Running a marathon in the most magical place on Earth is… well, just that: magical! The Walt Disney World Marathon is held every January and takes runners 26.2 miles across the resort through all 4 theme parks. Both of us ran our first marathons at Disney World. And if you’re someone who is contemplating running a marathon, we highly recommend this one! However, like every major running event, there are some important items to note. To help you in your planning, here are 15 things you should know before running the Disney marathon:
1. REGISTER QUICKLY BEFORE IT SELLS OUT.
The first step in your journey will be to register for the race. If you are able, get ready to log onto the runDisney website the second that registration opens. Remember that there are a ton of people trying to do the same thing you are trying to do. So be patient if the website isn’t responding quickly. Try multiple browser windows or devices if you are having trouble joining the virtual queue. This is a very popular event, so if you wait too long to register, you risk the possibility of it selling out.
2. YOU WILL HAVE WAKE UP REALLLLY EARLY.
Many runDisney events begin very early in the morning, and the Disney marathon is no exception. With a start time of 5:00 am, we got up at 2:00 am to start getting ready for the race. We’re not going to lie. It’s no fun setting an alarm that early. Plus, with all the adrenaline pumping, it’s hard to fall asleep. But you’ll want to ensure you have plenty of time to get to the starting corrals. Waking up early is a lot less stressful than rushing to arrive on time for a race you’ve been training months for. But do you really need to wake up 3 hours early? Read on to find out why…
3. THE WALK TO THE STARTING CORRALS IS LONGGGG.
If you haven’t run the Disney marathon before, you might be surprised to find out that there’s a long walk over to the start corrals from the staging area. Once you are done dropping off any items at gear check, you’ll need to start walking over. The path is pretty narrow and there’s a LOT of people. So give yourself at least 15-20 minutes to get to the corrals.
4. STAY ON PROPERTY AND TAKE THE PROVIDED BUS TRANSPORTATION TO THE RACE.
We highly suggest staying on property at a Disney hotel for the marathon. Sure, other non-Disney hotels may provide transportation. But we’ve heard enough horror stories of miscommunication and delays that we will always stay onsite. Disney resorts will have plenty of buses available early in the morning, usually starting around 2:30 am. (Or if you are staying at the Contemporary, Polynesian, or Grand Floridian, you can take the monorail to the race.) These buses also have a dedicated unloading area close to the staging area. If you choose to drive, just be warned that there can be a lot of traffic heading to the race. You don’t want to be stressed getting stuck in traffic when you have 26.2 miles to run ahead of you.
5. PRE-RACE SPECIAL OFFERINGS MAY BE AVAILABLE AT DISNEY HOTEL RESTAURANTS.
Another benefit of staying on property at a Disney hotel is that it may offer some additional food options at its restaurants. One item we’ve seen are snack packs that include a bagel, banana, granola bar, and a bottled water. We also enjoyed a special “marathon pasta” when we stayed at Art of Animation, which was a limited-time pasta selection at the Landscape of Flavors food court.
6. BE PREPARED FOR A WIDE TEMPERATURE RANGE DURING YOUR RUN.
One reason Disney starts their races so early, especially the marathon, is to hopefully beat the Orlando heat. But just because it is Florida doesn’t mean it won’t be cold on a January morning. At some races, you may be comfortable wearing a t-shirt and shorts the entire time. But at our last marathon, it was in the lower 50s (Fahrenheit) leading up to the 5:00 am start time. So we brought some layers that we didn’t mind throwing away as we ran as the temperature warmed up throughout the morning. Be sure to check the forecast leading up to your race to see if you’ll need some warmer clothes. You don’t want to be freezing while waiting in your corral!
7. DON'T EXPECT A PR AT THE DISNEY MARATHON.
We’re all for setting goals. But trying to set a marathon personal best on this course may lead to disappointment. One of the main reasons is there are some narrow areas that can cause a bottleneck, especially towards the beginning of the race when runners aren’t as spread out. There were some sections during our last race where we had to walk because of traffic jams. Since these conditions are outside of your control, we recommend just setting a loose target time if you must have a goal outside of finishing.
