RunDisney

Last updated
runDisney
FormerlyDisney Endurance Series
Company typeDivision of a whole owned subsidiary of a public conglomerate
IndustrySports
Headquarters ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex,
Kissimmee, Florida
,
US
Areas served
US, France
Servicesroad races
Parent Disney Sports Enterprises
(Disney Parks, Experiences and Products)
Website rundisney.com

runDisney (stylized as runDisney, formerly Disney Endurance Series and The Endurance Series at Walt Disney World Resort), is the road race division of Disney Sports Enterprises, a unit of Disney Experiences, a segment and subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The division is designed to get runners to plan a "runcation", a vacation planned to coincide with the race they signed up for. [1]

Contents

runDisney consists of 26 individual races with 163,000 runners. [2]

History

In 1994, Disney held the Walt Disney World Marathon, its first road race while adding addition races later. [3] There were only 5,588 runners at this inaugural race of what became the Disney Endurance Series. [4]

Disneyland Marathon and 5K were run in 1995 three weeks after the LA Marathon on March 26, 1995. The marathon included Anaheim Stadium and a loop around The Pond of Anaheim, while its 5K stuck to Disneyland taking in six of seven of the theme lands. [5]

By 1998, Williams was named vice president of Disney Sports Attractions, overseeing a newly created sports & recreation division including its races. [6] In 1998, the first Donald Half Marathon is run at the same day as the WDW Marathon. [4] The first 10K Disney Classic race on October 3, 1999 kicked off Disney World's 15-month Millennium Celebration. [7]

On March 30, 2003, Sports Attractions held the first Disney Inline Marathon at the request of the International Inline Skating Association. [8] By 2005, a half marathon was added to this weekend. [9]

In 2004, Florida Half-Ironman Triathlon and Family Festival was started by Ironman North America and Disney Sports Attraction and was scheduled only for two years. The festival was held May 22 to 23 which include the Florida Half-Ironman, a Kids Race, and an expo. [10]

Disney's 10K Classic was renamed the Race for the Taste 10K in 2005 and moved to October 9 to coincide with the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, which then ran from September 30 to November 13. The Race for the Cure 5K was scheduled for October 8 with proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Foundation while Disney's Cross Country Classic was scheduled on the seventh. [9]

In 2006, the Goofy race challenge was inaugurated [4] as the half and marathon were scheduled for separated days for the first time at the World Weekend. 3,000 runners applied for the challenge. By that year, a Fun Run 5K and Kids’ Races were added on Saturday, while a Health and Fitness Expo was held Thursday to Friday at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. [11]

From May 5 to 7, 2006, the inaugural Disney Minnie Marathon Weekend was held but no race was a marathon. [12] The Champion 5K and Fun Runs were added to the ESPN the Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2009. [13] The first Wine & Dine Half-Marathon was run in 2010. [4]

The 2014 World Marathon Weekend added the Walt Disney World 10K plus the Dopey Challenge for completing all four weekend races. [14] An additional race, Castaway Cay Challenge, was added to the weekend series in 2015 with the 5K race taking place on Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay. [15] The first international runDisney weekend was Disneyland Paris Half Marathon in September 2016. [3]

In September 2016 Disneyland Resort Paris held its first races at the DLP Val d’ Europe Half-Marathon.

RunDisney canceled all Disneyland Resort based races beginning in 2018 due to major ongoing construction projects (e.g. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the Disneyland Eastern Gateway and a new Downtown Disney hotel). [16] The Theme Park Insider blog speculated that Disney may be using the loss of revenue to the City of Anaheim and nearby business as leverage to expedite project approval. [17]

In the 2017 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon, which took place on November 5, 2017, a runner collapsed and died near the finish line in the Epcot parking lot. No other details were initially disclosed. [18]

In 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Star Wars Rival Run Weekend was cancelled, [19] while the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend was changed to a virtual race weekend. [20] On September 22, 2020, it was announced that both the 2021 Walt Disney World Marathon and the 2021 Princess Half Marathon Weekends would become virtual as well. [21]

On June 30, 2021, it was announced that in-person racing would return to Walt Disney World, beginning with the Wine & Dine Weekend in November. Some modifications may be made due to COVID. [22]

On September 11, 2022, during D23 Expo, it was revealed that runDisney races would return to Disneyland in 2024. [23]

