Welcome back, Kim!
Thanks so much for returning to
planDisney with another
run-derful question about your upcoming
Walt Disney World Resort vacation. I’m so excited about the opportunity to help you plan for an unforgettable Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend! Spectating at a runDisney event is an exhilarating experience made even more magical when you’re able to cheer on your own participating friends and family members. My sister and I will be among those lucky runners making their way along the thrilling 13.1-mile journey in 2024, so we’re beginning to make spectating arrangements for our travel party as well!
Kim, although course maps for the
2024 Disney Princess Half Marathon haven’t been released quite yet, in previous years, runners have made their way down Main Street, U.S.A. around mile 5. Depending on which corral your runner is in (their start time), their number of stops along the course, and their average pace, I’d estimate they’d enter
Magic Kingdom Park somewhere between 5:35 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. For the half marathon, runners will cross the finish line (usually located in the
EPCOT parking area) at mile 13.1, so I’d estimate your runner would finish the race between 6:30 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. I recommend chatting with your runner to get a more accurate understanding of their pace and Disney Character photo stop expectations to narrow down these windows for your planning purposes! Also, I encourage your runner to enable location sharing with you on race morning so that you can easily track their progress along the course.
If your runner is in one of the earlier corrals and has a faster-than-average pace, I think it’ll be more challenging to see them in both Magic Kingdom Park and at the finish line, but I don’t think it’s impossible. My suggestion would be to arrive at Magic Kingdom Park well ahead of your runner, and then race to EPCOT via the
EPCOT Monorail as quickly as possible after your runner passes you on Main Street, U.S.A.! If your runner is more slow-and-steady (like me!), I don’t think you’ll have any issues catching them in both locations. If possible, make a sign or bring something to catch your runner’s attention and provide them with encouragement and support. I had a friend catch me on the
Walt Disney World Half Marathon course this past year with a personalized sign – it brought me to tears and gave me the strength to finish the race with a smile on my face!
Kim, I hope you’ve found this information helpful. I’m always happy to help with any additional
runDisney or general Walt Disney World Resort planning questions you may have, so please feel free to
reach back out to me anytime! I truly appreciate you allowing me to help you navigate your runDisney spectating experience and wish you a memorable trip.
Wishing you many magical miles,
Lauren