Run, Karla, Run!

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon is getting a new 10K and a Glass Slipper Challenge. (Photo: runDisney)

Big news from runDisney! Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend from February 20-23, 2014 at Walt Disney World in Florida is getting the royal treatment with a new Disney Princess Enchanted 10K and a new two-race challenge in the Disney Glass Slipper Challenge. Based on the name alone, I like it already.

The Glass Slipper Challenge follows in the footsteps of the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland: runners complete both the new Disney Princess Enchanted 10K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday for a total of 19.3 miles. Best of all for Disney bling lovers, runners earn the inaugural Disney Glass Slipper Challenge Medal in addition to the medals from each event, including a new yet-to-be-announced medal for the 10K. Read the rest of this entry →

Desiree Davila (in black) poses with runners at the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon Meet-Up. (Photo: runDisney)

Olympian and 2011 Boston Marathon runner-up Desiree Davila is no stranger to running Disney. I had a chance to catch up with the American running star at the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in January. We chatted about her recovery from injury, goals for the future and, of course, running at Walt Disney World.

“This is the only place in the world where people go, ‘I’m just doing the marathon,’” Davila said with a laugh.

Indeed, runDisney unveiled for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend the Dopey Challenge, an event that dares runners to complete four races on four consecutive days for a total of 48.6 miles: the Family Fun Run 5K on Thursday, a new Walt Disney World 10K on Friday, the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday, and the Walt Disney World Marathon on Sunday. The Dopey Challenge is already sold-out for 2014. But runners can still register for the Walt Disney World Marathon, Walt Disney World Half Marathon, and Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge, where runners complete both the marathon and half marathon.

Davila, 29, didn’t run this year’s Walt Disney World Marathon. She’d been in long-term recovery from a femoral stress fracture, the same injury that forced her to drop out of the 2012 Olympic Marathon in London before the 5K mark.

After taking 12 weeks of from running, Davila slowly built up mileage and time on her feet.

“I took an extended amount of time off, let that all heal up, and I’m heading in the right direction now, making sure I’m 100 percent and slowly building mileage,” Davila said. Read the rest of this entry →

The 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend featuresmany changes to improve runners’ experience. (Photo: runDisney)

Registration opens today at noon EST for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna from January 8-12, 2014.

Last month, runDisney announced the addition of the Dopey Challenge and the Walt Disney World 10K.

Now, Disney’s running branch has announced another slate of changes for the 2014 edition of the race, and a video to explain it all. Read the rest of this entry →

Run, Karla, Run goes Dopey at the Walt Disney World Marathon (Photo: Marathon Foto)

The folks at runDisney are at it again. After rolling out the biggest Walt Disney World Marathon yet—complete with a new race course and new post-race party—for the race’s 20th anniversary in January 2013, runDisney seems intent to top themselves once more with the introduction of the Dopey Challenge for the 2014 event from January 8-12.

If you think Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge, where runners tackle both the Walt Disney World Half Marathon and Walt Disney World Marathon on consecutive days, was a lot of running then think again. The Dopey Challenge dares runners to conquer four races on four successive days: the Family Fun Run 5K on Thursday, a new Walt Disney World 10K on Friday, the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday and the Walt Disney World Marathon on Sunday. Runners who complete the challenge will earn a whopping six medals—one for each race, one for Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge and one for the Dopey Challenge for running a total of 48.6 miles in four days. Read the rest of this entry →

Photo: runDisney

Registration is now open for the 2013 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World in Florida from November 8-9. It’s the final race in runDisney’s seven–race series, and, I think, the most fun.

