In 2004, I was at work when my phone rang. As I answered, the voice on the other end was laced with a mixed tone of excitement and uneasiness. “Tell me I’m not crazy,” my wife’s plea came through the receiver, “I just signed up to run a marathon at Disney.”
It took a moment, to be perfectly honest, for the news to set in. Probably for the same reason that she was asking me to reaffirm her decision to sign up to begin with – she had never run a marathon before. In fact, she had never run any race before. Not any race, anywhere for any amount of time. No 5K, no fun run, no Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, nothing; yet she had now signed up to run 26.2 miles through the parks and back streets of the Walt Disney World complex. After a moment of silence I answered “You’re not crazy. You can do it!"
Now you may be thinking, “That is crazy! You should have confirmed her fear that she had indeed lost her mind and then assisted her with finding a good psychiatrist. No one goes from the couch to a marathon without running some warm-up races.” Well, I tell you that not only did I believe in her, I supported her throughout the upcoming 3 months as she trained for her first ever marathon. Besides, it was Walt Disney who said “If you can dream it, you can do it.” And that is what makes the Disney Marathon Weekend, and my wife’s endeavor, truly magical.
“OK, great story,” you may now be thinking, “Probably scored you some points with your wife. But why does this matter?” On April 10, 2012 Disney opened registration for the 2013 Marathon – which also happens to be the 20th anniversary race. Marathon Weekend will take place from January 10 – 13, 2013. This event holds the key to some very magical moments, and may help you achieve something that Walt himself spoke so much about – Dreams.
What? You’ve never run a race before? No worries, with the help of Disney’s official trainer and former Olympian Jeff Galloway, you have plenty of time to prepare for the event.
Here is a link to one of Jeff’s training videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7zQFmzGi8o&feature=BFa&list=PLB6F5FC0A7D2EEAD1&lf=plcp&noredirect=1
Now you might be thinking, “OK, so I can train. But is it really that magical?” The answer is an emphatic YES! Here are just a few things you might want to know about runDisney:
There are actually several marathons and half marathons at both WDW and Disneyland. For the purpose of this post, we will focus only on the main races happening on Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. More specifically, we will focus on the Walt Disney World Marathon, the Walt Disney World Half Marathon, and Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge.
Walt Disney World Marathon
This 26.2 mile race starts and ends in EPCOT, but takes you through all 4 WDW parks. With opportunities to take pictures with favorite characters or witness on-course entertainment throughout the day, this event is unlike any other marathon you may have attended. Participants will receive:
1. Champion® Unisex Long-Sleeved Marathon Tech Shirt
2. Commemorative 20th Anniversary Mickey Mouse Finisher medal
3. Official Race Program Guide
4. iGiftBag
5. Personalized bib (Must register by November 1, 2012 for name to appear on bib)
6. On-course and post-race refreshments
7. ChronoTrack B-tag timed race
8. Personalized results website
Walt Disney World Half Marathon
This 13.1 mile race takes place on the day prior to the full marathon. Like the full marathon, you have opportunities to take photos or enjoy entertainment. However, this marathon features Donald as the race “Conducktor”.
Participants will receive:
1. Champion® Unisex Long-Sleeved Half Marathon Tech Shirt
2. Donald Duck Finisher medal
3. Official Race Program Guide
4. iGiftBag
5. Personalized bib (Must register by November 1, 2012 for name to appear on bib)
6. On-course and post-race refreshments
7. ChronoTrack B-tag timed race
8. Personalized results website
Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge
Some of you may have thought my wife was goofy for trying to go from the couch to a marathon in only 3 months. Honestly, she may have been – though she did it! But, what really would have been goofy would be to run both the half and full marathon in one weekend. This 39.3 mile feat is known as Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge. Not only do you get both the Mickey and Donald medals once finished, you also receive a Goofy medal.
Participants will also receive:
1. Champion® Unisex Long-Sleeved Tech Shirts for the Marathon, Half Marathon and Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge
2. Special Goofy finisher medal, along with the Commemorative 20th Anniversary Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck finisher medals for completing the Marathon and Half Marathon
3. Official Race Program Guide
4. iGiftBag
5. Personalized bib (Must register by November 1, 2012 for name to appear on bib)
6. On-course and post-race refreshments
7. ChronoTrack B-tag timed race
8. Personalized results website
To learn more, or to register for any of the races, visit the official runDisney website: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/wdw-marathon/index?page=registration
Best of luck if you decide to register and race for those dreams – besides, you never know who you’ll see on the course!
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