WDW Daily News

James Lander from Fullerton, Calif. ran and won his first runDisney race this morning at the 10^th annual Disneyland Half Marathon presented by Cigna. He led the field of nearly 15,000 runners and crossed the finish line more than six minutes ahead of the second place winner from Sao Paulo, Brazil, 35-year-old Valdir Aparecido Bueno.

Lander, 36, used to stand on the sidelines and watch his wife run multiple runDisney races but decided this time, he wanted to get in on the action. So he did. And won, finishing in 1:08:56

“I’ve loved this race, even though I had never done it before, because everyone has an amazing time,” said Lander. “I see people laughing and smiling the entire way versus most races where everyone looks like they are killing themselves. It’s a special thing! It’s really great!”

Lander has run competitively for years. He’s a local chiropractor and claims that running  “is just part of what chiropractors do.” He used to be on a professional marathon team, winning many times, but now runs a couple of half marathons and local races a year to support the community.

Momoko Tanaka, 29, from Urayasu-shi, Japan, wrote her own chapter in the race’s annals today coming in first place for the women, finishing in 1:21:30. This is the first time in the race’s 10 year history that an international runner has won. Tanaka finished just ahead of last year’s female champion, Jennifer Berry, 34, from Denver, Colo.  Berry crossed the finish line in 1:23:21, beating her prior year’s time by 12 seconds.

All half marathon finishers take home unique 10th annual medals to commemorate the occasion. More than  400 “legacy’’ runners ran this weekend, completing all 10 Disneyland Half Marathons since the inaugural race in 2006.  The half marathon traveled through Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Park, the streets of Anaheim and Angel Stadium.

Runners celebrated Thursday night with a Disneyland Half Marathon 10^th Annual party.  Guests experienced select attractions, Disney entertainment and character meet & greets in Disneyland Park West Side.  As the event coincides with Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, the party gave runners exclusive viewing of Disneyland’s “Paint the Night” Parade which is part of the 60th anniversary celebration.

More than 29,000 runners from across the nation and 28 countries gathered in Southern California to celebrate the 10^th annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. The weekend of events also included the Disneyland 5K, runDisney Kids Races and the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo.

The new Disneyland Paris Half Marathon Weekend will be a three-day race weekend that includes a variety of events for runners and fans to experience the theme parks like never before when it debuts in the City of Light on Sept. 23-25, 2016.

The inaugural race weekend in Paris will include fun kids’ races for children of all ages, a 5K course through Disneyland Paris and a scenic half-marathon course through two Disneyland Paris theme parks and the countryside villages that surround the Disney Parks.

In addition to the races, the Paris event, runDisney’s first at a Disney Park outside of the United States, will also offer several family-friendly events, including a pre-race Pasta Party the night before the half marathon where runners can “carb up’’ for the race. There will also be a runDisney Health and Fitness Expo throughout the weekend where runners pick up race packets, shop for the latest running apparel and technology and attend a speaker series involving leading industry experts.

While running through the theme parks and the countryside villages, runners will have the opportunity to meet beloved Disney characters and experience legendary Disney entertainment along the course. And commemorative medals await runners at the finish line.

Race packages go on sale on October 6, 2015.

“We could not be more excited about the upcoming runDisney event,’’ said Tom Wolber, President of Euro Disney S.A.S. “It will make Disneyland Paris the world’s third Disney destination to host this successful sporting series that offers a whole new running experience for the young and young-at-heart.’’

For more information about the race weekend, visit www.run.disneylandparis.com.

