This year is going to be a first for my kids for marathon weekend. My daughter has been interested in my running since she recognized what I had been doing and has asked me several times if she can do a kid race. I had always known that I wanted her first race to be a Disney race so this year I registered both my son and daughter to run the 200 meter races.
At first when I was considering signing them up, I wasn’t sure if it would conflict with my race schedule. I am running the 10K on Friday and the full on Sunday. I learned that the kid races are held every day during the marathon weekend. That was good news to me. I am arriving to Orlando on Wednesday, and my family is flying down on Thursday. So I planned to have them run their races on Friday. This way I can run the 10K, then meet them over at ESPN for their race and then we can swim or do a park later that day.
The schedule on race day is as follows for Thursday – Saturday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports:
10:00 a.m. New Balance Track and Field opens, warm up begins
10:50 a.m. 100m Dash participants (1-3 years old) meet at green start flags
11:00 a.m. 100m Dash Starts
11:10 a.m. 200m Dash participants (4-6 years old) meet at yellow start flags
11:20 a.m. 200m Dash Starts
11:30 a.m. 400m Dash participants (7-8 years old) meet at blue start flags
11:40 a.m. 400m Dash Starts
12:00 p.m. Diaper Dash Starts
12:15 p.m. Mickey Mile participants (13 & under) meet at white start flags
12:30 p.m. Mickey Mile Start
The races take place at the track in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Each age group will have its own start line, which will be color-coded for all parents to
easily find. Each participant’s bib number matches the starting flag for their distance.
Parents can run with their children and are encouraged to do so. If you don’t, you can claim them at the finish line. Each race bib will include a tear off tag with your child’s race number on it. You remove the tag prior to the race and present it at the finish in order to pick up your child and leave the secure finish area.
Kids will receive a medallion for finishing the race and when you pick up their packets, they will receive a T shirt and a bib number. Kid races are a great introduction for the children to begin running Disney races. Once they are a little older and can run further you can have them join you for the 5K races which are also very fun and full of entertainment!
View more stories about the Marathon weekend events here!
The Kid’s Races sound pretty adorable – if I had kids, we’d be there in a heartbeat!
I can’t wait to see their faces when I tell them they are running the races next week! I also can’t wait to see how they are at the race. I wonder if they will be overwhelmed.
My daughter will be “competing” in her first race during the WDW Marathon Weekend as well. She entered the Mickey Mile on Saturday and is sooo excited. Enjoy the Kids Races!
That is fantastic that your children are taking an interest in the sport you love! Have a great weekend enjoying ALL the cool events offered at runDisney’s Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend!
I wish my parents new about the Run Disney Races when we were kids. Maybe then I would have taken an interest in running a lot sooner! That’s is wonderful that your kids are taking an interest in it now!
I LOVE watching the Kids Races, at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World; so much magical energy! I think there is no greater gift you can give your kids. Congratulations on building a family of runners and good luck with your race weekend Pamela!!
I hope you take lots of pics! I know nothing about the kids races!
Thanks for this great information (and the whole runDisney hop)! My husband’s running his first full marathon next weekend at the WDW Marathon, and my two younger kids are doing the Mickey Mile. My daughter (11) plans to walk rather than run. Is that ok to do? I’ll be with her. Thanks!
Yes I believe you can walk the mile.