We're so glad you stopped by the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Dana! Clocking in at 48.6 miles in four consecutive days, the
Dopey Challenge is the ultimate runDisney experience and is only for the toughest of the tough marathoners. This year, almost 6,500 runners completed the Dopey Challenge, and out of those, several hundred are considered "perfectly Dopey," meaning they have run every single Dopey Challenge since it began in 2014!
Although I'm a big fan of runDisney races, I have yet even to think about signing up anything longer than a half marathon, so I turned to my friend and former panelist,
Lori, for her advice. In her experience, the Dopey Challenge did sell out quickly in its first few years, but now it typically takes several weeks before it is sold out. The shorter races during
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, such as the 5K and 10K, fill up much more quickly. She even remembers the exact date last year that registrations opened- April 16. Of course, this can change from year to year, so I recommend
joining the runDisney mailing list for up to date information, which can be found at the bottom of the page on the runDisney website.
Good luck with your training, Dana, but be careful not to overdo it, because burnout can lead to becoming
Grumpy! The runDisney website has some great
training programs designed by former Olympian, Jeff Galloway. If you need any more advice, remember we're all ears!
Eean