2018 Walt Disney World Marathon By The Numbers
The 2018 Walt Disney World Marathon celebrates 25 years. (Photo: runDisney)
The 2018 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna from January 3-7 at Walt Disney World in Florida marks the 25th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon. The four-day Dopey Challenge celebrates its 5th anniversary.
The racing extravaganza is the largest running festival in the U.S., according to RunningUSA, with five main events: Walt Disney World Marathon, Walt Disney World Half Marathon, Walt Disney World 10K, Walt Disney World 5K and runDisney Kids Races. That includes runners doubling, tripling, or quadrupling their fun with the Dopey Challenge, Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge, and Castaway Cay Challenge for runners taking a Disney cruise after the race weekend.
It all adds up to one big event. Nearly 69,000 finishers completed races in 2016. So take a look at Mickey Mouse’s favorite race weekend by the numbers. All stats provided by runDisney prior to the start of the races.
The first Walt Disney World Marathon starting line in 1994. (Photo: runDisney)
2018 Walt Disney World Marathon By The Numbers
Participation
808,000—runners have participated in Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend events since 1994
363,000—runners have tackled the Walt Disney World Marathon alone
187,000—runners participate in runDisney races each year
100,000—runners and spectators expected at the 2018 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
97,000—registrations for the 2018 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, with many runners completing multiple races
26,000—runners registered for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon
25,500—2018 Walt Disney World Marathon registrations
15,000—runners registered for the Walt Disney World 5K
14,700—registations for the Walt Disney World 10K
9,000—Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge registrants, who complete both the half-marathon and marathon
4,000—kids registered for the runDisney Kids Races
7,800—Dopey Challenge registrants, who complete all of the 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon. *Ed. Note: This is an estimate. runDisney provided 2,800 as a number, but based on the number of Dopey finishers and the 2017 registration number, 7,800 is likely more accurate. Thanks to readers for catching the mistake!
600+—runners have completed every 48.6-mile Dopey Challenge since 2014
88—countries represented
76—”Perfect” runners, who have finished every Walt Disney World Marathon since 1994, are registered in 2018. 45 of them are from Florida.
Runners stop for photos with characters. (Photo: runDisney)
Supplies
2.5 million—ounces of water distributed to runners
1 million—photos Disney photographers will snap during race weekend
365,000—photos more than 125 photographers will take during the 2018 Walt Disney World Marathon alone
42,000—cones along the courses
30,000—pounds of ice put to use
117,000—bananas given to runners
14.1—miles of fencing throughout the courses
The first Walt Disney World Marathon medal from 1994. (Photo: runDisney)
History
8,200—runners at the first Walt Disney World Marathon. 25 years later, 25,500 runners will toe the line.
1994—year of the first Walt Disney World Marathon
1996—the first 5K was introduced
1998—the half-marathon was added to marathon day
2003—the “Perfect” program debuted with 152 runners who had finished every Walt Disney World Marathon. 76 are left.
2006–Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge was introduced, and the half-marathon moved to a separate day
2013—the Walt Disney World Marathon became the first major marathon in the world where women outnumbered men at 51% of the field
2014—year of the first Dopey Challenge and the first 10K
2015—debut of the Disney Castaway Cay Challenge, a special 5K race on Disney Cruise Line’s private Bahamian island
2018—25th anniversary of the marathon and 5th anniversary of Dopey Challenge
2:31:54—women’s marathon event record, set in 1995 by Judit Nagy of Hungary
2:11:50—men’s marathon event record, set in 1995 by Leonid Shvetsov of Russia
1:13:04—women’s half-marathon event record, set in 1999 by Taeko Terauchi of Japan
1:05:26—men’s half-marathon event record, set in 2013 by Mike Morgan of Michigan
25—years the Walt Disney World Marathon has been running
13—years in a row a Brazilian man has won the Walt Disney World Marathon, split between Adriano Bastos and Fredison Costa
6—medals Dopey Challenge finishers take home. One each for the 5K, 10K, half-marathon, marathon, Goofy Challenge, and Dopey Challenge
5—race weekends in the runDisney series in 2018. 4 at Walt Disney World in Florida, and 1 at Disneyland Paris
5—year anniversary of the Dopey Challenge
2—times in history Walt Disney World Marathon champions won prize money
1—Walt Disney World Marathon medal did not feature Mickey Mouse ears: the first one in 1994
Participants running through Cinderella Castle (Photo: runDisney)
Courses
14 million—miles covered during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in the last 25 years
9.5 million—miles run during the marathon alone since 1994
48.6—miles Dopey Challenge participants will run over four days
39.3—miles Goofy’s Race and a half participants will run over two days
26.2—miles Walt Disney World Marathon finishers will complete
13.1—miles half-marathon finishers will cover
6.2—miles 10K runners will race
3.1—miles 5K runners will finish
8—races and challenges taking place during the weekend (marathon, half, 10K, 5K, kids races, Dopey Challenge, Goofy Challenge, Castaway Challenge)
4—theme parks runners go through at the Walt Disney World Marathon presented by Cigna: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT, plus the ESPN Wide World of Sports
1—race that runs through all four Walt Disney World theme parks. The one, the only, Walt Disney World Marathon.
