2012 Walt Disney World Marathon -- (JAN. 8, 2012): Runners start the 19th annual Walt Disney World Marathon at 5:35 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2012 at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The 26.2-mile race, with a field of 26,500 registered runners from all 50 U.S. states and more than 60 international countries, took athletes through all four Walt Disney World theme parks and several Disney resort hotel areas. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Runners in the 20th anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon in 2013 will have the unique experience of running along a speedway and through a baseball stadium – in addition to Disney’s four theme parks – as part the latest enhancements designed to celebrate the event’s two decades of existence.
The 2013 Disney Marathon course will again start at Epcot. But runners will go through the Magic Kingdom and then, for the first time ever, run through the high-banked Walt Disney World Speedway where stock cars, Indy cars and exotic supercars typically roar around the one-mile tri-oval track. And later the course will take runners to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and through the complex’s Champion Stadium, a major-league style ballpark that’s the Atlanta Braves’ annual spring training home.
Walt Disney World Marathon Course Map
Running through the speedway and the ballpark should provide quite a thrill for the runners. These very creative enhancements should make for a pretty memorable 20thanniversary marathon that people will probably be talking about for 20 more years.
Jon Hughes, veteran race director
The marathon’s commemorative route changes add to the new enhancements recently announced, including enhanced entertainment along Mile 20, a specially-designed 20th anniversary Mickey Mouse medal and a new post-race party at Downtown Disney.
In addition to the 26.2-mile marathon, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna (Jan. 10-13) will feature events for the entire family such as Kids’ Races throughout the weekend, including the Mickey Mile, a Family Fun Run 5K on Friday, the Half Marathon on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday. There is also Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge which involves running the Half Marathon and the full Marathon – 39.3 miles! The Health and Fitness Expo runs throughout the weekend at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and features the latest in running technology and fashion, as well as renowned running experts like Jeff Galloway, the official training consultant for runDisney.
Runners can register at www.rundisney.com. Runners can register early to get the best price. Below is pricing and the schedule of events for the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna.
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