You will be awake long before dawn, standing in a corral with more than thirteen thousand other marathoners waiting for a start that is still hours from sunrise. What follows is the flattest big marathon you are likely to run, about 260 feet of climbing in all, and nearly every foot of it comes on highway overpasses between the parks. The reward is the parks themselves: the course threads through Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, with characters lined up for photo stops that will wreck your split if you let them. Expect crowds, dozens of turns and warm, humid air by mid-morning even in January. Fewer than one percent of finishers qualify for Boston here, so treat it as a celebration run. If you want the full four-day Dopey Challenge, plan your legs and your registration months ahead.
Very flat road course through four theme parks (Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios) with many turns; a few highway overpasses and one underpass are the only hills.
runDisney registration dates for the 2027 weekend could not be verified: rundisney.com redirected every page to a virtual queue on 2026-10-13. Historically runDisney races are first-come and sell out quickly; the Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, half and marathon on four consecutive days) and Goofy Challenge (half plus marathon) are separate entries. Register ↗
- The inaugural Walt Disney World Marathon was held in January 1994 with 5,588 runners; Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge debuted in 2006 and the Dopey Challenge (48.6 miles over four days) in 2014. ↗
- The 2026 marathon had 13,291 finishers, up from 12,486 in 2025; only 0.8% ran Boston-qualifying times. ↗
- The 2027 weekend is January 6-10, 2027, is Donald Duck-themed, and marks the 30th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Half Marathon. ↗
- The 2026 race was run on January 11, 2026 and won by Matt Hensley and Brittany Charboneau. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.