Inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon! My first Disney race and I had a lot of fun. Yes the race fee costs an arm and a leg but it's very well organized. They had a lot of volunteers and water stations never ran out of water or Powerade. We ran inside Disneyland and California Adventure and lots of characters and employees were out to cheer on the runners. There was a lot of entertainment outside of the parks as well. Loved all the local high school bands and students cheering us on as well. Lots of port-a-potties and only once did I see a long line. Unfortunately this was my first and maybe my last Disney race. Only because the fees are so expensive! read more

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It's getting closer to the second annual runDisney Star Wars event at Disneyland so thought I outta finish up this review I started shortly after the first event. How awesome to have been a part of this inaugural event celebrating such an epic franchise. It's really expensive but it sure was a lot of fun. Initially I was planning to take the Rebel Challenge (10k+half marathon) up until I saw it was $330 (without processing fees). I was in shock that this challenge was an extra $21 if you take the price of the 10k plus half marathon. I guess that's the price to pay for an extra shirt and medal. By the time I thought "eff it, it's only one time", the challenge had sold out so I just signed up for the half. At the expo, the bib pickup is underground then you walk back up to ground level to get your shirt and then on to the vendors. I parked at the hotel parking and they give you 30 minutes free but they aren't strict about it. Come race day, there were many runners with cool and creative costumes. Inside the park, the photo op line for Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker was efficient but they didn't use the same process for Chewbacca. I was bummed that I didn't get to take a photo with him because the 16-minute pacer was already passing. (If you fall behind her, you may get picked up.) Had to do my research on who this group of people were outside of the Disney grounds, 501st Legion, in full costume, ready for photo ops. I was so happy to see them, my spirits were lifted and made up for the missed photo ops with the characters in the park. Their costumes were amazing! For those driving in on race day, you're subjected to the $17 parking fee at the Mickey & Friends structure. If you so happen to be interested in any of the Disney runs, you must know that they tend to sell out on the first day of registration. I am a sucker and will be running the half a second time hoping that the 501st Legion will be there again. read more

This past weekend was the 3rd Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - The Light Side at the Disneyland Resort. I ran the half marathon yesterday which took me through Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Anaheim, and Garden Grove. There are many photo opportunities throughout the parks as well as in the city of Garden Grove where there are cosplayers dressed in their best Star Wars universe garb (thanks, 501st Legion!) It was raining when I picked up my race packet on Thursday, but RunDisney planned for it. They had the lines stand under awnings and the merchandise line was held in a ballroom upstairs before letting them loose in the RunDisney merchandise area. The merchandise in this area accepts AP discounts. I didn't buy my race pin during registration, so I stood in line to buy one. I'm not sure if I'll do that in the future since I'm not sure the line is worth saving the few extra bucks with my AP. However, I did get a really cool Star Wars 2017 half marathon purple and pink pullover in the RunDisney area. That was worth the wait. I've rarely seen more feminine race gear for the Star Wars races so this was a pleasant surprise. The rest of the expo showcases RunDisney shoes by New Balance, medal racks, Clif bars, race gear and even seminars featuring VIPs. The race expo is open to the public. All the races during race weekend are on a separate day which works out great if you're running multiple races. The 5K is on Friday, 10K is on Saturday, the half marathon is on Sunday. The race starts at 5:30 am on each day. One of the reasons I enjoy running Disney races is how well organized they are. I've run other races that aren't as well organized and I appreciate when a race is done well. This is a timed race but most people are not running for a Personal Record. There are photo opportunities so people tend to stop for a photo. I'm not one to stop since I feel like it's hard to continue after losing so much momentum. Some of the best things about running a Disney race is being able to run inside the parks, backstage, and even seeing characters that are not normally inside the parks. I really enjoyed the post-race expo. If you have PhotoPass, your race photos can be linked to your PhotoPass and if you have an AP, there was a special tent for APs provided at the post-race expo. I received a cool AP RunDisney bag and another photo opportunity for Star Wars Half weekend. The AP private viewing area was pretty cool as well. You could watch the finish lines for friends and loved ones. If you run both the Light Side (Disneyland) and the Dark Side (WDW) Star Wars half marathons, you get a special Kessel Run medal in addition to the Coast to Coast medal. I'd do it if it weren't sold out already, but it might make it onto my bucket list one day. read more

Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - Special photo op at the AP tent - Races & Competitions Near Me - Anaheim, California

To me, it's really amazing what Disney has been able to accomplish with Star Wars. I mean, I can remember when liking Star Wars (or absolutely loving it, in my case) was considered uncool, nerdy, immature. That I had actually kept my childhood Star Wars action figures, posters, and play sets; saved them for many years over; and even continued collecting SW as I grew older was something I certainly didn't promote. But Disney's magic has (with a simple flick of the wrist, it seems--and a $4 billion acquisition!) made Star Wars completely accessible. Now, it's not only embraced by today's youth, but entire families have also begun to embrace it. Star Wars, as the force has awakened, is no longer for the boys. The Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend is amazing! I had missed it last year--running, instead, Carlsbad and the Triple Crown Series--so I hadn't fully realized the new paths the force was taking. The newest movie, of course, had yet to be released, but everyone knew about it. It was there. It was coming. But being at the Half this year and seeing the multitude of costumes--hundreds of Yodas, BB-8s, light sabers and Leias--really amazed me. And not only that: there were also thousands of spectators dressed in their favorite character garb, lining the course, waving to and cheering on the runners. (In fact, one of them was an old friend of mine, haven't seen him in years; and there he was, Sim Aloo!) Anyway, the Weekend... I love it! Sadly, I had not timed my morning correctly and missed the registration window's opening by an hour. Even at that time, I was put on the registration's waiting list. I ended up with only the Half. It won't happen again, though. In the years to come, I'm making sure to snag them all: 5k, 10k, Half, and the Rebel Challenge. (I love the medals!) In memoriam: "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." read more

Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - Races & Competitions Near Me - Anaheim, California

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away Disney bought Lucasfilm, paving the way for the creation of the Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend, one of four runDisney events held at Disneyland and California Adventure each calendar year. To make the most out of your runDisney experience, I would recommend signing up for the Rebel Challenge, the Star Wars equivalent of the Dumbo Double Dare and the Avengers Infinity Gauntlet. Although running a 10K and a half marathon on two consecutive days may seem intimidating, it makes the most sense if you want to prove your fitness as well as take advantage of the numerous photo opportunities scattered along the course without worrying about getting swept! Plus, you'll take not one, not two, but three awesome medals as well as three cool long-sleeve fitness shirts. But, if you're forced to choose between the 10K or half marathon, I would recommend the 10K given its location almost entirely within Disneyland and California Adventure. The half marathon, on the other hand, only features 3-4 miles through the two parks; the rest of the course is basically suburban Anaheim. That's disappointing considering how other runDisney events take you by the Honda Center and Angel Stadium. Unless they change the route next year, you'll probably spend most of your time running up and down Harbor Boulevard; highlights along this route include such wondrous sights as the Anaheim Convention Center, Garden Grove Main Street (Costco!), and Garden Grove High School... That being said, the volunteers and fans greatly elevate the experience, as it's surreal to see a line of people decked out in elaborate costumes ranging from Stormtroopers to Jedi Knights with multicolored lightsabers. Elsewhere along the half marathon route, you'll find cars painted like X-wings with R2 droids sticking out from the roof. Whatever event you choose, you probably won't be making the jump to light speed unless you're focused on setting a new personal record, as there are several photo opportunities with BB-8, R2D2, Chewbacca, Boba Fett, trash compactors, etc. scattered along the course. If you're not in corral A (which was much larger this time around), be prepared to wait in rather lengthy lines. But, assuming the photos don't turn out blurry or pixelated, these encounters are definitely worth it! Throughout the parks, you'll also be treated to light projections featuring different characters and symbols as well as music from John Williams' iconic scores. Notes: - This race is branded as the "light side" while the race in Florida is now the "dark side." Expect light side characters on your paraphernalia here. - All participants are required to pick up their bib prior to the race at the Health & Fitness Expo held at the Disneyland Hotel. If you're coming from the westside, you may want to leave work earlier, as it'll take two hours to Anaheim in rush hour. - The expo itself doesn't have that many vendors or freebies, but there is plenty of unique branded merchandise for sale. - Note that Disney no longer offers free parking in the structure if you arrive before 4AM. Since you'll end up forking over $18 to park in the garage, you might as well sleep a little longer and arrive a little later. - If you're dropping friends/family off, you can access a portion of Magic Way via Walnut. - RunDisney as an organization still is problematic, as the submission of proof time and the assignation is still inconsistent. - Costume policy has been changed in light of increased emphasis on nationwide violence, so there were fewer lightsabers, blasters, and staves this time around. It was odd seeing Rey without her staff, but cool nonetheless to see all the ewoks, stormtroopers, and others. - Fewer bathrooms available near the start line of this race than the Avengers half marathon, which meant longer lines! But, I definitely saw a handful along the course. - Ample water and Powerade stations along the course! May the force be with you! read more

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Disney, Star Wars and running all-in-one? SIGN ME UP? Wait..there's a Dark Side in Fl where I can get more medals. omg...take my money. The challenge was not in my runsolutions but already conquering the Tinkerbell 10k, the Avengers Half, might as well on-up it and tack on a Challenge. The race is set up like all the other races where you pick up your bib, attend the expo, wake up hella early to get into your corral and wait until you set off through both parks. Interesting enough, the route changed for this race for both the 10k and the half. The 10k stayed within the park including the backlots too. The race seemed faster this way since there was a lot to see and watch. Plenty of fun photo ops to stop by and take photos. The runners even dressed up to the extreme so that was also a great distraction from your run. However, since this was a very popular run, there were times where it bottlenecked and folks ended up walking no matter what. The half was a different route to. Pretty flat throughout but didn't take us through Anaheim Stadium like the Avengers run. Yet, there were more coplayers and themed supporters out there! I loved the whole mile of cosplayers and even saw steampunk cp-30! By mile 8 volunteers were passing out cliff gel packs which def help me finished the run. I wasn't a fan of the gels until I tried the Citrus one which made me change my views on the taste. The texture is another story. The shirts, the quotes and even the signs were enough to keep me going after a hurt toenail and fatigue from the other run. I kept saying in my head after passing the 11 mile marker "I am one with the Force and the Force with me." Sad that I have to go all the way to WDW for the Dark Side medals. ugh. read more

Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - Races & Competitions Near Me - Anaheim, California

Let the wookiee win! Start time at 0530 check Cantina music check Disney check Inaugural. Check. Check check, mic check mic check. The 5ks have always been my favorite Disney races. You see the coolest costumes, cutest kids along the route, plus almost all the time you need to complete a 5k, with tons of photo ops. Join the cult. read more

Inaugural Star Wars half marathon weekend kicked off on Thursday with a 5k, 10k and kid races on Saturday and ended with a half marathon on Sunday. If you were lucky enough to purchase the Rebel Challenge you are running both the 10k and the half and will receive a special medal and shirt. As with most runDisney events this was planned quite well and I participated in the 5k which only runs through the parks. The only thing that really sucks is the call time. Race starts at 530am. read more

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Let me preface this review with this: - My parents met working for the mouse - I still live less than 3 miles from the park - Dad recently retired after over 40 years of working for the corporation that no longer treats its employees as well as once upon a time. So when you they say pay $320 to said corporation to run 19.3 miles through somewhere you've been thousands of times and Garden Grove... You say, "yes!" Because... Star Wars! Signup was difficult. Yes, it did sell out in minutes. The expo hours were not long enough. It would be great if they were extended until 9, to mitigate traffic and parking issues for those participants that are trying to pick up their bibs after work. This was my second runDisney event (a friend got injured a week before Avengers and asked me to take her place) and it was far superior. Well, except for the half-marathon course. Even Disney can't make the streets of Garden Grove appealing. However, for a brief stint, the 501st Legion can. *Note - for those that actually care about running this race, this is the time to snap a quick picture with a costume-clad character without waiting in an atrociously long line (and, really, these are the "professionals" with the better and best costumes anyways). 10K - the route was mostly through the parks and backstage. A lot of employees were available, cheering and handing out high-fives. Half-marathon - Again, most of the route was down Harbor and through Garden Grove. Not as many employees were available (maybe because it was Sunday). Less of the route was in or around the parks as the day before. The bands and cheerleaders were great. And, again, the best thing on the route was the 501st legion. Both races offered many water/Powerade stations and a Clif bar/gel station at mile 8ish. The food items offered in the post-race boxes were odd. Most lacked real nutritional, healthy value. The live runner tracking worked really well and it was great that my family and friends could get updates on my progress. The medals and shirts were high quality. So, even with a semi-biased opinion, would I do it again? Sure... But only because it's Star Wars. read more

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Did my first Disney 5k with my family. It was super fun. Everyone was super nice. We stayed in an Airbnb nearby to make life easier. The run itself was fun. They give you a time limit and there are plenty of photo ops. I would suggest to try to be in Group A or one of the first groups so that if you want to wait in line for character photos, you'll have enough time. The shirts and medals are great and fit the theme perfectly. The early running time was hard, but next time I know to go to bed earlier the night before. I only wish the registration could have included the parking fee, or discounted entrance to the park or discounts to the hotels, or stores or SOMETHING. Free entrance to the Health Expo is just not enough. Also, it would be cool if they gave the option to mail the registration packet (bib/shirt) so that we could avoid the crowds. read more

DAMN YOU DISNEY! This year you decide to not repeat the same medals and somehow actually improve them. I mean, a spinning BB-8 for the 10k, C3-PO for the Rebel Challenge were great but keeping the Battle of Yavin for the 1/2 with adding Han and Leia on the spinner back was pure awesomeness! The Wampa and trash compactor photo ops in staging before the races? Great idea. While still lamely calling this half-marathon "The Light Side" you still manage to have ANH Troopers, TFA Troopers and Captain Phasma roaming the park. And a photo stop for Kylo? Absolutely! The 501st and Rebel Legion are always the highlights of the race near mile 9 and totally worth destroying your pace for a few pictures. I'd like to think runDisney does a repeat for next year with hopefully only incorporating something from Star Wars VIII into the medals or shirts. Holds my breath! read more

Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - Stopping at Newhope Street is a must! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Anaheim, California

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Sooooo... let's begin with registration... I tried to register for the 5K, but BAM that sold out quickly, so I registered for the 10K. Packet pick up is easy, the expo had much to offer, but the Run Disney store had a 2 hour wait to get in!!!! As for the race, parking is not included (17.00). The walk to the start line is probably another 3/4 mile. The beginning of the 10K has you running through the streets and then you enter the back lot of Disneyland. The Disney crew were great cheer leaders and that was nice. It was also cool to see the back side of Disneyland and California Adventures. There are plenty of photo opportunities, but the lines are looooooooooong. The 10K medal is pretty awesome. I would love to do this race, with a friend. read more

Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - Bling bling ! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Anaheim, California

DISNEYLAND?! YAAAAAAAS! RUN A 5K AROUND DISNEYLAND + CALIFORNIA ADVENTURES?! YAAAAAS! STAR WARS THEMED?! YAAAAAAS! The bf and I did the 5k part of the Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend of this year. It was so much fun! Worth waking up at 4:30 am for since the race starts at 5:30 am. There were bunch of corrals/groups - I got placed in corral C while he was at corral D... since he can't join me in my corral group... I went to group D instead since I'm allowed to do that. The race comes in waves to avoid crowd congestion.. corral D started their run/walk around 5:50 am but while waiting... we were being hyped up by the announcers for the mean time. When it was time for us to run/walk .. it started off slow since there were still some slight crowd congestion for about almost 1 mile then after that there wasn't much anymore. Best thing about this Disney race was being able to run inside the parks, even backstage plus seeing characters you won't see normally inside the parks. It was so nice to run/jog/walk through California Adventures and Disneyland with their employees cheering you on as you pass them, plenty of high-fives from them, lots of photo ops and a water stop station along the way. I find it funny that although this was "The Light Side" race... I see some Storm Troopers, Captain Phasma and at one of the photo station, Darth Vader. Lol. Don't forget there are professional photographers taking photos throughout the race and if you have PhotoPass, your race photos can be linked to your PhotoPass as well. I'm not an Annual Pass holder so I don't get those AP perks, lol. I really enjoyed the post race because they gave you some light noms, water and Powerade to refuel your body! It was kinda cold too since it rained the day before so if this race happens again, make sure you bring a jacket to keep you warm. We got our medal moments after finishing the race and it was super cool! My bf actually forgot to pack running pants so he did the 5k in his jeans and the announcer even noticed him as we cross the finish line. Hella put him in blast but in a good way! LOL. I'd do this race all over again if they do this next year... BUT PLEASE DO THE DARK SIDE!!!!!! read more

