[Editor’s note: MousePlanet staff writer Mike Scopa continues his quest to participate in fitness events in Walt Disney World, including the upcoming Minnie Marathon. We couldn’t turn him down when he volunteered to share this information with our readers.]
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run through a Walt Disney World theme park? Are you training for the 2007 Walt Disney World half or full Marathon and would like to do a “dry run” in Orlando?
Your chance to do just that is less than a month away. On May 5 – 7 Walt Disney World and Disney’s World of Sports hold its inaugural Minnie Marathon Weekend, focusing on women’s health and wports with several scheduled events.
Minnie Marathon Expo
The First Minnie Marathon Expo will be held that weekend at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. The Expo operating hours will be Friday, May 5, 2006 from noon to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 6th, 2006 from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
At the expo, attendees will find the latest in running products and services. There will also be running experts and representatives from the running industry to answer any questions guest may have regarding running and running gear. This expo is very similar to the one held at WDW Marathon Weekend except, again, with a focus on women’s sports.
Snag Golf
What is Snag Golf? Well, it’s kind of complicated. From what I understand it’s a golf-oriented game that was developed to help teach golf to inner city youth.
The Minnie Marathon Expo will offer attendees a chance to try their hand at Snag Golf and see if it’s something they like.
If you’d like more info on Snag Golf go to (link).
Go Red for Women 5K and 1 Mile
On Saturday, May 6, 2006 WDW will hold the Go Red for Women 5K and 1 Mile events to benefit the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.
The one-mile course begin at 7:15 a.m. at Cirque du Soliel in Downtown Disney.
This course will bring participants to the Downtown Disney Village Marketplace and will have them finish at Downtown Disney West Side.
The Go Red for Women 5K course will start at 7:30 a.m. also at Downtown Disney next to Cirque du’ Soliel. This course will have participants run through Downtown Disney, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, back to the Downtown Disney Village Marketplace, and finish at Downtown Disney West Side.
Note that all Go Red for Women 5K and 1 Mile runners must be 11 years or older and must be able to maintain a 15-minute per mile pace.
The entry fee for the Go Red for Women 5K is $25 before April 17, 2006 and $30 after April 17, 2006.
The entry fee for the Go Red for Women 1 Mile is $20 before April 17, 2006 and $20 After April 17, 2006
All participants will receive a commemorative race shirt.
Women Run the World 15K
The Women Run the World 15K will be held on Sunday, May 7, 2006 and will start at 6:30 a.m. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The course will take participants towards Disney’s Wide World of Sports and wind their way through the Disney-MGM Studios theme park.
I believe that at this point the course is similar to that of the Race for the Taste course held in October.
Runners will enter the rear of MGM Studios. Once in the park, they run through the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and then through the Big City Streets section of the theme park. They will continue down past the Sci-Fi Drive In restaurant, the Commissary and make their way to the front of the Great Movie Ride and then swing around and run past the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and past the ’50s Prime Time Cafe and Hollywood and Vine before taking a right and making the their way down Hollywood Blvd.
Once out of the park the runners will make their way along the path to Disney’s, Boardwalk Resort, then to Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club and finally enter Epcot through the International Gateway.
Participants will then run the final leg of the course through World Showcase. Once in World Showcase the runners will navigate through the United Kingdom area and run counter clockwise around World Showcase before making their way past Innoventions Plaza and Spaceship Earth and heading for the Finish Line in the Epcot parking lot.
Those who have previously run in the Race for the Taste 10K and the Race for the Cure held in October will recognize the combining of the two courses to make this 15K course.
Again, this weekend is dedicated to women’s health and it should also be pointed out that it is not limited to only women. Men are also invited to participate on behalf of the ladies in their life.
For more information and to register for these races go to (link).
But there’s more.
Minnie Marathon Weekend Participant Appreciation Night
All those who participate in the Minnie Marathon Weekend and up to three of their guests will receive half off off of the regular admission into Downtown Disney Pleasure Island on Sunday, May 7, 2006.
To receive the discount participants must present their race number at one of the Ticket Trolleys. Their guests must be present with them at the time of purchase. By participants this means all 15K, 5K and 1 mile participants.
See you there.
