prepared for the alarm, for the packet pick-up, for the early-morning busses…but not for the race start- or the course!
I ran the Half Marathon course this year. In the other races I ran, the walk to the start line was no more than 2 minutes. The walk from the holding area to the start line for the half marathon was nearly 15 minutes. I kid you not, the sea of runners making their way to their respective corrals was a sight that I thought would be unmatched by any other that day…
Until I entered the gates of Magic Kingdom. Still shrouded in the past evenings’ darkness, the Park was illuminated by its age-old beacon, Cinderella Castle. Still dressed in the dazzling dream lights, I was moved to tears during my run. Having the chance to combine my love of running with my passion for Disney culminated that morning on Main Street USA, and from that moment on, I knew Marathon Weekend was the most special runDisney race weekend of them all.
The Merchandise Expo
I knew I was experiencing a life-changing moment when I crested the Hub on Main Street USA, but it was at the Merchandise Expo, though that I first became aware of the special aura surrounding the event. Like I said, I have ‘runDisney’ multiple times in the past, and once you’ve seen one expo, they all become monotonous over time.
Maybe because the merchandise is the sleekest I’ve ever seen for a race, but The Marathon Weekend Merchandise Expo was abuzz with excited runners dying to get their hands on this exclusive merchandise!
Items celebrating the race weekend in its entirety seemed to be the most popular among the shopping runners that day. From mugs to bags, everyone wanted to take home a piece of the 2019 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend exclusive merchandise!
The race-specific attire spanned every distance from 5k-full marathon. Even the kids races had celebratory items for purchase, because no running accomplishment should go uncelebrated- even if your legs are only 26 inches long!
If you’re an avid collector of Disney merchandise, you came to the right article! If you’re an avid collector of runDisney merchandise, make sure you’re at next year’s merchandise Expo!
There was a wide variety of collectors’ items this year, but my favorite is the replica medal in the form of an official Walt Disney World pin!
I clearly had a fantastic time shopping at this year’s expo and running the races- but I want to hear about your experience!
Did you run any of the races this year? Which merchandise items did you bring home? I know I can’t be the only one who got emotional running on Main Street, right? Leave me a comment and let me know!
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