Schedule of Events

runDisney Health and Fitness Expo

Sept. 23-24, 2016

runDisney Kids Races

Sept. 24, 2016

Pasta in the Park Party

Sept. 24, 2016

Disneyland Paris 5K

Sept. 24, 2016

Inaugural Disneyland Paris Half Marathon

Sept. 25, 2016

Pixie power and persistence pushed Lenore Moreno to smash a race record by almost 9 minutes in the fourth annual Tinker Bell Half Marathon presented by PANDORA Jewelry at Disneyland Resort.  Looking much like a pixie herself, the five-foot, 24-year-old West Covina, Calif. resident flew by her competition, finishing in a mere 1:15:55. The former race record was 1:24:11.  She was also nearly nine minutes ahead of second-place finisher Ann Mazur of Charlottesville, VA (1:24:10). Anne-Marie Nuno of Irvine, Calif. came in third (1:24:21).

“Just being inside Disneyland, I think that’s what gave me that push and helped me to forget about how long this half marathon was and just to enjoy the moment,” Moreno said. “I couldn’t have done it anywhere else.  Passing under that castle was just magical.”

Moreno started running as a freshman in high school.  She continued in college and dreamed of running in a runDisney race but school always got in the way.  She finally realized her dream, making history this Mother’s Day.  She even had a message for her mom.

“I love you! Happy Mother’s Day!” Moreno said.

Grandmothers, mothers, daughters, aunts and nieces were some of the 13,000 women who spent their Mother’s Day racing along an entertainment-filled 13.1-mile course through Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Parks, as well as by several Anaheim landmarks.  Among them, was the Evans family from Irvine, Calif. Cheryl and Coco Evans, wearing identical Tinker Bell costumes, crossed the finish line together.

“Doing this race with me is priceless,” said mom Cheryl Evans. “It’s a memory that will last a lifetime.  I’m so happy!”

More than 32,050 runners competed in various events during the weekend that included the Never Land 5K, the Tinker Bell 10K, runDisney Kids Races, a health and fitness expo and the inaugural Pixie Dust Challenge, which involved runners completing the 10K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday.

Academy-award winning actor and producer George Clooney also came to Disneyland Resort this holiday weekend with his family for the world premiere of Disney’s new mystery adventure “Tomorrowland.”

In total, there were more than 16,000 runners from across the nation and 22 countries. Finishers received a commemorative Tinker Bell “wings’’ medal. The Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend is one of eight annual runDisney events and one of two women-focused events. The other is the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which takes place in February at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. Both events are designed to celebrate and promote women’s empowerment, women’s health and an active lifestyle. And both are among the nation’s largest race weekends geared towards women.

Runners can register for any runDisney race weekend at www.rundisney.com.

Since its rebrand in 2010, runDisney has become one of the premier race organizers in the country. From kids races to the most magical 26.2 miles on earth, runDisney offers unique race weekends at various Disney theme parks – at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., on Disney’s private Bahamian island Castaway Cay and at Disneyland Paris beginning in 2016.

The magic of runDisney has translated to significant growth and popularity in recent years, both in terms of runners and number of events. Runners nationwide and internationally (209,000-plus in 2014) have clamored to sign up for these popular race weekends. Frequently, runDisney race weekends sell out in record time. For instance, the inaugural Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon in 2014 and the Star Wars Half Marathon in 2015 each sold out in about two hours.

As the series continues to expand (there will be eight race weekends in 2016), runDisney remains focused on providing creative ways to bring new runners into the sport of running as well as into Disney parks. First-time runners as well as aspiring Olympians can experience the legendary Disney entertainment and guest service, while ultimately celebrating their accomplishments with a Disney vacation.

Increasing the Race Portfolio Around the World

On the heels of the debut of the Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend and Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend at Disneyland Resort, runDisney recently announced another unique event.

Coming in 2016 will be the much-anticipated debut of the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon Weekend. The Paris event marks the first international race weekend for runDisney and will take place Sept. 23-25, 2016 at Disney’s theme park in France.

Leading the Industry Trend of Multi-Day Race Challenges

For runners seeking the ultimate test, runDisney is leading a widespread trend of race organizations offering multi-race challenges.

runDisney offers the “Dopey Challenge’’ during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna, which invites participants to complete four races for a total of 48.6 miles in four days. It also offers 19.3-mile challenges – a 10K and half marathon over two days – at many race weekends, including “Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge” at Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, the “Dumbo Double Dare” during Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna, the “Star Wars Rebel Challenge” during Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend, the “Glass Slipper Challenge” during Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and the recently announced “Infinity Gauntlet Challenge” during Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend.

