Walt Disney World Marathon
| Walt Disney World Marathon | |
|---|---|
| Location | Walt Disney World |
| Event type | road race |
| Distance | marathon |
| Primary sponsor | Cigna |
| Established | 1994 |
| Official site | Official website |
The Walt Disney World Marathon is an annual marathon and weekend race series held every January in Orlando, Florida held by runDisney, a race series and division of Disney Sports Enterprises.
The marathon weekend currently (as of 2006) includes a 5K, a 10K, a Half Marathon, a Marathon, and the Goofy and Dopey Challenges (the Goofy Challenge is to run the half and full marathons, and the Dopey Challenge is running all four races).[1] There is also a Disney Cruise Line add on 5K race, the Castaway Cay Challenge.[2]
History
The first marathon, run on January 1994, featured 5,588 runners. This marathon was the first race that launched the Disney Endurance Series, which is now runDisney.[3]
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park was added to the marathon route in 1995. That same year, the men's current course record was set by Leonid Shvestov, of Russia, at 2:11:50. While in 1996, electronic timing was first used to produce race results.[4]
With the 1998 fifth anniversary of the WDW Marathon having a them of “Herculean Entertainment”, the inaugural Donald Half Marathon is held on the same day until 2005. A corporate relay option was also added to the marathon. The course was again redesigned in 1999 to included the newly opened Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.[4]
The first local resident, Bea Marie Alitieri of Clermont, won the 10th anniversary (2003) of the WDW Marathon women's division at a pace of 2:53:10. Brazilian Adriano Bastos began his eight year streak of consecutive marathon wins in 2003. In 2006, the first Goofy Race and Half Challenge is first given with the full and half marathons were first ran on separate days, Saturday and Sunday.[4]
The 2010 races set two records with the largest participant field (55,000) and the coldest starting temperatures (low 30s). Also in 2010, the first Pre-race Pasta Party and a Post Race Celebration were held at Epcot.[4]
In 2011 the racers were allowed to vote for the medal design and it was the year of “Marathon Monday”. Bastos' winning streak was broken by Fredison Costa of Brazil. The 2012 year was the 15th anniversary of the Donald Half Marathon which saw the only running of the Walt Disney World Chip and Dale Marathon Relay.[4]
The course was changed again in 2013, the 20th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon, adding a lap around the Walt Disney World Speedway plus some distance in the ESPN Wide World of Sports. 95 marathon runners who ran all 20 marathons were recognized. 2013 was the first year where men were outnumbered by the women (57%).[4]
The 2014 World Marathon Weekend added the Walt Disney World 10K plus the Dopey Challenge for completing all four weekend races.[1] RunDisney reduced the number of registration allowed for the races and add more race corrals and gender-specific sizing for participant shirts.[4]
A new medal was introduced for the Goofy Challenge for its 10th anniversary in 2015.[4] The Castaway Cay Challenge race was inaugurated in 2015, with those that ran a Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 5K plus distance race and booked the next cruise on Disney Dream. 700 racers participated in this 5K race on the Disney Cruise Line's private island, Castaway Cay.[2]
List of winners
Brazilian Adriano Bastos holds the record of most WDW Marathon wins at eight.[5]
Marathon
| Edition | Date | Men's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Women's winner | Time (h:m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23rd[5][6] | January 10, 2016 |  Fredison Costa (BRA) |
2:33:22 |  Natasha Yaremczuk (CAN) |
2:52:21 |
| 22nd | January 11, 2015 | Fredison Costa (BRA) |
2:18:06 | Giovanna Martins (BRA) |
2:50:20 |
| 21st | January 12, 2014 | Fredison Costa (BRA) |
2:21:39 |  Angela Brito (ECU) |
2:47:44 |
| 20th | January 13, 2013 | Adriano Bastos (BRA) |
2:21:16 |  Renee High (USA) |
2:48:30 |
| 19th | January 8, 2012[7] | Fredison Costa (BRA) |
2:19:02 | Renee High (USA) |
2:48:35 |
| 18th | January 1, 2011 | Fredison Costa (BRA) |
