Find general runDisney race information for all races and some frequently asked questions below. Your one stop shop for Disney race info!
RunDisney Season
Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend
Oct 22-25, 2026 – WDW, Epcot, FL – Race weekend runs during Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, is usually the first weekend in Nov, and consists of a 5k, 10k, and a Half Marathon. Run the 10k and the Half to complete the Two Course Challenge.
Virtual 12ks of Christmas
December, 2026 – Virtual – Join in the merriment and run three 4ks wherever you find the Christmas spirit!
WDW Marathon Weekend
Jan 6-10, 2027 – WDW, Epcot, FL – Race weekend is always the first weekend after the first Monday in January. You can run a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, or Full Marathon. Run the Half and Full Marathon to complete the Goofy Challenge or run all four races to complete the Dopey Challenge
Princess Half Marathon Weekend
Feb 25-Mar 1, 2027 – WDW, Epcot, FL – Race weekend has a 5k, 10k, half marathon, yoga, and 10k + half marathon challenge and is the last weekend in February. It is female focused and is themed to different princesses each year.
Springtime Surprise Weekend
Apr 8-11, 2027 – WDW, Epcot, FL – Race weekend is the first weekend in April. While the race themes change the weekend has a 5k, a 10k, and a 10-Miler. Finish the all the races to complete the challenge!
Summer Virtual Series
A virtual series that consists of three 5ks run from June thru August. You can also complete the challenge and run all three for a bonus medal.
Virtual Spooktacular Series
Oct 2026 – Virtual – The Spooktacular Challenge is a 3 race 13-mile race series consisting of a 3-miler, 4-miler, and 6-miler. Participants will earn 4 medals, a Halloween Disney pin, pumpkin bag charm, hat, and candy!
Discontinued Race Weekends
Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend
Sep 4-7, 2025 – Disneyland, Anaheim, CA – Race weekend during Halloween time at Disneyland!
Discontinued – Love on the Run Challenge
Feb 2025 – Virtual – Join this race series that celebrates Disney Pixar duos. It consists of a 2-Miler, a 5-Miler, and a 7-Miler!
Discontinued – Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend
Jan 30-Feb 2, 2026 – Disneyland, Anaheim, CA – Disneyland racing is back! This weekend consists of yoga, 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon. Finish the 10k and Half for to complete the Dumbo Double Dare!
runDisney Frequently Asked QUestions
How Do I Register?
RunDisney races are very popular and sell out quickly if not instantly. Each race has a different registration date so check out the information posted on my website or what’s posted on runDisney.com. Registration usually opens at 10am ET/7am PT (9am CT/8am MT).
To prepare for registration day, you will want to set up a runDisney account and make sure all your information is correct. If you you plan to register for a longer race (10-miler or longer) or challenge, then make sure you have your proof of time ready. For your proof of time you will need the race name, date, location, distance, time, and a link to the results that runDisney can use to verify the information. Put this information into an app that will allow you to easily copy and paste the information into the registration page (Word doc, Gdoc, notes app, etc).
On registration day, you will want to make sure you get on the runDisney website for the race event 10-15 minutes ahead of the registration time. At the time of registration, runDisney will update the button to say “Register Now”. You can click on any race’s register button to register for any of the races so whichever registration button switches first, click that one.
Now you are in the registration queue! The next screen may say something like “We thank you for your patience”, this means you are in the queue but runDisney hasn’t opened registration yet. Next, the screen will update with your wait time. It will likely say your wait is over an hour but you may find you won’t have to wait that long.
Once you are in, you will register for the race(s) you want, add them to your cart and finish your transaction. One note: If the race you want sells out, it can sell out while it’s in your cart. It’s smart to go through the whole transaction for the races that will sell out quickest.
There is a great conversation on registration on the Rise and Run Podcast here starting around the 1 hour 20 minute mark:
Will your race sell out? The most popular races for any race weekend are the 10k, 5k, and Challenge the 10-Miler/Half Marathon will be the last to sell out. For WDW Marathon Weekend, Dopey will sell out first with the 5k and 10k, followed by the Half Marathon, the Marathon, and then the Goofy Challenge.
Note: runDisney announced in 2026 that the 5k races will expand so these races might take longer to sell out.
Expect the 5k, 10k and Challenge to sell out when registration opens or within a few hours. All other races will sell out in the next few days.
If it’s a new race weekend or a returning one, it will sell out VERY quickly. Be ready on registration day and good luck!
Occasionally, runDisney will open up race slots later on for a race but it’s not guaranteed. You can also run for a charity which is a great way to run as well as benefit a great cause!
Do the races have a time limit?
RunDisney requires a 16-minute per mile pace for all timed races. This usually means that all 10ks, 10-Milers, Half Marathons, and Marathons. 5ks are usually untimed races that do not require the 16-minute mile pace.
How is the pace set and who are the balloon ladies?
The balloon ladies are volunteers that set the official 16-minute mile pace for the race. They get their name because they usually attach large helium balloons to their race outfit so that people can see them easily. They will be the last racers to cross the start line and will continuously walk at close to a 16-minute per mile pace. Remember they are human so there is room for error and they are NOT paid by runDisney.
