Hi Kelly!
Thank you for bringing your question to the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
Your race weekend will be here soon! I'm sure you're getting very excited.
You are correct. Once you exit the parks, there won't be Disney characters along the streets of Anaheim portion of the race. (subject to change) But don't worry ... there is still plenty of entertainment during those miles. Local bands, cheerleaders, dancers, social clubs, etc., are usually lined up cheering for runners. It's a lot of fun!
The characters will be scattered throughout the parks, generally near an area of the park that they would feel "at home" in. Example: Lightning McQueen and Mater like to hang out in Cars Land.
If you haven't seen it already, there is a great digital event guide for the
Disneyland Half Marathon weekend. You can find it on the event website by clicking on the RUNNER INFO tab.
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions.