New 'Star Wars Half Marathon' at Walt Disney World

micdisney · Aug 25, 2015

runDisney has today announced a new series of races taking place at Walt Disney World inspired by the dark forces of the Star Wars universe.

Following the debut of the popular Star Wars-themed race at Disneyland Resort, the Walt Disney World event turns to the dark side of the force, and will be titled 'Star Wars Half Marathon – the Dark Side,' and will feature kids races, a 5K and a 10K, in addition to the half marathon.

The half marathon course takes place in Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios and finishes at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

It wouldn't be a runDisney event without multiple race challenges, and there are two to choose from:

Star Wars Dark Side Challenge — running the 10K and the half marathon on consecutive days – that offers each finisher a Death Star-themed medal.
Kessel Run Challenge — completing the Star Wars half marathon missions on both coasts. Kessel Run Challenge runners can earn a commemorative “Coast to Coast” medal inspired by the Millennium Falcon starship.

“Ever since we launched the Star Wars race at Disneyland Resort, runners have been clamoring for more, so we’re thrilled to bring the Star Wars franchise together with the runDisney brand to Walt Disney World Resort,’’ said Maribeth Bisienere, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises. “If the inaugural Star Wars race at Disneyland Resort is any indication, this new running adventure to the dark side is sure to be the out-of-this-world experience that runners have come to expect at runDisney events.’’

The Star Wars-themed race at Disneyland Resort, will return in January 2016 as the 'Star Wars Half Marathon – the Light Side'.

The race weekend will be April 14 - 17 2016, with Race registration opening on September 22 2015 at www.runDisney.com. Pricing has not yet been announced.

rteetz · Aug 25, 2015

Quick announcement with registration opening September 22nd. I'm a big RunDisney fan. There is a good thread already about the race on the RunDisney events board. If I wasn't in school and doing marathon weekend in January I'd definitely do this one. The WDW Star Wars race weekend has been rumored for some time now.

gadeac · Aug 25, 2015

After taking part in the half (wife) and marathon (me) this past January, we decided we were going to not do a Disney race for a couple of years because they can be a hassle (how early you have to show up, then standing around for so long). It looks like that couple of years just became about 15 months.

rteetz · Aug 25, 2015

gadeac said:
After taking part in the half (wife) and marathon (me) this past January, we decided we were going to not do a Disney race for a couple of years because they can be a hassle (how early you have to show up, then standing around for so long). It looks like that couple of years just became about 15 months.

The morning doesn't bother me so much. The race is such a great experience in itself. They also have night races like wine and dine so you don't have to get up early.

nkosiek · Aug 25, 2015

I wonder since this is a "Dark Side" race if it won't be evening races.

Also a thought: with Season of the Force (or whatever the heck they are calling it), I wonder if this could be a kick-off event for it.

Savagekids · Aug 25, 2015

What is this runDisney events board you speak of?

rteetz · Aug 25, 2015

Savagekids said:
What is this runDisney events board you speak of?

Go to the category just for fun, then click on the wishes, then click events and every RunDisney event is listed.

EpicBilynn · Aug 26, 2015

I've been waiting for this to be announced. Already booked my hotel for that weekend, just waiting for early registration. I skipped registering for Princess because I was just hoping this would be announced. Can't wait! I'll be doing the challenge, but saving the Kessel Run until 2017.

pangyal · Aug 27, 2015

I would absolutely love to do this, I wonder why they don't do it sometime during SWW?

lockedoutlogic · Aug 27, 2015

Run disney has been neglected wdw...frankly.

They need some more "non princess" events...or ones not jammed into already crowded travel weekends

I've yet to run in one (but have run all over the property 5 times over at this point)...this one is tempting.

rteetz · Aug 27, 2015

lockedoutlogic said:
Run disney has been neglected wdw...frankly.

They need some more "non princess" events...or ones not jammed into already crowded travel weekends

I've yet to run in one (but have run all over the property 5 times over at this point)...this one is tempting.

