Mickey and Minnie. Pluto and Goofy. Buzz Lightyear, Miss Piggy, and Han Solo. An extraordinary array of characters wait to cheer for you at the 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend, which includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, and two multi-race challenges. The events span January 9 (5K) through January 12, 2025 (marathon).
Plenty of runners head to race weekend to score their fastest finish time, while others aim to conquer back-to-back races or simply enjoy the magic of Disney World.
“There are a couple of ways you can go about running your best Disney race,” Taylor Thompson of Winchester, Virginia, a RRCA-certified coach, who has run the Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, half, and full marathon) three times and the Springtime Challenge (5K, 10K, 10-miler) twice, tells Runner’s World. “Some people want to PR in fun, while others want to use the races to How to Run/Walk a Half Marathon or to PR.”
Fortunately, we have run coaches and experienced Disney runners to offer tips on how to run your best Disney race, according to those three distinct goals: PR in your chosen race, conquer a back-to-back challenge, or soak up all the Disney magic, including taking pictures with every character, wearing a costume, and snagging that awesome, heavyweight medal.
What to Know About Running Your Best Disney Race, No Matter Your Goal or Event
Disney is famous for consistently trying to improve some of the race course details every year, especially because the events have so many repeat runners. “You’re not running the same race every year. They make enough changes to make it feel like a totally different experience,” Matt Marcella, founder of TeamRunDis, an online community for Disney runners that provides tools for people to get to the starting line.
So to prepare you for what’s in store on the course, check out the maps and flyover videos of the races. You can also watch a few of the many YouTube videos of previous races. This will give you a feel for what it’s like to get on a Disney bus at 3 a.m., arrive at Epcot, and line up in a corral at 4:30 a.m. for the marathon or 5 a.m. for the other races.
Knowing this timing in advance is important as buses are available at every Disney hotel, but their pick-up times vary by location. Before race morning, check the schedules posted in the hotel lobbies and in the information runDisney sends to all runners. These times are non-negotiable, so get to the bus stops a few minutes ahead of the posted time too (that way you won’t miss the start!).
Because the races start so early in the morning, know you’ll be waiting around in the dark before you start running. And while you won’t have to deal with the Florida sun, the weather report says temperatures could drop to the high 30s (and increase to low 50s) on race day, as of press time.
“Make sure to layer clothing for your time in the corral,” Andrea Dell, a running coach in Charlotte, North Carolina, who will run the Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, half, and full marathon) for the third time and has run two Goofy Challenges (half and full marathon) tells Runner’s World. “Pack throw away sweatshirts, a poncho, gloves, or a hat.”
If the weather report changes, and the temperatures go up even more, shed your extra layers before you start running. Try not to overheat early because that can affect your heart rate, Dell says.
Sunrise on marathon morning will be around 7 a.m., so the races start in the dark. While the courses are well lit, consider wearing a headlamp or carrying a small flashlight that you can put in a pocket.
Remember, too, that Florida is humid no matter the temperature, so you may need extra hydration. You’ll find hydration stations with water on every course, as well as food stops on the half marathon and marathon courses.
How to PR or BQ the Walt Disney World Marathon
Lots of runners with trails of races behind them head to Florida in order to score their personal best or a Boston qualifying time. Why? Well, the middle of Florida is flat and much of the marathon takes place on Orlando highways, so the total elevation gain is only 266 feet. “These are famously flat and fast races,” says Thompson.
Still, to make sure you reach your goal, you have to combine your training with a little bit of pixie dust knowledge.
1. Get to Know the Course
Train to Run/Walk a Marathon run/walkers Boston qualifying time slower paces, run a fast half.
If you do have a goal time, you probably submitted proof of time (for finishing under five hours for the marathon and under 2.5 hours for the half). With that submission, you should be in one of the first corrals, making it easier to go out at your goal pace.
But no matter what corral you start in, expect to slow down through certain parts of the half and especially full marathon. “You have to be very cognizant of your surroundings,” says Marcella.