2:21:15 | Leah Thorvilson (USA) |
2:42:11 |
| 17th | January 10, 2010 | Adriano Bastos (BRA) |
2:22:08 |  Lisa Mizutani (JPN) |
2:51:20 |
| 16th | January 11, 2009 | Adriano Bastos (BRA) |
2:20:38 | Lisa Mizutani (JPN) |
2:46:27 |
| 15th | January 13, 2008 | Adriano Bastos (BRA) |
2:20:58 | Melanie Peters (USA) |
2:47:32 |
| 14th | January 7, 2007 | Adriano Bastos (BRA) |
2:19:24 |  Gabriela Trana (CRC) |
2:57:04 |
| 13th | January 8, 2006 | Adriano Bastos (BRA) |
2:19:44 | Paige Higgins (USA) |
2:51:38 |
| 12th | January 9, 2005 | Adriano Bastos (BRA) |
2:19:16 | Amy Shertzer (USA) |
2:56:06 |
| 11th | January 11, 2004 | Matthew Dobson (USA) |
2:27:58 | Kim Donaldson (USA) |
2:59:13 |
| 10th | January 12, 2003 | Adriano Bastos (BRA) |
2:18:33 | Bea Marie Altieri (USA) |
2:53:10 |
| 9th | January 6, 2002 |  Dai Roberts (GBR) |
2:32:38 | Ilda Santos (BRA) |
2:48:38 |
| 8th | January 7, 2001 | Chris Teague (GBR) |
2:26:38 | Ilda Santos (BRA) |
2:46:40 |
| 7th | January 8, 2000 | Jose Silva (BRA) |
2:25:40 | Jennifer Uwins (USA) |
2:54:51 |
| 6th | January 10, 1999 | Santiago de Araujo (BRA) |
2:24:28 | Marina Jones (USA) |
2:54:19 |
| 5th | January 11, 1998 | Santiago de Araujo (BRA) |
2:23:25 |  Luybov Klochko (UKR) |
2:44:47 |
| 4th | January 5, 1997 |  Dick Hooper (IRE) |
2:31:19 |  Larisa Zyuzko (RUS) |
2:41:13 |
| 3rd | January 7, 1996 |  Miguel Upegui (COL) |
2:23:26 | Luybov Klochko (UKR) |
2:45:12 |
| 2nd | January 8, 1995 | Leonid Shvetsov (RUS) |
2:11:50 |  Judit Nagy (HUN) |
2:31:54 |
| 1st | January 16, 1994 |  Colin Moore (ENG) |
2:13:34 | Alevtina Naumova (RUS) |
2:34:47 |
Key: Course record
Half marathon
| Year | Men's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Women's winner | Time (h:m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Joao Marcelo Avelar (BRA) |
1:10:17 | Megan Curham (USA) |
1:14:29 |
| 2015 | Luke Humphrey (USA) |
1:08:56 | Megan Goethals (USA) |
1:16:25 |
| 2014 | Mike Morgan (USA) |
1:09:39 | Laurie Knowles (USA) |
1:17:59 |
| 2013 | Mike Morgan (USA) |
1:05:26 | Melissa White (USA) |
1:14:56 |
| 2012[7] | Jose de Morais (BRA) |
1:10:12 | Rosa Chacha (ECU) |
1:16:43 |
| 2011 | Tim Young (USA) |
1:05:35 | Jenny Scherer (USA) |
1:17:35 |
| 2010 | Chad Johnson (USA) |
1:07:02 | Emily Mortensen (USA) |
1:17:32 |
| 2009 | David Jankowski (USA) |
1:07:36 |  Elizabeth Chelegat (KEN) |
1:17:32 |
| 2008 | Chad Johnson (USA) |
1:06:53 | Kim Pawelek (USA) |
1:18:07 |
| 2007 | Jarrod Shoemaker (USA) |
1:10:29 | Melissa White (USA) |
1:15:43 |
| 2006 | Josh Eberly (USA) |
1:08:12 | Melissa White (USA) |
1:18:34 |
| 2005 | Michael McGrane (USA) |
1:13:08 | Sabrina Monro (USA) |
1:19:24 |
| 2004 | Clint Verran (USA) |
1:05:43 | Kim Pawelek (USA) |
1:18:12 |
| 2003 |  Ronnie Holassie (TRI) |
1:07:45 | Julie Peterson (USA) |
1:21:05 |
| 2002 | Gabriel Rodríguez (USA) |
1:09:07 | Monica Hostetler (USA) |
1:17:34 |
| 2001 | Ronnie Holassie (TRI) |
1:09:49 | Kim Pawelek (USA) |
1:16:46 |
| 2000 | Keith Brantly (USA) |
1:09:46 | Kim Pawelek (USA) |
1:15:19 |
| 1999 |  Per Kristian Moerk (NED) |
1:11:11 | Taeko Terauchi (JPN) |
1:13:04 |
| 1998 | Keith Brantly (USA) |
1:09:58 | Joan Samuelson (USA) |
1:18:37 |
See also
References
- 1 2 McGoldrick, Hannah (March 22, 2013). "Disney Announces New Race". Runners World. Rodale Inc. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
- 1 2 Mauney, Matt (January 14, 2015). "Disney's private island hosts inaugural 5K challenge". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ↑ "runDisney: Then & Now". grandlegacyhotel.com. Grand Legacy At The Park. April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History of the Walt Disney World Marathon". Touringplans.com. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- 1 2 Rapp, Timothy (January 10, 2016). "Disney World Marathon 2016 Results: Men's and Women's Top Finishers". Bleacher Report. Bleacher Report – Turner Sports Network. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Thousands of runners participate in Walt Disney World Marathon". Bay 9.com. Bright House Networks. January 11, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
- 1 2 "Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon All-Time Records". Disney Sports News. Disney Sports Public Relations. Retrieved August 15, 2013.