Watch Out! The runDisney Bug is a Pretty Powerful Thing

This guest post was contributed by Jill Bent.

I was bitten by the runDisney bug after establishing a fitness challenge with a childhood friend.

We were not runners, we were not athletic, and we had not been in sport as children, but we were ready for a change.

So as one of those “significant” birthdays loomed, we set out to mark the occasion by running our first 5k. As I searched the internet for a virtual training program I came across what I still consider to be a sign from above….Mickey’s Halloween 5k.

You see, my friend and I are AVID Disney fans and what better place to not only run our first 5k but celebrate our accomplishment and our birthdays than Walt Disney World.

So, we trained, we ran and we celebrated.

The excitement of a Disney race is unmatched.

Disney entertainment lines the course as you run through the parks giving you a completely new perspective on Disney storytelling. There are floats, character stops, bands, DJs and even cast members waiving Mickey hands, tooting horns, dancing…whatever it takes to keep the magic alive. What we thought was to be a challenging 3.1 mile run passed by so quickly that after finishing we would have jumped at the chance to run it again.

It was on the walk back to the hotel that we realized we had been bitten by the runDisney bug. We knew we would be returning to run a half marathon so we headed over to Epcot that night to watch the inaugural running of the Wine & Dine Half Marathon.

Fast forward one year and we were once again on our way to Disney World to make good on our commitment to run Disney’s Wine & Dine Half.

What’s unique about this race is that it takes place at night. Shortly after 10pm we set out from Disney’s Wide World of Sports on the half marathon course that would take us through Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk before finishing at Epcot. Along the way, we were treated to lighted floats, bands, characters and even Sarge from Andy’s bucket of soldiers. Sarge is somewhat of a runDisney tradition as he appears atop the most challenging incline to help you find your way to the top (in his green army man kind of way).

It was everything we had expected. We crossed the finish at Epcot were treated to a killer after-party. Epcot’s World Showcase offered as much food and drink as your post-run stomach could handle alongside attractions and even more Disney characters.

We had done it. We had completed our extended birthday challenge and run a half marathon together.

But as we made our way back to the hotel we weren’t focused on the race we’d just completed but rather what would be our next runDisney event?

You see, the Disney bug is a pretty powerful thing.

At first it’s about just that – a first…running your first race, your first half maybe even your first full marathon.

But at some point during your run things change because just about as soon as that first Disney medal is placed around your neck, you realize one isn’t going to be enough.

Since running Mickey’s Halloween 5k, I have completed four other half marathons with runDisney and received the coveted Coast to Coast medal for finishing a race on both coasts in a single calendar year. My Disney vacations are now planned around runDisney events and I hope to complete the entire race series by the end of 2013. Lisa and I have now set our sights on Disney’s Goofy challenge, which will be our first attempt at a full marathon.

Jill recently entered the world of endurance running to compliment her journey to a healthier lifestyle. Follow her as she fuses fun with fitness on her blog, jogplanet.com.