Disneyland Half Marathon

Disneyland Half Weekend Registration Udpate

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There hasn’t been a runDisney race at Disneyland in California in 5 years. That feels like a very long time. West Coast runDisney enthusiasts have been forced to go the extra (2,000) miles to get to races in Florida. That’s all about to change! As of this writing we are less than 2 days away from general registration, and since it’s been a minute, it’s worth reviewing the process.

I’m lucky enough to be in Club runDisney, so I registered myself for Dumbo Double Dare this week, but to attempt to get my family into the 5K, I’ll be joining the Thunderdome/Hunger Games event with the rest of you on Tuesday.

So let’s go over the basics:

  • Registration starts at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, February 14, 2023
  • Plan on being on the runDisney site, logged into your account about 15 min early (it’s import to be on sometime before the clock strikes the hour)
  • Navigate to the events page
  • Sometime before 7 PT/ 10 ET the “Registration Opening Soon” link will change to “Register”
  • Click “Register” as soon as you see it
  • This places you in the virtual waiting room. DO NOT hit refresh
  • The waiting room is like a lottery. At exactly 10 a.m. you’ll pe placed on the queue page based on the results of the lottery
  • ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY DO NOT REFRESH
  • As much as runDisney hates it, it’s beneficial to do this on multiple devices. They tell you not to, I’m sure because of the server load, but every device is essentially another free lottery ticket, so you do the math

Registration FAQs

Can I register more than one person?

Sure, but you can only use one form of payment. Try to keep your wits about you and be careful about who you’re registering for what. The process can feel a bit panicky… breathe deep and focus.

Can I register for more than one event?

Yes, but see above note about keeping your cool. Basically you’re building a shopping cart for one checkout – and you need to do it all at once. If you try to get through the queue more than once, you will most likely leave empty handed.

Are there dicounts for Passholders or DVC members?

Nope. Everyone pays full price. Womp, womp.

What other info do I need?

T-shirt size, emergency contact info. These can be changed later, worst case you swap your shirt at the expo. Don’t let these questions slow you down.

Can I pre-order merchandise?

Yes, but see above note about keeping your cool. Merchandise orders can be added later. Don’t spend time trying to decide which pins you want and miss out on your race.

But… Just in case you want to see what they’re offering and for how much, I did grab some screenshots when I registered. No merchandise pics yet. I imagine they’re still working on it. Sorry these aren’t edited into a pretty collage, but you get what you pay for 🙂

Pre-order merchandise offerings

With that, I’m going to turn my attention to Princess packing. And may the odds be ever in your favor.

It’s Back! Coast to Coast Challenge Returns in 2024!

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I know I am not the only one who is excited to finally have the opportunity to not only run a race at Disneyland, California, but to get the coveted Coast to Coast medal! These were discontinued several years ago when Disneyland races were put on pause. I’m really hoping to add “all the medals” to my wall, and this is a giant leap forward!.

So what is Coast to Coast?

Simply put, Coast to Coast is a medal runDisney runners earn if they run a long race (10 mi+) at both Disneyland and Disney World in the same calendar year.

Runners do NOT have to register for the challenge; it’s automatic. (What’s that… no separate fee? Like really? Disney passed on a money-grab opportunity? Huzzah!)

So besides money, why is this tricky?

There are two factors (other than OMG I’m running races two weeks in a row?????) that look really important to consider right now:

  • Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (Florida) and Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (California) races are back-to-back in January, 2024. Yup Florida is January 3-7 and California is January 11-14. If you want to do both, you’d better be able to have 2 weeks in the bank or be willing to accept a really chaotic remote work schedule.
  • Registration for the Disneyland races is soon… SOON! Club runDisney members start their registration on Feb 7; general registration is on Feb 14. No time for general registration has been announced yet. I’m presuming it won’t be 10 a.m. ET just since they should be catering to the Pacific Time audience, but that is only my opinion. I’ll post more when I know it.
    • Keep in mind that it has been years since there has been a Disneyland race. If you thought Dopey 2023 registration was bad… you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. I predict instant bloodbath.

So what else do I need to know?

  • There will be two different versions of the C2C medal offered. One for those who complete a race during Marathon Weekend first, and one for those who complete a race at Disneyland first. Do we know the difference? No. Did runDisney make it clear that the medal for those who complete the Marathon Weekend first (thus doing back-to-back weekends) is special to 2024 ? Yes. Is that the money grab? To get marathoners to sign up for Disneyland one week later? Maybe.
  • You can only get one C2C medal per year. If you run Marathon Weekend then Disneyland, there’s your medal. No double-dipping if you head back to Florida for Princess.
  • Virtual races will not qualify. This makes perfect sense to me. The point of the medal is to go to California and then go to Florida. If you do it all on your treadmill, where’s the challenge in that?

So which races qualify?

  • Per the runDisney site, challenge or 10 mile races will qualify you in 2024. You must have a Florida and a California race/challenge:
    • Walt Disney World Half Marathon (FL)
    • Walt Disney World Marathon (FL)
    • Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge (FL)
    • Dopey Challenge (FL)
    • Disneyland Half Marathon (CA)
    • Dumbo Double Dare Challenge (CA)
    • Princess Half Marathon (FL)
    • Fairy Tale Challenge (FL)
    • Springtime Surprise 10-Miler (FL)
    • Springtime Surprise Challenge (FL)
    • Wine and Dine Half Marathon (FL)
    • Two-Course Challenge (FL)

I personally am beyond exited. Can I pay for this? No clue. I’ll have to make some choices and beg my boss for a lot of time off. But I am ready to charge forward.

Is it bad that I am simultameously thinking “Castle to Chateau????”