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My first Half Marathon and Run Disney run. I had such a great time. The run path was awesome. We ran through Disneyland and California, then through Anaheim and Garden Grove. I loved how people came out to support dressed in the Star Wars outfits. Cannot wait to do another Disney Half! read more

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Aw yeah... this is where it's at. After being disappointed with the Avengers post-race activities, the Star Wars weekend made up for it. I had the flu the Monday before and stayed in bed for the next few days to recover so I could run. I had another strain of the flu a week before that too. So basically, I was really stupid to do this 19.3 run without training for two weeks and suffering from the flu. But I had to do this. I signed up for it months ago. So I went to get my bib on Friday and did my usual rounds at the expo. The Sierra Nevada Corporation was there and they deal with space. I love space. So they gave me a T Shirt and I got tons of photos with the Dream Chaser. The Celebration of Health people were there too and got tons of free photos! Now, the Runs. I did the Rebel Challenge, which means a 10K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday. 10K... Since it's 6.1 miles, I took the time to take photos inside Disneyland. You run inside Disneyland. It was a great easy course. Lots of water stations and first aid. This was the time to dress up and take as many photos as possible. I didn't dress up because... Flu. Half Marathon: Disney is great because they have so many first aid stations and water stations and I needed it for my feet. Because I didn't train for two weeks and the flu, I got blisters. So at every first air station, I added Second Skin on, which they have for blisters. Also, tons of water stations. This course was also all flat. It was great! No hills or sand storms. So much better than the Avengers route. The cheer squad was the best as usual. We had tons of the cosplayers I knew from conventions show up. Several of my friends and I'm so thankful for them to cheer us on. It helped a lot. I was in so much pain and sick. It was great to have the cosplayers and bands, cheer teams and everyone just come and cheer us on. The after events were great. They had massage area and some photo areas for us. I actually took several photos for the half marathon and rebel challenge wall. The medals and t shirts were amazing too. Well worth the pain of the flu and eventually Achilles tendonitis. I'm fine now. PRO: * T-Shirts tech shirts * Medals * flat course * cheer crowd * water stations CON: * The price... $320 (I was on a team - go LA Leggers) * The price of parking $17 OVERALL, it was really fun and I can't wait for next year. Hopefully I won't get the flu again. read more

This was my first and probably only time I will ever do a Disney race. I love Star Wars (vs Tinkerbell and Dumbo), so when Disney released this race, I wanted in. It sold out in minutes. I did the Rebel Challenge, so I ran a 10k on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday. I don't remember the exact price (I think it was roughly about $300,) except that for both races, it nearly cost as much as a half-Ironman, which is $375. I registered for this race bc I wanted to see what the hoopla was about and figured this would be a fun race, but I was not expecting to PR, since I figured it would be crazy crowded. It was cool to see a bunch of people who ran their first race strictly because it was Star Wars. The majority of the 10k course took place backstage or at the theme parks. The 13.1 course had about 3.5 miles of backstage/theme park, then the remainder was on flat roads around Anaheim. The Good: * Lots of opportunities to take photos with various characters, but the lines can be long. I missed Chewbacca and Boba Fett during the 10k, and was able to snag photos with them during the half marathon. * Lots of port-a-potties, most of them clean. Generally the ones at triathlons and marathons are gross, simply because there aren't enough. * Theme park bathrooms are open to runners. * Cast members (both guest-facing and behind-the-scenes in backstage) are supportive and watch the runners, sometimes offering high-fives. * Cool Disney touches - there were projections of Star Wars ships onto the buildings and you could hear Darth's voice as you ran through the tunnel backstage. * Seeing the costumes other people make are pretty awesome. * Along the 13.1 marathon course, there was great support from the volunteers - the kids who who manned the aid stations, the bands and the cheerleaders. They did a fantastic job. * Along the 13.1 route, there was a whole row of cosplayers, with their creative takes on characters, so that runners could take photos with them. There was a really cool red Stormtrooper and a Darth Vader being flanked by Imperial guards. The Bad: * A crazy early start time at 5:30am - Disney wants everyone to get out of the park, which I get, but getting up at 2:00am two days in a row is brutal. Triathlons and marathons don't even start that early! * Paying for Mickey + Friends parking on both race days, before the parks even open. That's another $34 to add to race fees. * The lines for certain characters can take awhile - I lost about 25 minutes to waiting in line to take a photo for Chewbacca, so by the time I was done, I had to "swim" through a bunch of slower runners and walkers, which got tiring. * The post-race food is pre-packaged - they give you a box of food (cheese, tortilla chips, skittles, corn nuts, dried fruit), very similar to what you would buy on an airplane. I found everything too salty or sweet. I wish they had more fresh fruit, besides a single banana. * Expo is ho-hum. The vendors are ok and if you park at the Disneyland Hotel, you only have 30 minutes to pick up your bib. Which is fine, except that you pick up your bibs in the basement and then have to wind your way up to get your shirts and then you have to leave at a particular exit, bc some doors are blocked. Not the most intuitive route. I would recommend a Disney race just to experience it, but it can get expensive! read more