Since 2014, runDisney has challenged runners to complete the Coast to Coast Challenge by running a race at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort in the same calendar year, offering a unique medal to commemorate the achievement. In 2015, runDisney added the Castaway Cay Challenge, a special 5K event hosted in partnership with Disney Cruise Line on Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. More than 700 runners participated in the inaugural event, which was the first of its kind to be held amid the lush palm trees and turquoise waters of a private island paradise, on the heels of the annual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.

Offering Unprecedented Amenities for Runners and Families

Runner’s World magazine has identified runDisney races as the perfect races for new runners because there’s less pressure, no required qualifying time and guests can enjoy the sights of a Disney theme park and world-famous Disney characters during their race. There are plenty of opportunities to get the whole family involved, as many race weekends feature a health and fitness expo with guest speakers, runDisney Kids Races, a family fun run 5K, a 10K and a half marathon.

Disney offers a number of amenities to runners and their families that really set runDisney races apart from others. Participants have access to official training consultant Jeff Galloway and official nutritionist Tara Gidus, who offer training tips to make finishing a runDisney race more achievable to all runners.

Participants can take advantage of the VIP Race Retreat during the Walt Disney World Marathon and Princess Half Marathon Weekends, which includes a designated tent at the race with brunch, WiFi, TVs, Disney character meet-and-greets and more. There is the ChEAR squad, which helps guests cheer on the runners with cheer signs, noise-makers and even special viewing areas. There are also several pre-race and post-race parties inside the theme parks that provide exclusive experiences for runners, along with their family and friends.

To commemorate the 10th annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend in 2015, participants will receive a unique 10th annual medal and attend a special Disneyland Half Marathon Annual party at Disneyland Park. As the event coincides with Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, the party also offers runners an exclusive viewing of Disneyland’s new “Paint the Night” Parade.

Facilitating Economic Impact in Surrounding Communities

Additionally, runDisney races help facilitate substantial economic impact in the community. The Princess Half Marathon Weekend, for instance, attracts some 40,000 participants and is considered to be the second largest women-focused race weekend in the nation. And the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is considered to be one of the largest race weekends in the country with more than 50,000 runners participating and attracting approximately 50,000-plus spectators for a total attendance of more than 100,000 coming into the Central Florida area. In Anaheim, it’s estimated that the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend drives approximately $20 million to $30 million in additional economic activity locally, attracting thousands of out-of-area runners to Southern California.

With all the unique experiences that runDisney provides participants, the result continues to be a winning finish.  Runners can start training and sign up for a runDisney event at www.rundisney.com.

Runners looking to put their Super Hero powers to the test during the Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend will have a cool, new 19.3-mile adventure awaiting them this year. When registration for the race weekend opens April 7, runners can sign up for the new Infinity Gauntlet Challenge – running the recently-added Captain America 10K and the Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon on consecutive days during the three-day race weekend,, November 13-15, 2015, at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA.

If history is any indication, the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge is likely to be hugely popular. It’s the fourth challenge event at runDisney race weekends at Disneyland Resort and each is among the most popular races at those events, all selling out within hours after registration opened.

Disney and Avengers characters, along with a variety of other Disney entertainment, will await runners embarking on the new 6.2-mile Captain America 10K and the 13.1-mile Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon which winds through the Disneyland Resort and along the streets of Anaheim. Runners who sign up to run both races as part of the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge will receive finisher medals at the end of each race, plus a inaugural Infinity Gauntlet Challenge medal.

Registration for the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge is required to receive the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge Medal.

In addition to the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge events, the three-day race weekend will involve kids races, a 5K, and several family-friendly events such as a Health & Fitness Expo and a pre-race Pasta in the Park Party. Registration opens April 7 at www.runDisney.com.