Hi there, Lora! I am so glad you came to planDisney to ask your questions about your January trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth.
A few years ago, I had no idea what a runDisney event entailed. Now, I have participated in many runDisney races and feel confident to help you with planning for your vacation.
You are correct that the
Walt Disney World Marathon weekend is happening during your visit. This simply means you will see LOTS of people proudly wearing their medals around the parks. The events usually take place in the wee hours of the morning, so that they don’t disrupt the theme parks throughout the day. The event schedule for January 6-9 looks like this:
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Thursday, January 6, 2022 – Walt Disney World 5K
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Friday, January 7, 2022 – Walt Disney World 10K
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Saturday, January 8, 2022 – Walt Disney World Half Marathon
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Sunday, January 9, 2022 – Walt Disney World Marathon
Did you know that there are even a couple of “challenge” races for Walt Disney World Marathon weekend? The “Dopey Challenge” is for runners who wish to run 48.6 miles (or ALL of the above races) and the “Goofy Challenge” is for runners who want to run both the Half & Full Marathons. So, if you see a runner with either of those medals, be sure to congratulate them on their accomplishments!
In the past, when I have participated in runDisney race events, the half marathon ran through both EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. The full Marathon has run through all four WDW theme parks in the past, so I would expect that to be the case in January as well. The order appears to be start at EPCOT at 5am, then head to Magic Kingdom, then Disney’s Animal Kingdom, to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and finishing at EPCOT. To avoid runners, I would head to Magic Kingdom on Sunday, as they should be out of that park before it opens for the day.
I hope this helps with your vacation planning! Have an awesome visit for
The Most Magical Celebration on Earth in January.
Happy Traveling,
Tracy