Disneyland Paris – Val d’Europe Half Marathon Weekend
Paris, France
- Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
For every runner who has ever “wished upon a star” for that perfect course, Disneyland® Paris makes your wish come true with the Disneyland® Paris – Val d’Europe Half Marathon Weekend running event. It’s a storybook run straight out of a fairy tale through two spectacular Disney® Parks. And that’s … MORE
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Best runDisney race yet!
I’ve run several runDisney races and I’ve loved them all, but this one was extra special. Aside from it being in France and a bit out of the way, the … MORE
I’ve run several runDisney races and I’ve loved them all, but this one was extra special. Aside from it being in France and a bit out of the way, the race itself was pretty incredible. Navigating Paris was easy, and my check in process at the expo was very smooth. The expo itself is very small compared to those in the US, and I was there pretty late, but I got everything I needed. Getting to the race in the AM was pretty smooth. I shared a taxi with some people I met at the hotel and it was a small walk to the start. Bathrooms were readily available and it had all the excitement that regular runDisney races had. What made this run so special was the cast members. They were so kind, so supportive, so enthusiastic, just absolutely incredible. They really made you feel special before, during, and after the races. I loved it. I was a bit undertrained for this half so I made sure to stop and take lots of pictures. The course was stunning. The park was beautiful and running on the roadways was even great. There weren’t quite as many character meet and greets as some others I’ve run, but still enough to be magical. However, unlike other runDisney races, they wouldn’t use your phone to take photos with the characters. So you have to get the photo pass or purchase photos after the race releases them. The medals and T-shirt’s were stunning. My favorites yet. I loved this race, I will absolutely be back to run another one in my lifetime.
Terrible expo, great course, do it.
Positives: -Course is mostly flat with a few small rollers (nothing crazy, and nothing that lasts long) -Crowd support is phenomenal throughout (tons of characters, cast members, spectators, and entertainment … MORE
Positives:
-Course is mostly flat with a few small rollers (nothing crazy, and nothing that lasts long)
-Crowd support is phenomenal throughout (tons of characters, cast members, spectators, and entertainment – you’ll never be bored or unmotivated)
-More of the course is inside of Disney parks than other runDisney races (Orlando was basically all highway)
Negatives:
-Race expo was terrible – very low selection of runDisney gear (like, a few cotton t-shirts with poor designs), not many vendors (only a headband sales tent and a couple of local race promos), and ZERO food/nutrition giveaways
-Corrals had way too many people. They had to start people within the same corral every few minutes because it was too congested for an entire corral to go off at once.
-Aid stations did not have clearly marked water vs. Powerade
-Too few porta johns on the course
-Really unremarkable post-race food/celebration
-Race results were not live or posted on the website after the race (it’s two days after the race, and they are STILL not posted)
-You have to walk to the race expo after the race to get your bonus medal if you run the Castle to Chateau challenge. Not a huge deal, but I had to catch a flight right after the run, so adding that extra time put me in a bind.
Overall, I’d recommend running this race for the experience. The course is extremely impressive (probably a good PR course if you train well enough), and the Disney characters hype you up the whole time. The race logistics and swag need improvement, but I think this will come with time (2019 was the 4th annual event, so it’s still pretty new).
Not your traditional RunDisney event.
Don't compare RunDisney at DL or WDW. They are very much learning how to do what they have mastered. Not even packet pick-up or the Expo is even close. MORE
Don’t compare RunDisney at DL or WDW. They are very much learning how to do what they have mastered. Not even packet pick-up or the Expo is even close.
Just Do It Once
Pro: - Much cheaper than Anaheim and Orlando Disney races - You get to run through a small part of the theme park - Really fun seeing everyone's costumes - … MORE
Pro:
– Much cheaper than Anaheim and Orlando Disney races
– You get to run through a small part of the theme park
– Really fun seeing everyone’s costumes
– The employees come out and cheer you on through the race
– Large finisher’s medal, gender specific tech shirt, small goodie box with snacks at the finish line + a banana
– Good customer service (especially by Laura Maria); she genuinely cares and want everyone to have a good experience
Con:
– Sucks being in the last coral and released super late to start your run because you miss most of the characters. They either remove the character completely or they tell you you can’t get in line to take pictures with them.
