Walt Disney World Half Marathon 2025
The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is my favorite running event. I loved it even before I had the deep connection to the runDisney community that has developed through my puppet running, but it is even more special now. Part race, part reunion, part party – this weekend is the best.
I had to change my reservation at the last moment to add an extra day and wound up having to change resorts to Pop Century. Now I’m not sure I want to stay anywhere else for Disney race weekends. This resort loves runners and treats everyone in such a special way. It was an absolute joy to be sent off to the race buses each day by the legendary Mayra. She is incredible. Let me tell you, the bus experience for races at Pop is so different from other resorts. What a highlight!
A few weeks before the race I was given a beautiful and extremely large bird puppet that we named Zander. The moment I saw him, I wanted to run at Disney with him. I scrapped my original costume idea and put together a tribute to The Enchanted Tiki Room. I was a bit concerned by Zander’s weight but figured I would be fine for a half marathon.
The weather had warmed up from the much colder 5K and 10K of the previous days, but the warmer weather came at a price: rain. I was visiting and reconnecting with runDisney friends in the giant staging/reunion area in the Epcot parking lot when the rain started falling. It didn’t bother me too much since I was expecting it. I headed to the entrance to the staging area to spend a bit of time welcoming people to the race. This has become a tradition for me and is one of my favorite parts of Disney races. I quickly noticed a change in the people walking in. They looked grim and serious. Wet, grim, and serious. They were also an endless sea of raincoats, ponchos, and mylar. I decided I needed to do something to lift spirits. So, I started welcoming people to swimDisney and telling them we didn’t have to worry about whether or not it would rain anymore. I was rewarded with smiles and many warming moods. After about 30 minutes of welcoming and posing for pictures, I headed for the corrals.
The mood was definitely a bit soggy over here too. Much of the interaction between the race hosts/announcers and the crowd had been canceled due to the rain. Still, it’s hard to hold down the excitement of a Disney race and spirits started to rise. I always enjoy the walk from the corrals to the starting line. I try to stay by the fencing so I can visit with the corrals on the other side along the way. I saw so many of my runDisney family and had the chance to meet so many new friends. I commented that I seemed to be forgetting something I had to do. Oh, that’s right – running. I finally made it to the starting line and the usual fun began.
There have definitely been mixed opinions about the course this year, but I enjoyed it. I especially liked going into Magic Kingdom from the opposite direction. Running by the Polynesian and Grand Floridian was fun. I didn’t get caught in the narrow area by the construction outside these resorts, but I know it was a challenge for later corrals. The best part was getting to run the path along Seven Seas Lagoon. When we arrived at that path, I couldn’t believe what I saw – the Electric Water Parade was in the lagoon in all of its glory. I was strangely emotional about seeing this favorite sight that I have been enjoying since my childhood. I’m sure the other runners around me quickly got tired of me talking about how awesome it was.
The Magic Kingdom was absolutely beautiful. The rain had eased off, but the park was extra glittery.
We got to see so much of the Magic Kingdom, and I cherished every moment: the energy of running Main Street with the wall of cheering spectators, the rare and precious trip through Adventure Land where I posed in front of the Tiki Room, and the visits to the other lands. I left the park emotional, as always. You would think I would be used to it by now. Nope.
The trip back to Epcot was uneventful. I did struggle to find a good pace during the whole race. I tried to run off on the side early on to get to my current half marathon pace, but that was not sustainable. I decided to just settle in and enjoy the experience. Between the crowds and the wet pavement making pushing off the ground a bit uncomfortable, that was definitely the right choice. Besides, it’s Disney. The experience is WAY more important than the time to me.
As always, I had the chance to visit with many people along the way. Zander was very popular with the runners and spectators and extremely fun to puppeteer. Unfortunately, he was also heavy in an odd way. Zander covers my arm up to my elbow when I perform him and his sizeable weight pulled on my arm at an unusual angle. The result was not a sore arm but a sore upper back. This pain became a bit of a distraction for the rest of the race, but I did my best to ignore it. Running with Zander was worth it.
After the “three hills of Epcot” we entered the park near the bus area as usual. I would have loved to spend more time in Epcot, but I loved the moments we had. I especially enjoyed the lights of the new Communicore Hall area and the trip across the middle of World Celebration. After a quick area through the backstage area, we were at the finish line. I pulled off my traditional heel-click jump at the finish line with Zander flying majestically above me. I pulled a bag out of my pocket and used it to “trick-or-treat” for medal, hydration, and snacks.
I was a bit sorer after this race than I usually am after a half. That had me nervous with the marathon coming up the next way. I decided to quickly take my medal picture and then immediately go back to Pop Century for breakfast and rest.
I ordered my totchos on the bus back as usual, enjoyed the hero’s welcome Mayra and the Pop Century cast members gave us as we got off the bus, grabbed my breakfast, and went back to my room to celebrate another outstanding runDisney event.