What happens when you mix Disney and runners? A giant event called the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, where 29,000 participants descend upon the Disneyland Resort to pay way too much money to run in a whole bevy of races.
Things that make the runDisney events unique are the fact that the races are very inclusive of running enthusiasts of all skills. For me, this actually is a bone of contention because it can make those who are aiming for a PR have some difficulty as they bob-and-weave through the hoards of humanity. Another unique tidbit is that the courses go through Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, giving you a cool vantage point as you cruise through the parks and possibly waste precious time while waiting in line to snap a photo with a character or at a really fabulous photo spot (like in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle). The other big thing that makes these races stand out are the COSTUMES! Holy moly, this is the coolest thing. People go all out for these races and curate costumes that are unique, clever, and encouraging. Everything from Disney movie characters, nods to attractions, to food items...you'll see them created with every ounce of detail possible. My favorites from the races I did were a churro (yes, a woman ran as a churro!) and a Disneyland ticket book (same woman who wore the churro outfit the day before.
Here are the costumes that I put together for my Dumbo Double Dare...
For the Disneyland Villains 10K I dressed as my favorite Haunted Mansion character, the Tightrope Ballerina. It is so very satisfying when people recognize your costume. I was sure to be as complete as possible with my pink shoes and socks to look like ballet shoes, a stuffed alligator was poised on my hand, and I had a pink parasol hair clip (there's no way I'm gonna carry a damn parasol for 6.2 miles, though I did see another gal on the course with my costume who did have a full-sized parasol with her).
For the Disneyland Half Marathon I chose an outfit that didn't require me to carry something besides my water bottle, so I went as Jose the parrot from the Enchanted Tiki Room. Someone did actually stop me for a picture of this outfit and I got compliments on my wings (a last-minute idea that cost me about $5 total!). I had great intentions of writing "this race course keeps getting 'chorter and 'chorter" or "my splits keep getting 'chorter and 'chorter" on the back of my tank for added verification of what my costume was supposed to be, but that never happened.
Things that make the runDisney events unique are the fact that the races are very inclusive of running enthusiasts of all skills. For me, this actually is a bone of contention because it can make those who are aiming for a PR have some difficulty as they bob-and-weave through the hoards of humanity. Another unique tidbit is that the courses go through Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, giving you a cool vantage point as you cruise through the parks and possibly waste precious time while waiting in line to snap a photo with a character or at a really fabulous photo spot (like in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle). The other big thing that makes these races stand out are the COSTUMES! Holy moly, this is the coolest thing. People go all out for these races and curate costumes that are unique, clever, and encouraging. Everything from Disney movie characters, nods to attractions, to food items...you'll see them created with every ounce of detail possible. My favorites from the races I did were a churro (yes, a woman ran as a churro!) and a Disneyland ticket book (same woman who wore the churro outfit the day before.
Here are the costumes that I put together for my Dumbo Double Dare...
For the Disneyland Villains 10K I dressed as my favorite Haunted Mansion character, the Tightrope Ballerina. It is so very satisfying when people recognize your costume. I was sure to be as complete as possible with my pink shoes and socks to look like ballet shoes, a stuffed alligator was poised on my hand, and I had a pink parasol hair clip (there's no way I'm gonna carry a damn parasol for 6.2 miles, though I did see another gal on the course with my costume who did have a full-sized parasol with her).
For the Disneyland Half Marathon I chose an outfit that didn't require me to carry something besides my water bottle, so I went as Jose the parrot from the Enchanted Tiki Room. Someone did actually stop me for a picture of this outfit and I got compliments on my wings (a last-minute idea that cost me about $5 total!). I had great intentions of writing "this race course keeps getting 'chorter and 'chorter" or "my splits keep getting 'chorter and 'chorter" on the back of my tank for added verification of what my costume was supposed to be, but that never happened.
I'll write up another post later about tips for doing a runDisney race and my thoughts on the event in greater detail, but for now just bask in the bling glory.
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