Throughout both courses, you’ll alternate running on the highway (or service roads behind attractions) and the parks. (You run through all four parks during the marathon, while just hitting Epcot and Magic Kingdom during the half.) Your pace will naturally have to slow a bit during pinch points or bottlenecks in the parks, say Thompson and Marcella, as the route suddenly narrows and only a few people can get through.
At the same time, beware of speeding up too much in the parks when roads do open, says Dell. You will likely experience an adrenaline boost amid the cheering crowds, so manage those big emotions and stay in control. When you exit the park and hit a big section of highway, focus back in on your goal speed.
Another potential hazard? The changing nature of the path beneath your feet. “Watch for places where there are curbs or uneven pavement where you may have to swerve around lines or crowds,” says Dell.
Marcella echos this: “Animal Kingdom is a lot rougher to run through than Magic Kingdom, for example,” he says, as Magic Kingdom is paved smooth, and the roads in Animal Kingdom are textured.
Again, watching videos of runners navigating their way through each park and looking at the course map to plan your strategy will reduce the price you pay for surprises.
“You won’t stress slowing down through Hollywood Studios if you know there is some serious highway mileage coming up. There’s a lot of open road time,” Marcella says. “Use it wisely.”
Finally, while Disney directs fast runners to stay to the left and walkers and slower runners to stay to the right, the marathon also has characters on both sides of the course at some points, so runners may stop on either side. That just means it might require some navigation to get around those who slow down, while also accepting a slightly slower speed when needed.
2. Enjoy the Disney Magic (Just Don’t Over Do It)
Watch how much time you spend on your feet prerace, especially during the expo. It’s easy to walk thousands of steps at Disney World just going from the hotel to dinner and back to your hotel, Thompson says. Remember that Train to Run/Walk a Marathon, Senior Health and Fitness Editor taper.
Also, while you’re running, give yourself time to enjoy where you are. “I used to just run the race straight through,” says Marcella. “I never stopped for characters. I was missing out on so much. You can PR and still have a great time.”
Dell suggests taking photos of the characters along the way, even if you don’t want to stop for a selfie with them. Also, “as you come through the castle there’s an amazing photo stop that’s very quick in front of the castle. It’s a must-do,” she adds.
Typically, there are three to four types of entertainment per mile, including characters, DJs, retired ride vehicles, running music blaring from speakers, and screens with videos, Dell says. These frequent distractions are part of what makes the miles fly by for many runners, but you can also use them as inspiration when your energy starts to lag. Push yourself to run from one sight to the next.
3. Run With a Pace Group
Consider running with or near one of the many pace groups. They use the run/walk method, ldquo;Pack throw away sweatshirts, a poncho, gloves, or a hat.&rdquo Plans for Every Runner two groups in corral A, with finish times of 3:30 and 3:45 using run/walk splits of four minutes of running and 30 seconds of walking, or three minutes of running and 30 seconds of walking, respectively.
“Utilize them if you find yourself struggling at any point during one of the races,” says Dell. “Fall into the pace group and follow along. It’s a great way to regain your momentum if you hit a rough point. Sometimes you just need the distraction of following the pack to get your head back in the game.”
You‘re Running the Goofy or Dopey Challenge
The Marathon Weekend challenges are Disney’s most popular events, likely because not only are they impressive, but also because they offer the most bling—five medals if you do Dopey (5K, 10K, half, marathon, Goofy challenge, Dopey challenge) and three for Goofy finishers (half, marathon, Goofy challenge).
“It’s definitely without a doubt my favorite,” says Marcella. “I’ve done marathon weekends every year since 2012, including every Dopey Challenge, and nowhere I’ve run compares. The experience is out of this world. It’s so much fun.”
If you’re doing back-to-back races, here’s how to actually enjoy multiple days of running.