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Definitely an experience worth going to if you're a fan of Disney or Star Wars. It was very exciting for the first 5-6 miles as the course takes you around Disneyland and California Adventure. It was a ton of fun with so much to see, which really helps distract you from running.. the problem was when going through the backlots of Disneyland where the streets were awfully narrow. With the amount of people in each corral and the majority being walkers, there were several times where you would be at a complete halt. Not a good thing if you're trying to go for a PR. Once you get to the streets, the crowd really opens up. There were tons of supporters throughout the entire race which was great to see and very helpful when trying to push yourself. There was some entertainment including a bunch of high school and college pep bands, and several groups of Star Wars characters. For the price you pay for this half marathon (double/triple most half marathons), I was expecting a little bit more. Maybe more entertainment along the course, or even a free entrance into the park? But just like Disneyland always does, no matter how much they increase the price, we are still going to come back for more! hahaha I love you Disney! read more

This is my first and only Disneyland Half Marathon, but based on my experience with the Tinkerbell 10k and my friend's race recaps I get the feeling this race might be the best one to do at Disneyland Resort. Perks include: - As long as it isn't raining, the timing and weather for this race is better than the other races, especially the Disneyland Half Marathon on Labor Day weekend. - This race by far has the best out of the park entertainment. Since more than half the race takes place off of Disneyland resort, at most Disneyland races entertainment after you leave the park is pretty sparse. You may get some High School Marching Bands or cheerleaders along the way. At this race, Disney offered free theme park tickets to volunteers from the 501st and Rebel Legion to stand on the sidelines and cheer on racers! The result was some awesome roadside entertainment including souped up Star Wars cars, people in costumes just as awesome, if not more awesome, than the costumes in the park. - The race course doesn't go by the freeway or through dusty stuff! Yay! If you're wondering if you can do the race, it's four 5ks or two 10ks. If you can do a 10k and be under time, you can probably REASONABLY run this race, though you will feel tired as hell afterwards. TIPS If you are coming from LA to pick up your badge fro the love of god leave 3+ hours early. The past two MLK weekends we've done this race we've always left 3 hours ahead of packet pick up closing and had to streak to get our bibs (no chance to shop the expo! Sad face.) It really does take that long to drive down on MLK weekend. The restaurants will be full of people so if you plan on eating at Downtown Disney you should make a reservation. Check out Anaheim Packing House as a dining alternative and have a gelato pop there. If you want a picture with a stormtrooper, do NOT stand in line in Disneyland because there will be plenty of 501st stormtroopers on the course. If you are staying at the resort, stay in Paradise Pier Hotel since it is the closest to race start. Medal Engraving is $20 at course end (Ehhhhhh just find a person to do it for you if you really need it.) read more

It pains me to write this review because I'm a huge STAR WARS fan and a huge Disney Fan. This run plain stinks. The 10k and Half Marathon course appeared to be ill planned for the 30,000 people who were running it. T here were many bottlenecks and tight corners that do not support the numerous walkers and people trying to run around them. Additionally, there were dark places in the bowels of Disneyland that caused people to loose their footing and trip against their neighbors. When you get out onto Harbor Blvd the only scenery are the neighborhoods of Garden Grove. There are no attractions and the bands were few and far between. The things that saves this race are the awesome spectators, 3rd watch employees who cheer for the runners, and Star Wars Cosplay(ers) and Star Wars fans with their supped up cars and memorabilia. I really wanted to like this race...but just can't. If you want to run the Disneyland park I suggest choosing the Disneyland Half Marathon. They seemed to have spaced that race a little bit better. In Short... Pros: -IT'S STAR WARS -Get to run in Disney for the first 4 Miles -Energy and enthusiasm is high Cons: -The course was not designed for the number of runners -The cost of the races are really high -People walking the course don't move to the right to allow faster runners -You have to get there by 530 but your corral may not take off until 0615 read more

I ran the 5 k and 10k, my hubby ran the 5k, 10k, and half, and our 1 year old ran the 100meter. We had a blast! It was a great event, except for the walkers. I have no problem with walkers!!! But there was no designation of where the walkers should stay and where the runners should run. So it was basically chaos. If you wanted to run the event, you have to weave around all the walkers. And most walkers were walking 3-4 abreast. It was absolutely frustrating!!!! So Disney if you read this... I beg you, tell everyone "walkers on the right, runners on the left" (they said this in the packet, but not one mention of it on the corse...) Back to the event.... It is a well oiled machine!!! We went to the expo at 10:30 on Thursday, we were in and out of packet pickup in 15 minutes!!! And we had to stand in every line!!! They were so fast and efficient! It was wonderful!!' We waited to go check out the event store since the line was 3 hours long! The day of the 5k, we got to the holding area at 4 am. The energy was high, and excited. The MC was playing fun music and showing clips from Star Wars, there were dancers and storm troopers. They hour wait went really quick. Then into the starting corrals.... We were in B. Again more entertainment until we took off. They wait 6ish minutes between corrals, so it's not a total bottle neck. When each corral starts they shoot off confetti and cheer. It's really exciting. Then off to "run". It's more a fast walk since there are so many people. Once it spreads out a little. You can run. The coarse is exciting!! You go thru the back of the park!! (Really cool to see) even tho it was super early, they had all the rides lit up, and staff everywhere cheering the whole way, it was amazing!!! Thru the finish line, they had music and characters. It was fabulous!!! Just don't plan on running for time!!! This is not the event for that!!! The only down fall is was the chaos on the coarse!!! If Disney gets this figured out, the race would be the best thing EVER!!! read more

