The Princess Half Marathon Weekend is arguably the most popular runDisney weekend, especially since the addition of the Princess 10K. With the temporary loss of Disneyland races in California, it is no doubt that this weekend will sell out again next year. The big question is if runDisney will continue to increase the number of bibs sold, out on the course this year – it sure felt like it!
runDisney Princess 10K Course
We’ve said it a million times, but the EPCOT 10K course is still one of our favorites. You spend about 5K out of the parks and 5K around the resorts and through EPCOT. The course is wide enough in the beginning to knock out an easy first mile. You go through a water stop and blink and you’re in EPCOT! Running through the park at sunrise is always stunning and with the Illuminations Torches lit up around each country, you are in for a real treat.
The best part of running around the Boardwalk Resort loop is the spectators! Cast Members, ChEAR Squad participants, and locals alike all come out with fun signs and a great attitude. It seriously feels like the easiest section of the whole course because the spectators are so motivating. We do advise slowing down your pace or walking on the actual boardwalk portion as it may be slippery. Don’t worry, you’ll hear “Caution Runners!” before you get to that section.
The course then takes a quick jaunt through EPCOT with just enough time to reach Mile 6 before exiting the park into the finish line area. It is easy to have a confident run that hardly feels like a 10K with all of the excitement and the easily broken up course!
runDisney Princess 10K Entertainment
While we can be a little critical with on-course entertainment, this race had a great quantity and maybe not so great quality. The characters, DJs, and photo opportunities were well spaced around the course. There was only one spot where speakers may have been placed incorrectly with some clashing music next to a video screen outside of EPCOT. Everything was spaced out enough that it was easy to run or jog in between stops!
The character selection was a little lackluster. Seriously, who decided to have ESPN Goofy out for a Princess Themed race?! Pocahontas with Meeko was the clear winner for Character stops, but she meets daily at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Overall, Katie only stopped to have her photo taken with the Figment Topiary in Future World.
runDisney Princess 10K Medal
Photos do not do this medal justice! The featured princess for the 10K race was Merida from Brave! It was nice to see a “less popular” princess featured! The medal was a spinner (which we don’t always get for the 10K distance) and had really nice engraving around the edges. It really embodied the spirit of Merida and had a simple elegance to it.
Overall, we would absolutely recommend this race. If you are a 5K runner looking to up the ante, this is a solid choice of a 10K. The way the course is broken up makes it very manageable. If you are set on the Princess Half Marathon and considering a challenge, it is a no-brainer to add this fun 10K and collect a third medal. You will see us at the runDisney Princess 10K next year!