Rundisney while it has the Disney name is run by outside people. I have run during marathon weekend and got hooked right away. If I wasn't in high school id definitely be going in April for this. Like everything tho they have a big push for merchandise.

In terms of princess runs they only have one on each coast.

lockedoutlogic · Aug 27, 2015

rteetz said:
Rundisney while it has the Disney name is run by outside people. I have run during marathon weekend and got hooked right away. If I wasn't in high school id definitely be going in April for this. Like everything tho they have a big push for merchandise.

In terms of princess runs they only have one on each coast.

Well...lets see.

They have the marathon...the princess half...the tinkerbell half...the horribly ill advised wine and dine...

They killed the tower of terror one...and they have that animal kingdom challenge thing...

My point is...there's a need for something else

rteetz · Aug 27, 2015

lockedoutlogic said:
Well...lets see.

They have the marathon...the princess half...the tinkerbell half...the horribly ill advised wine and dine...

They killed the tower of terror one...and they have that animal kingdom challenge thing...

My point is...there's a need for something else

As for WDW you have the marathon weekend in January which I am participating in. (Full, half, 10k, 5k, goofy and dopey challenges)
Princess in February (18th-21st, half, 10k, 5k, and princess challenge)
Everest challenge was in May but they killed that one too. (Was a 5k obstacle course type thing)
Star Wars will be in April (Dark side the 14th-17th, half, 10k, and 5k along with two special challenges)
Wine and dine in November (6th and 7th, a half and 5k)

Disneyland
Star Wars in January (14th-17th, half, 10k, 5k and special challenge)
Tinker bell in May (half, 10k, 5k, pixie dust challenge)
Disneyland half in September 3rd-6th (half, 10k, 5k, dumbo double dare challenge)
Avengers half in November (12-15, half, 10k,5k, Inifinity gauntlet challenge)

Next year they are also adding a half marathon and 5k in Paris for the first time.

If you run a half on each coast during the same calendar year you also earn a coast to coast medal. For Paris they are doing a special Castle to Chateau medal, and then for the two Star Wars races if you run on both coasts you get the kessel challenge medal.

DOOM1001 · Aug 27, 2015

lockedoutlogic said:
Well...lets see.

They have the marathon...the princess half...the tinkerbell half...the horribly ill advised wine and dine...

They killed the tower of terror one...and they have that animal kingdom challenge thing...

My point is...there's a need for something else

Everest Challenge is gone as well and Tinker Bell is in California.This Star Wars one was badly needed with ToT gone as the only races on the WDW calendar were January marathon weekend and the Princess half a month later and basically nothing else all the way until Wine and Dine.So basically if you're a guy there's Marathon weekend and W&D and that's it.They still need to get another Halloween themed race to replace ToT.It's amazing how a couple of years ago WDW had more races than DL and then with the races DL added and the ones we lost we're the ones lacking races so the Star Wars race was a must and a new Halloween themed race whether themed to ToT or not(hopefully a full weekend with a 5K,10K and half)would nicely round out the race calendar and prevent these races from selling out in an hour.

OrangeCountyCommuter · Aug 28, 2015

DOOM1001 said:
Everest Challenge is gone as well and Tinker Bell is in California.This Star Wars one was badly needed with ToT gone as the only races on the WDW calendar were January marathon weekend and the Princess half a month later and basically nothing else all the way until Wine and Dine.So basically if you're a guy there's Marathon weekend and W&D and that's it.They still need to get another Halloween themed race to replace ToT.It's amazing how a couple of years ago WDW had more races than DL and then with the races DL added and the ones we lost we're the ones lacking races so the Star Wars race was a must and a new Halloween themed race whether themed to ToT or not(hopefully a full weekend with a 5K,10K and half)would nicely round out the race calendar and prevent these races from selling out in an hour.

Fantasyland is in the Magic Kingdom

These races will sell out in an hour even if they keep adding.

