Disney World Marathon: Dates, Course, and Registration Guide

Race weekend schedule

Donald Duck is the theme across the 2027 weekend, which marks the 30th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Half Marathon.¹ Prices below are the launch prices runDisney lists, including its 6.6% platform service fee.¹

• Walt Disney World 5K: Thursday, January 7, 2027, $125.¹
• Walt Disney World 10K: Friday, January 8, 2027, $175.¹
• Walt Disney World Half Marathon: Saturday, January 9, 2027, $249.¹
• Walt Disney World Marathon: Sunday, January 10, 2027, $255.¹
• Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge, the half marathon and marathon (39.3 miles): January 9 and 10, 2027, $495.¹
• Dopey Challenge, all four races (48.6 miles): January 7 to 10, 2027, $769.¹

How do you register for the Disney World Marathon?

1. Watch for registration in March. For 2027, Club runDisney Gold and Platinum members could register from March 10, 2026, and general registration opened March 17, 2026 at 10 a.m. Eastern.²
2. If you expect to finish in 5 hours or less, submit proof of time when you register: a 10-mile, half marathon or marathon result from an officially timed, USATF-certified course, run between January 1, 2024 and August 3, 2026.²
3. A half marathon counts toward a 5-hour marathon start group only if you ran it in 2:22 or less. Relays, trail runs, self-timed runs and virtual runs are not accepted, and missing or unverifiable proof puts you in the last start group.²
4. With the 2027 race sold out, the remaining ways in are through runDisney's charity and travel provider partners; the celebrated charity for this weekend is Blood Cancer United Team In Training.¹⁶
5. Before you travel, complete the digital waiver for each race you entered and keep your Check-in Pass, which you need to collect each bib.⁴

Charity team entries listed on Bib Scouts

Some runDisney charity teams sell their 2027 weekend entries through RunSignup, and Bib Scouts lists those entries. TECH CORPS sets fundraising minimums of $314 for the 5K, $628 for the 10K, $942 for the half marathon and $1,314 for Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge or the Dopey Challenge.⁸

A Running Passion⁹ and Team Marathon Kids¹⁰ list marathon entries for the weekend as well. Check each team's page for open places and its own fundraising terms before you commit.

What is the course like?

runDisney describes a 26.2-mile course through Walt Disney World Resort, with Disney character sightings and entertainment along the way.² Run Florida Run's 2027 race guide calls it the only runDisney race that passes through all four Walt Disney World theme parks, linked by highways and backstage roads.⁶

The 2026 course started near EPCOT and ran through Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, the Blizzard Beach area and Hollywood Studios before finishing at EPCOT.⁷ runDisney had not posted the 2027 course map when this guide was checked, and the route can change.⁷

The first start group goes at 4:30 a.m., so the opening miles are run in the dark.²

What is the pace requirement?

Every runner must hold at least a 16-minute-mile pace, and runDisney recommends training at 15 minutes per mile.³ At an even 16-minute pace a marathon takes 6 hours 59 minutes 30 seconds.

Pace cyclists on the course wave a red flag at each mile marker when runners are behind the required pace, and anyone behind pace can be picked up and transported off the course.³

Bib pickup and the expo

You must collect your bib at the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo at least one day before your first race.⁴ The 2027 bib pickup hours are Wednesday, January 6, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, January 7 and Friday, January 8, noon to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, January 9, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.⁴

The expo has been held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.⁶ runDisney says the 2027 Digital Expo & Event Guide, with full details, will be posted closer to the event.⁵

The letter on your bib is your start group, and start groups cannot be changed at the expo.⁴

Getting to the start

Run Florida Run's guide says Disney runs race-morning buses from Walt Disney World resort hotels, starting at about 3 a.m.⁶ If you are staying off property, it advises leaving very early, expecting overnight road closures and following the event parking signs.⁶

What is the weather like in early January?

Orlando's normal high in the first 10 days of January is 72°F, and the normal low is 49 to 50°F, based on National Weather Service normals for 1991 to 2020.²¹ With a 4:30 a.m. start, expect the race to begin near the day's low and warm up as you go.²²¹

Cold snaps happen: the same records show January daytime highs that stayed in the 30s and 40s.²¹ Pack a throwaway layer for the start corral.

Where to stay for the Walt Disney World Marathon

Staying at a Disney Resort hotel is the simplest option on race morning, because special buses run from the on-site Disney hotels to the start.¹⁸⁶ Disney Resort guests also get 30 minutes of early entry to the theme parks every day of their stay, and free buses, boats, monorail or Disney Skyliner gondolas, depending on the hotel.¹²¹⁴

The hotels below are grouped the way Walt Disney World groups them. Extended Evening Theme Park Hours are only for Deluxe and Deluxe Villa guests and a few other select hotels.¹³ runDisney had not published the 2027 start location when this guide was checked, so do not choose a hotel only for walking distance to the start.⁷

Things to do in Orlando around race weekend

Plan the busy days before your race and the big outings after it. These are ideas for runners and the people cheering for them, with what makes each one worth the time in January.

• Races in Orlando on Bib Scouts
• Every upcoming race in Florida
• New Year's runs, if you arrive early
• Spring half marathons, for your next race

runDisney events at Walt Disney World

runDisney holds four race weekends a season at Walt Disney World, each with a 5K and 10K, a headline race and a multi-race challenge.¹⁹ Every 2026-27 weekend was sold out when this guide was checked.¹⁹ Prices are runDisney's listed prices, including its platform service fee.¹¹⁹

runDisney also sells virtual races that you run on your own course, at your own pace, for a medal.²⁰

Race-day tips from the rules

• Dopey Challenge runners start on Thursday, so their last chance to collect bibs is Wednesday, January 6.¹⁴
• Pin your bib on the front of your torso at all four corners, unfolded and uncovered by jackets or belts, so your time records.⁴
• Leave selfie sticks, strollers, baby carriers and backpacks behind: they are not allowed on the course or in the staging areas.³
• Plan your pace around the 16-minute-mile minimum, not around character photo stops; runners behind pace can be picked up at any time.³