Run Disney Events for Military Families

This is a guest post from Kevin Mack at Fly High Finance.

Looking for a way to combine your love of fitness with your love for all things Disney? It’s time to consider a runDisney event!           

A runDisney event will allow you to do some things you’ve probably never done before. It’s a lot of fun and a whole new way to do Disney. In this article, I’m going to teach you everything you need to know to make the most out of your next race.

Events and dates

Races are held at three of Disney’s resorts: Disney World, Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. They are typically held during off-peak seasons in winter, fall and late-spring. You can check out the full schedule here.

 

You don’t have to be a competitive runner to enjoy a runDisney race. Distances include 5 and 10ks and half and full marathons. All of the races have age requirements, but there are separate kids-only events so the whole family can participate. Not every event features every distance, keep that in mind when planning a trip.

Each race weekend has a unique theme. The Disney World Marathon is hosted by Mickey and the gang, then there’s princess weekend, Wine and Dine, Tinkerbell and more recently, Avengers and Star Wars events. Additionally, each race has a few “host resorts” which will have transportation to the course. Make sure to keep this in mind when booking your trip.

Some races even have bonus challenges for competing multiple events, like the Coast-to-Coast for racing at Disney World and Disneyland in the same year, or the Dopey Challenge for completing the 5K, 10K, half and full marathon on consecutive days during Marathon weekend at WDW (hey, it’s called the Dopey for a reason).

Don’t forget your costume!

My favorite part of race weekends is checking out all of the costumes that people come up with. It’s not mandatory, but it’s definitely encouraged. Runners will make costumes for their favorite characters, or to coincide with the theme of the race. At last year’s Jingle Jungle 5K there were a lot of Santa Clauses, reindeer, even Buddy the elf. Just make sure you pick something you can run in and that won’t jeopardize safety for yourself or other runners.

A note for competitive runners

If you are a competitive runner, make sure you understand that you probably won’t be setting a personal best at a runDisney event. The shorter courses don’t even track official time. Even if you are in a timed event, the races aren’t very competitive. Show up to have fun, but don’t expect to be racing with people as experienced as you are.

So how do you get signed up?

These events are extremely popular and routinely sell out. Generally the shorter the race, the sooner it will sell out.

Registration typically begins about eight months before the race. I’m not exaggerating when I say that many people wait at their computers, hitting refresh because some races sell out in less than an hour.

Typically, the longer the race, the more expensive the registration. The price includes the event, your medal, and an exclusive race shirt. This is also one of the only times you can order the collectible pin for the event, if you’re a pin trader.

If you are an annual passholder at either park or a Disney Vacation Club owner, you can take advantage of early registration. Disney releases a limited number of slots one week early. You can try for these and even if you miss out, you can try again the following week when sales open to the general public.

Race weekend tips

I’m not going to tell you how to train for a race in this article, but you definitely need to prepare. Even if you aren’t planning to go hard, just a normal Disney trip is a workout, not to mention adding a race to it.

Make sure you leave time the day before your race to attend the runDisney expo. You’ll have to check in there to receive your race bib and corral assignment. At WDW, it’s held in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

You’ll also get a swag bag with your exclusive race t-shirt and some other freebies. The expo has a ton of exhibitors selling running equipment, clothing and limited edition merchandise.

If you’re interested in the limited stuff, show up early. It sells out quickly (and then shows up on ebay a few hours later for triple the retail price). Dooney & Bourke bags and New Balance shoes are probably the first to sell out.

What to do on race day

The race itself is pretty straightforward. You’ll have to arrive about an hour before the official race start time, regardless of which corral you were assigned.

If you’ve got a car, you can drive yourself, or take a Disney bus from a host resort. You’ll take a spot in your corral and mingle with the other racers until start time.

When the race actually starts, it’s up to you how fast you want to run. Some of the longer races have pacing requirements, so you’ll have to keep up with those, but many people walk the entire 5K course.

Since you probably won’t be setting any records anyway, I recommend enjoying the course. You’ll be running through one or more parks with relatively light crowds. You’ll also be in and out of backstage areas that are normally off-limits, so make sure to look around.

One of the major highlights for many racers is the appearance of rarely seen characters. Oftentimes the characters may correspond with the theme of the race, but some will be a complete surprise. They won’t sign autographs or do meet and greets during the race, but you’ll at least be able to get a quick picture. Bring an armband for your cellphone or use the on-site photographer, don’t bring a full size camera onto the course. Be aware that character lines may close towards the end of the race, so you may not be able to meet everyone.

Once you cross the finish line, you’ll receive your medal and some more freebies, usually a Powerade and a box of snacks from the race sponsors. An early morning race will finish before park opening, so you can hit the park if you want (race registration doesn’t cover park admission though) or head back to your room for a nap and a shower.

When my family ran the Jingle Jungle 5K at Animal Kingdom in November, we dressed up as Huey, Dewey and Louie, so we scheduled a character breakfast at Tusker House after the race. It was a lot of fun meeting Donald and Daisy while we were still in costume.

Don’t over do it…

A trip to Disney is a lot of walking. Running a race on top of all of that can be pretty rough. If you plan for a pretty relaxed trip and take breaks or even just do half-days at the parks, your feet will thank you. If it’s your first trip and are set on doing everything at all of the parks, you’ll probably regret it.

…but definitely do it

It takes more planning than the average Disney trip, but adding a runDisney race to your vacation is a lot of fun. Just use the tips you learned in this article and elsewhere on Military Disney Tips and you’ll have a great time.

---

---