Marathon Weekend 2025

[jrsharp21]

SAFD: I usually don't wear a costume for the runs, but going to try some Disney bounding this year. For the 5k, I have a Bruno (Encanto) running tank that I didn't get to wear at least year's 5k since I got sick. For 10k, I have a Lightning McQueen tank that I will wear with some checkered racing flag type of socks. I am trying to figure out how to get "Lightyear" on my black shorts. For the half, it will be Mickey, red tank, black shorts, yellow shoes, and ordering a mouse ears visor to run during the race. For the full, going with tank that is close to the Dopey green and purple shorts. Trying to find some purple socks to wear also.

 

[SheHulk]

Some people go all out for all distances. I don't know how they do it. 10K is my limit for running with handheld props.

I passed someone in a full Cinderella outfit and a full, really fancy looking wig. It was either a half marathon or a marathon. Thinking it was the Princess Half. That wig looked like a real Disney Princess CM wig, that type of fullness. I asked her how she does it and she said she wears something like it every race. I do wear costumes almost every rD race, and have worn a fake ponytail attached to my hair, but I bow down to anyone wearing a wig like that in a half or longer distance.

 

[The Expert]

I passed someone in a full Cinderella outfit and a full, really fancy looking wig. It was either a half marathon or a marathon. Thinking it was the Princess Half. That wig looked like a real Disney Princess CM wig, that type of fullness. I asked her how she does it and she said she wears something like it every race. I do wear costumes almost every rD race, and have worn a fake ponytail attached to my hair, but I bow down to anyone wearing a wig like that in a half or longer distance.

Me too! Wigs make me SO HOT and they tend to get pretty tangled up when you actually run. That doesn't matter so much with my Merida wig as she's supposed to be a bit wild, but I have a really nice quality, long wig I had styled for an Enchanted costume and practically ruined it doing run/walk intervals during a Princess 10K several years ago.

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD: I LOVE to run in costume! But I’m also VERY easily irritated by carrying extra stuff, too many layers, any clothing that itches/scratches/tugs/pinches. So my best costuming efforts have always gone to the 5K and10K distances. I think the Jan. Half will probably be my swan song to long distances, so I feel like I should costume it up, but the January races are the least predictable, weather-wise: I’ve got a few ideas of what I might want to do, but nothing will be final until literally that morning. I’ve learned that lesson!

Tips? Well, how ‘bout a confession: I almost never test a costume before racing in it. I can tell if it’s going to be okay or not from a single try-on. But I also build every costume around regular running clothes I’ve already run in. The costume part is merely adding accessories.

One solid tip: elastic. Just about anything you plan to carry in your hand can be modified by adding a loop of elastic (which you can buy in lengths or spools at a fabric store). Wrap the elastic around your hand or wrist. I’ve used that method to carry a baking tray of cookies, a TSM target, a feather duster, a Mickey plush, and a giant FASTPASS.

Another tip: craft felt is your friend. I’ve made all sorts of stuff with craft felt! A Daisy duck bill hand-tacked with thread onto a visor, Figment eyes tacked to the top of a visor, Vader’s chest plate sewn to a running tank, the TSM sign printed on transfer paper and ironed-on to felt, then tacked to a visor. I know others really like craft foam, but I find it more difficult to work with than felt.

 

[PrincessV]

A couple of tips from someone who has run in Tink wings a few times:
1. Be aware the width or depth the wings may add to your body and be VERY aware of people around you. I'm a short, small person and it was tough to keep my wings out of people's way in the corrals.
2. Even if they attach with straps, pin them to your shirt or sports bra. Definitely do a test run with them secured different ways. I found the straps would slide at the adjustment point during my run, making them loose and causing the straps to move and chafe. I pinned them to the back of my shirt but also pinned the straps to themselves so they couldn't slide.

