Marathon & Half Marathon through the beautiful Town of Celebration. Come run this flat, fast course and enjoy great swag and a post race party featuring live music and food from local restaurants. The Top Ten Reasons to Run the Town of Celebration Marathon & Half Marathon: 1. The Course …
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Marathon & Half Marathon through the beautiful Town of Celebration. Come run this flat, fast course and enjoy great swag and a post race party featuring live music and food from local restaurants.
The Top Ten Reasons to Run the Town of Celebration Marathon & Half Marathon:
1. The Course – Run through one of America’s prettiest neighborhoods (as selected by Forbes Magazine) on what may be the flattest course you will ever run! The course is certified with USATF, so it is a Boston qualifier. In 2022, nearly 20% of our marathon runners qualified for Boston.
2. The Shirts & Medals – Gender specific tech shirts and really cool medals for all finishers.
3. Post Race – We know any great race is enhanced when the post race goes beyond “here’s your bagel and banana”. Our post race will feature food and beverages from area restaurants. And not just for the early finishers, but for all participants. All included with your race entry. Don’t forget the mimosas and Michelob Ultra!
4. The Cause – Our goal is to raise a minimum of $35,000 in order to fund scholarships for high school seniors across Osceola County. In just nine years the race has donated $398,500 to the Osceola Education Foundation and $331,000 to local non-profit clubs, teams, and organizations.
5. Low Entry Fee – Race fees can be pretty outrageous. You’ll find our race fees to be fair while the race quality and value will be excellent!
6. Smaller is Better – We’ve run the big races, and they are an experience, but we love the smaller races. Logistics are easier for participants and you will find race organizers are able to give more personal attention to the racers.
7. Location – The Town of Celebration is located five minutes from Disney World and twenty minutes from the Orlando International Airport with easy highway access.
8. Florida in January – With an average high temperature for the date of 71 degrees and an average low of 48 degrees we have an excellent chance for great running weather. And for our northern friends, those temps probably look pretty good!
9. Pace Teams – Meeting your race time goal can be a challenge, so we will have Marathon Pacing there to help make it happen.
10. All the Other Kids Are Doing It – Admit it, you used that excuse a time or two while growing up. Let’s use it again. Invite your friends to come along and experience what a great small race is all about.
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Great Florida option
Logistics are easy! Swag is great! Good time of year for Florida. Cute city to explore. Marathon is double loop, I don’t love that. I’d rather do multi loop mainly … MORE
Logistics are easy! Swag is great! Good time of year for Florida. Cute city to explore. Marathon is double loop, I don’t love that. I’d rather do multi loop mainly marathons. I don’t know how to explain that.
Flat, fast, good weather, great food
Well organized, nice young people cheering you on at many points, flat, fast, length was 26.4 on my Garmin so not bad; only part I didn't like was the boardwalks … MORE
Well organized, nice young people cheering you on at many points, flat, fast, length was 26.4 on my Garmin so not bad; only part I didn’t like was the boardwalks but otherwise loved this race – good water / gatorade / Gu stops and portapots at most of the water stops – great town and race – got my BQ!
Lovely Race in Perfect Weather
This course is facilitated by the Town of Celebration, close to Walt Disney World. It's a runner's race. The hydration and aid stations are well managed. Packet pick up is … MORE
This course is facilitated by the Town of Celebration, close to Walt Disney World. It’s a runner’s race. The hydration and aid stations are well managed. Packet pick up is easy peasy. The swag is always phenomenal: typically a shirt, blanket, etc. I’ve received a Headsweats cap before. The course is beautiful and easy. It’s my favorite race in central/south Florida. I’ve ran the half several times and the full marathon 1x. It’s certified and a fast course which is good for any folks trying to qualify.
Great, Smaller Town Race
Local race that I've ran many times. It is a flat and fast course that includes great swag each year. I've never stepped up to the full for this race … MORE
Local race that I’ve ran many times. It is a flat and fast course that includes great swag each year. I’ve never stepped up to the full for this race as it is a double loop of the half. The weather is always hit or miss at this time of year. It has been freezing, rainy, or very hot depending on the year.
Great First Half!
The Half and Full run at the same time. So it makes it a great race for a first timer. 7 hours allowed to finish. The neighborhood is beautiful the … MORE
The Half and Full run at the same time. So it makes it a great race for a first timer. 7 hours allowed to finish. The neighborhood is beautiful the locals all come out to cheer you on and gift you with much needed fuel! The after party is AMAZING and you even get a blanket in addition to your shirt and medal! Just overall a great experience ❤️
Fast flat course, great organiztion
Very professionally run, flat course, 1 loop for half, 2 for full. Great post race and swag. Finish line video in addition to in race photos. MORE
Very professionally run, flat course, 1 loop for half, 2 for full. Great post race and swag. Finish line video in addition to in race photos.