Disney expects more than 20,500 runners to register for the weekend’s events, including 14,000 for the half-marathon. That will mean a whopping 175,000 runners will have registered for runDisney events in 2013—a record for the mouse house’s running branch. In 2012, 125,000 runners competed in runDisney events. Read the rest of this entry →

Rachel Booth wins the 2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon. (Photo: Preston Mack/runDisney)

When it comes to winning Disney half marathons, no one does it better than elite runner Rachel Booth. The 32-year-old mother of two won her fourth Disney race this morning at Disney’s Princess Half Marathon in course record time. It was her second consecutive Princess Half victory. She also won the Disneyland Half Marathon in 2010 and 2011. At four wins, she owns the most runDisney victories of any woman.

“It never gets old, for sure,’’ Booth said after the race. “As I got to Mile 7 and 8 and through Mile 10, I got to see some people [cheering] and that definitely gave me extra incentive.’’ Read the rest of this entry →

Cinderella in rags and Jacque the Mouse. (Photo: Marathon Foto)

Wearing running costumes at Disney races has become an art, thanks to the popularity of events like Disney’s Princess Half Marathon. The race celebrates its fifth anniversary on February 24, and probably inspires more runners to dress as their favorite Disney characters than any other Disney race.

Last year, I was not immune. My husband, Phil, and I ran the 2012 Princess Half Marathon dressed as Cinderella and Prince Charming. It was so much fun that we got costumed-up again for the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13—this time, as Cinderella in Rags and Jacques the Mouse.

Here’s how we put together Cinderella in Rags and Jacques the Mouse race-friendly running costumes that were both recognizable and comfortable to run in. Best of all, the only tools we needed were a needle, thread, tape, safety pins and a healthy imagination. Read the rest of this entry →

Photo stop in front of Cinderella Castle (Photo: Marathon Foto)

Hot dog! It’s one of Mickey Mouse’s favorite phrases and it couldn’t have been more appropriate for the 20th Anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13, 2013. The mercury climbed to unseasonably warm temps, with a high of 81 degrees and humidity to match.

But the heat didn’t stop the 20,000 finishers—myself included. Dressed as Cinderella in Rags with Jacques the Mouse by my side (played with gusto by my husband), I soaked in the sun as I ran around the world—Walt Disney World, that is.

It was a magical run punctuated by an army of Disney characters, spectators, and volunteers who helped make it a fairy tale run to remember. Read the rest of this entry →

The Walt Disney World Marathon

Hot dog! It’s one of Mickey Mouse’s favorite phrases and it couldn’t have been more appropriate for the 20th Anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13, 2013. The mercury climbed to unseasonably warm temps, with a high of 81 degrees and humidity to match. The sun hung hot and heavy in a largely cloudless blue sky as runners worked their way around the World—Walt Disney World, that is.

I was on hand for all of the weekend’s action, from the Health & Fitness Expo to the Pasta in the Park Party, the Walt Disney World Marathon Meet Up and the Downtown Disney Cool Down After Party.

As one of the weekend’s 65,000 runners, I soaked in the sun as I ran through Magic Kingdom, the Walt Disney World Speedway, Animal Kingdom, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot on marathon morning—dressed as Cinderella in Rags with Jacque the Mouse by my side, played with gusto by my husband. These are my highlights from the weekend, including a few brushes with Mickey Mouse himself. Read the rest of this entry →

Running as Cinderella in rags. Jacque the Mouse will be by my side.

Hot dog! As Mickey Mouse would say. The Walt Disney World Marathon is in less than 24 hours. It’s my first 26.2-mile rodeo around “the World” and I couldn’t be more excited. And perhaps more than anything, I’m excited about my running costume.

The Walt Disney World Marathon will be my sixth marathon and my fourth Disney race; I already have the Wine & Dine, Tinker Bell, and Princess Half Marathons under my race belt, not to mention a Coast-to-Coast medal. Talk about falling down the rabbit hole.

For the first time, I’m treating the marathon as a fun run; no gunning for a personal best—like I have every other time I’ve run a marathon, and with much success. I’ve shaved 86 minutes off my marathon PR since my first stab at the distance in 2007. Read the rest of this entry →

Drew Carey promotes healthy living through running. (Photo: runDisney)

Celebrities: “They’re just like us,” as Us Weekly’s recurring feature constantly tells us through pictures and silly captions.