The Star Wars marathon has it's pros and cons. Yes I know it is a family oriented event but I wish walkers would be kind enough to go to the right and let runners go to the left and when it cramps up that people not push and slow down since it is a bottle neck effect occurring. Yes I know everyone has to get somewhere and it is to the finish line without getting picked up by the Balloon ladies/men. The pictures with the characters -well of course the line are super long and wished they would have multiple camera takers so then people get a chance to have pictures. The pictures with the characters is what brings the runners to RunDisney so hopefully they figure out a way to have faster and efficient way of taking pictures. Yea it seems like they have less characters out- I did see a ton of storm troopers. I am glad that they do donate the proceeds to a charity so they are not taking all the registration fees and processing fees. The medals are made in China since it must be cheap to make then I hope the money is actually go to a good place. read more

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Do you like Star Wars and running? If so, I really doubt I have to sell you on this race. For everyone else: This is a great race! It starts at 5:30AM on MLK weekend, so the January temperatures are a bit chilly before the start but perfect to stay cool as you get into the thick of the race. There are loads of cast and Star Wars characters throughout the parks cheering you on. They also keep the race up to date with new characters (like BB8). I expect as the newer star wars films come out they will continue to grow the amount of characters in the parks. The course itself is very flat. The only hill I remember is a short uphill tunnel within the park property. This is a completely different route compared to the Disneyland Half Marathon in September. While I miss the running through Angel's Stadium, the fact that Disney provides course variety is nice. Once you leave the park the entertainment continues with school bands and Star Wars fans along the route. The Star Wars fan base must be strong in Anaheim, because they comes out in their absolute best Star Wars costumes to cheer you on! This really helps you keep going once you hit miles 10-13. Since the Star Wars Half Marathon race started in 2015, Disney World has also started their own race. It looks like they are going to alternate each year with one being "The Dark Side" and the other being "The Light Side." The race shirts are always long sleeved, dry fit type materials and very comfortable. I look forward to my next shirt this year! read more

Can I make a confession? I feel safe saying this now, back in my home, away from 15,000 Star Wars fanatics... but... I've never seen Star Wars. I know, I know. I'm a horrible person... my husband had sworn off Disney races (the prices, the crowds, etc, etc), but he looooves Star Wars.. so when they announced the races.. who was I to stop it? I'm a runDisney fanatic, so I'm not passing up any chances for my fix! I swore I was going to watch the movies before the big day, but well, you know... they are in the to-do pile along with War & Peace and an Intro to French. So, can someone with no emotional attachment enjoy a weekend surrounded by 15,000 sweaty Star Wars fans? Yes. Definitely, yes. I'm a big fan of runDisney, but I'll be honest in that I much prefer DisneyWorld courses over DisneyLand courses. DisneyWorld is just SO much more spread out, and on much more property that they have more control and thus more entertainment. However, both the Star Wars 10k and the Half Marathon were great courses! Even when we were not in the parks, they made an effort to provide entertainment which was not done in my previous DL races. I was disappointed in the number of characters/entertainment during the 10k, but the half marathon MORE than made up for it. There were DOZENS of character stops along the way. And yes, the lines were pretty atrocious for even being in the B corral, but I heard the lines moved quickly (another perk of not seeing the movies, no idea who the characters are.. so no need to stop!) I'm also a big fan of the pre-race announcers. Carissa and Rudy are cheesy hilarious and I like seeing them consistently at every race (except major spoilers when they played film clips at the start!! HA) Having previously sworn off races at DisneyLand, runDisney did a wonderful job for Star Wars weekend and I'd run the any Star Wars Weekend race again in a heartbeat! So, if you see a Mickey Mouse costume in the sea of R2D2s and C3POs again next year, stop me and say hi! read more

Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - The starting line! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Anaheim, California

Had a good time, but the amount of entertainment on course was no where near what is offered at the WDW races. I understand that they can't do characters off of Disney property, but to have no characters at the reunion area/post medals for the 10K or Half is ridiculous. Was also disappointed that none of the face characters from the original trilogy that were in the pictures from the inaugural race year were at this race weekend. The 10K characters and half-marathon characters were also the same with only a couple additional ones added to the half. This was a bit lazy to be honest. For the amount of money we're paying I kind of expected the same quality of preparation on park property as in Orlando. TIP: Bring your own music because they do not play music in Anaheim, only on park property and it can get dull. read more