Fun, well organized race
Great swag - awesome fleece blanket. Awesome after race food and drink. Route is decent = first couple of miles through the quaint planned town of Celebration; some boring miles … MORE
Great swag – awesome fleece blanket. Awesome after race food and drink. Route is decent = first couple of miles through the quaint planned town of Celebration; some boring miles along a main road mid-way through, but some fans on the course help. Last several miles are very picturesque culminating in the finish downtown where there is lots of food and drink from local vendors. All in all a very well organized and fun race. Course is very flat and easy
Celebration FL full
Very flat course, lots of turns, and some boardwalk running. The weather is typically pretty cold this time of year but it was HOT this year! The blanket they give … MORE
Very flat course, lots of turns, and some boardwalk running. The weather is typically pretty cold this time of year but it was HOT this year! The blanket they give you is wonderful and the after party is top notch!
Best SWAG and Finish Line Party Every Ye
This is a race put on by runners for runners. The Marathon field is not very large but the course is fast! They always have plenty of volunteers. You never … MORE
This is a race put on by runners for runners. The Marathon field is not very large but the course is fast! They always have plenty of volunteers. You never ever have to wait for water – even in the 2nd lap of the marathon (and I’ve been running the Marathon here every year for 7 of its 10 years – long before I was a sub-4 marathoner. I’ve always had volunteers at-the-ready, waiting to hand out water.) That’s a big deal for me.
Speaking of water (and I will because it was a warm one this year), they have water and Gatorade every 1.25 miles. Perfect! You don’t need to carry any water unless you really want to.
👊🏼 they love giving out sherpa blankets. This year was the 10-year anniversary so the theme was photo reel/ looking back. The blanket had a film reel with all of the past years’ event logos on it. The medal was a working clap board with a filmstrip lanyard showing photos that runners had posted on the events Facebook pages over the years. I saw some of my friends on it and it brought back a lot of memories of past events, past SWAG items, the rain, the sun, the heat, they joy, the pain… you know? Memories of 10 marathons.
👊🏼 I love this race. I love love love love love the finish line party and I’m sure when I get my award, I’ll love that, too. (I came in 3rd in my age group but when I crossed it looked like 4th – someone had dropped from the marathon to the half so I didn’t know until my mom congratulated me when I got home.)
👊🏼 oh yeah! Free massages at the finish line if you’re willing to wait. There’s plenty of food to keep you busy while you so that: black bean soup, pasta salad, pancakes, coffee, coffee cakes, pizza, ohhhh pulled pork and Cole slaw. 😋 I kind of want to run it again right now for the food.
Looking for Water!
Course is a little challenging with jumps on/off of curbs and sharp turns. Two loops around a track if you are doing the full. The weather was hot in 2023 … MORE
Course is a little challenging with jumps on/off of curbs and sharp turns. Two loops around a track if you are doing the full. The weather was hot in 2023 and there was NO bottled water at the finish. Only mini cups. We had o search for a full water bottle. One tent marketing real estate offered the mini bottles. The weather cannot be controlled, but plenty of water at the finish should just be standard. This was my 20th marathon and the FIRST time I have ever not been able to pick up a bottle of water. That said, the race was well organized and well attended by volunteers. Plenty of aid stations.
Love this race, sixth time running it
Love the changes to the course this year to include Celebration HS and the football field/track. This year was the 10th anniversary running. Course is fun and scenic, some dull … MORE
Love the changes to the course this year to include Celebration HS and the football field/track. This year was the 10th anniversary running. Course is fun and scenic, some dull parts running through neighborhoods but they’re neighborhoods of million dollar homes so it’s not TOO bad, lol. Always great swag, entertainment, top notch race production and race day resources. I will run it again next year too.
Love this race, have ran in multiple yea
Some parts of the course are bland as you're running through neighborhoods but they have funny signs and entertainment to try to keep it fun and lively. Course is nearly … MORE
Some parts of the course are bland as you’re running through neighborhoods but they have funny signs and entertainment to try to keep it fun and lively. Course is nearly dead flat and easy, good first race for novice runners. Swag is always great and they try to out-do themselves each year with an awesome medal. I have ran this race 5 times over the years and am looking forward to 2023 for the 10th anniversary race. By far my favorite race to run.
Sweet race!
Great volunteers and awesome swag. Lot of time in rather blah (Think hotels) area but the course was lined with great signs that kept me laughing! Food was good - … MORE
Great volunteers and awesome swag. Lot of time in rather blah
(Think hotels) area but the course was lined with great signs that kept me laughing! Food was good – lots to choose from but I would have loved the option for hot chocolate since I’m not a coffee drinker.
I penguined through
The best part was the blanket, the stops, the scenery, and the food tents that wrapped around 2 streets. There was some winding boardwalks, along with some stepping up or … MORE
The best part was the blanket, the stops, the scenery, and the food tents that wrapped around 2 streets. There was some winding boardwalks, along with some stepping up or off of curb ways (which Can be no fun for tired legs). But over all I really enjoyed this race (minus the cold- but I made it fun and dressed up in a penguin onsie)
Great race, volunteers, and after party!
