Six Reasons Why the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is More Than a Marathon
In just a little over six months, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend will kick off at Walt Disney World. 2020 marks the 27th year the runDisney event will be held and it promises to be better than ever! Find out below what makes the Walt Disney World Marathon more than a marathon below:
1. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is One of the Largest in the United States
Last year, just about 50,000 runners from over 70 countries participated in all of the marathon weekend’s events. Those numbers make the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend one of the largest race weekends in all of the United States. If you love to get your run on, what better way to do it than with like-minded people.
2. 26.2 Miles of Pure magic
When you participate in the Walt Disney World Marathon, you will have the rare opportunity run through the Walt Disney World theme parks as well as the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. During your run, you will encounter some of you favorite Disney characters as well as magical on-course entertainment.
The Walt Disney World Marathon is also considered a USATF certified course and considered to be more flat which makes it the perfect course for a great qualifying time for the Boston Marathon!
3. Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Challenges Test Your Endurance
The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend offers a few challenges to take your running skills to the next level. Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge consists of the Half Marathon and the Full Marathon for a total of 39.3 miles in two days. If you are ready for the ultimate challenge, the Dopey Challenge is the way to go! It consists of all four races over the weekend for a total of 48.6 miles. Both challenges also give you the opportunity for more medals!
4. Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is for the Girls (and the Boys too!)
The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is one of the first major races open to both males and females where the female participants outnumbered the males. In 2019, 60% of the race finishers were females. So, girls – Grab you friends and family and make the weekend to Disney the ultimate girls trip!
5. Make it a Magical Family Affair
While there are races for every skill level, the Marathon Weekend offers opportunities to cheer on your runner. Spectators can watch and cheer on their runners at the Starting Line, Finish Line, and at various locations throughout the course.
6. Running for a Good Cause
In addition to the magic had during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, there is even more magic going on behind the scenes. During the 2019 Marathon Weekend, runners and volunteers raised over $98,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In addition. during the 2018/2019 runDisney season, close to 12,000 pounds of clothes were donated from runners, 49,000 pounds of waste were recycled and even 3,7000 banana peels were collected!
The 2020 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend will be held next year from January 8 to January 12. See you at the Finish Line!
Ready to book your runDisney race weekend package? Fill out the form below or send an email to Holly@MickeyTravels.com for a FREE, no-obligation quote. As an agent with MickeyTravels (a Platinum Earmarked Agency), I will be on hand to help you with everything from finding your perfect package to nabbing those hard-to-get dining and FastPass reservations. I work with all Disney Destinations. Best of all, my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch via email at Holly@MickeyTravels.com or calling 954.401.9577. Also, make sure to CLICK HERE to follow along with my Facebook page for all things Disney and giveaways!
Image/Source Credit: runDisney