– Do NOT get the $42 Photo Pass. We only got pictures with two characters.
– This didn’t happen to me, but I’ve read that some people didn’t get their race shirts and they ran out of finisher’s medal so some didn’t get them at the end (but will be mailed to them later… still sucks though).
– Only one water station throughout the 10k, which was at the first kilometer. (I didn’t do the half marathon, so I don’t know if they had more water stations.)
Gorgeous, Quaint, and Cute☺
Living in Orlando, FL, I've run a LOT of RunDisney events. The Walt Disney World Marathon was my first race EVER and - if not for its production - I … MORE
Living in Orlando, FL, I’ve run a LOT of RunDisney events. The Walt Disney World Marathon was my first race EVER and – if not for its production – I probably never would have run another race again…but after a while, I grew tired of them, especially as every race seemed to get less and less exciting. Pay more for fewer perks, and the courses all became the same routes over and over again.
…. but then “Run Disneyland Paris!”
Say what now?
I had never been out of the country. I had never used my passport. I had not even given thought to ever going to France until this was announced; so me, my sister, one of her friends, and one of her friends all decided that we were going.
***Before you sign up ***
If you are living in the USA, just note that if you compete in a race in France, you have to have a signed note from your physician stating that you are in good health and can accomplish the race without harming yourself. This is also true for the Paris Marathon, not just a Disney requirement.
I had some difficult getting my forms sent over to the Run Disney team, but in the end, it all worked out.
** Getting to DLP**
oh… Megan arrived in Paris without a problem… Megan’s luggage????
Good thing that I wore running clothes on my flight and packed an extra set in my carry-on.
Getting to DLP is not a problem. There is an express train that goes directly from the Paris Airport to the Downtown Disney area of the Disneyland Park. The train ride is about 45 minutes.
My group of people stayed at the Newport Beach Hotel on the DLP Property. It was right by the expo and finish line… except that they put up barricades so we had to walk around the lake every time.
Not having my luggage really bummed me out and put me in a funk the entire trip, so I’m glad that I am writing this now – in hindsight, I really loved this race.
**EXPO**
Picking up the bibs seemed a bit chaotic. I’m not exactly sure what the confusion was but it seemed that for as few people who were actually at the expo at the time, the lines should have been moving a little more quickly.
Many vendors who were at the expo were out of stock and had either packed up already or only had 1 item on-hand to display, and a hand-held point-of-sale system linked to a website for later delivery.
I did manage to get a mug and pamphlets for other races in Europe. (none of which I have run, but the pictures were nice and it’s nice to dream about travelling anyway.)
**Course **
I ran the 5K the day before, so the start and end of the half marathon were the same as the day before — but those unique 10 miles were STUNNING! I took a lot of pictures along the way because when Disney bought Marvel, they waived their rights to use Marvel characters in properties east of the Mississippi River (i.e. WDW) for 99 years (because Universal Studios has Marvel characters in their Universal Orlando theme park.) .. but Disneyland was exempt from that rule, so I got my pictures taken with as many Marvel characters as I could (really weird to hear Captain America speaking French, by the way ☺). They had other characters who I never see at WDW, too, like Roger Rabbit (one of my favorites) and -at the time – Emile & Linguine from Ratatouille.
The Cast Members were fantastic! They were far more enthusiastic than their American counterparts who work the Run Disney events. I guess that they were caught up in the race-day euphoria, too. ☺
**4 things that I vividly remember about this race **
(1) they were doing all that they could to keep as much of the race on DLP property as possible and some of the turns were really tight. I saw a person dressed as Nemo in a wheelchair and a Dory accompanying her – Nemo toppled over on one of the turns. Some of the other runners helped Nemo get back on her wheels by the time I got up there, but I felt bad that the turn was too tight.
(2) I’m not sure what mile it was but there was a part when we were off-property and running through this little village. It was just like the opening of “Beauty and the Beast” (Provincial Life song) except instead of everyone throwing open their windows and yelling “Bonjour! ♫ Bonjour! ♫ Bonjour! ♫ Bonjour! ♫ Bonjour! ♫ !” they were hanging out of their shuttered windows yelling, “Allez! Allez! Allez!” ☺ ☺ ☺ It was adorable!
