Disney Marathon Weekend

Do you have a New Year’s resolution? It seems like everybody gets motivated to get healthy at the beginning of the year. After all, it’s a fresh start and a second chance—right? The gyms are packed and the Internet comes alive with diet and exercise articles geared toward everyone looking for a health fix. If you’re a beginner, running a marathon isn’t something you should consider. But for those of you health nuts out there looking for a way to shake up your New Year’s fitness goals, you should think of attending the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.

The Disney theme parks are known for being massive and requiring plenty of walking, but during marathon weekends everyone from competitive runners to families with children have a chance to run through the beautiful Epcot park and the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. Last year’s Marathon Weekend featured 45,000 runners, and that’s not the end of Disney’s marathon events! There’s also the Princess Half Marathon Weekend and the Wine & Dine Marathon Weekend. Both Disneyland and Walt Disney World have marathon events that give participants goody bags, medals, treats, t-shirts and personalized bibs for contestants that sign up on time.

Disney is considering 2010 the year of giving, and there’s no better gift than the gift of health. Training for the great fun of a Disney marathon will keep you motivated to stay healthy, and what’s cooler than getting a medal from the House of Mouse? For those of you that are marathon die-hards, there is a special medal for those runners that complete both the Disney World and Disneyland full marathons in one year. Are you up for it? As for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, there are a number of great races to sign up for. If you’re interested, we recommend signing up quickly because they fill up fast! The categories are: Full Marathon, Half Marathon, Goofy’s Race and a Half, Disney/Pixar UP & Away Family Run 5k, and Mickey’s Marathon Fest. So if you and your family are ready to start the New Year with a healthy twist, head to Walt Disney World for their Marathon Weekend!

Stay Fit with Seminars at Walt Disney World Marathon

Even though the Walt Disney World Marathon is already booked to capacity, meaning there’s no more room for participants, that doesn’t mean that guests of Walt Disney World can’t learn a thing or two about fitness during the jam-packed Marathon weekend. From January 8th through 10th, Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex will play host to the Health and Fitness Expo, which will feature celebrity runner appearances, plenty of running and fitness equipment, and most significantly, the Walt Disney World Marathon Seminar Series. It’s a great opportunity to get the skinny (no pun intended) from experts in fitness and nutrition.

More than two dozen topical sessions, ranging from 30 to 45 minutes long, will be offered during the three-day Health and Fitness Expo, which begins on Thursday at 12:30 pm. One of the day’s highlights includes a presentation at 2:45 by former 10,000 and 20,000-meter world record holder and Mexican Olympian Arturo Barrios. Thursday will also feature great fitness information for kids, with Cigna’s Healthy Kids Challenge Chef presentation at 3:45 and a Making It Fun For the Kids presentation from world-class coach Kevin Hanson and his 10-year-old daughter Samantha at 4:45 pm. Thursday’s presentations will conclude around 6 pm with an hour long session from Disney Marathon Race Director Jon Hughes, who’ll wrap up the day by covering tips and information about this 2009’s running events.

Friday’s seminars will kick off at 11 am with a discussion of ChiRunning and ChiWalking, revolutionary forms of running and walking blended with T’ai Chi, presented by creator Danny Dreyer. Hughes will again wrap up the schedule with a session beginning at 4:45.

The series will end on Saturday after another riveting day of presentations beginning at 11 am with 1972 Olympian Jeff Galloway. Galloway will give key tips on how to run a personal best. Hughes and Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray will close the series with a session at 3:15 pm.

Each day of the Expo will feature roughly 8 to 12 sessions, and each session will feature a Q& A session, giving audience members a chance to pick the brains of these fitness and nutrition stars. Best yet, there’s no additional charge to hear the seminar series; to attend, guests need only pay the admission charge of the Wide World of Sports Complex, which is $12.75 for adults and $10 for children ages 9 and under. The seminar series will take place in the Milk House Upper Court, and TV and radio race commentator Creigh Kelley will host.

The Walt Disney World Marathon Seminar Series is one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear writers, coaches, record-holders, and Olympians talk about their experiences and give unique advice and information. So while you’re heading to the Disney theme parks to see your favorite spectators, do take some time to hear fitness wisdom from the experts. With their help, you might just find yourself a little more ready and willing to run the Marathon next year!

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

The New Year is just around the corner, and that means another year of fun-filled Walt Disney World vacations. And while you’re planning your big 2008 vacation, plan to take advantage of the cheap Walt Disney World tickets at DWTickets.com. We are your one-stop shop for your next Orlando vacation, and we are the number one place to go for cheap theme park tickets all year long.

While the New Year means new Orlando vacation plans to many, for runners everywhere it means the annual Walt Disney World Marathon. If you are visiting Walt Disney World during the weekend of January 11-13, you will probably see people running alongside the resort roads and in certain areas of the theme parks. This year, racers will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the popular marathon, and all finishers will receive a special commemorative medal if the complete the race.

The Marathon Weekend incorporates several different events including a half marathon on January 12 and the full marathon on January 13. Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge is for true runners only, requiring participation in both the half and full marathon. The weekend also includes Disney’s Health and Fitness Expo, a three-day “celebration of health and fitness” that takes place at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex throughout the event.

For families of runners, on January 11, there is Disney’s 5K Family Safari, a fun family run of about three miles that takes young marathoners on a route through Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. The Family Fun Run Kids’ Races has racing events on January 11 and 12, and is also at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

The Marathon takes runners from the starting line at Epcot, through Tomorrowland and Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, past Expedition EVEREST at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and through the Wide World of Sports Complex. Then its on to Disney Hollywood Studios for a pass through New York Street and Hollywood Boulevard. From here runners trek through Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort and wind down into the big finish back at Epcot. All in a time limit set at seven hours! Whew!

We know your vacation will likely not include visiting the entire Walt Disney World resort in one day. But you still want to get the best discounts on your Walt Disney World tickets, and we at DWTickets.com are the best source to do just that!