Marathon Weekend 2025

[DisneyParrothead]

SAFD: Parades are usually one and done for me. My favorite memory from watching a parade was Festival of Fantasy... My kids and DH had just done Pirate League and lots of the characters/performers seemed to notice them and react in a fun way. I think I'd like parades a lot more if I didn't feel like I needed to stake out a viewing spot far in advance.

Yes! I love Boo to You and it's totally worth staking out a spot. I don't find many other parades are worth that. Boo to You is at night so even when it's warm, the sun isn't beating on me.

 

[nancipants]

The Rainy Day cavalcade is actually a permanent thing! They do it if it's too rainy for Festival of Fantasy, but not raining enough that they can do a short parade like this.

 

[amazingact21]

There is one song that I recall from my kids first afternoon parade: Celebrate you by Corbin Blue.

I loved that song, too! I just went and added it to my Disney playlist, because I'd forgotten about it.



SAFD: I'll probably have to go with Festival of Fantasy. It began right around the time we started taking my oldest to WDW, and I've had the opportunity to watch both my kids enjoy the parade. Plus, a steampunk dragon is pretty cool.

 

[RunWI1265]

SAFD: Another one for Boo to You. Nostalgia is MSEP. I have such vivid memories of the lights and music of this one from my childhood. I was so sad when I wasn't able to make it out there for it's most recent comeback. I haven't seen this one live but I already know if/when I see Magic Happens it'll probably take the top spot. I was sad when Disney took it off YouTube and we couldn't watch it anymore. We watched it a lot during the stay at home times!

 

[runwithperseverence7]

SAFD: my current favorite is the Christmas parade. The toy soldiers and reindeer are the best! But I absolutely love the Main St Electrical Parade. Wish they would bring that back. My family loved it so much we went back to MK at night just with watch it another time. Also, eating our funnel cake from Sleepy Hollow waiting for MSEP to start!

 

[lukemorenus]

Tapestry of Nations. The music, the massive drum, the puppets...it was amazing, and worth sitting there at EPCOT waiting for it to come around

This is my all time favorite as well!

 

[nekonekoneko]

SAFD: For some reason, the only time I want to cross between Adventureland and Tomorrowland (or vice-versa) is during a parade!

 

[pinkxray]

I’m really hoping to make it to either the 10k or half marathon next Jan. I did the half back in 2020. Trained for the Princess10k in 2022 and got to the best running shape I had been in. We had a massive ice storm and couldn’t get down to FL.
Weird health issues popped up and killed my running for awhile. Last year I had to have physical therapy for some back issues. Now, no running and working alot has made my weight creep up. I think I am going to slowly ease back into slow jogging and see how it goes. Would love to do the half but my body doesn’t always agree with me. Will keep an eye on my back and other health stuff.

Not sure who I will be traveling with. DD19 said she would do the 5k. Dh doesn’t want to go to Disney again this year. I would love for the whole family to go and do the 5k and me do the half, but that will take some convincing.

I already took the day off on April 9 to be home to register. Will probably decide last minute what to sign up for.

 

[Let's Get Kronk]

Hey all! I am most likely taking MW off next January after completing Dopey earlier this month (of course who knows how badly the FOMO will get to me before April), but I'd like to keep up with y'all this year. I just don't think I can take full marathon training for the third holiday season in a row, but perhaps I will sign up for the half or something so I don't entirely miss out. I'm leaning towards signing up for all of W&D and trying to do all of the DL races next January, but we will see.

Happy training!

 

[Dopey 2020]

SAFD: Another vote for Boo to You, by far my favorite. Every bit of it, even the music. Especially enjoy the gravediggers with the sparking shovels. If I had to choose a regular (not special event) it would be Festival of Fantasy, as far as one I’d like to see again I can’t remember the name and think it was very short and very short lived (maybe not even considered a parade) but I remember Princess Tiana and Louis playing his trumpet. Loved seeing that coming off the riverboat in liberty square. Always thought Tom Sawyers Island would be a much better bayou than Splash Mountian.

Couldn’t stop digging around old photos for this one, found it



Only ran about 10 weeks but as I remember was quite a party. Wish they would do more like this.

 

[camaker]

Good morning RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week's edition of Sundays are for Disney (SAFD). This week's question comes from @azrivest. We kicked things off a couple of weeks ago with our RunDisney origin stories. Let's explore that theme a little more. What's your history with RunDisney? What races weekends have you run and which were your favorites? Do you have a favorite medal? Pictures are encouraged.

SAFD:
As previously relayed, I started my RunDisney career at Marathon Weekend 2016 and was immediately hooked and have participated in every one since (including the virtual in 2021). It is, by far, my favorite running weekend. I think MW is a running party with a nice Disney theme, but the running is the star of the show. The other race weekends I've done have felt like fun Disney parties with some running thrown in for good measure, but the theme is the star of the show. Here are my race weekends:

Marathon Weekend: Goofy (2016, 2019), Dopey (2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024)
Star Wars Dark Side: 5k & Challenge (2016)
Disneyland Half Weekend: Dumbo Double Dare + 5k (2016), Pixar Challenge + 5k (2017)
Wine & Dine: Two Course Challenge (2022)

My favorite medals have been the first marathon medal I ever earned during MW 2016 and the TIE Fighter 10k medal from SWDS 2016:

 

[Naomeri]

SAFD: I think my favorite race weekend was Wine & Dine 2022 (aside from barely escaping a hurricane) It was my first weekend having the CrD corral boost, and the clearer starting course and the bigger buffer meant that I got to get a ton of character pics in the Half (17 in 50 non-moving minutes)

Weekends I’ve done:
Princess 2022
Springtime 2022
Wine & Dine 2022
Princess 2023
Springtime 2023
Disneyland 2024

I can’t decide on a favorite medal

 

[nekonekoneko]

We can afford to go to Disney just once a year, so we try to fit everything in possible.