I have no idea why, but runners can't seem to wait to give RunDisney cash

I will consider Star Wars in 2017 to get the challenge, but I am on a "one and done" unless there's some special medal now. Pricing has just gotten too high to justify (that said I signed up for Princess AGAIN so I can get Castle to Chateau if I can work out how to do the DLP race)

lockedoutlogic · Aug 28, 2015

DOOM1001 said:
Everest Challenge is gone as well and Tinker Bell is in California.This Star Wars one was badly needed with ToT gone as the only races on the WDW calendar were January marathon weekend and the Princess half a month later and basically nothing else all the way until Wine and Dine.So basically if you're a guy there's Marathon weekend and W&D and that's it.They still need to get another Halloween themed race to replace ToT.It's amazing how a couple of years ago WDW had more races than DL and then with the races DL added and the ones we lost we're the ones lacking races so the Star Wars race was a must and a new Halloween themed race whether themed to ToT or not(hopefully a full weekend with a 5K,10K and half)would nicely round out the race calendar and prevent these races from selling out in an hour.

the wine and dine one is the one that gets me. They are basically full on that weekend anyway (have been for about 10 years at least and its been getting worse)…so why not put an event in a slower time? Just silly

DOOM1001 · Aug 28, 2015

lockedoutlogic said:
the wine and dine one is the one that gets me. They are basically full on that weekend anyway (have been for about 10 years at least and its been getting worse)…so why not put an event in a slower time? Just silly

Okay so Marathon weekend in January was put in the second weekend of the year to get people to the parks after everyone went home after the holidays,that and the coolest and driest weather of the year.However anybody who's been to WDW over the last 5 years knows there's only two real slow times,a couple of weekends in January and September,you can't hold a race in September with the rain,heat,humidity and hurricanes.Also when are you going to hold a W&D,the week before or after the event starts and ends,that would upset 95% of the runners who want to come do the race and experience the festival and can't afford to be staying a week to do both.Actually the race this year will have lower crowds than last year when it was held on the last weekend of the festival which is notoriously crowded,this year its on the second to last weekend.The whole thing of these races being held on low crowd weekends is kind of a false fact as marathon weekend is the only true slow time,this new race will be a Spring race when Florida is full of northeners,but RunDisney is not insane either as its not being held when public schools are out,that's late March,early April.And the truth is for W&D in early November Epcot is the only park that has significant crowds and that's due to the festival.If someone told me next year the race is being held the weekend after the festival ends,guess what,I'm not signing up.

lockedoutlogic · Aug 28, 2015

DOOM1001 said:
Okay so Marathon weekend in January was put in the second weekend of the year to get people to the parks after everyone went home after the holidays,that and the coolest and driest weather of the year.However anybody who's been to WDW over the last 5 years knows there's only two real slow times,a couple of weekends in January and September,you can't hold a race in September with the rain,heat,humidity and hurricanes.Also when are you going to hold a W&D,the week before or after the event starts and ends,that would upset 95% of the runners who want to come do the race and experience the festival and can't afford to be staying a week to do both.Actually the race this year will have lower crowds than last year when it was held on the last weekend of the festival which is notoriously crowded,this year its on the second to last weekend.The whole thing of these races being held on low crowd weekends is kind of a false fact as marathon weekend is the only true slow time,this new race will be a Spring race when Florida is full of northeners,but RunDisney is not insane either as its not being held when public schools are out,that's late March,early April.And the truth is for W&D in early November Epcot is the only park that has significant crowds and that's due to the festival.If someone told me next year the race is being held the weekend after the festival ends,guess what,I'm not signing up.

Ok...you touched on the important part: the last weekend.

That's because it's become a notoriously "artificially crowded" weekend.

Blame the mk parties, Florida residents, the art show at downtown, and the NJEA.

It's wasnt about the runners...I just think it's poor timing on Disney's part to put it on the last week in EPCOT.

New 'Star Wars Half Marathon' at Walt Disney World

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