If you get passed by the balloon ladies then you may get swept from the course at the next check point. Behind the balloon ladies are usually course support personnel on bikes or other motorized vehicles who will warn you that you will be swept if you can’t catch up with the race pace. If you get swept, runDisney will put you onto a bus (the Parade Bus) and take you to the finish line area. I’ve heard mixed reports on how this goes but I believe you will receive your race participant medal on the bus, if you are attempting a challenge though, you will not get the challenge medal.
How do I avoid getting swept/removed from the course?
TRAIN! Find a training plan and stick to it and make sure to train at a pace faster than 16-minute per mile pace to give yourself some wiggle room. runDisney suggests training at a 15-minute per mile pace. RunDisney has official training plans online and there are many free training plans on the internet that will successfully get you to the finish.
Here are a few to get you started:
- RunDisney Training Plans: https://www.rundisney.com/running-training-programs/
- Couch to 5k: http://www.c25k.com/
- Couch to 10k: https://www.runtothefinish.com/couch-to-10k/
- Hal Higdon: https://www.halhigdon.com/training/
- Nike: https://www.nike.com/running/training-plans
- Runner’s World: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training-plans/
- Another Mother Runner: https://anothermotherrunner.com/running-training/
Another strategy some runners use to avoid getting swept is to get placed in a faster corral. Currently, runDisney only requires proof of time if you plan to run faster than a 2:15 half marathon or a 4:30 marathon and you submit a race time to get placed in the correct corral. If you run a race before the proof of time submission deadline and achieve a faster time it ensures you get placed in a higher corral.
By securing a higher corral, it puts more time between you and the balloon ladies who keep the official course cut off pace. For example, if there are 6 corrals, A thru F, and you can get a proof of time that places you in corral D, then you have an additional 10-20 minutes of buffer between you and the balloon ladies because it takes about 30-45 minutes to release all the runners at the start depending on the race. This time might not seem like a lot but a 15 minute difference means that for a half marathon you have more than a minute per mile extra before you need to worry about being swept from the course.
What is the difference between clock time and net time?
Your clock time is the “universal” race clock. When the first runner starts this clock starts and will just keep running until the last runner finishes. Net Time is the time you actually took to run the race.
So for example, if you are in corral C and you run a 3 hour half marathon and it took you 15 minutes to start after the first runner then your clock time is 3:15 but your net time is 3:00. Net Time determines age group result placements while clock time determines overall winners.
What is the race weekend expo?
All runners must go to the expo to get their bib, race shirts, and any other goodies you get with your registration. Each runner must go to the expo themself, you can not have another person pick up your bib for you.
At Disney World, the expo is at the ESPN Wide World of Sports and uses the three main buildings at the complex. One building houses bib pickup and race relations (if you have any concerns or need information). Another building is for vendors and race t-shirts pickup. The last building has the official race weekend merchandise for sale.
At Disneyland, the expo is usually held at the Convention Center at the Disneyland hotel. Bib Pickup is in one area and then race shirt pick-up, vendors, and official merchandise in another area.
Three weeks to a month before the race weekend, RunDisney will share a sneak peak at the official race weekend merchandise. If you want to get certain official merchandise you really need to plan to arrive for the first day of the expo which is the day before the first race, usually Thursday expect for WDW Marathon Weekend where the expo will start Wednesday.
Starting in 2023, runDisney introduced a virtual queue system for the Official Merchandise for the first day of the expo. Note, you can still go at any time to get your bib and shirts on the first day of the expo. Find details about it here: https://www.rundisney.com/blog/ready-set-shop-event-weekend-merchandise-with-the/
RunDisney also sells official race merchandise in the finisher area after the race. Unsold merchandise from that race or any race distance from earlier in the weekend gets moved to the merchandise tent in the finisher area. For example, at the 10k of Princess Half Weekend, runDisney sells 5k and 10k race merchandise but not Half Marathon and Challenge merchandise in the finish area tent since that race hasn’t run yet.
Any tips for park touring?
Honestly, this depends on what your goals are for your race weekend. Do you want to stay focused on the race and all events around the race? Is park touring and the races equally important? Are you traveling solo or with others?
If your focus is on the races, then you should prioritize getting off your feet early, getting enough rest, and keeping stress low. For many this looks like running a race, then spending some time resting and eating after the race. Then maybe heading into the parks for 5-7 hours (11am-6pm for example) for some leisurely park time. This will allow you to rest both post race and then in the evening to get off your feet.
If you are trying to balance the race weekend and your park time, I recommend this schedule instead. Run your race, then quickly get ready and eat and then try to arrive at the park for park opening or soon after. Spend the morning at the park and then head back to the resort at lunch time. Eat and rest for about 4 hours. Head back to the parks in the afternoon/evening until you feel like you need to get off your feet for the evening. This allows you the same amount of park time but you can prioritize missing the busiest part of the day.
Also, I have found I get better sleep in the afternoon since I know I’m not going to miss my very early morning runDisney alarm. For this type of park touring I also recommend getting a lunch reservation so you have a “hard stop” at lunch time to ensure you don’t keep playing the “just one more ride” mental game.