Can you ride rides during Disney marathon?

Riding attractions during the race Something fun about the longer distance runs is the parks may open while you are running through them. This may be the case if you start out in a later corral. If this happens, you are allowed to get on an attraction and ride it, which is pretty cool!



Yes, you can technically ride certain attractions during the Walt Disney World Marathon in 2026, but it depends on your pace and the specific park you are running through. Historically, Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom is the most famous ride that "runner-friendly" cast members often allow participants to hop on as they run past the entrance. There have also been reports of runners riding the Hogwarts Express or various spinners in Dinoland USA. However, the official runDisney advice is to stay on course, as leaving the track can be a safety risk. In 2026, the courses have been redesigned to minimize guest impact, making it slightly harder to "veer off" for a ride. If you are a "middle-of-the-pack" runner with time "banked" ahead of the "balloon ladies" (the sweepers), a quick ride on Everest is a legendary badge of honor. Just be aware that if you get stuck on a ride due to a breakdown, you might miss your timing cutoff and be swept from the race.

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Roberto, theme park hours haven't been released for January 2024 quite yet, but the theme parks are usually open within their normal operating hours, even during the Walt Disney World Marathon!

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Crowd Information The Walt Disney World Marathon brings a significant amount of people to the resort, but it really doesn't significantly increase the wait times on any of the attractions.

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Yes, walkers are welcome in a runDisney event. Just be sure to maintain the minimum-pacing requirement for the race you're participating in when walking. If you fall short, no worries! Our shuttle will be along to pick you up at a safe location along the course.

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Over 100,000 spectators and participants were part of the four-day event. This endurance event was special for 2023 because it was the 30th anniversary, with the first race in 1994. The theme was “retro vibes” and honored the 90s spirit with themed merchandise, entertainment, medals and characters on the course.

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All participants may dress as their favorite character, but must follow these guidelines as determined solely by runDisney: Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent. Participants 14 and older may not wear costume masks of any kind.

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For the past few years, the marathon finish line has taken place in the EPCOT parking area. This makes it super convenient for spectators since they don't need theme park tickets to enter the EPCOT parking area.

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The Walt Disney World Marathon is a 26.2-mile race with a course that takes runners through all four Disney theme parks. This is a very popular race with 20,000+ registered participants every year. The pace requirement is 16 minutes per mile. This race takes place on Sunday of Marathon weekend.

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Generally speaking, some of the more popular race weekends such as the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and Princess Half Marathon Weekend tend to sell out within minutes or hours of registration opening.

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It was an international celebration at the finish line as Brazil's Daniel dos Santos narrowly won the 2023 Walt Disney World Marathon, making his victory the 16th time in the last 18 years that a Brazilian has won the event.

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“This year's delectable event serves up “courses” inspired by memorable Disney dinner (and tea) parties and favorite moments found around the table,” runDisney said on its blog. This year, race themes include characters from the hit Disney film “Encanto,” and the legendary character, Figment.

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