RunDisney races are coming back!  If you haven’t heard already, then you must live under a rock!  Not only that, they are coming back this November for Wine & Dine weekend.  Do you all know what that means?  Registration day is going to be INSANE!  It also means it’s time to start training!

Along with the amazing news that RunDisney has finally bestowed to us, after teasing us on social media for the past few weeks, there are some changes for their return.  I’ll share with you the changes you can expect in comparison to races prior to Covid-19.

runDisney Race Registration

Those of you who still have your Walt Disney World Annual Pass, or are a DVC member, you will no longer have an earlier registration date.  The only people who will be granted early access are the runDisney Club Gold and Platinum members.

If you are not a runDisney Club member and you’d like to join, the registration period to join is currently closed.  According to the runDisney Club page, the current membership term ends on September 30, 2022:

Club runDisney Membership is valid October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022. Benefits listed expire on September 30, 2022 unless otherwise noted.

I am not a runDisney Club member, and at this point, and from what everyone is saying, it is enticing to want to consider it for the benefit of getting a better corral placement and the ability to register a week early for the races.  However, the early registration option is only available for the Gold and Platinum memberships.  The corral placement option is only available for the Platinum membership.

Travel Agent Packages

You can no longer book a race package through your favorite travel agent.  All registrations have to be done by the individual runner.  However, you can still book your rooms and park passes through your favorite travel agent.  In fact, I would recommend you get on that ASAP!

From what I am hearing from my podcast friends, that the reason for not having travel agent packages is to entice people to register for runDisney club when it opens again for new members.

Charity Bibs

There is a lot of chatter in the Facebook groups about charity bibs.  From what I have learned, there are requirements of the charities that they are unable to commit to at this time, so the charities that used to receive bibs for the races are not getting bibs for the upcoming races and for 2021.

Registration Dates

Registration is going to be a race in itself.  With so many people chomping at the bit to get back to these races, the registration process will be similar to what it was back in 2014 and 2015 when registration day would cause as much stress as race day!

Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 4-7, 2021:

• • Club runDisney Gold & Platinum Registration Opens July 6, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  • General Registration for In-Person Races Opens July 13, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  • General Registration for Virtual Races Opens July 16, 2021 at 10 AM EST.

Marathon Weekend – January 5-9, 2022:

• • Club runDisney Gold & Platinum Registration Opens July 20, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  • General Registration for In-Person Races Opens July 27, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  • General Registration for Virtual Races Opens July 30, 2021 at 10 AM EST.

Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 24-27, 2022:

• • Club runDisney Gold & Platinum Registration Opens August 17, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  • General Registration for In-Person Races Opens August 24, 2021 at 10 AM EST.
  • General Registration for Virtual Races Opens August 27, 2021 at 10 AM EST.

Springtime Surprise Weekend – March 31 – April 3, 2022:

• • Registration dates have not been announced at the time of this blog post.

Prices

Seems like the prices haven’t changed too much compared to previous years.  Here are the breakdowns for the races:

Wine & Dine Race Weekend:

• • 5K – $95
  • 10K – $135
  • Half Marathon – $215
  • Challenge (10K & Half Marathon) – $360
  • Virtual Races ($79 – $252)

Marathon Weekend:

• • 5K – $95
  • 10K – $135
  • Half Marathon – $195
  • Full Marathon – $195
  • Goofy Challenge (Half Marathon & Full Marathon) – $390
  • Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, Half Marathon & Full Marathon) – $600
  • Virtual Races ($79 – $480)

Princess Half Weekend:

• • Disney Princess Sunrise Yoga – $95
  • 5K – $95
  • 10K – $135
  • Half Marathon – $210
  • Fairy Tale Challenge (Half Marathon & Full Marathon) $355
  • Virtual Races ($75 – $232)

Proof of Time

This is a big concern for runDisney race participants.  And it has been one of the reasons why I thought I had to register for a local half marathon as soon as we heard if runDisney was going to host races again.  A proof of time is only required if you are going to run a half marathon under two hours.  This was what was written for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend.

The proof of time instructions for the full marathon has been shared in a few Facebook groups.  I saw one that was requiring a marathon finish time of less than 4 hours and another showed a requirement of less than 5 hours.  Either way, I don’t have the ability to run the races that fast, so my corral placement fate will fall into the hands of runDisney.

New Special Offerings

New Race Theme

There is a new race added to the line up.  Instead of the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon weekend that took place in April, there is a new Springtime Surprise Weekend which will take place every March.  Each year there will be a different theme for the races.  Details are yet to be released for the 2021 races.

Sunrise Yoga!

I love yoga!  Yoga in front of Cinderella Castle at sunrise?  Sign me up!  During the Princess Half Marathon weekend, there is a special event taking place on the first morning of the event weekend.  Sunrise Yoga will take place before Magic Kingdom opens, led by a professional yoga instructor to help you get your mind and body prepared for the race weekend.

Changes For Race Weekends

Race Day Bib Pickup

Something I used to rely on in case of bad weather or a late flight before the races was race day bib pickup.  RunDisney has now published that this option will not be available.  Race bibs and shirts must be picked up prior to the day of the race.  We are hoping that runDisney has announced that but will still have bibs with them on race morning in case of extreme circumstances, and they just aren’t sharing that the option is available.

Character Stops

The races will still have on-course entertainment; but it won’t be the same as in the past.  Word on the street is that there will be “selfie stops” along the course to take pictures of characters from a distance.  Very similar to how character interactions take places in the parks now.

Kids Races

The kids races are being modified and are not currently offered during the races posted for 2022.  They have published a new experience for kids called the runDisney Kids Adventures; but no details are available at this time.

Spectators

At the time of this blog post, there isn’t a Chear Squad offered for spectators.  RunDisney is still evaluating this experience option.  One of the questions going around is if spectators will be able to cheer from the parks.  I’m sure we will get more info as time goes on.

Which Races Are You Going To Do?

With all of these changes coming back, will you be registering for one of, or all of these races weekends?  I plan to run marathon weekend to continue to keep my streak going.  I will most likely register for Goofy again.  However, I don’t want to miss the Princess Half Marathon weekend and the yoga experience!

Let me know which races you are doing!  I can’t wait to see all of my running friends again!