Me with the "It all started with a mouse" statue

If you are a runner and looking for a fun running experience for the entire family, I've got one for you. In 2014, my then-boyfriend and now-husband Kevin went to the annual runDisney Marathon weekend. At the time,

I wasn't a runner, but I wanted to experience watching him run the Disney Marathon. If you think I want no part of running a marathon, you are not alone. I was right there with you that year. Disney is amazing at everything they do, and runDisney is no different. From the time we checked into Disney's All-Star Movies Resort to the time we checked out, it was nothing but well wishes and congratulations.

The funny part was, in 2014, runDisney went a little Dopey. The first year they created the Dopey Challenge, the name says it all. Kevin, having just run his first marathon in October 2013, chose to skip the Dopey and stick with the marathon. The Dopey Challenge starts on the Thursday before the full marathon on Sunday. Here is how it works; you run the 5K (3.1m) on Thursday, the 10k (6.2m) on Friday, the half marathon (13.1m) on Saturday, and the full marathon (26.2m) on Sunday. Yes, that is a total of running 48.6 miles in 4 days.

So, marathon day, Kevin heads over to the starting point while I'm still in bed (Cinderella still needed her beauty rest). The race takes you through all four parks and the Wide World of Sports. With surprise characters along the way. Out of everything, Kevin was most impressed with seeing that day was Captain Hook's Jolly Roger and everyone in tow in the middle of the hwy. To this day, he still talks about that.

Marathon weekend at Disney is all about fun. One of my favorite parts of the day was how creative the runners were with their Disney-themed running gear. I saw everything from Tinker Bell's with tutus to a man running with a marching band tuba. Some were even running through Epcot with turkey legs and drinks.

After Kevin finished running the marathon, we spent the rest of the day in the parks with him wearing his medal. It didn't matter where we were; a Disney cast member said congratulations. That was such a magical experience. It is also a great time of year to visit Disney. The weather is fantastic in January, and with kids being back in school after the holidays, crowd levels during the week are low.

Return to Previous Page