Celebration is a great place to run! After running 3 half marathons on this course, I decided to run the full this year. It didn’t disappoint. A majority of the … MORE
Celebration is a great place to run! After running 3 half marathons on this course, I decided to run the full this year. It didn’t disappoint. A majority of the runner only run the half, so it got a little lonely running the full. However the volunteers and community along the course kept me going. I will do it again!
Great Race In A Neat place
I have heard about this race for awhile and finally decided to do it. Ran the half to see the course and determine if I want to attempt a PR … MORE
I have heard about this race for awhile and finally decided to do it. Ran the half to see the course and determine if I want to attempt a PR here next year in the full. Packet pickup was easy, no frills, just well organized. No expo which given the temperature I probably would skipped anyhow! Great swag! Awesome and I mean just friggin awesome course support, Good job production team. Overall very nice community to run in and have nothing but good things to say about the race. I will definitely be coming back next year. Highly recommend to any runners both Floridians and destination runners if your going to be in Orlando for other tourism activities.
My 9th Time Running This!
I love this race! I found it in it's Inaugural year, after doing a Disney race for the first time, and realizing that yes, I CAN do this! I loved … MORE
I love this race! I found it in it’s Inaugural year, after doing a Disney race for the first time, and realizing that yes, I CAN do this! I loved that they had such a LONG course time, so I didn’t have to worry about being slow.
This year, there was no expo; instead there was a simple packet pickup at the Lakeside Community area near the starting line. I got my bib, shirt, and swag within 5 minutes (Saturday before the race). I did miss having access to local running stores’ sales on Gu and such, but I survived!
The race itself was great – even if it WAS 30º at the start! It’s organized very nicely (although if they get much bigger, they may want to start having official corrals or better ways to line up at the start…). There are ample water and gatorade stops along the route, as well as a halfway table (at 6ish miles) for bananas and Gu. The course is well marked, with mile markers for both half and full, and additional timing mats for halfway splits (for half-marathon) and 15k splits. Also, the community comes out in force to cheer on the runners! (Maybe not when it’s this cold, but usually, anyway!). The absolute ROAR of the crowd at the finish line, as you make the turn in at Mile 13 (or mile 26.1) is SPECTACULAR and worth the price of admission alone. You can hear the finish line at mile 12.5, as you circle the lake, and it just builds and builds and builds… geez, I’m a dork, but I cry every single freakin’ year when I come around that corner!
Lastly, it needs to be pointed out that this race is WALKER Friendly. I’ve never finished this half-marathon faster than 3:50, and in no way do I feel “less than” any other racer. I get passed by Marathon runners and they cheer ME on! It’s an amazing community that truly made me love racing.
TL;DR – LOVE IT, will continue to do it, it’s the BEST I’ve ever done.
This is a "Must Do" Race!
This is a well organized race from packet pickup to the flow of festivities at the end. The course route is flat and contains a variety of scenery, running past … MORE
This is a well organized race from packet pickup to the flow of festivities at the end. The course route is flat and contains a variety of scenery, running past the highway, through beautiful neighborhoods, and even a lap around the local high school track. There was also a few segments of running on a boardwalk through a nature trail which added to the serenity of it. It happened to be cold the weekend of the 2022 race so the organizers held a bag check which was helpful to have warm dry clothes to change into post race. The local restaurants also offered food samples post race which was a welcome change from just bananas and bagels at most races. I have done this race twice now have been pleased both times.
My favorite race
This race has a beautiful course. It is so well organized, and the communication is great. They have plenty of volunteers and lots of water stops/port-a-johns. The after party simply … MORE
This race has a beautiful course. It is so well organized, and the communication is great. They have plenty of volunteers and lots of water stops/port-a-johns. The after party simply can’t be beat. My favorite part, though, is how it is geared towards both Boston qualifiers and slower runners and walkers alike.
Well organized race with fun finish line
I have run both the full marathon and the half-marathon in Celebration. The full is just a double loop of the half course. It's run in the neighborhood and has … MORE
I have run both the full marathon and the half-marathon in Celebration. The full is just a double loop of the half course. It’s run in the neighborhood and has about 100 turns (maybe not quite that many…), but it’s a fun course. The route takes you along several boardwalks thru the trees – which can be tricky if it’s wet or cold (which it was for both of my races), but it’s pretty scenery in the woods. Overall it’s a fast and flat course.
The race isn’t crowded, but still full enough to offer decent competition. Parking and Race day packet pickup are easy to manage and the race swag is always great! First time I got a stainless steel tumbler, this year I got a fuzzy blanket.
The end of the race celebration is fun. Finish line isn’t over crowded so it’s easy to see friends finish the race and then find each other. Free food from local restaurants plus beer and mimosas to make it an overall great race. I’ll go back for sure!