Disney fans, brace yourselves! Disneyland has announced the return of Run Disney for the year 2024 at the Disneyland Resort, and the excitement is palpable for many. The Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend will begin January 11th through January 14th in 2024. If you find yourself interested but needing to know a little more about how Run Disney works , then you’ve come to the right place. Here is everything you need to know, broken down in categories based on the most popularly asked questions for Run Disney below!
What is Run Disney?
Run Disney is a series of themed running events that take place at Disney theme parks, which has included Disneyland, Disney World, and Disneyland Paris.
These run events typically feature a variety of race distances, that range from 5K to a marathon, and offer participants the chance to run through the parks and experience the magic of Disney like never before. Any participants in any of the Run Disney races must attend what they call the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo at least a day prior to their first event in order to pick up their race bib to help track the runners. You must have a valid ID in order to pick up your race bib (driver’s license, passport, military ID or government-issued ID), and you may not pick up another adult participant’s race bib according to Run Disney’s policies.
If there is a forecast of poor weather conditions does the event get cancelled or rescheduled?
The short answer is NO! When it comes to Run Disney events, they do not cancel or reschedule if it is raining. Unless there is lightning at that time, they may opt to delay starting the race and upon further conditions worsening, then the event may be canceled. Keep in mind that registration fees for any Run Disney events are nonrefundable.
What are the perks of joining Run Disney?
Runners receive a themed race shirt, enjoy character appearances and live entertainment throughout their route and at the finish line, they receive a medal that celebrates this accomplishment! And of course the medal is always Disney themed.
Participants in these races get access to the parks before crowds arrive, so they can run throughout the parks and enjoy the sights and sounds without the hustle and bustle of regular park-goers. Many participants in these races will wear Disney bound outfits and take moments throughout their race to snap a few photos, and create memories that will last a lifetime!
These events are great for families, as children are able to participate in the Kid’s Races, allowing the whole family to join in on the fun. Participants also gain access to merchandise and gear that is specialized for this race!
It is important to keep in mind that this is a race! So naturally Disney does have some recommendations for you to keep in mind when going through registration and have set policies in place to help you with maintaining safety. To read more about these, check out the next sections in this article.
Are there virtual Run Disney races I could join?
Absolutely there are virtual races you could join in to not miss out on any of the fun!
Participants in this virtual race are in charge of tracking their own times and Run Disney states that completion of this race is based on an honor system which I personally find very interesting. Once the participant has completed their run, they must go to the provided website to submit the finish time to then download the race certificate.
Please be aware that there are still some eligibility requirements for you to join the virtual race which is listed below for you to review that comes from their rules and policies here
- Entry fees for virtual events are nonrefundable and include a separate processing fee.
- Disney reserves the right to revoke any registration for any race for any reason in its sole discretion with refund of any applicable registration fees being the sole remedy of any such refusal and/or revocation.
- All races are non transferable between individuals, between event weekends and to events that have reached capacity/sold out.
Virtual participants who register on Run Disney will receive a commemorative medal by mail to the physical address that was submitted during their event registration process. Do not list any P.O. Box or APO Box, as it cannot be shipped there. According to Run Disney, after they have made three attempts to deliver your medal to the address provided, no additional attempts will be made. All attempts to deliver medals for this event will conclude at the end of the calendar year.
Who is eligible to participate in Run Disney events?
All members are encouraged to participate so long as each member is eligible for the particular racing event, as follows:
- All participants for a 5K distance must be 5 years of age or older on race day to participate and must be able to complete the 5K on their own.
- Participants for a 10K distance must be 10 years of age or older.
- Participants for a Half Marathon distance must be 14 years of age or older.
- Participants for the Dumbo Double Dare must be 14 years of age or older.
- Participants for Yoga must be 10 years of age or older to participate. Children under age 14 must be accompanied by a Guest 14 years of age or older to participate.
- Age requirements for Virtual races are the same as in person events.
Information above is directly from Run Disney.
How are group placements assigned for Run Disney?
This is based on the time in which you believe you will be able to finish the race that you have signed up for. So for the Half Marathon, if you believe you will be done within 2 hours and 15 minutes (2:15) or less, you would need to provide proof of this time in order to get a start group placement. However if you believe that you would finish the Half Marathon in over 2 hours 15 minutes, no proof of time is required.
