Kate Fahey's Staging Area

I finally did it – I ran my first Disneyland race and my first runDisney 5K! And wow, what an experience. From the ridiculously early wake-up call to the absolute magic of running through the parks, it was everything I hoped for and more.

Let’s be real: waking up in the middle of the night to go run isn’t anyone’s ideal. But once I was up and moving, the excitement kicked in. Parking was super easy, and finding my way to the corrals was a breeze.

The best part? Starting on Main Street, U.S.A. Disney went all out with Guardians of the Galaxy-themed projections on the buildings, making it feel like we were stepping right into the movie. There was also some great pre-race entertainment, which helped wake me up a little (or at least distract me from how early it was).

Once we got going, I quickly realized that starting in Corral D meant things were going to be pretty crowded. There were walkers everywhere, and it was tough to actually run. I ended up doing a mix of running and walking, just trying to take it all in and enjoy the experience.

And wow, what an experience it was! The entire race took us through Disneyland and California Adventure, which was so fun. One of my favorite moments was running past Cars Land – I’d never seen it in person before, and it was absolutely incredible! Seeing all the neon lights lit up in the early morning was such a cool moment.

Before I knew it, I was making my way through Pixar Pier, and suddenly, the race was over! It flew by so fast. I honestly wasn’t ready for it to end – I could have kept running just to soak in more of the parks.

Even with the crowded corral, this race was pure magic. The energy, the entertainment, running through Disneyland – it all made for such an unforgettable experience. And now? I can’t wait to do another runDisney race!

The Mount Rushmore Half Marathon is a challenging yet rewarding race, perfect for those with a goal of completing a half marathon in all 50 states. The course begins with a chilly start, so don’t forget to bring a throwaway layer (I made the mistake of forgetting mine!). The first eight miles are uphill, which I mostly walked to save energy for the later sections. But don’t let that deter you – the views are absolutely stunning, especially as you pass through the one-lane tunnel between miles 7 and 9, where you get an incredible sight of Mount Rushmore.

One thing to note is that due to the remote and challenging nature of the course, there are no spectators along the way. However, the race is well-supported, with aid stations at miles 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12.5. They’re stocked with Gnarly sports drink, water, and Honey Stinger energy gels, plus the aid station at mile 9 also has fruit. After mile 8, the course transitions to a mostly downhill path, which feels like a much-needed break after the early climbs.

This year, the race swag was particularly impressive – the tee shirt and medal were both awesome, and the post-race snack box was as good as it usually is. Overall, it’s a challenging course but a great choice if you’re knocking off South Dakota in your 50-state journey. While you’re in the area, don’t miss out on visiting Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park – they’re both stunning and well worth the trip!

I completed this race because my husband and I were going to be in the area and I wanted to check off Kentucky in my pursuit to run a half in all fifty states.

The course was prettier than I had expected and fairly easy, however I would have appreciated more restrooms and fueling options. The race overview said there would be rest stops at all the aid stations, but I only found two that actually had porta potties.

The aid stations had water and an electrolyte drink but minimal fueling options (granola bars and pretzels were the only options I saw).

Overall it was a decent race and the town was very pretty with lots of great restaurant options for before and after the race!

This course is easy and goes past some really pretty houses! I loved looking at all of them as I ran past.

The start of the course needs some work. I understand that the previous course was worse but I’ve never had such a long wave start. There were easily 7-10 minutes in between waves and being stuck on the other side of the highway from my car/stuff sucked! I was wearing a rain jacket and left my headphones in the car because it was raining when we crossed the highway, but by the time my wave started running it had stopped raining and was sunny and I really wished I could put my rain jacket back in the car and grab my headphones. I wish VR would figure out a better way to start the race.

This is a fun race. Production does a great time and even waiting around in the corals is fun! I love that they had fireworks for every wave start!

This was my first Disney half marathon and I was not prepared for the Florida heat and humidity! The course is fun going through Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, and plenty of aid stations with water and Honey Stinger Chews.

The course is pretty easy but you do run over an overpass which makes this one of my highest elevation runs ever and makes for a challenging area of the course. It’s also towards the end of the course when I was already tired.

Overall it was a fun race and nothing beats running through Disney! I’ll definitely do another Disney race but next time I’m doing a different weekend as I have not liked the Princess weekend medals the last couple of years.

I did this race back in 2020 and the race production did a great time! It was the most “normal” race I did in 2020. The course is easy with some beautiful desert scenery, and I loved dressing up for the race!

This was my second half marathon and until this Saturday it was still my PB! The prairie state makes for a very flat course, but the Historic Long Grove covered bridge is a nice touch for the course!