Hi Amy, and thanks for bringing your question to planDisney. I love running January
runDisney races because it’s one of the only times of the year when you’re almost guaranteed the weather won’t be too hot.
Racing through the theme parks is definitely the highlight of participating in a runDisney event! The course maps are usually released about two weeks before each race weekend. So I’d recommend keeping an eye on the
runDisney Instagram account in mid to late December for the
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and early to mid-January for the
Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend.
While the courses do change, they’re often similar from year to year. There are no guarantees, but we can take a peek at the 2025 course maps to see what parks the races might go through next year. It never hurts to dream!
This year, the Walt Disney World 5k went through EPCOT (and covered an impressive amount of the park!), the 10k also looped through EPCOT and included a route around Crescent Lake (where you’ll find
BoardWalk Inn,
Beach Club Resort, and
Yacht Club Resort), and the Half Marathon went through EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. Not all of the runDisney half marathons go through Magic Kingdom, so it’s always special to run a course that does. And then there’s the Marathon—the crown jewel of Disney races that goes through all four Disney World theme parks!
In case you were also asking about the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (which runs from January 29-February 1, 2026), the 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon all went through both
Disneyland Park and
Disney California Adventure Park this year.
If you’re coming to Disney World for Marathon Weekend, I’d recommend making dining reservations as soon as your booking window opens—
60 days in advance, or if you’re staying at a Disney Resort hotel, 60 days before check-in for your whole stay (up to a 10-night stay). Everyone loves a good post-race meal, so reservations for popular restaurants go quickly. I loved celebrating with my race buddies at
‘Ohana at the
Polynesian and
Wine Bar George and
Homecomin’ at
Disney Springs. Some Disney Springs restaurants and stores even have discounts for race participants. You’ll find more details in the Digital Expo & Event Guide that comes out around the same time the course maps are released.
Remember, every mile is magic… even during those last winter long runs! If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to visit us again at planDisney.
JoAnna