Essentially, any start group placement would be based on what you are estimating your end timing of the race to be and is also dependent on the capacity Disney has to place you in a start group.
Note that no proof of time is not required for Run Disney’s 5K and 10K races. If you have any
questions related to this proof of time, you need to email disneysports@trackshack.com
How does Run Disney help with safety for their participants?
Disney does check all participant costumes and bags through their screening process before they enter any of their event staging areas. The following listed are items that are prohibited to bring and any violations will result in the participant(s) being removed from the course and taken to the finish line area.
- “Any selfie sticks, baby joggers, strollers, baby carriers, backpacks, skates, scooters, bicycles, skateboards, and pets of any kind”.
- Flags of any kind that are larger than 3′ x 5′ are prohibited regardless of how flag is intended to be carried.
- Flag poles cannot be longer than 4 feet or have a diameter of more than 4 inches.
- Pole can be made of wood, plastic, and/or PVC. Poles made of metal are not allowed.
- Only poles with rounded or flat ends are allowed. No decorative or sharp ends will be allowed.
- Flag harnesses will be permitted if the participant bib is not covered and the harness does not pose a safety hazard.
Note that Disney discourages the use of headphones as they state that the runners will be getting audio messages throughout the race that could cause interference. Run Disney does offer staff members who can serve as guides to assist those registered participants with disabilities offered but you must contact rundisney@disneysports.com, no later than 90 days in advance of the event you plan on participating in.
For further information and details about Disney’s rules, please visit Disneyland Resort Park Rules
Can I wear costumes for a Run Disney event?
Disney allows its participants to join in on the fun by dressing up in their favorite Disney Bound characters but it must fall in line with their guidelines. If Run Disney considers the outfit to be inappropriate or believes that it would detract from the experience of others participating, they reserve the right to deny you entry to the event unless you are able to modify your costume in order to meet their standards.
Here is a list of their official policies regarding the costumes:
- Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent.
- Guests may not wear costume masks of any kind.
- Guests who dress like Characters may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
- Costumes may not drag on the ground.
- Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another participant.
- Costumes may not contain any weapons which resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
What themed races are there for me to sign up for with Run Disney?
- Disneyland Half Marathon Medal
- Dumbo Double Dare
- Disneyland Yoga
- Disneyland 5K
- Disneyland 10K
- Run Disney Kid Races
- Virtual Races
Here is a list of Run Disney’s calendar events for the year 2023-2024
How do I register for a Run Disney event and what do I need to know about the registration process?
Registration dates will vary depending on what Run Disney event you are interested in participating in as they are themed! There are benefits for those who have joined Run Disney’s club membership, such as getting dates to sign up first. If you are interested in any of their packages and their benefits read all about it on their website here
Here are some important things you need to know about registration for Run Disney events directly from Run Disney.
- Registrations may be transferred within the same race weekend to a longer race distance, as long as the desired race distance is not sold out. The participant must log into their runDisney account and select the registration they wish to transfer. Once the participant has selected the new distance they wish to transfer to, the participant will be prompted to pay any difference in registration price (if any) and then a transfer processing fee will be applied.
- Race entries/bibs are not transferable from one person/participant to another person/participant. Sale, trade and/or transfer of race entry/bib number is strictly prohibited and may result in the disqualification of and/or banning of offenders from participating at future events. Anyone caught attempting to sell or transfer their race entry/bib to another person/participant, pick up another person’s/participant’s race entry/bib, or participate in a race using another participant’s race entry/bib, will have said race entry/bib cancelled and/or revoked, be disqualified and be removed from the race without refund.
- Event merchandise purchased is subject to sales tax. Participants must pick up all event merchandise before the end of the Expo. Uncollected merchandise will not be shipped to participants. runDisney and its affiliates reserve the right to dispose of uncollected merchandise in any manner at their sole discretion.
Dates, times and prices are subject to change. All races are subject to capacity limits and may close at any time.
Whether you are a seasoned runner or just looking for a fun and active event, Run Disney is the perfect opportunity to participate in a healthy and exciting event while surrounded by friends and family. If you found this information helpful, subscribe to my magic newsletter to stay up to date with the latest Disney news and updates! By joining me on Instagram with a paid subscription, you’ll get even more exclusive access to information just like this, receive discount codes for merchandise when available, and personalized support with planning tips and tricks for your visit to the Disney parks.