(3) there was a stretch of the course, just past the real castle, where there was a field of wheat (or maybe just tall grass). A little thatched cottage was in this field. On the right ride of the road were some deciduous trees (not sure if Elm or Maple); but the sun was just coming up over the dew that was settling on this gorgeous French countryside. I wish that I could draw a picture of this – I really wish that I had taken a picture of it – but it was so beautiful that whenever I recount this race experience, I always tell people about it. I’ll never get that image out of my head. It was the most peaceful part of any run of my life.
(4) The post-race food distribution was cute. I remember some of the food items being propped up in crates like you would see in a little farmers market. It was so adorable. I don’t know. That little touch was nice. It made me feel like I wasn’t just another entity getting slop from a trough.
Thinking about that finish line area, I also recall how environmentally-friendly/conscientious RunDisney in France is. They had bins for separating everything: paper, plastic, food waste, general waste; and they gave us paper bags instead of plastic for carrying all of our post-race goodies in. I wish more races would move toward that. I end up donating so much of my race stuff anyway, I’d rather have it be disposable and biodegradable.
** Would I do it again? **
Although I am not big into half marathons, I would like to do this again because (1)I would like to see how it has evolved over the years. (2) I would because I would like to go and NOT be grumpy about only having 2 outfits with me (I washed my clothes in the sink every night because I refused to go shopping. I hate shopping in real-life: the last thing that I want to do on vacation is shop.) (3) I also really enjoyed DLP park. It’s nice to visit Disney that is not super-crowded or ridiculously hot. It was certainly a nice change-of-pace from the USA RunDisney events.
Happy Running!
Bucket list dream race for Disney fans
RunnyLani's RaceRaves Review of Disneyland Parks Half Marathon DETAILS: Those who wanted to expand their list of half marathons to beyond the U.S., and/or wanted to get a little taste … MORE
RunnyLani’s RaceRaves Review of Disneyland Parks Half Marathon
DETAILS:
Those who wanted to expand their list of half marathons to beyond the U.S., and/or wanted to get a little taste of Disney running magic overseas, had a chance in September with the inaugural Disneyland Paris Half Marathon.
Unlike the Disney theme park races in California and Florida, the French version was organized by Disneyland Paris, rather than runDisney. runDisney was apparently brought in as consultants, but because it was not run by them, this event had a distinct flavor all its own.
THE EXPO:
Unlike the huge convention center hall fitness expos you are used to with Disneyland or Walt Disney World races, the Disneyland Paris expo is both sparse and small. The good thing about this is that the line isn’t terribly long, and you can grab your bib pretty quickly.
There were very few vendor booths, although there were a few from other European races.
Probably the biggest surprise was the official merchandise. Historically one of the most important elements of a runDisney race, it seemed like the merchandise was sparse, and (to be completely honest), not of very high quality, and not very nicely designed. I usually wind up buying at least one or two little souvenirs, but this time I found nothing of interest at all.
THE RACE:
Physical description:
The half marathon course winds its way through both Disneyland Paris and Studios parks for the first miles. The middle of the course goes through some nice roads through the countryside (since Disneyland is kind of in the middle of nothing), and you finish up near the resort hotels.
Because this race is held in Europe, you get kilometer markers instead of mile markers (there were over 20 of them). It’s a good thing I had my own GPS watch, or it would have felt odd passing by marker 20 and not feeling tired yet (whereas back home, marker 20 tells me I’ve go 6 miles left for a marathon).
Corrals:
They had four corrals, which is very few compared to the dozens back in the U.S. runDisney races. That said, they segmented each corral so that they released people in waves (each corral had at least three separate waves). There was no special designation for which wave you got to go on in a corral; it was just simply whereever you were. Although this wound up taking a while, I think everything kind of settled into a comfortable spot so there seemed to be less incentive for people to try to sneak into a faster corral.
They had some announcers at the front, but I have no clue what they were saying. I think they were saying things in both French and English, but I was not near any speakers so I really had no idea what they were saying.
Highlights:
There were an impressive collection of Disney characters with photo meet-and-greet opportunities within the parks. I think there were maybe two or three per kilometer, which is way more than in the U.S. runDisney races. Not only that, but many of the meet-and-greets included a many characters from a movie (such as Carl, Russell, and Dug from UP! or Jasmin, Aladdin, and Genie together.
