Run Disney Events on Hiatus at Disneyland

[dina444444]

https://www.rundisney.com/blog/articles/run-disney/

UPDATE ON RUNDISNEY RACES AT DISNEYLAND RESORT

We have heard from many of you over the past few months regarding registration for runDisney race weekends at Disneyland Resort. We greatly appreciate your loyalty and dedication to our runDisney race events and want to share the following update with you.


Given the level of construction to support the ongoing Disneyland Resort expansion, we have been working hard to determine how we can continue providing our West Coast participants with the best possible runDisney experience, which is designed around the ability to run throughout our resorts while enjoying entertainment offerings and characters.


After careful consideration and weighing all possibilities, we have made the very difficult decision to place all runDisney race weekends at Disneyland Resort on hiatus beginning in 2018. This includes the associated Coast to Coast Race Challenges.


Anyone who has registered for one of these races will be contacted directly by runDisney today by email and will receive a full refund for registration fees and for any commemorative items they may have purchased.


While news of this hiatus is sad to share, we are so thankful for the magic and memories you have helped create at our race weekends through the years. We look forward to hosting the upcoming Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend at Disneyland Resort November 9-12, and we hope to see many of you there.


We encourage runners to continue to visit runDisney.com for other race opportunities. A full schedule of races at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Paris are currently still being offered, in addition to our virtual race series. Guests with questions can contact rundisney@disneysports.com.

 

[lalasmama]

Well, we kinda expected an announcement like this at some point. Its a bummer for those who enjoy runDisney events, though.

 

[DLgal]

Wow, that sounds like it's never coming back. Such a bummer. These were great events for our whole family. My son enjoyed the 5k races and it gave him a goal to work towards. This sucks, although my bank account is happy about it...

 

[Cal-Pie]

I might be alone on this, but I'm super happy! As my kids have gotten older it's been harder to find a time to go that is not a weekend or holiday. My experience with race weekends has been unbearable crowds, I'm glad I'll have more options now that I don't have to avoid them.

 

[tzeitel]

I might be alone on this, but I'm super happy! As my kids have gotten older it's been harder to find a time to go that is not a weekend or holiday. My experience with race weekends has been unbearable crowds, I'm glad I'll have more options now that I don't have to avoid them.

I felt bad when I read it because I was actually glad they are cancelled for the year My birthday always falls around the Tink race and hotels prices go up so much for that week!

I'm sure they will come back once all the construction is done - at one point I would love to do a Disney race.

 

[dec2009mama]

i am bummed, was looking forward to tink in 2018

 

[avalovesminnie]

I was planning on doing one a year til I did all of them. Oh well. I guess I can dress up at other random races, but in my experience Disney races have the happiest people!

 

[lurkergirl]

They were pretty much all holiday weekends of some sort, so it's not like the crowds will get lighter unfortunately.

Like @dec2009mama, I'm bummed.

 

[met19]

Disappointing. Was looking forward to getting my first coast to coast
Medal in 2018

 

[gottalovepluto]

I feel bad for those losing their race at DL dreams but am unsurprised given the levels of crowding seen this year. Maybe it's the skeptic in me but I wonder if it got to the point where Disney was making less money over race weekends than "regular" weekends?

 

[gottalovepluto]

Well, we kinda expected an announcement like this at some point. Its a bummer for those who enjoy runDisney events, though.

Hmm... Is this because the Pixar Pier project? And also the construction that will be occurring in DtD? Can't think of anything in DL major construction wise that's been announced but having never done a race I have no idea where they run.

 

[lalasmama]

Hmm... Is this because the Pixar Pier project? And also the construction that will be occurring in DtD? Can't think of anything in DL major construction wise that's been announced but having never done a race I have no idea where they run.

There were some whispers that they were likely going to cancel at least some runs, since they hadn't even opened the registration for the run that was scheduled for January, and we are only like 3 months from it.

As far as why, construction-wise, they would stop the runs for a while, I think there could be many reasons. My belief is that they are trying to avoid ruffling any feathers at the City of Anaheim, so they are halting the runs until after they have the approval for the Eastern Gateway Project. They also have Paradise Pier's upgrade, and, of course, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge's next 18+ months of construction. They also recently got the approval for their new hotel.... So, that's a lot of things that they need to "play nice" with Anaheim about to allow these things to be completed (even just to get some of it approved!).

Edited to add: I have no idea on the routes they run, but I'm fairly certain they do have to have main thoroughfares closed at some times.

 

[bumbershoot]

My experience with race weekends has been unbearable crowds,

I've done three of them and haven't experienced big crowds one that.

My birthday always falls around the Tink race and hotels prices go up so much for that week!

Well that's Mother's Day. So of course prices will be higher. It's also a late spring break time.

There were some whispers that they were likely going to cancel at least some runs, since they hadn't even opened the registration for the run that was scheduled for January, and we are only like 3 months from it.

They'd had registration for it for those of us who did the race this year. They just never opened ap/dvc or general registration.

 

[SteveMP]

I'm surprised they didn't keep like the 5k and kids runs at least. Half of the 5k is through DTD and the streets.

 

[kappyfamily]

Having done many races all over the country, 7 of them Disney Half’s, I can tell you almost always when races are cancelled it’s due to permit issues with the city. Of course it’s not all the time, but a fair share of the time for sure.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm surprised they didn't keep like the 5k and kids runs at least. Half of the 5k is through DTD and the streets.

If they cite construction they have to follow through on that.

Having done many races all over the country, 7 of them Disney Half’s, I can tell you almost always when races are cancelled it’s due to permit issues with the city. Of course it’s not all the time, but a fair share of the time for sure.

No permits have been applied for. Traditionally they do that about a month out. The city has said repeatedly that they have nothing to do with this. And they can't deny a permit that hasn't been applied for.

 

[Kender]

I'm really broken hearted over this. Tink weekend is my birthday weekend and I use it as a birthday trip. I also use it as a mother daughter trip with my mom for mother's day. The running at Disneyland has been great bonding for us.

I'm just hoping when (and I refuse to believe if... I need to have hope it'll be back) the races come back, they maintain legacy status for runners who have it.

 

[GatorChris]

I might be alone on this, but I'm super happy! As my kids have gotten older it's been harder to find a time to go that is not a weekend or holiday. My experience with race weekends has been unbearable crowds, I'm glad I'll have more options now that I don't have to avoid them.

You're definitely not alone. I only wish they would've cancelled this coming November's race. I could've gotten a much better hotel room, I wouldn't be biting my nails worried about those forever long entrance and security lines that races tend to create, and that weekend would have normal opening hours.

With this announcement, maybe....just maybe....we'll consider coming back next mid-November.

 

[Cal-Pie]

You're definitely not alone. I only wish they would've cancelled this coming November's race. I could've gotten a much better hotel room, I wouldn't be biting my nails worried about those forever long entrance and security lines that races tend to create, and that weekend would have normal opening hours.

With this announcement, maybe....just maybe....we'll consider coming back next mid-November.

My birthday is within a few days of mother's day, so we always did a trip that weekend, low crowds, cheap hotel rates...until Tink started. I did try and brave it this past May, but 90 minute waits on Pirates at 10am, yeah...no thanks. Now I can resume planning my birthday trips!!

 

[jennamfeo]

If you guys are at all interested in some more reasoning behind the closures or how the routes were created for previous races, this guy is doing an AMA on reddit right now:

My name is Brandon Hough and I oversaw runDisney's west coast Course Operations from the 2014 DLHM through the 2017 TBHM. AMA!

https://www.reddit.com/r/AMAAggrega...lo_rrundisney_my_name_is_brandon_hough_and_i/