I’ll second the pinning of wings tip, and add this: I cut off the elastic I entirely and only pinned mine - but I pinned them first to my shirt BEFORE putting my shirt on because I had no one to assist, then had a friend at the race start add more pins. Also, bending the tops and bottoms of the wings a bit so they curve backward away from you was a tip a friend gave me and worked a treat.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Tips? Well, how ‘bout a confession: I almost never test a costume before racing in it. I can tell if it’s going to be okay or not from a single try-on. But I also build every costume around regular running clothes I’ve already run in. The costume part is merely adding accessories.

This is important. If you're running in something with tulle and you've never run in tulle before (tutu, dottie, enchanted, etc) there can definitely be some fiddling to do. But if you're combining stuff you normally run in, it's a pretty safe choice.

 

[SheHulk]

Tips? Well, how ‘bout a confession: I almost never test a costume before racing in it. I can tell if it’s going to be okay or not from a single try-on.

Me too
SAFD: I usually run in some kind of costume, or at minimum a themed printed shirt + skirt. This year I'm running the marathon with a friend for the first time, and he is a very seasoned runner but new to rD. He & I and other friend ran the DL Half last year, and I got them to do Loki/Thor/Hela with me. This time we are doing Darth/Leia and it's mostly going to be a white running dress and buns for me. I'll probably get my mom to help craft me a Leia looking belt but that's it.

 

[DHSsenior007]

SAFD: I'm doing the marathon and wanted to do something fun, but not a full-on costume given the distance. I ordered this visor on Etsy and am planning on wearing a shirt or tank with coordinating colors. Otherwise normal black running capris. I ran in it once for a 3-4 mi run and it seemed fine, but I should do it again for a longer run just to make sure...

 

[The Expert]

I ordered this visor on Etsy and am planning on wearing a shirt or tank with coordinating colors.

I ran in that same seller's visors for all six of my January races at WDW and DL last year. They held up great through all the runs and being packed multiple times in the suitcase.

 

[azrivest]

Once again, I have to wonder what Jack’s “normal” paces and/or PRs are.

I've run next to him before and we were running at around at 10mm pace



SAFD: This year I'm going the 10k and the marathon. For the 10k, I'll be dressed up as Anxiety from Inside Out 2. For the marathon, I decided to not dress up this year, I don't want to be distracted by a malfunctioning costume.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

SAFD: I'm also not a big costume person, but for the HM I'm going as a member of the Swedish Band from Small World. Regular yellow running shorts and white running shirt with a decorated vest and toque(?) hat.

Maybe I should do the Swedish chef, running around blithering “Bork Bork Bork” and other nonsense “Swedish”

 

[Naomeri]

Maybe I should do the Swedish chef, running around blithering “Bork Bork Bork” and other nonsense “Swedish”

There were so many Swedish chefs at the W&D 5K! There was one in the corral near me who was very into it and had a small pot and wooden spoon and did a lot of banging, especially when he saw another chef or a chicken!

 

[princesspirateandrunner]

SAFD: I always run in costume, though there have been times that I’ve run out of time to finish them the way I wanted, and a couple of times that I had to recycle one I’d used before. I’ve always tried to make my own from scratch, but have used a base of running clothes a couple of times. I’ve been a generic princess (first rD race, and didn’t know to pick a specific character), Elastigirl, Ariel, Jasmine, Minnie Mouse, the Queen of Hearts, Maleficent, a Dole Whip, Sylvie, Jane Porter, Captain Marvel, and probably others that I’m forgetting. I’ve also made costumes for DH—Prince Eric, Herbie the Love Bug, the first (blue) Mr. Incredible, and Captain America. This year, we’re running the 10k together as Chip and Dale in baseball jerseys. We have the jerseys (ordered off Amazon), but no lettering yet. I’m hoping to get DS29’s girlfriend to make the numbers and letters on her cricut. DH is running the marathon, and has requested a specific one of the kakamoras. I haven’t started that at all, but we’ve talked through some ideas.

As for running in wigs, I had a long red wig for Ariel. If I recall, that was for a rainy W&D nighttime half. That wig was incredibly gross by the end. I don’t think I’d run another half in a wig. I’ve never run a 5k at Disney, but I’ve done all the other distances, always in costume.