Two things that motivated me to sign up for my first half marathon: Disney & Star Wars. That was enough to convince me to run 13.1 miles. Once completed, I was hooked on to running. I didn't know what to expect. I don't know how Disney would run the course. But what was apparent was a large dent in my wallet. Signing Up. After finding out how difficult it was just to sign up for the Disneyland 5K, I knew I had to sit at the computer and babysit the time until registration opens. Yes, the servers will be slow, and you'll be put in a waiting room. And unfortunately, it may or may not be sold out once you get in. Make sure you have all your payment information ready! The Expo. If you decide to run the 5K on Friday, you must pick up your bibs on Thursday. The hours at the expo on Thursday were pretty short. I felt like I was in a rush to get to the Disneyland Hotel before it closes since I come from out of town. The bibs come (tech) shirts. For the 5K, a normal cotton shirt. For the other races/challenges, a tech shirt. The bibs have an embedded chip for time - the 5K is not timed. The Race. For all three races, you will get the chance to run the park, both Disneyland and California Adventure. You'll see all the behind-the-scenes stuff, which is pretty cool coming from a Disney lover. During the SWHM, I saw the most beautiful sunrise coming from Cars Land that I had to stop and ruin my time to take a picture and a selfie. If you're there to just run, beware of all the blockages and people stopping right in front of you. If possible, try to get yourself in the first corral. Otherwise, you'll definitely find people roadblocks especially for the first 5K of the run. I definitely had to maneuver myself so I don't run into people. There is plenty of water/electrolyte stops as well as first aid. Around mile 8, you'll get energy gels. Throughout the course, there are people continuous cheering you on and giving encouragement. High school bands and cheerleaders playing Star Wars scores. A bunch of people dressed up in Star Wars costumes. Everything Star Wars you can imagine throughout the 13.1 miles to keep a distraction of how much you may or may not be in pain. Each mile is clearly marked. A lot of people taking pictures. So again watch out. The End. Once you finish, there are several volunteers passing out the medals. If you do the challenge, you'll need to go to a separate tent for your final medal. First aid is there and always ready if needed. Also you'll get a banana as well as an after race meal box to recover and plenty of water. Getting out of the park will most likely be chaotic. Overall, I had a pretty fun experience. A feeling of satisfaction and achievement is what I left from this race. And it will be forever be my favorite and most enjoyable since this became a gateway for consistently running. read more

**This is strictly from a volunteer's point of view, and only about the half marathon** This half marathon seemed to lack a lot of everything, but most of all was the entertainment value you would expect from something Disney; it wasn't present, and I was pretty bummed for the runners. The attendance for the race itself was rather low, I think it was the lowest ever with just under 12,000. THE COURSE Disney Property 6 miles on Disney Property Miles .5-3 Backstage and some onstage Disneyland Miles 4-5 Backstage and very little onstage of DCA and Downtown Disney Miles 12.5-13.1 Downtown Disney The course for Disneyland side seemed to be a lot of backstage versus onstage, and I know it's not something a Guest sees everyday, but it just seemed rather dull. Sure, there were parts that were neat to me, like projections of the Millennium Falcon or the Death Star on buildings, disco-like colored lights on scissor lifts, and different colored lights on trees (I liked that part a lot), but it really didn't scream Disney. There was also a lack of employees cheering people on in these areas, then the previous half marathons. In the Avengers Half Marathon, the 7 dwarfs were on King Arthur's Carrousel, so I was hoping maybe Darth Vader or some Storm Troopers would be on there too for a little laugh, but no, they only had Storm Troopers running back and forth in the queue line. There were more characters to take pictures with however than previous themed half marathons. Disney California Adventure really had nothing that stood out. Again, the Sunwheel was only used as a backdrop, which maybe is good for pictures, but I just feel like the area got unused... maybe because World of Color is down for refurbishment, who knows. Sure there were a few characters for pictures, but there was nothing else. Anaheim to Garden Grove It felt like deja vu and I was back at the Avengers Half Marathon, but with no wind, yeay no wind. This unfortunately was the worst part of the marathon. I only saw 1 or 2 bands during this whole time. There was no entertainment factor for the runners. At times all I could hear was footsteps on asphalt; runners weren't even chatting with each other. This course line was through neighborhoods more, versus commercial, which caused tons of traffic problems. There was no Santa River Trail part of the course, which was nice as it's super narrow and has a lot of sand and rocks; not ideal for safety purposes. This also meant there was no Angel Stadium, which is always a moral booster for the runners. However, around mile 8.75 at a hard SAGging point there were TONS of Star Wars cosplayers, and I mean tons. Why couldn't Disney have that? It took an outside group to get these runners excited, and that shouldn't happen. Either way, whoever that group was thank you for coming out and giving your support!!! On Mile 11-12 I literally had never seen Harbor Blvd that busy, I mean it was stand still. Sure Anaheim Police gave notice of road closures, but this was insane. You literally could only make right turns... and that was if you could even move. Anaheim Police should have directed traffic better in my opinion. Runners weren't effected, but the city sure was. Finish Line It seemed like a ghost town yet again, but this time, they had really nice looking chairs and small tables that people could relax and watch the runners. I thought that was a good touch, even if there weren't that many. MEDAL I don't understand the 13.1 medals. They look so bland and with a bland design. The Rebel Challenge has good color and detail, the 10k screams detail, yet it's all silver, but I'm not sure with the last 2 half marathons (Avengers) the neck strap is more vibrant than the medal. RACE FOOD Clif did seem to have a bigger variety of their gel, but no shotbloks or jelly belly beans this time around. Even the post-race food was of lower quality than the previous runs and I can't ever remember candy being in a box. It usually is hummus, which got replaced by cheese spread, and gluten free cracker-like snacks, that were replaced by corn nuts. Bananas were abundant like usual, maybe some orange or apple slices next time. OVERALL I think Disney needs to do better. The Avengers Half Marathon was terrible because of the weather, and even though they didn't have many characters to take pictures with, it was still better than Star Wars as Star Wars had the potential to be amazing. There are so many characters to choose from, so many ideas, there could have been more stuff with lights, but Disney didn't go that route and I was disappointed for the runners. And at the price, it just wasn't worth it. The race did end up on schedule and we were done close to 10:30am. However, traffic was still a nightmare if you were headed in the direction of North or East. I had a PR too, and it was not drinking a single drop of anything from 330am to 1130am. Rode my bike to the event, rode my bike during the event, rode my bike home read more