8. MOST OF THE TIME, THE COURSE ISN'T THAT MUCH FUN.
One of the selling points of the Disney marathon is that you get to run through all 4 theme parks. And while that is a major highlight of the race, the truth is that most of the time, you’re running on highways in between the parks. And while you do get to see good portions of Magic Kingdom and Epcot, the sections through Animal Kingdom and especially Hollywood Studios are relatively small. Overall, the highway and parking lot portions aren’t terrible. There’s plenty of entertainment, including DJs, marching bands, and movie screens. But it does get pretty long. Also, some of the roads have long banked turns that may get difficult on your legs and feet.
9. BUT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GO ON A RIDE DURING THE RACE!
Some rides may be open for runners during the marathon! While nothing is guaranteed, Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom is a popular attraction that’s usually open. While we’ve never gotten on rides during the race, this is a fun (and thrilling) way to catch a break during the 26.2 miles. If your legs can handle sitting a bit while running and you aren’t running for a time goal, be sure to check out what attractions are open!
10. CHARACTER MEET-AND-GREETS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE RACE.
Of course, while there’s a LOT of road running in between the parks, there’s numerous opportunities to take pictures with a variety of characters throughout the course if you don’t mind waiting in line. Towards the end of the course, the lines can get shorter or sometimes nonexistent. But the longest lines for characters seem to be in the first half of the race. Each station will have a PhotoPass photographer as well.
11. THE EXPO WILL ALSO HAVE CHARACTER MEET-AND-GREET OPTIONS.
Don’t forget that there are character meet-and-greet opportunities at the race expo as well. In 2020, we got pictures with Mickey. But at the 2023 event, only Goofy and Dopey were available. You aren’t really able to know ahead of time who will be there. But meeting characters are your thing, be sure to check that out at the expo.
12. DON'T FALL TOO FAR BEHIND...
While it’s fun to stop at characters or hop on a roller coaster during the marathon, be sure you’re keeping up with the minimum pace requirements. You must go no slower than a 16-minute mile pace. If you fall behind that pace on average, you may become swept. The (in)famous balloon ladies signal that you may be falling behind on pace. If you do get swept, there will be buses that will take you to the finish. However, don’t get too nervous about this. Trust your training, and know that whatever happens, you should be proud of yourself for waking up early to tackle a marathon!
13. SPECTATORS CAN WATCH AROUND THE COURSE, INCLUDING INSIDE THE PARKS.
If you’ve ever run a race, you know how important spectators are. Cheering crowds can provide the mental boost you need to get you through the run. And it’s no different at Disney World. If you have family or friends coming to watch, they have plenty of options for spectating. There are first-come first-serve seats available at the finish line. They can also get into Magic Kingdom for FREE (although it must be before 7:30 am). Spectators will likely need valid tickets to watch from the other parks since those parks will be open by the time runners get to them. They will also be able to utilize transportation like the monorail, so have a plan in place. Signing up for runner tracking is also helpful when moving from spot to spot.
14. RUNNERS CAN GET A DISCOUNT THROUGHOUT DISNEY WORLD.
When you finish the marathon, there’s no doubt you will be proudly wearing your medal throughout the day. Your hard-earned achievement might also be what gets you a discount at various restaurants or shops! For example, when we stopped at Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew in Disney Springs after dinner, the cashier noticed our medals and gave us a 10% discount.
15. LASTLY, THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS TO HAVE FUN!
No matter what, remember just one thing while you are running the marathon: have fun! You may not run the fastest or meet your time goal, but in the grand scheme of things, those things don’t matter. What matters is you achieved an incredible accomplishment of running 26.2 miles, and you happened to do it in the most magical place on Earth. It is a privilege not only to be able to finish a marathon, but also to be at Disney World. So soak it all in, enjoy the moment, realize it’s not the most serious of races, and have some fun!
READY TO RUN 26.2 MAGICAL MILES?
And there you have it: our top things you should know before running the Disney marathon. We don’t know when our next race will be, but it’s definitely on our list to run here again. If you’re thinking about doing the WDW marathon, YOU GOT THIS! Know your limits, follow your training plan, and have the most fun, magical run of your life.
If you have any questions about the Disney marathon or runDisney in general, ask us in the comments below! Thanks for reading, and for more tips on Disney World, check out our blog posts here.