In 2006, Disneyland was in the midst of celebrating the park's 50th anniversary and what better way to celebrate a major milestone than to host the inaugural Disneyland Half Marathon and Family Fun Run 5K. Held the weekend of September 16th and 17th, registration opened October 15, 2005 and took just over five months to sell out with registration fees starting at $85 for the half and $25 for the 5K. Registration was capped at 12,000 participants (10,000 in the half and 2,000 in the 5K).
Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend By The Numbers
Dubbed "the Happiest Race on Earth," 9,395 finishers from 49 states and 15 countries completed the inaugural half marathon with an average finish time of 2:34:22. Californian Ken Broady (a former Disneyland Cast Member) was the men's winner in a time of 1:11:31 and marathon star Kim Jones, the women's winner, completed the 13.1 course in 1:25:03. As was typical of races at that time, there was more of a focus on runners for the half marathon rather than being inclusive of walkers; those that did not finish the course in 3.5 hours no matter your start time were bused to the finish. Unlike today those that were bused did not receive the finisher's medal.
The Coast-to-Coast Challenge also began in 2007, encouraging bi-coastal race participation by awarding a special Partners Statue medal to those who completed either the Walt Disney World marathon or half marathon and the Disneyland Half Marathon in the same calendar year.
In 2010, the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend celebrated its fifth anniversary with a special enameled half marathon medal (a change from the castle medal from the first four years) that was awarded to all finishers as well as the first acknowledgement of Legacy Status to roughly 570 race participants who completed all five Disneyland Half Marathons. Legacy participants were given a special lanyard to celebrate their accomplishment and runners' names were printed in the official race guide. Over 2,350 Partners Statue medals were also given out as the Coast-to-Coast Challenge continued to gain in popularity.
In 2015, as Disneyland celebrates its 60th anniversary, the Disneyland Half Marathon celebrates its own ten-year milestone. The weekend started off with a whimper on Thursday night at the Disneyland Half Marathon 10th Anniversary Party and ended with a bang on Sunday as over 15,000 runners and walkers completed the half marathon.
The half marathon course continued across the esplanade between the parks with the traditional run through Sleeping Beauty's Castle around mile three. By mile four we were out on the streets of Anaheim where dancers, cheer squads, and marching bands provided welcome entertainment. Just after mile six, the Team MousePlanet "Candy from Strangers" stop was stationed where personalized signs along with pounds of orange slices and Red Vines, as well as cool sponges waited. As always, the stop was being mugged as I went by but I did get to say hello to a few fellow members of Team MousePlanet; this stop is always a very welcome sight and is gaining in popularity with runners and walkers every year.
Race participants who were running in the Dumbo Double Dare and who were also Disneyland Half Marathon Legacy Runners were given a special blue and purple race bib to acknowledge their achievement. The standard bib was orange and red. To be fair, there were probably less than 200 of these bibs but they were official and issued by runDisney. After crossing the finish line, my bib was checked and I was directed to the line of Legacy volunteers who were handing out the half marathon finisher's medals along with the special Legacy lanyard.
Fortunately the remainder of the day was one of celebration as Thomas and I joined good friends for a long lunch in the park as well as the parade and fireworks. It was not only a day to commemorate ten years running the Disneyland Half Marathon but to also toast Joanne's success as she not only set a Personal Record in the 10K but she also knocked 16 minutes from her previous half marathon finish time.
21 The half marathon course is 21km and looks something like this. It starts in Disneyland, finishes in Disneyland, meanders through Anaheim and includes running through Anaheim Angels Stadium. Bring it!
Three races make up The Light Side race weekend. The Star Wars 5k on Friday, the Star Wars 10k on Saturday and the Light Side Half Marathon on Sunday. Those completing both the 10k and half marathon complete the Rebel Challenge. Those who plan to run the Dark Side race in April in Disney World will complete the Kessel Challenge and will receive a very special and coveted medal in the form of the Millennium Falcon. runDisney reported that there were 13,000 runners for the 10k race and just over 18,000 runners for the half marathon on Sunday. That is just about the same size as the Dark Side race. In April 2016, the Dark Side races had 19,500 for the half and 12,000 runners registered for the 10k.
The official photo-ops were the same as the 10k. Again, they were inside the parks and at the finish line. Overall it was a fine half-marathon and I enjoyed it. I finished and was very pleased to have completed the Rebel Challenge, half of the Kessel Run Challenge, and I picked up my first Coast to Coast Challenge medal since I had run the Dopey Challenge a week before at Disney World! The video below highlights the sights, sounds and support found in the race! Enjoy!
It's the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend and the course for this magical half marathon event will take you through Disney California Adventure Park, celebrating California's storied past and exciting future, and Disneyland Park, home of Mickey, Minnie, Donald and the whole Disney gang. Then it's on to the scenic streets of Anaheim before an exciting finish. Ideal weather and a flat loop course set the stage for an exhilarating Half Marathon designed to shatter personal bests.
Corral and Bib AssignmentIf a runner is seen without their bib number while running on the course, they will be removed from the course for security and safety reasons.Please remember to fill out the Emergency Medical Information on the back of your race bib.The letter on your bib will determine your assigned corral. Letters are assigned based on proof of time provided for the half marathon or your estimated finishing time. Letters are based on anticipated pace per mile for the 5K, 10K, half marathon, and Disneyland Double Dare.Each runner will be issued a race bib at Packet Pick-Up. It is the responsibility of the runner to wear the bib during the race.
On our latest Disney World vacation I participated in the Disney World 1/2 Marathon race, I was in corral A. I wanted a higher corral because I wanted an earlier finish time. The day I ran the half marathon was the same day our kids were participating in the kids races. I wanted to be finished the half marathon with plenty of time to get back to the resort, get showered and changed before making our way to the ESPN Wide World of Sports for their events.
According to Disney, the races bring in an estimated 25,000 people paying upwards of US$195 to participate in a half marathon run. The races, usually held during off-peak seasons, are a boon to the local economy, generating $20 million to $30 million in revenue to Orange County.
The 1972 fall semester officially began for students at Bloomsburg State College with the start of classes on Wednesday, September 6. The day before, however, they had to register for classes in Centennial Gymnasium. Registration took place over the course of an 8-hour marathon session, where 400 students were processed on average every half hour, 4, 249 full-time students in all. This was done through computerized scheduling, thanks to the campus mainframe computer in Ben Franklin. 2ff7e9595c
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