Star Wars Half Marathon 2015: Route, Start Time, Date and More
Running a half marathon tends to be serious business for those who take part, but leave it to Disney to add some levity to the situation as Disneyland will host the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon Sunday in Anaheim, California.
For the first time ever, a half marathon will be spiced up by the presence of legendary Star Wars and Disney characters. The runners are also encouraged to dress up as well, which means there figures to be countless Luke Skywalkers, Darth Vaders and Chewbaccas running rampant throughout the Disneyland Resort.
With that said, the Star Wars Half Marathon is still a legitimate competition that will feature runners vying for awards in addition to the medals they will receive for finishing the race.
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Before one of the most interesting half marathons in the world kicks off Sunday, here is a look at what to expect.
*Info courtesy of runDisney.com.
When: Sunday, Jan. 18 at 8:30 a.m. ET (5:30 a.m. PT)
Where: Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California
Course Map
According to runDisney.com, the Star Wars Half Marathon is 13.1 miles in length and the runners will traverse both the Disneyland Resort and some of the roads outside the park. Here is a breakdown of the route, courtesy of runDisney on Twitter:
There is no question that the Star Wars Half Marathon will be a lot of fun for those involved, but the course map makes it clear that reaching the finish will take plenty of hard work and dedication as well.
Star Wars Half Marathon Points of Interest
Comments From Those Behind the Race
The Star Wars Half Marathon is a huge venture for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that two of the most powerful entertainment entities in the world have combined to make it happen.
According to StarWars.com, Disney Sports Enterprises senior vice president Maribeth Bisienere believes Disney and Star Wars are a perfect fit to make this event a success:
"This melding of the iconic Star Wars franchise and the runDisney brand creates an ideal race experience that will resonate with core running groups as well as attract new runners to the sport. We will continue to identify opportunities to collaborate with other Disney franchises and partners to develop more unique runDisney race weekends that will appeal to an increasingly wider range of runners across the country and beyond.
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In addition to that, Lucasfilm executive vice president of franchise management Howard Roffman feels as though Disney and Star Wars have similar ideals that will allow the two brands to work in lockstep with each other, per StarWars.com.
"This is an ideal intersection of family, fitness and Star Wars fun for our global, cross-generational audience and runDisney fans," Roffman said. "Star Wars is all about reaching deep within to realize your true potential and runDisney embodies that message in a very real way."
Both Disney and Star Wars are larger than life, and they have transcendent followings that rival any other brand in the world. Because of that, it is difficult to imagine the Star Wars Half Marathon being anything other than a huge success.
Participation Information
It comes as no surprise that the Star Wars Half Marathon already appears to be a hit. That much is clear based on the fact that over 12,000 runners registered for the event, according to Karla Bruning of RunKarlaRun.com. Also, the Star Wars Half Marathon sold out in a mere 122 minutes.
The runners will undoubtedly have a great experience based on the atmosphere alone, but they will also receive plenty of perks just for participating. Per runDisney.com, runners will get a finisher medal, a Champion long-sleeved tech shirt, an iGiftBag and much more.
While they won't be given out for free, those in attendance will also be able to purchase the official shirt for the Star Wars Half Marathon featuring Chewbacca, according to runDisney on Twitter:
Another important thing to note for the runners is that they must maintain a satisfactory pace in order to remain on the course. Per runDisney.com, that means they must run at a 16-minute-per-mile clip.
There is certainly an element of fun and entertainment involved with the Star Wars Half Marathon, but the runners must be serious about performing well too.
Weather Forecast
As always when it comes to a race, weather is certainly worth monitoring for the Star Wars Half Marathon. Although it is January, though, there is nothing to worry about on that front.
According to Weather.com, Sunday's forecast calls for sun, a high of 77 degrees and absolutely no precipitation.
That is fairly common in Anaheim, and both the runners and spectators are undoubtedly thrilled that they won't have to deal with the elements.
With that said, forecasts aren't always 100 percent accurate. Even if some rain rolls in Sunday, however, it isn't likely to stop the proceedings.
Per runDisney.com, the Star Wars Half Marathon will be run rain or shine unless there is lightning. As things currently stand now, that shouldn't be a concern for anyone involved with the event.
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