Mile 20 with Minnie, Pluto and Mickey (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)
Want to know what it’s like to run Disney? Read about my experiences!
Race Report: Walt Disney World Marathon
Race Report: Walt Disney World Half Marathon
Race Report: Walt Disney World 10K
Race Report: Walt Disney World 5K
As media, Disney sometimes provides me with complimentary attendance at runDisney events. But as always, all opinions are purely my own. Seriously. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.
About Karla Bruning
Karla Bruning is a race announcer at the TCS New York City Marathon + other major events, TV host for the New York City Triathlon + contributor to Shape, Redbook, Runner's World + other publications. She used to report for Newsweek but spent her free time squeezing in workouts. Now it's her job. She's run 8 marathons, 30 halves, 10 triathlons + open water swims. When she's not running, talking about running or writing about running, she's snuggling her baby, spoiling her dog + compulsively traveling.
Karla
I see on another site that prior to this weekend there were 714 perfect Dopey’s. Any idea what it is after yesterday?
Thanks
Hi Tom, 600+ “perfect” Dopey runners was the number I got from runDisney going into the weekend. But I haven’t heard how many actually finished in 2018. Sorry!
Karla Bruning recently posted..2018 Walt Disney World Marathon By The Numbers
Hi! Where did you get these numbers? Just wondering because I really enjoy looking at the numbers for races! Thanks! The results page says 20,025 finishers.
Hi Suzy! All these stats come straight from runDisney. They provide them to media in the lead-up to WDW Marathon Weekend. I love numbers too!
Karla Bruning recently posted..2018 Walt Disney World Marathon By The Numbers
I love “By The Numbers” type posts! Did runDisney happen to say how many individual runners there were for the weekend? So, like, the Dopeys/Goofys and any one else who ran multiple races would only be counted as 1? or is that the 97,000 number and I just misread it? Just curious.
Hi Ryan, You read it correctly: that 97,000 is the number of registrations, which includes some runners registered for multiple events. runDisney doesn’t track individual runners, just “registrations” before races and “finishers” after. I think “individual runners” is a complicated number to pin down. RunningUSA, which tracks stats for the sport as a whole, does it the same way. They track “finishers,” not “individual runners.” So when you read that there were 507,600 marathon finishers in the U.S. in 2016 (actual stat), that number includes the person who ran one marathon and the person who ran 20, counted 20 times. So the number of “individual runners” who finished a marathon is actually lower. It’s a great question!
Karla Bruning recently posted..2018 Walt Disney World Marathon By The Numbers
Hi , can the runners still purchase the Half Marathon 2018 t-shirts that were at the expo? I also wanted the half marathon magnet.
Hi Betty, You’d have to ask runDisney that one. Sorry I can’t help!
Karla Bruning recently posted..2018 Walt Disney World Marathon By The Numbers
Any consideration given to possibly include the numbers for the disabled runners and athletes and the means in which they participated, i.e. hand cranks, joggers, etc.?
I don’t know if those are stats runDisney tracks. But if they ever release them, I’d absolutely share.
Karla Bruning recently posted..2018 Walt Disney World Marathon By The Numbers
Any chance of finding the Disney NB Running shoes for sale
Some folks have found them at NB Factory Stores/outlets. Maybe there is one near you: http://www.nbfactorystores.com/
Karla Bruning recently posted..2018 Walt Disney World Marathon By The Numbers
I know runDisney gave you the numbers, but the Dopey registrants is way off being that 7629 finished the challenge this year. Hard to do if there were only 2800 registered. The registration number was estimated at 9516, but may be off by about 100-200 bibs, as we used corral numbers and Disney holds a few bibs in each corral as emergency bibs. Also, and I know you had pre-race stats, I can tell you there are now 74 perfect marathoners.
Chris, thanks for flagging that! I thought it was off since it was way lower than in years past. It must have been a typo. My guess is the registration number was 7,800 (same as 2017, 2016 was 7500). Amazing that 74 of 76 registered perfect marathoners are still going!
Karla Bruning recently posted..Post-Baby Running Goals: 13.1 and 26.2!
Really appreciate the numbers! However your Dopey registrant number is way off. Approximately 7700 finished the Dopey Challenge which would mean more than that registered. Not sure where the 2800 number came from.
Thanks, Ryan! That 2,800 must have been a typo. I got all these stats directly from runDisney. I’m guessing the registration number was supposed to be 7,800–same as 2017.
Karla Bruning recently posted..Post-Baby Running Goals: 13.1 and 26.2!