I’ve never been good about test runs ahead of time, but it’s been mostly okay. I started rD in 2013, and the earlier ones were more elaborate. I need to get going so I don’t run out of time this year!

 

[DisneyGamer11]

How's this race (half-marathon) fare for PR potential? For W&D, the half-course is tough to PR because of the Boardwalk > HS log-jam - but I don't see anything similar here in course maps (maybe towards the end at Epcot).

 

[jmasgat]

Maybe I should do the Swedish chef, running around blithering “Bork Bork Bork” and other nonsense “Swedish”

My running partner at W&D 5k spent the entire race in character as Swedish Chef. And he also kept it up at the 10k and half. He really nailed it.

 

[cburnett11]

I've always wanted to do a Chiefs costume, so I'm finally doing one, but as a nod to the haters I'm mashing up a Patrick Mahomes tech material lightweight jersey with a Kermit green running skirt. I'll add a Kermit green visor with some patches representing Muppets and Chiefs, and add some felt Kermit eyeballs.

Fantastic!

 

[MissLiss279]

How's this race (half-marathon) fare for PR potential? For W&D, the half-course is tough to PR because of the Boardwalk > HS log-jam - but I don't see anything similar here in course maps (maybe towards the end at Epcot).

I PR’d at the 2022 Princess Half which is basically the same course. I can’t think of any real bottlenecks, except there might be a one lane area near the beginning, but one lane is wider than the HS-Epcot path. It probably also depends on what corral you are starting in how log jammed that could become.
MW is the last time I can use that PR for POT. I need to find another good half to run for time!

 

[Herding_Cats]

How's this race (half-marathon) fare for PR potential? For W&D, the half-course is tough to PR because of the Boardwalk > HS log-jam - but I don't see anything similar here in course maps (maybe towards the end at Epcot).

If you’re starting in a more forward corral, probably good since it's pretty flat. If you’re starting further back, it gets questionable because of the amount of weaving you may have to do.

“Cone alley,” the section between GF and the Poly is a notable slow-down area, though not as bad as the HS-to-Boardwalk section of the marathon course.

I’ll also add that we aren’t 100% sure what the course will look like this year as they released significant changes to the marathon course that have us wondering if it’s for construction reasons, which would theoretically mean that the HM course would get re-routed similarly.

 

[runwithperseverence7]

Also, there's a good chance the wings will set off the security scanners and cause you to be pulled aside (there were SO MANY Tinks getting hand-scanned at the Springtime 5K this year, myself included) so I recommend you don't put on your wings until after security so you can hold them out in front of you through the scanner, you'll save yourself some time and hassle.

Thanks!

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

SAFD: I am soo team costumes... it is one of the things I loove about rundisney and what I hate when I go to regular races and no else is dressing up... (I do cosplay and larp... so no surprise there, lol). I tend to do costumes that are still easy enough to run in... so I am like mid level in the costume game when it comes to running. I don't go to crazy level into the costumes like wearing the wigs which I do for cosplays.

5k: My mom is joining me, she is not a big costume person soo I let her pick from my outfits our theme and she picked one of my minimal ones of course, so she will be Elsa and I am going to be Sven. I have a cute brown tutu and tail and a great Sven hat. Including a shirt that say will run for carrots. I plan on running with carrots.

10k: I am doing Bloofy from Inside out 2 including having Pouchy on me and I even bought a toy dynamite so I can pull it out of Pouchy. I am super excited about this outfit. I am hoping people will recognize it, since Bloofy is not as well known as the other inside out characters.

1/2: I am doing the group costume and I am wearing my small world outfit I wore in Disneyland. I want a pic of infront of Small World in both Disneyland and WDW. It is a tutu with the Disneyland small world clock on the shirt.

Marathon: Dopey themed with a tech shirt that has dopey in the front and running into my 40s on the back since this is my 40th birthday present. I have a cute dopey skirt I am wearing with it. And a purple sparkle visor with a little crown on it.