In addition to the huge number of characters, there were so many cast members out cheering the participants on. They were in big groups, all clapping, cheering, and yelling “Allez Allez Allez!” (essentially, “Go go go!”), and they looked like they were truly excited and happy to be cheering us on. Seeing them so cheerful made me want to keep waving and smiling back at them.
Aid stations were very plentiful, and they offered either water or sports drink. Somewhere in the middle of the course, they also offered real food — the kind you don’t see on a runDisney race course. I think I remember seeing bananas and breakfast cereal bars, although I think there were additional items as well.
Cautions/Heads-ups:
One thing I was curious about was how they would manage security. Not to worry. For the race itself, they physically set up road blocks on every single street that could feed into the course, and these were patrolled by police (and someone told me they also saw some military police as well).
The course itself was generally safe, although there was a stretch that was unpaved (you ran over gravelly grass), for the most part, the streets are wide and you won’t get lost on the course. However, things that I thought were hazards were not properly marked. For example, I saw a lot of corners and such that should’ve had a safety cone in front of it. My husband, who ran the first portion in the dark because he started in a faster corral, said two people slipped and fell running through the Moteurs… Action! stunt show area. He said they had monster-sized dots on the ground that were slippery and hard to see in the crowds (he thinks they should’ve had someone calling out a warning, or safety cones).
MEDALS
The race medals were beautiful. The half marathon medal shows Mickey running in front of the Disneyland Paris castle. The other medal I got, the “Castle to Chateau” medal (for those who ran a U.S. runDisney half marathon or marathon as well) is worth the price of admission, with the castle in the center, and the U.S. and French flags on its sides.
SHIRTS
The shirts were dark gray and said “Disneyland Paris 1/2 Marathon.” Interestingly, the shirts were by European size, which are a size smaller than the U.S. sizing, so I wound up trading mine for one size up.
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS RACE?
The best part about this race is that it’s held at Disneyland Paris. If you’re thinking of taking a trip to Paris and you like the idea of tucking in a half marathon to your schedule AND you also like Disney, this has just that right combo for you.
TIPS
They do things differently for this race. For one, you are required to have a form signed up by a doctor to say that you’re fit enough to do this race. I suspect this is some kind of rule for French races, although it may be for other countries in Europe. If you’re in generally good shape, it shouldn’t be a problem at all, but it’s something you need to take care of before your trip. They were quite fussy about needing to get all the paperwork squared away.
Maybe because this was the first time they put this race on, but communication was pretty sparse and hard to understand at times. We decided it would be easier if we just purchase a hotel/race package from an authorized travel agency… well, it turns out there were only a very small handful of authorized agencies you could work with (including just a single one for U.S. travelers), but Disney didn’t actually provide this information beforehand. If you lucked out and already had a working relationship with one of these authorized agencies (or you knew a friend of a friend who did), you could have signed up for email notifications… but there was no easy way to sign up online, so people spent hours on the phone trying to talk to an agent during the first few days. It was quite chaotic and stressful, and I think completely avoidable. They’ve already announced this race for next year, so here’s to hoping they learn from all their lessons and improve on the process.
If you wanted to just make your own hotel reservations, you had to wait for race registration to open up some months later… but again, not nearly as much information so a lot of people were left in the dark.
Would I do this race again? Not on your life. I’m really happy that I got to do this inaugural race. I enjoyed the course, and I had a pleasant enough time (re)visiting Disneyland Paris. However, it’s PARIS. Come on! The minimum package the travel agency offered was a three-night package. There are two Disney theme parks there, but it’s maybe a day and a half’s worth of time, at most. If you’re interested in this race, I don’t want to talk you out of it. But this is most definitely a one-and-done for me. There is nothing pulling me back to do it again.
AMAZING!
When I first saw the course was going to be mostly out of the parks I wasn't excited. But once I was out of the parks the scenery was the … MORE
When I first saw the course was going to be mostly out of the parks I wasn’t excited. But once I was out of the parks the scenery was the most amazing part of the run. The locals were really fun and offered tons of support. The course is actually 21K so it’s about .5 miles long.