I have ran the Disneyland Half Marathon the past 9 years and really enjoyed the SW 1/2. I appreciated that they changed the course up from the basic 1/2 and one of the best parts of the race was the 501st Legion (never knew about the group until this race) lined the streets with full on SW gear that was movie quality. Well organized event by Disney and I especially like that they now have registrants prove their race time so they are properly corralled. It isn't cool when people who plant to walk the entire race would put themselves in the front corals making it difficult for runners to zig zag around walkers in the crowded park and streets. Can't wait to do it again next year. Biggest challenge of the race is it sells out within an hour and a half of opening for registration and it's pricey. read more

This review pertains strictly to the kids races, which are conducted in a parking lot near the ESPN zone. Having done 3 other previous Disneyland 10K, 1 5K and 2 kids races, my family and I have a few suggestions that I hope the company will take into consideration: 1) The children's races should be run in reverse order with the older children going first for the 400 meter races. Why? They're MUCH faster and therefore, the wait times for the 200 and toddler races would be faster. Instead, this race, like ALL the other kids races we have done, featured, hot, tired and cranky parents corralling their bored kids for nearly an hour. (The races are supposed to start at 9:00 but if your kid is in a 400 meter race, you're gonna be waiting a looong time for it to start. 2) There were NO characters for the kids to take photos with while they're waiting. Why? Disney seems to have forgotten how important ENTERTAINMENT is and that's really sad. It's bad enough that they're not going into the park, unfortunate that the race is in a parking lot so really, is it too much to ask that they put a couple of storm troopers or Chewbacca in there? It would have meant so much to the kids. Honestly, the Newport Beach Public Library had characters that were more accessible during their Star Wars Reads Day. Corporate should consider that kids want to have fun. Standing in the heat waiting for a race to start with nothing to do is excruciating. 3) The finishers medals were all cheap rubber. This was the same material they gave the kids and even the 5K runners at the Avengers races. My son eyed my 10K medal and asked my why mine was "nicer." Why indeed. 4) The organizer managing the first wave did not see that there was one little boy frantically trying to tie his shoes and shouting, "wait, wait, wait!" The race organizer, who I assume was there to keep everyone safe and start appropriately, proceeded to greenlight the race and several of us watched kids and parents stumbling around this poor child. I was appalled and angry at what happened. 5) After the race, there are static boards to get your photos taken. Since all the other races had already been run, couldn't the company have spared an R2D2 or something? Taking a photo with your medal on next to a character would be great! 6) I understand there's no fruit or anything for such a short race but considering how long some of the kids had to wait to start, they might want to rethink this. 7) Why did the course have to dead end near ESPN? Hundreds of parents ran along the barrier and around the corner, only to have to double back to pick up their children because of the poor course layout. 8) I'll bet money that most of tickets sold to these events are sold to locals. If this is the case, why on earth would you charge your most loyal and dedicated fan base AND your local citizens $17 to park in the structure? We heard plenty of stories of families parking elsewhere and having to leave immediately afterwards to avoid being towed. If the company charged less to park at 5:30 a.m. (many parents ran the 10K), perhaps more families would spend money in Downtown Disney. 9) Downtown Disney food vendors should open up early on race days to take advantage of the VERY long downtime families have after the race starts. Some of the 10K finishers took 1-1/2-2 hours to finish. 10) The event guide did not give tell parents that the races wouldn't start at 9:00. The 200 didn't start for another half hour; the 400 nearly 20 minutes after that. 11) The event guide also did NOT clearly state that packets could and should be picked up on Thursday. There should have been a complete schedule listing the first available day/time for packet pickup. This race was the best yet in terms of packet pick up (still a messy affair since it is not at the convention center anymore). But it is a mess, with fans being banded and waiting for special merchandise, long wait times for the purses, uninformed staff regarding the shoes and much more. It's alot of aggravation and stressful to find parking, walk up and down the ramps, etc. 12) Merchandise should be available in Downtown Disney or offered in carts post-race. Many locals are working and cannot take off hours to do packet pickup. I understand there are some people who buy just to put it on eBay but the majority are runners and their families. They should be able to buy a reasonably priced trinket for their children, many of whom are in school during packet pick up. Although I love Disneyland, I think the race and parking fees are high and we will, unfortunately, not return unless changes are made. This is hard for me as I'm very loyal to the park, am a D23 member and have been doing these races for awhile. However, this time of year, the park has lower attendance than usual and you'd think the company would think about that instead of turning off loyal fans and local families by offering an experience that offers low entertainment for the money. read more

I love Star Wars! Star Wars is in my top favorite three things in this world. I have ran this race twice now and the inaugural run was the best. Unfortunately the route in 2016 had a lot of traffic. Between miles two the to four there was a lot of stop and go stop and go traffic inside the park because there wasn't enough room to run. The lines for the characters inside the park were insane I think maybe as time goes on it would be best if they had more characters out. I love that both races that the 501st was lining the race so that runners could stop and take pictures at Miles 9 and 10. I will continue to run this race until I can't any longer. If you are a Star Wars fan, this is the race for you. So many great costumes and lots of racers with great energy! read more

Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend - That was the traffic inside the park during the race at mile 3 - Races & Competitions Near Me - Anaheim, California