Weekend series

Weekend series [24] [25] monthlocationInauguratedDiscontinued
Walt Disney World Marathon January Disney World 1994 [3] —
Princess Half-MarathonFebruary2009 [26] —
runDisney Springtime Surprise WeekendApril2022 [27] —
Star Wars Half Marathon
— The Dark Side		April2016 [26] 2021 [28]
Walt Disney World InlineMarch/April2003 [8] [9] 2007
Florida Half-Ironman Triathlon and Family FestivalMay20042005 [10]
Tri-America Series Finale [10] Dark Red x.svgDark Red x.svg
Danskin Women's Triathlon Series [10] Dark Red x.svgDark Red x.svg
Minnie Marathon WeekendMay2006 [12] 2008
Expedition Everest ChallengeMay Disney's Animal Kingdom 20122015 [29]
Walt Disney World TriathlonSeptember [12] Disney WorldDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svg
Wine & Dine Half MarathonNovember2010 [4] —
Star Wars Half Marathon
— The Light Side		JanuaryDisneyland2015 [3] —
Tinker Bell Half-MarathonMay2012 [4] —
Disneyland Half-MarathonSeptember
(Labor Day weekend)		—
Avengers Super Heroes Half MarathonNovember2014 [3] —
Disneyland Paris Half Marathon SeptemberDisneyland Paris2016 [3] —
Virtual Running Shorts SeriesMay–Junevirtual/anywhere2016—

Races

Race [24] [25] WeekendInauguratedDiscontinuedAdditional info
Walt Disney World Marathon Walt Disney World Marathon1994 [3] —
WDW Half Marathon1998—originally called the Donald Half Marathon [4]
Family Fun Run 5-K [14] —
Walt Disney World 10K2014 [14] —
Castaway Cay Challenge 5K2015 [15] —
Inline MarathonWDW Inline2003 [8] [9] 2007
Inline Half Marathonby 2005 [9] 2007
Florida Half-Ironman TriathlonFlorida Half-Ironman Triathlon and Family Festival20042005 [10]
Kids Race
National Kidney Foundation of Florida Gift of Life 5K Fun Run/Walk [10] ———
Women Run the World 15KMinnie Marathon Weekend2006 [12] 2008
Go Red For Women 5K
one-mile
Champion 5K ESPN the Weekend 2009 [13] 2011 Disney's Hollywood Studios
Fun Run
Princess Half-MarathonPrincess Half-Marathon2009 [26] —
Enchanted 10K—
Princess 5K—
Kids Dashes & One Mile—
Star Wars Half MarathonStar Wars Half Marathon
— The Dark Side		2016 [26] 2021
Star Wars 10K2021
Star Wars 5K2021
runDisney Kids Races2021
Race for the Taste 10KRace for the Taste/Food & Wine Festival (October)19992009originally the 10K Disney Classic until 2005, [7] [9] replaced by Wine & Dine Half
Disney's Cross Country Classic [9]
Wine & Dine Half-MarathonWine & Dine Half Marathon/
Food & Wine Festival		2010 [4] —
Wine & Dine 10K2016—
Disney Fall Feast 5K2005—formerly Race for the Cure 5K, [9] Mickey's Holiday 5K (-2016), Halloween 5K and Jingle Jungle 5K; ran in Animal Kingdom
runDisney Kids Races——
Half MarathonTinker Bell Half-Marathon2012—
Tinker Bell 10K——
Never Land 5K——
Kids Races——
DL Half MarathonDisneyland Half-Marathon2006—
Disneyland 10K2013 [30] —
5K——
Kids Races——
Half MarathonAvengers Super Heroes Half Marathon2015 [3] —
Thor 10K——formerly Dr. Strange 10K
Spider-Man 5K——formerly Captain America 5K
Kids Races——
Half MarathonStar Wars Half Marathon
— The Light Side		2015 [3] —- the Light Side appended in 2016 with the additional of the Disney World base Star Wars Half Marathon - The Dark Side
Star Wars 10K——
Star Wars 5K——
Kids Races——
DLP Val d’ Europe Half-Marathon Disneyland Paris (DLP) Half Marathon [31] 2016 [3] —
Paris 5K Family Run2016—
Paris 10K2017— [32]
runDisney Kids Races2016—
Expedition Everest Challenge20122015nighttime 5K: part race, part obstacle course, and part scavenger hunt. The hunt clues lead to after race party. [29]
Yellow Shoes 5KVirtual Running Shorts Series2016—
Red Pants 5K—
White Glove 5K—

Race for the Taste

The Race for the Taste, formerly Disney Classic, was a 10K route that started at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, then went through Disney-MGM Studios' new attraction, Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, then went along Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, and finished at the World Showcase in Epcot, where the Food and Wine Festival is taking place. A ceremonial toast kicked off the race while music and entertainment lined the route. Runners were required to maintain a 15-minute mile. [9]

Athletes enjoyed a ceremonial toast to start the race. During the run, participants were entertained by festive music and entertainment. A "Go the Distance" Expo was held October 7–8 which in 2005 had a special wine debut, Miles of Magic, a California Syrah wine. [9]

Race Challenges

Earn additional medals for completing multiple races.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney World</span> Entertainment resort in America

The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, or simply abbreviated WDW, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, governed by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The resort is located within Orange and Osceola counties, and located closest to the cities of Winter Garden and Kissimmee in Greater Orlando. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The property covers nearly 25,000 acres, of which half has been used. Walt Disney World contains four separate theme parks, two water parks, two mini-golf courses, and four golf courses. There are twenty-one Disney-operated resorts on the property, and many other resorts on and near the property. Disney World also contains the Boardwalk, The Fort Wilderness area, The ESPN Sports Complex, Disney Springs, Flamingo Crossings areas for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road running</span> Sport of running on roads

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon</span> Annual race in the United States

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The Walt Disney World Marathon is an annual marathon held every January in Bay Lake, Florida by runDisney. The race has been held since 1994. The marathon is part of a weekend race series that also includes a 5K, a 10K, and a half marathon, as well as a number of challenges involving one or more of these races.

