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| Runners wait at the starting line for the Cars Land 5K Rally. |
This Labor Day weekend, thousands of people flocked to the Disneyland Resort for the seventh annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, and I was one of them! It was my first time participating in a runDisney event, and it was a fun-filled three days that my whole family was able to enjoy together.
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| The Disneyland Health & Fitness Expo was the place to snag exclusive official merchandise and gear. |
Although the main event of the weekend was the half marathon (that’s 13.1 miles for those of us newer to running), the festivities started on Friday with the Disneyland Health & Fitness Expo at the Disneyland Hotel Exhibit Hall. It was a two-day celebration featuring seminars on training, racing and nutrition. There were opportunities to experience the latest in running and fitness equipment as well as official marathon weekend merchandise for purchase. Speakers included Olympian, author and official runDisney Training Consultant Jeff Galloway; Tara Gidus, the official runDisney Nutritionist and Orlando Magic Dietician; and other Olympians, authors, motivational speakers and specialists in the field of running.
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| Official runDisney Training Consultant Jeff Galloway gives tips for avoiding injuries, staying strong to the finish, and enjoying every mile of the race. |
Bright and early Saturday morning we lined up outside the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure for the Cars Land 5K Rally. We signed up for the stroller division of the race so that my two-year-old son could come along for the ride. The 5K race isn’t officially timed, but even though it wasn’t competitive, the event was high-energy from the very start. Mickey and Minnie greeted us and an explosion of streamers and music marked our takeoff.
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| There’s always time for a castle photo! |
Our course traveled through the Disneyland backlot, into Critter Country, past the Rivers of America, through Sleeping Beauty Castle, into Disney California Adventure, and finally to the finish line in Cars Land.
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| The end of mile 2 was located just inside the entrance to Disneyland Park. |
There were lots of fun photo opportunities all along the way, including at each mile marker. Cast Members and spectators were great about cheering us on, and it was exciting to see the parks in a different light. At the end of our “race” we were presented with medals and refreshments posed for one last finshers’ photo. It was an exhilarating but easy way to introduce ourselves to the world of runDisney.
Also on Saturday were the Kids’ Races, with divisions for little runners ages 1-3, 4-6, and 7-8, and even a Diaper Dash for babies 12 months and under. That evening, Big Thunder Ranch in Disneyland was the site for the Pasta in the Park Party, which included a buffet pasta dinner, a live DJ and Disney character appearances.
About 15,000 people participated in the half marathon on Sunday, which began at 5:45 a.m. near Downtown Disney. The course took runners through the newly reimagined Disney California Adventure Park, through Disneyland Park and onto the streets of Anaheim before a magical finish by the Disneyland Hotel.
My husband and I were inspired by all of the runners we saw throughout the parks proudly wearing their hard-earned medals (not to mention some pretty creatively-themed running apparel) after the race. Maybe next year I will be among them…how about you?
For more information about runDisney, visit
Read more from Courtney on her blog Theories of a Thirtysomething. You can also find her on Twitter (@2courtney).
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This was my first race ever and although I’m VERY sore, it was great and I’m so proud of myself for accomplishing it! Great job with the 5K, Lisa!
Congrats, Mindy, on running the race. The props go to Babes writer Courtney! She and her husband ran the race and she wrote the article. 🙂
Oops, sorry about that, Courtney! Great job and great write-up!
Thanks, Mindy! Congrats to you too. We had a lot of fun participating and hope to make it an annual event for us. 🙂