Four days. Five races. One very tired pair of trainers.
The 2026 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend ran from 7 to 11 January, transforming the resort into a sprawling endurance course where Pluto hosts a sci-fi 5K and Mickey Mouse rules a 26.2-mile fantasy kingdom. If you were there, you know. If you weren't, you probably saw the medal photos flooding your timeline.
What Actually Happened
This year's event leaned into storybook genres as its organising theme, giving each race distance its own narrative flavour. The 5K went sci-fi with Pluto leading the charge. Chip 'n Dale took runners through a mysterious 10K. Donald Duck and Daisy Duck provided the romantic backdrop for the half marathon. And on 11 January, the full marathon delivered 26.2 miles of fantasy with Sir Mickey Mouse and Lady Minnie Mouse presiding over the course.
Then there's the Dopey Challenge.
Run all four races over four consecutive days and you've covered 48.6 miles. It's the kind of thing that sounds absurd until you're standing at the finish line with four medals round your neck and the sudden realisation that you've just run nearly two marathons in less than a week. People do this voluntarily. Some do it repeatedly.
Why RunDisney Isn't Like Other Marathons
Walt Disney World is the only place you can run a full marathon on Disney property, and that matters more than it might seem. Standard marathons give you a start line, a finish line, and whatever scenery happens to be between them. RunDisney events give you Cinderella Castle at mile 10, character meet-and-greets mid-stride, and the kind of on-course entertainment that makes you forget your feet hurt. Temporarily.
The storybook theming this year encouraged costume creativity. Runners showed up dressed as fairy tale characters, sci-fi heroes, mystery novel protagonists. It's one of the few races where you'll see someone in a full Belle ballgown overtaking you at mile 18.
The Charitable Side
Blood Cancer United served as the official charity partner for the 2026 weekend, with participants able to run through Team In Training, the organisation's endurance programme. Fundraising commitments ranged from $600 (approximately £485) for the 5K to $3,000 (approximately £2,425) for the Dopey Challenge.
Other charities involved included World Wildlife Fund, Special Forces Foundation, To Write Love on Her Arms, and the National Marrow Donor Program. Final fundraising totals typically get released four to six weeks after the event, but these races consistently channel participant enthusiasm toward causes that extend well beyond the finish line.
Security Adjustments
One notable operational change this year involved drone surveillance along the marathon route, a security measure that drew mixed reactions from participants and observers. It's the sort of thing you notice when you're running through Epcot at sunrise and realise there's a hovering camera overhead.
Looking Ahead
Registration for future runDisney events at Walt Disney World typically opens months in advance and fills quickly. The official runDisney website maintains the most current race calendar, and if you're considering a future event, checking that regularly is the best way to catch registration windows before they close.
Results from the 2026 weekend are available through the official runDisney results portal, where finishers can verify times, access race photography, and confirm medal eligibility. If you crossed a finish line between 7 and 11 January, your official time should be posted there.
The Finish Line
More than 30 years of runDisney events have happened on Walt Disney World property now, and the formula hasn't changed much because it doesn't need to. Take the physical challenge of distance running, add Disney's capacity for theatrical presentation and logistical precision, stir in thousands of people who genuinely want to be there, and you get something that keeps bringing runners back year after year.
Whether you ran the 5K or survived the Dopey Challenge, the 2026 Marathon Weekend is now part of your story. Four medals or one, you showed up and finished.
That counts for something.