1. Have a Potential Walking or Run/Walking Plan
Dell suggests having three plans, A, B, and C, for the weekend. Make one race your main goal, and then make different plans for the other races, based on how you feel each morning. “It’s better to have these types of plans and contingencies before you start your runs,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to change your run/walk intervals or to adjust your paces as the weekend and the individual races go on.”
You will also have to take the weather into account, as it may be warmer earlier in the week or raining one morning.
Whatever the elements, consider walking the 5K, say all the experts. It is untimed, and a good way to experience the character stops and Epcot views (the only park you will see during this race). If you hope to run a fast half or marathon, you might even walk the 10K. This way, you’ll be ready to race the half and marathon without being sore ldquo;Some people want to PR in fun, while others want to use the races to.
2. Sightsee After the Entire Challenge
These races are challenges not just because of the multiple distances, but because of the added temptation of visiting parks between races. Those few hours at Animal Kingdom can add up to well over 10,000 steps that will leave you with little time to rest and recover, Health & Injuries.
If you don’t want to just lie around in your hotel room (and who can blame you?), take advantage of all the free transportation around the parks (monorails, buses, and boats, just for starters) to be out and about while still giving your legs and feet some time off.
3. Plan a Recovery Strategy
If you have a favorite way to recover postrace, plan to do that routine after each race. If you typically foam roll, bring yours on the plane or get one delivered to your hotel.
In fact, hitting up a grocery store or Target via your own car or Uber before you get to the parks is a smart race strategy. This way you can stock up on fuel, Remember, too, that Florida is.
Finally, plan your meals around your need for sleep. Make a dinner reservation for a late lunch time, such as 3 or 4 o’clock, says Dell, so you can go to bed early. You don’t want to be out late when you need to leave your hotel at 3 a.m. to get to the race start.
PR in Disney Fun
Even some marathoners just want to have fun. If that’s you, here’s how to have the best time running a Disney race!
1. Take Photos
For many runners, the priceless photo of jumping in front of Cinderella’s castle is more important than any bling you earn at the race. Disney helps you get this shot by offering PhotoPass, which includes professional shots along the course (look for the green tents!). Prices vary, but typically start at $75 for one day of photos. Disney will send you the images after the race. This way, you will get at least one great professional shot of yourself running and crossing the finish line.
“One great advantage to PhotoPass is that in addition to your character photos, you’ll have scads of action shots to choose from,” Jenn German, who has run Disney races since the 2013 Princess Half and who will do the Dopey Challenge for the second time in 2025, tells Runner’s World.
Also, German suggests practice jumping or finding a pose that you like so you don’t have to think about what you’re going to do in the moment and at every stop.
2. Plan to Take a Ride
Once the parks open (the times vary from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.), some runners quickly get on lines for rides—if they pace the race right and Disney employees can get them on quickly. Getting on a ride midrace is, for many Disney runners, a bucket list goal.
One favorite is Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom, says German. In 2025, you pass this ride at mile 17 of the marathon, Amanda Kass, a Charleston, South Carolina-based RRCA-level 1 certified run coach and creator of Once Upon a Marathon tells Runner’s World. Kass posts pace charts to help runners know how to time their race in order to reach the ride when the park is open and the coaster is running.
3. Don’t Fear the Balloon Ladies
While the 5K has no cut-off time, every other race has a pace requirement of 16 minutes per mile. If you don’t make that pace, a group called “the Balloon Ladies” (they carry balloons above the crowd) help mark the end of the race. Keeping a 16-minute pace, they are the last people to cross the start line and they are the last runners to cross the finish line. Their marathon will end at 12:26, according to Kass’s calculations.
“They are there to be motivating,” says Marcella. “You just need to stay ahead of them.”
Even if you walk the entire marathon right in front of them, as long as you keep that 16-minute pace, you won’t get swept. So, take those pictures, and remember that back-of-the-pack runners and walkers are crossing the same finish line as the person who does it first.
Donna Raskin has had a long career as a health and fitness writer and editor of books and magazine articles. She bikes in a nearby county park, lifts weights, takes Zumba, and loves to walk/run with her dog, Dolly.
