"In September, in the earliest hours of the morning, thousands upon thousands of people ran through the empty pathways of Disneyland. In the darkened spaces, where no guests would be allowed for hours to come, they pounded the pavement, encountering villainous characters - and the real villains, like blisters and runners' injuries - along the way. They did it for glory, for bragging rights, for the medals awarded to runners at the end."
"RunDisney is an organization within the Walt Disney Co. that arranges road races at both Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland. But they're not just any races - they're highly themed experiences that include events before and after the races, and the runs themselves include interactions with characters who rarely appear in the parks, live music and photo opps. More than anything, the appeal is that these runners have the theme parks all to themselves for the duration."
"The runDisney obsessives traverse the country, following the race season, and pay the Mouse hundreds upon hundreds of dollars for the privilege of doing strenuous exercise in Disneyland and Walt Disney World. But for those who have joined the running hordes, there's nothing like it. And nothing - not time, expense, travel logistics or the difficulty of running in elaborate costumes complete with wigs - will stop them from racing."
Thousands of runners participate in early-morning runDisney events, running through empty Disneyland pathways and encountering themed characters, live music and photo opportunities. RunDisney is an organization within the Walt Disney Co. that stages road races at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, offering highly themed experiences and exclusive park access during races. Participants often travel nationwide, pay substantial entry fees, and collect medals; many repeatedly race year after year. Enthusiasts run for fun, camaraderie, bragging rights and medals, enduring blisters, travel logistics and costume challenges, and some regard runDisney racing as a central, long-term hobby or lifestyle.
Read at SFGATE
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