Me: MW 5k (2022, 2023, 2024), DLHW 5k (2024)
DW: Dopey (2018, 2019, 2021 (darn virus), 2022, 2023, 2024) Dumbo+5k (2024)

We are planning on 2025, already. This is our annual vacation, and we try to live it up a bit!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

SAFD: I started running Disney in 2017 at W&D. I've done:
W&D 5 times
Dopey twice
Princess twice
Star Wars Rival Run once
Castaway Cay 5k once

W&D is my favorite weekend though less so now with the random character themes. Maybe MW will become my new favorite.

Favorite medal is so hard! I think I have to go with one of the MW 2022 medals. They are just so pretty!

 

[matt and beth]

SAFD: Done a handful of WDW Marathon weekend, Princess half, and Wine and Dine.

All are fun. Really enjoy the Wine and Dine after party.

Favorite medals are the 50th anniversary 2022. Huge, gold, and all compliment each other. Pluto was a dog tag, the back says if found return to Mickey Mouse. Clever little touch. Back of the Dopey medal has him holding a medal from each race. Pretty sweet!

 

[1lilspark]

SAFD:
Like I said a few weeks ago we fell into doing W&D 10k in 2016 and have been perfect ever since…. I added the 5k in ‘19, ‘20 (virtual), ‘22 & ‘23. Plan on doing at least the 10k this year
MW 10k ‘22
Dark side 5k & 10k ‘18
Springtime 5k in ‘22, challenge in ‘23, 5k & 10k this April
Castaway 5k (fun run) during four cruises (16,17,18,23)

Favorite medal too many to choose

 

[RuntheMouse]

SAFD: I started doing runDisney when it returned after COVID.

2021:
W&D 10k
2022:
MW 5k, 10k and Half
Princess Challenge
Springtime Surprise 10k & 10M
W&D Challenge
2023:
MW Dopey Challenge
Springtime Surprise 10M
2024:
MW 10k & Goofy Challenge

I think my favorite medal is from the 2022 MW HM.

 

[flav]

SAFD: I did three runDisney weekends so far, all amazing for different reasons:

WnD 2CChallenge 2017: My first HM, the best course ever and a great after party. The passport challenge medal is particular and completes the series well.

MW Dopey 2020: Going through 4 parks during the marathon is very special.

StS Challenge 2023: I loooove going to Disney in April. Flowers and gardens is so pretty. I like that it is a complete three days challenge but with shorter distances. I find the different themes fun. Last year I went with DD, who won the 10k (1st female). That is hard to beat in terms of experience. All four medals are gorgeous, so I will pick those as favourites.



ETA: This is the runDisney picture showing the medals up close:

 

[dobball23]

SAFD:

My RunDisney history...

2013 Marathon Weekend: Half Marathon. My wife suggested if she could do the half marathon that we go on a Disney Cruise. I ran the race as well, with minimal training other than my general staying in shape. I think I ran 16-17 miles weaving through runners. And I was exhausted at the end!

2018 Marathon Weekend: My first Dopey! I ran the 5K, 10K and full marathon (my first). I did the half with my wife to make sure I wasn't racing the day before my first marathon.

2020 Marathon Weekend: My second Dopey. I had a torn calf muscle in the fall, which impacted my training. Luckily, I was able to finish all four races.

2022 Marathon Weekend: My third Dopey. I ran all four races and was injury free. Luckily, we stayed COVID-free as well, given the time frame and that we were going on a cruise at the end of the weekend.

2023 Marathon Weekend: My first standalone marathon! I trimmed ~14 minutes off my PR.

2024 Marathon Weekend: My fourth Dopey.

I now have 26 RunDisney shirts. I would like to try another race weekend, but Marathon Weekend seems to work with our schedule.

Me after my first RunDisney race.

And after my most recent RunDisney race.

 

[superchime]

SAFD: I had a RunDisney false start when I was supposed to run the 2016 half marathon, deferred it to 2017 (remember when that was possible?!), hurt myself and ended up not going in 2017 but that was ok because the 2017 half got cancelled anyway! They sent me the medal but I donated it because I didn't want a medal for a race I didn't run.

After that I took a break until I started training for the 2023 January half marathon, and after that I was hooked. Since then I've done at least one race each weekend, although I will break that streak because I am not (really not) doing the DL Halloween races (nope. not at all. trying to forget registration day completely).

Jan 2023 - half marathon
Feb 2023 - Princess 10k
April 2023 - Springtime Surprise challenge
Nov 2023 - Wine and Dine 5k plus challenge
Jan 2024 - WDW half-half, and DL half for coast to coast

I absolutely love the runner-focused vibe at Marathon weekend, so that's probably my favorite race weekend. Although Springtime and Wine and Dine are great because there are Epcot festivals happening then, so those are my favorite times to be at Disney in general.

My favorite medals so far are the ones from Springtime Surprise because that was my first challenge. That was also the weekend where I finally had fun at the races I did. I wore costumes, I stopped for character photos, I relaxed a bit and really settled into enjoying the unique experience that is a RunDisney race.