Disneyland Half Marathon Runners Travel A Magical Course Through Disneyland Resort

[Darkbeer]

DISNEYLAND HALF MARATHON RUNNERS TRAVEL A MAGICAL COURSE THROUGH DISNEYLAND RESORT AND THE CITY OF ANAHEIM

ANAHEIM, Calif. (August 22, 2008) – The Disneyland Resort is celebrating health, fitness and family fun with more than 18,000 participants who registered for the third annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, August 29-31. The highlight of the weekend is a 13.1 mile event affectionately dubbed “The Happiest Race on Earth.”

Participants in the Disneyland Half Marathon will travel a course unlike any half marathon in the world. It passes through the two Disneyland Resort theme parks – Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure – and it’s full of Disney inspiration with flaming cannons at the start, live entertainers all along the route, and Disney characters as cheerleaders. Many of the participants will be dressed like their favorite Disney characters, including Minnie Mouse and Tinker Bell, and some even stop mid-race to pose with Mickey Mouse and his pals for photos commemorating both the race and Disney Parks’ ongoing Year of a Million Dreams celebration.

In three and one-half hours or less, runners will pass Disneyland icons such as Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Matterhorn, and they will also pass Anaheim landmarks such as the Honda Center, Angel Stadium of Anaheim and the Anaheim Convention Center before finally crossing the finish line in the Downtown Disney District.

The Disneyland Half Marathon has become a popular road race for its flat loop course and mild climate, ideal for personal best times. Hosted by the Disneyland Resort and the City of Anaheim, it reached registration capacity in July. More than 13,500 runners are scheduled to participate in the Half Marathon on August 31, and 5,000 participants will be competing in the Family Fun Run 5K and Kids' Races on August 30, with participants from all 50 U.S. states and 16 countries.

"We are excited to welcome guests from all around the country to the third annual Disneyland Half Marathon," said Ed Grier, president of the Disneyland Resort. "By joining together with the City of Anaheim and other partners, we are able to provide participants with a unique race around the Anaheim Resort Area that will benefit the Anaheim Community Foundation."

A monetary donation will be made to the Anaheim Community Foundation, the 2008 beneficiary of the Disneyland Half Marathon.

The Disneyland Half Marathon weekend is full of activities for the whole family, beginning on Friday, August 29, with the opening of the Disneyland Health and Fitness Expo. The two-day celebration of health and fitness features celebrity runner appearances and seminars on training, racing and nutrition, along with opportunities to experience the latest in running and fitness equipment. Expo hours are noon to 8 p.m. on Aug. 29, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 30.

This year’s Family Fun Run 5K celebrates the debut of Toy Story Mania!, an immersive attraction that opened in June at Disney’s California Adventure. Runners in the 5K will encounter their favorite characters from the Toy Story films, from Green Army Men marching off the start to Woody and Buzz at the finish line. Little runners (8 and under) will join in the fun with sprints, a 400-yard-dash and a Diaper Dash for crawlers.
Disneyland Half Marathon race finishers will earn a special commemorative medal depicting Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, one in a series of Disney race-specific medals. A new award, the Disney Coast to Coast medal, will be presented to an estimated 1,000 runners who complete the 2008 Disneyland Half Marathon and who also completed either the Walt Disney World Marathon or Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January, 2008. Awarded for the first time this summer, the Coast to Coast medal showcases the iconic “Partners Statue,” of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

The Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend builds off the successful 15-year history of Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which is operated by Disney’s Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. and is traditionally held in January. More than 195,000 runners, joggers and wheelchair athletes have successfully participated in the previous Walt Disney World Marathon Weekends.

The Disneyland Half Marathon is part of the Disney’s Endurance Series, which gives recreational athletes of all ages and abilities the chance to walk, jog, run, bike and swim their way “around the world.” From running marathons to road races and triathlons, participating athletes from around the (Disney) world compete to stay in shape, to achieve personal-best times and often to raise donations for charitable causes.

The next Disneyland Half Marathon will take place on Sept. 6, 2009.

Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney's California Adventure – plus the Downtown Disney district comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences. Resort hotels include the luxurious 745-room Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, the magical 990-room Disneyland Hotel and the beach-themed fun of the 502-room Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. For information on attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or visit local travel agents.

[jeffrey orl fla]

I'm one of those thousand doing the "coast to coast" medal.

[Gone2Disneyland]

I saw that Coast to Coast medal at the Expo yesterday. Pretty snazzy! Good luck, jeffery orl fla. I'll be lagging behind from Corral E.

[MTNGIRL]

How exciting! I hope that someone comes back and gives us a blow by blow of the race.

[hbwriter]

I ran the race, and I'll give you a blow by blow:
I was in Corral G (last), so I started after most people. You started on Disneyland Drive towards Katella, where you made a left. You then made a left onto Harbor Blvd, where you made yet another left into the Timon parking lot. You then go through a backstage area in DCA, and through the wharf area (by the winery). After going by Golden Dreams and making a left, you continue through Paradise Pier, past GRR, and Soarin. You run across the plaza, into DL, into a backstage area behind Space Mountain, through TL by RRPP, past the Matterhorn, through Fantasyland, through the castle, into Frontierland and Adventureland, and then exit DL through Main Street. You then work your way to the Honda Center, the Santa Ana Trail, and Angel Stadium, then back to DCA, through Hollywood Pictures Backlot, through Downtown Disney to the finish line between the ESPN Zone and the DL Hotel. There were characters and parade floats throughout the parks, and the Columbia and Monorail had characters in them. There were cheerleaders, marching bands, and others along the other parts of the path.

Sorry its long, and if theres anything else you want to know just ask.

[MonkeyDishwasher]

Originally Posted by hbwriter

Sorry its long, and if theres anything else you want to know just ask.

Yeah, do you have any pictures? Sounds like it was fun. Congrats on the finish!

[Darkbeer]

I am currently uploading photos....

Due to time constraints, I started at Angel Stadium and covered the last 3 miles of the event....

By tomorrow, they will be hundreds of photos of the race available...

And of course, a few selected ones in the MiceAge Monday update...

[Gone2Disneyland]

I ran. I saw. I took pictures too.

I enjoyed it. I'm not a runner, but put "Disney" on it and I guess I'm game. I've done this three years now. Like last year, I ran eight miles until I quit and walked much of the rest. I made it to ten miles the first year, so I guess I'm only downhill with each event. Wondering if I'll do this again. But I sure did enjoy the relatively cooler weather this year. Last year the temperature was in the 100°!

Congrats to everyone else who ran and earned their hunk o' new Disney blink too.