“They go camping!”

“They get caught in the rain!”

“They scream for ice cream!”

We can add, “They run marathons!”

Since celebrities are merely people who happen to be famous, it makes sense that some of them would happen to be runners with marathoners among them. Oprah Winfrey, Ryan Reynolds, Will Farrell, Drew Carey, the list of famous folks who have tackled 26.2 or even 13.1 miles is plentiful and includes actors, singers, models, politicians, chefs, writers and other notable folk.

But it seems that regular runners can’t get enough of celebrity runners. Spotting a celebrity on the street or at a restaurant is enough to thrill many fans for a lifetime. But running with them? It takes celeb spotting to a whole new level. And races increasingly advertise the celebrities they have on their roster to entice and inspire runners.

Take the upcoming 20^th Anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna, which includes a half-marathon on Saturday, January 12 and marathon on Sunday, January 13 near Orlando, Florida. The race’s organizer, runDisney, brought comedian and The Price Is Right host Drew Carey and singer and Dancing With The Stars vet Joey Fatone out to greet fans this morning at the Walt Disney World Marathon Meet Up event for about 100 runDisney Twitter followers. Read the rest of this entry →

The New Balance women’s runDisney shoe, inspired by Minnie Mouse. (Photo: runDisney)

Co-branding shoes might be the hottest emerging trend in running apparel. In the past year alone, Nike launched USA Track & Field co-branded Air Pegasus+ 29 as the official shoe of the U.S. Olympic Trials, and K-Swiss released Stand Up to Cancer co-branded Kwicky Blade-Light shoes as part of their charitable alliance.

Now New Balance and Disney are getting in on the act. New Balance and runDisney, Disney’s sports branch that organizes running races at Disney parks in Florida and California, released today limited edition runDisney 860v3 running shoes that evoke Disney’s most iconic characters—Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Minnie’s classic red and white polka dot dress inspired the design for the women’s shoe and Mickey’s black tuxedo look inspired the men’s shoe.

I had a chance to chat with New Balance’s marketing manager, Josh Rowe, before the Walt Disney World Marathon Heath & Fitness Expo this morning and see the new shoes in person. Read the rest of this entry →

(Photo: runDisney)

The “12 Days of Christmas” was one of my favorite carols growing up.

In honor of the child that lives not-so-deep within me, I’ve crafted the “13.1 Days of Disney Running Christmas.” I love that Disney celebrates the child in all of us, and that Disney running does it while putting one foot in front of the other.

So here is my homage to Disney running and the Walt Disney World Marathon, which my true love and I will be tackling on January 13, 2013. I tried to incorporate as many elements and runDisney events as I could—including the brand new Dumbo Double Dare at the Disneyland Half Marathon and bonus verses in homage to half-marathons. If you prefer, I’ve created a very silly video version here. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry →

A 10K will join Disneyland Half Marathon. (Photo: runDisney)

Disney runners, are you ready for a double dare? Today runDisney announced the addition of the Disneyland 10K to the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend in California from August 30 to September 1, 2013. In addition, Disney is challenging runners to the Dumbo Double Dare, a feat that involves completing both the Disneyland 10K on Saturday and Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday. Read the rest of this entry →

Alice’s Wonderland is much like a runner’s Runnerland.

If Disney characters were runners, what kind of runners would they be?

Every week, I’m counting down to the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13, 2013 with the Disney running profile of a different Disney character. Last week, we looked at Sleeping Beauty as the runner who needs to take a few weeks off, even if she doesn’t want to.

This week, we are falling down the rabbit hole with Alice.

Alice in Wonderland: The Newbie Runner

Falling down the rabbit hole has become a euphemism for good reason. It’s exactly what we do when we take those first steps toward becoming a runner. Read the rest of this entry →