It”s almost time! The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is just around the corner! I am so excited for this race weekend. I’d say it’s one of the biggest ones they have.

It starts on January 6, 2016 to the 10th. It’s also not just the marathon, there are a few races you can do:

There are various ages for the kids race, from a diaper dash, to a 1 mile run. There is the very popular family 5K which you can do with your kids, or dress up and enjoy the on course entertainment.

The recently added(few years ago) 10K which had a Minnie Mouse themed medal. I’ve done it and it’s a lot of fun. The course goes through the Boardwalk and Epcot. So fun to see the resort guests coming out to cheer us on.

They also have the always memorable half marathon. This was the first half I ever ran…3 years ago. So much to see and have fun with the music and on course goodies, and hydration stops. The medal is themed after Donald Duck. The course goes through The Magic Kingdom, around Epcot and the finish.

And then there is the marathon. The medal is themed after Mickey Mouse and the course well, it’s just magical! You start off on some side streets near Epcot. Work your way through The Magic Kingdom, out to Animal Kingdom, head over to Hollywood Studios, out towards the Boardwalk,  and the final lap around Epcot and straight on on the finish line!

The bib and corral assignments for the race can be found here. just click on the runner’s info tab and select corrals and bibs. Also don’t forget to print your waiver. If you have it ready before you arrive at the expo is minimizes time for you. But if you do forget, there are computers there you can print yours at. Print your waivers here. On your waiver is where you will find your bib number. You’d then have to go back to the marathon page to find which corral you are in.

Another unique thing about this marathon weekend, is that they also have 2 more challenges! The Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge, and the infamous Dopey Challenge.

The Goofy Challenge is running and completing the half marathon on Saturday, and the full on Sunday for a total of 39.3 miles. I did it this past January and it was the BEST time I’ve ever had at a race!!! I LOVED it and highly recommend it. You get the half and full marathon medal and a special Goofy’s race and a half challenge medal.

The Dopey Challenge is running the 5K, 10K, half, and the full for a total of 48.6 miles! I would TOTALLY do it if the price wasn’t so high. But believe me, I’ve got my eye on it. By finishing this challenge, you get all the medals for each race, plus the Goofy medal and a special Dopey medal. I’ve had tons of friends who have completed it and keep coming back every year. This is my gal Kristen, better known as BamagirlRUNS. She is incredible and does the Dopey Challenge all the time! You MUST follow her on twitter, especially during this weekend. She posts ALL about her Dopey fun.

The medals are also always changing so here are the medals for all the race of the 2016 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend:

Let’s not forget about the Castaway 5K! It’s a 5K challenge after running the marathon weekend event. But the 5K is done at Disney Cruise Line’s private tropical island in the Bahamas the following week. The Monday, following race weekend, the Disney Dream sets sail for a 4-night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral. I’ve yet to do this but it sure sounds like a dream in a nut shell! Running, beach, sun, fun? Yes!!

There is a month left before thousands of runners around the world come to take over Walt Disney World! I REALLY do hope to see you there!

-the Scoliosis runner