Disney Princess Half Marathon 2015: Route, Course Map, Times, Event Details
If anyone can make running 13.1 miles in February magical, it is Mickey Mouse and his friends, but glass slippers are not recommended in place of gym shoes.
The 2015 Disney Princess Half Marathon takes place Sunday morning in the most magical place on Earth, as runners will traverse Orlando’s Disney World Resort with the hope of earning a medal and personal pride along the way.
The event’s official website sets the scene:
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
"Here's the run that's fit for a Princess – a 13.1 mile course through the most magical place on earth including Disney's Magic Kingdom® Park and spectacular Epcot®, home of Future World and World Showcase. Princesses of every age are invited to join the fun during the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend. Invite a girlfriend and make it a royal team effort with each Princess running to earn her very own Disney Princess Half Marathon Finisher Medal. If you think you've got the right stuff to be a Princess – commitment, perseverance and determination – then this half marathon is for you!
"
Here is a look at the essential information for the run.
Schedule Information
The half marathon takes place Sunday, Feb. 22, and starts at 5:30 a.m. ET.
Runners will both start and finish at Epcot, and there is an awards ceremony at 8:30 a.m. ET. The top three overall female finishers and the top overall female wheelchair winner will receive recognition at the awards ceremony following the race.
Route/Course Map Info
The Disney Princess Half Marathon starts at Epcot, heads toward Cinderella’s Castle inside Magic Kingdom, enters the Magic Kingdom park for a stretch, heads back to Epcot along World Drive, goes past the Spaceship Earth ride in Epcot and then makes its way toward the World Showcase in Epcot before ultimately heading toward the finish line.
Disney princesses will line the course as cheering spectators to urge the competitors to keep pushing, and there will be music, a crowd and more princesses at the finish line.
The official course map can be found here, courtesy of the event's website.
Spectators will have the opportunity to watch the event unfold in a handful of different areas, including the 5.3-mile mark by Cinderella’s Castle in Magic Kingdom (a ticket is not needed unless you want to enter the ChEAR Zone area, which requires a designated wristband).
Spectators can also meet up with runners and watch the proceedings at the finish line, where some seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The finish line can be found in the Imagine Lot of Epcot.
Event Details, Goodies and More
Pace cyclists will be on the course to notify runners if they fall behind the 16-minute-per-mile pace. Those cyclists will wave light wands at each mile marker, and runners can be picked up at anytime and transported to the course pickup tent if they fall behind pace.
Mickey Mouse is clearly not messing around this year.
In addition to the Disney entertainment, music and characters along the course, there will be a family reunion area with more of the same at the end. Competitors will receive a Champion women’s short-sleeved tech shirt, a Disney princess mesh bag and a finisher medal, among other goodies.
Some of the celebration begins before Sunday's race. On Friday and Saturday, Epcot will host Pasta in the Park. There will be a buffet dinner at 7 p.m. ET inside the World Showcase Pavilion as a way to carbo-load, and guests will experience the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth night show at 9 p.m. ET.
The night show is a mix of fireworks, lasers, lights and music, and it will get the weekend started with a Disney touch.
After the race, runners and families can attend the Happily Ever After Party, which is at Downtown Disney on Sunday. There will be food, music, goodies and merchandise sales as the runners are celebrated and the magical weekend comes to a close.
With so much going on outside the race, this quote from Rich Harshbarger, CEO of Running USA, makes perfect sense, via Joseph Pimentel of the Orange County Register:
"There’s this fundamental shift away from competition in the sport of running. What Disney has done best is merge their brand of entertainment and fun into the active sport of distance running.
"
Disney has been able to help grow the sport and appeal it to women and younger children.
It’s hard to argue with that assertion when there are pasta buffets, after-parties and Disney princesses lining the running course. That sure beats running in the blustery weather of the northern states in February.
Information was found courtesy of the official Run Disney website, where plans for a number of different events are available in addition to the Princess Half Marathon.
Follow me on Twitter:
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