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The Gran Maratón Pacifico is a 26.2-mile footrace through the city of Mazatlán, in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. The race, first held in 1999, is one of the largest in the country and has seen fast times at both the full marathon and half marathon distance. The race is surrounded by events during the race weekend, which takes place during the Festival of Light in late November or early December.

References

  1. ↑ Jesdanun, Anick (April 15, 2016). ""Runcation" at Disney World: Come to run, stay for the Disney magic". Denver Post. Digital First Media. AP. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  2. ↑ Bruning, Karla. "Why runDisney Races Are Such a Big Deal". Shape. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sylt, Christian (January 7, 2016). "Disney's Runaway Success". Forbes. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "runDisney: Then & Now". grandlegacyhotel.com. Grand Legacy At The Park. April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  5. ↑ VanderKnyff, Rick (March 23, 1995). "Disneyland's Magical Marathon". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  6. ↑ Solano, Javier (March 27, 1998). "Directing Sports Of Disney". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Carroll, Frank (September 24, 1999). "Disney Classic 10k Is Oct. 3". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "Putting together skate event was a marathon itself". SportsBusiness Journal. No. October 14–20, 2002. American City Business Journals. October 14, 2002. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Disney Sports Attractions hosts Race for the Taste 10K". e-Sports. e-Sports Media Group, Inc. Disney Sports Attractions. September 3, 2005. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "New Florida Half-Ironman Set For Walt Disney World in May". Ironman.com. World Triathlon Corporation. November 11, 2003. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Disney's 2006 Marathon registration closed". e-Sport. e-Sport Media Group. Disney Sports Attractions. October 11, 2005. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Disney Sports opens registration for Minnie Marathon Weekend". e-Sports. eSports Media Group, Inc. Disney Sports Attractions. October 15, 2005. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "ESPN The Weekend to be held at Hollywood Studios and newly renamed sports complex". Attractions Magazine. Dream Together Media. February 20, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McGoldrick, Hannah (March 22, 2013). "Disney Announces New Race". Runners World. Rodale Inc. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  15. 1 2 Mauney, Matt (January 14, 2015). "Disney's private island hosts inaugural 5K challenge". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  16. ↑ Pimentel, Joseph (October 18, 2017). "Disneyland half marathon officially cancelled, along with other runDisney races, in 2018". Orange County Register. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  17. ↑ Niles, Robert (October 18, 2017). "Disneyland cancels its 2018 runDisney schedule, future events". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  18. ↑ Ruiter, Jason (November 5, 2017). "Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon runner collapses and dies, Disney says". Orlando Sentinel.
  19. ↑ runDisney (April 15, 2020). "runDisney Registration Update". RunDisney Blog. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  20. ↑ runDisney (July 22, 2020). "The 2020 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend Goes Virtual - Still Wickedly Delicious!". RunDisney Blog. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  21. ↑ Team RunDisney. "2021 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend Transition". RunDisney. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  22. ↑ RunDisney (June 30, 2021). "Return to In-Person Running". RunDisney. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  23. ↑ Smith, Thomas (September 9, 2022). "D23 Expo: LIVE Updates on Future Experiences Coming to Disney Parks and Beyond". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  24. 1 2 "Event Preview – RunDisney". Endurance Magazine. November 21, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  25. 1 2 "runDisney". rundisney.com. Disney Sports Enterprises. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Ruiz, Stephen (April 17, 2016). "Runners from Wisconsin, New York conquer Star Wars Half Marathon at Disney". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  27. ↑ RunDisney. "runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend". RunDisney. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Make a Final Run to the runDisney Virtual 2021 Star Wars Rival Run Weekend!".
  29. 1 2 Levine, Arthur (April 20, 2015). "Run around the World: Marathons and more at Disney". USA Today Travel. Gannett. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  30. 1 2 3 "A look at Disneyland's Half Marathon Weekend 2013". Attractions Magazine. Dream Together Media, LLC. September 2, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  31. 1 2 Scanlon, Shane (January 26, 2017). "Disneyland Paris: Run a half-marathon in Mickey's magical kingdom? Absolutely! - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  32. 1 2 "New Experiences Coming For Runners In 2nd Annual Disneyland Paris – Val d'Europe Half Marathon Weekend". Disney Sports News (Press release). Disney Sports. June 7, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Children's Miracle Network Hospitals | Official Site | runDisney". runDisney.com. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  34. ↑ "Run Disney". www.rundisney.com. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
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