Disney Report: Kids Races

2011 Royal Family Race
(Princess Half Marathon)

My father and my sister are runners and have been participating in RunDisney events for several years. In 2010 I ran the Halloween 5K with my dad on the weekend of the Food and Wine Half-Marathon. When I was registering I saw the Kids Races listed and since it was only $10 I decided to sign my daughter up. My daughter has participated in 3 RunDisney Kids Races (the 2010 and 2011 Food & Wine Half-Marathon and the 2011 Princess Half Marathon) and is now disappointed when we visit Disney on a non-race weekend.

Before my daughter's first RunDisney Kids Race we did not know much about how the races worked, and I figured I was only spending $10 so it was not a big financial loss if we our plane was delayed or my daughter decided not to run. For $10 each participant receives a themed t-shirt, a finisher's medallion, a personalized bib (if registered before the deadline), and post race refreshments.

Running the Race - Lots of parents join in

RunDisney Kids Races are held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex for Walt Disney World events. The complex is also the location for race registration and the race expo so adult runners need to visit the complex anyway. The Kids Races are held on the track and Kids Race packet pickup is near the track.

Warm Up Dances

Kids Races are held on the track at the Wide World of Sports and are staged by age. Children from 1 year through 3 years run 100 meters, children 4 through 6 years old run 200 meters, and children 7 through 8 run 400 meters. There is a diaper dash for crawlers under a year old. There is also a one mile run for all children under age 13. My daughter has been in the 4-6 year category for each race and my nieces ran in the 1-3 year old category for the 2011 Food & Wine Kids race. In 2010 and 2011 the Food and Wine Half Marathon was held at the beginning of October to mark the start of the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT. With an October date, the Kids Races had a Halloween theme. Starting in 2012 the Food and Wine Half Marathon has been moved to November for the end of the Food and Wine Festival.


Prior to the race start, there is entertainment on the infield of the track. They have music playing and are encouraging the kids to dance to warm-up for their race. Make sure to bring water as the track has no shade and it can get quite warm as you dance.

As the race time nears, kids are asked to separate by age and wait by their respective starting lines. They run several groups per age, but each group may have 20-30 kids in it. Especially at the younger ages, most kids have an adult run with them...so make sure to wear running shoes in case your child wants company. Even if you don't run with your child, you may be running from the starting line where you waited with them to the finish line to meet back up with them.

The Start Line of the 200 meter dash (ages 4-6)

2011 Halloween Race

The races start with the 100 meter dash which runs several heats. There are always some parents helping their kids at the 100 meter dash...especially the one year olds who are still learning to walk. After the 100 meter dash, they proceed to the 200 meter dash, then the 400 meter dash. We have never stayed after my daughter's 200 meter dash. But I believe the diaper dash follows the 400 meter and then the 1 mile.

When each heat starts, the kids (and any parents running with them) start to run. While 20-30 kids run at a time, the heat usually spreads out allowing you to get good pictures of your child. When the kids cross the finish line, they are given their medals and a treat. Nesquik has been a sponsor for several of these races, so my daughter loves getting her chocolate milk when she is done. Since the first few races she ran were at Disney, she is now disappointed when she participates in local races that do not include a medal for finishers.

Showing off her medal
& post-race snacks

Logistics
On race weekends, Disney runs special buses to ESPN Wide World of Sports from the designated race hotels. In 2010 and 2011 we were not staying at race hotels. However, in 2011 for the Food and Wine Race, we booked a breakfast prior to the Kids Races at Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club which was a race hotel so we were able to board the bus there. In 2010, we visited EPCOT prior to the Kids Races and used the International Gateway to walk to the Beach Club to board a race bus.

When my daughter participated in the 2010 Kids Race on Wine & Dine weekend, the kids race was on Friday afternoon with a 5K Saturday morning and the Half Marathon Saturday night. This worked out well because we were able to all go to Wide World of Sports on Friday afternoon for her kids race and pick up our packets for the 5K and the Half-Marathon. When she participated in the 2011 Princess Weekend and Food and Wine they had moved the Kids Race to Saturday at 10a which was after the 5K. So for us to run the 5K, we would have had to go to Wide World of Sports on Friday to pick up our 5K race packets, go to the 5K, and then go back for the Kids Races. While it enables families who arrive late on Friday to participate in the Kids Races, it is not as convenient for those also running the 5K. For 2012 (Food and Wine) and 2013 (Princess) the Kids Races are on Saturday morning at 10a.

The weekend of the Walt Disney World Marathon offers several kids races since it is the largest of the Disney races. For January 2013, they offer Kids Races on Thursday, January 10 at 3p, Friday, January 11 at 11a, and Saturday, January 12 at 11a.

My daughter loves getting her medal and wearing it around, especially to the adult races and to show the characters. After she ran her first kids race we had dinner at Chef Mickey's and she loved showing her Mickey Ghost medal to Mickey Mouse.

Showing Chef Mickey her Medal

The next time we visit on a race weekend, we may skip the Kids Races and have my daughter do the 5K so that we can do it with her. This spring, she ran the 1 mile fun run in the Big House Big Heart race in Ann Arbor, MI. My dad is talking to her about training for the 5K for next spring.

Note: Kids races have since been raised to $15 and $30 for the Mickey Mile. For what the Kids race includes, I don't find $15 to be that expensive.