Why I runDisney

I am so excited to be a part of the WDW for Grownups family! As a new runDisney columnist for WDWFG, I'm hoping to bring some of my running and Disney experience to this community. Please contact me anytime with questions, tips -- anything! I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you in the coming weeks.

Sarah & Donald
Six months ago, I caught the running bug. I never in my wildest dreams would've thought I could be a runner. I'm chubby and lazy " not the first thing that comes to mind when you think athlete. I played field hockey in middle and high school, but that was a loooooong time ago. Exercise was more like a four letter word around my house.

Enter Disney, and more importantly, Disney races. I've been a Disney fan since birth, and have traveled to Walt Disney World more times than I have fingers and toes. I had heard about the runDisney events and even participated in a 5K in 2010, but vowed to never to run again. But something happened in 2011 when I begrudgingly participated in the Halloween 5K and cheered on the runners for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. I had such an amazing experience that I couldn't wait to do it again. Runner or not, I knew I could accomplish these races.

Pirate Ship Photo Op
runDisney events are a new way to experience our favorite vacation destination. You get to go places and see things you can never do otherwise. Here are some of the reasons I run:

• See backstage areas. Most of us Disney fanatics always love to see the inner workings of the Disney Parks. Disney races give you a great opportunity to experience the backstage areas and get a completely different perspective of some of your favorite attractions.




• Get unique character photos. How often do you see a giant pirate ship in the middle of World Drive or all of the villains together in one spot? Or what about the gravediggers from the Haunted Mansion...they're only in the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party parade! Well if you run a Disney race, you will be able to get photo ops like all of these and more! Who care about time when you can take your picture with Donald or the Villains?!



Villains Strike a Pose on the Race Route

• Self-improvement and empowerment. The plus side to training for a Disney race is that you will get healthy doing it, and everyone can use a dose of healthy in their life. Adding the extra weekly exercise to prepare for whatever race you are doing will ultimately lead to healthier choices in other areas, such as nutrition and rest. Let Disney help you on the road to a better you!




• Medals are the BEST Disney souvenirs. Who doesn't like a little bling in their life? The medals (yes, you even get them for the 5Ks!) are a one of a kind souvenir that you can't buy in any gift shop. You have to EARN it! They will be a constant reminder of what you accomplished and keep you motivated to get the next one. I get giddy every time I see a new medal design released.



Crossing the Finish Line is Exhilarating

So why not try a Disney race? This is a great opportunity to not only do something for yourself, but to also broaden your Disney vacation horizons (no sadly, not THE Horizons...RIP). You will also discover a whole community of Disney runners, who are so supportive and helpful of runners and walkers of all abilities. If you're reading this, you're most likely going to be traveling to a Disney park in the near future, so schedule it around a race weekend. Trust me, you won't regret it!

Welcome to Sarah, WDWFG's new runDisney columnist! Sarah shares her adventures in running at her blog, Running at Disney. She'll be sharing her running tips, tricks, advice and more over here once a month. Have you ever thought about running a Disney event? Leave a comment or question for Sarah and let her know!