I never considered myself the type of person who loved to run, well that was until I ran with runDisney. During my recent visit to Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports (Disney Covered Hotel Expenses, Food, Tickets and Travel) I was asked if I would like to participate in a 1 mile Fun Run. I figured that if you going to do a run it might as well be at Disney so I agreed. Bright and Early we all started the run through Epcot. I will admit that it was more of a steady walk than run through the park but I not only finished the mile but I went an extra 0.8 miles on the New Balance Trails. The experience was fantastic and I am now officially hooked and can’t wait to start planning my next run.
Photo Credit: @Disney Sports
If your not familiar with runDisney, it’s a series of half marathons, marathons and other distance events that provide runners a unique opportunity to run through Disney theme parks . But this is just the beginning. During the events runners will have a chance to earn specially designed finisher medals, experience legendary Disney entertainment and guest service and ultimately celebrate their accomplishments with a fun Disney vacation. These events have become so popular that over 125,000 runners participate each year. You may even find a few surprise guests along the way.
Photo Credit: @Disneysports
Photo Credit: @DisneySports
runDisney is perfect for those of us who are beginner runners because it’s a run that is fun without the pressure of competition or failure. You can do the run at your own pace, with your own style all while having a great time. Who wouldn’t love to run through Epcot and see all the beautiful worlds before the parks open or even compete in a scavenger hunt while running through Animal Kingdom. The bottom line is runDisney wants everyone whether big or small to have a great time.
Upcoming runDisney Events:
Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (August 30th-September 1st, 2013)
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler Weekend at Walt Disney World (October 4th-October 5th, 2013)
Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World (November 8th-9th, 2013
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (January 8th-January 12th, 2014)
Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend at Disneyland (February 21st-February 23rd, 2014)
Expedition Everest Challenge at Walt Disney World Resort (May 2014)
Photo Credit: @DisneySports
During each of these runDisney weekends there will be other Disney-themed offerings from the whole family! These extra events include Family 5K fun runs, kids races, health and fitness expos with guest speakers, product demonstrations and even special official race merchandise. These events are meant to be fun and that’s why everyone in your family is encouraged to participate. runDisney offers some amazing tips on their site that will help you get ready for these marathons. These training tips are geared towards both beginners and seasoned runners and help you get your body trained for the race. I will definitely be following these guidelines set by runDisney training consultant Jeff Galloway before my next run.
For more information on runDisney and any of these upcoming runDisney events you can visit www.runDisney.com and follow them on Facebook (runDisney) and Twitter(@runDisney). I have lot’s more fun posts coming up over the next couple of weeks highlighting my time