WDW Magazine December 2016 - 2017 Crowds at WDW | Page 98

RUNNER REQUIREMENTS

There are certain age and pacing requirements to be able to participate and complete a
runDisney race. Runners must be at least 14-years-old to participate in the half marathon,
and 18 to participate in the full marathon races. If you want to participate in the 10k run,
you have to be at least 10-years-old, and at least 5 to participate in the 5k.
While Disney doesn’t mandate that you be a veteran runner to participate in any of these
races, there are pacing requirements to be able to complete them. Runners have to be able
to maintain at least a 16-minute mile to complete any of the runDisney races. If you are
unable to maintain the pace requirements, you could be picked up along the course and
shuttled to the finish line. (Don’t worry you still receive your medal if this happens!)
runDisney encourages a 15-minute mile pace during training to ensure that this doesn’t
happen on race day.
Don’t let this part scare you—Disney provides you with loads of training resources from
official runDisney training consultant, Jeff Galloway on their website. On race day there are
pacing runners throughout the courses, and even the famous “balloon ladies (and
sometimes gentlemen),” who maintain the 16-min/mile pace while holding onto their
balloons for easy spotting. As long as you stay ahead of those balloons, yo u’ll be fine.
Proof of time is required for any runner who believes that they can complete the half
marathon or marathon under a certain period of time—2:45 for half marathon runners and
5:30 for marathon runners. Runners must submit their proof of time from an officially
timed race to determine their corral placement for their upcoming runDisney race.