runDisney returns to Anaheim this week for a final race weekend before an indefinite, construction-related hiatus. The events of the 2026 Disneyland Half Marathon weekend begin this Thursday, January 29 and continue through Sunday, February 1.
The events draw tens of thousands of runners, walkers, friends, and family to the Disneyland Resort, and include road closures and operational changes that could impact anyone visiting the Anaheim Resort area this weekend. Here’s what runners, visitors, and spectators should know as we head into this busy weekend.
Disneyland Resort Hotel guests
Staying at the Disneyland Hotel? The race expo takes place in that hotel’s convention center and an adjacent parking lot Thursday through Saturday, so expect extra crowds at the shops and restaurants.
If you’re staying at the Grand Californian Hotel in a theme park view room, especially one facing Pixar Pier, expect to hear race-related activities between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Friday, January 30, as the finish line for the Disneyland 5K is located in Pixar Pier. Finish line announcements will likely be audible from theme park view rooms. Participants and spectators will also be making their way from the Mickey and Friends parking structure as early as 3:00 a.m., and back again after the race.
This year’s 10K course and half marathon races both pass in front of the Pixar Place Hotel just after the first mile marker, so guests with rooms facing Disneyland Drive will likely hear participants and spectators starting around 5:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Both courses then enter Disney California Adventure, so again, guests with park view rooms at the Grand Californian hotel may be able to see or hear the runners starting 5:00 to 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
If you are a runner or spectator staying at one of the three Disneyland Resort hotels, there are shuttles available on Saturday and Sunday to take you closer to the race start. Shuttles for registered guests from 3:15 AM – 10:30 AM on January 31 and February 1. You will need your room key to board the bus, marked, “runDisney Athletes & Spectators”
Local hotel guests
The Disneyland Resort is going to be very busy this weekend, which you may already know if you had a hard time finding a reasonably priced hotel room in the immediate area. Hotels on Harbor Blvd between Disney Way and Katella, and those on Katella between Harbor and Disneyland Drive, will get the most of the pre- and post-race noise Saturday and Sunday mornings, as the start and finish lines for both Saturday’s 10K and Sunday’s half marathon are on Disney Way.
There are road closures planned for both Saturday and Sunday due to the race. If you plan to use the Anaheim Regional Transportation buses to get to the Resort, be sure to check with your hotel’s front desk for more information about possible route or schedule changes. ART buses will begin running early all three days due to the races to accommodate runners and spectators, but you’ll need to check the ART website for details for your specific route.
For those who plan to drive from their hotel and park in one of the resort lots, we recommend that you park in the Mickey and Friends parking structure, and avoid the Toy Story lot entirely unless arriving after 11:00 a.m.
Non-participants – parking and road closures
While all of the races take place before park opening or outside the parks, you may still experience traffic delays and extra crowds.
On Friday, 5K participants are directed to park at the Mickey & Friends parking structure, but because most participants will be completely done well before the parks open, entering the structure should be relatively easy for park visitors.
If you’re driving to the Disneyland Resort on Saturday or Sunday to visit the theme parks, be sure to pay attention to road closures. Runners and spectators are directed to park in the Toy Story parking lot this weekend, and there are road closures starting at 3:30 a.m. and running as late as Noon on some local streets due to the race.
We recommend that you park in the Mickey and Friends parking structure, and avoid the Toy Story lot entirely unless arriving after 11:00 a.m..
Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure open at 8:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, both theme parks open at 9:00 a.m. Early park entry for hotel guests is no longer offered at the Disneyland Resort.
Spectators
Spectator viewing areas vary per race.
For the 5K on Friday, January 30 spectator viewing is at the finish line only, inside Disney California Adventure park. You enter the park from 4:30 to 6:15 a.m. from Downtown Disney through the gate located near the World of Disney store.
For the 10K on Saturday, January 31, spectator viewing is available on the course along Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue, as well as in the esplanade between the theme parks, and at the finish line (see the course map for specifics).
The same viewing areas are available to spectators on Sunday, and because the majority of the half marathon race takes place on city streets in Anaheim, there is ample opportunity to view your runner along the route. Be sure to consult the road closures map below so you can get to and from your preferred spot.
Disney shared the following tips for spectators:
• Use bright paper for signs to help athletes see them in low light.
• Know your athlete’s pace to time your arrival at the viewing location.
• Identify your athlete by their outfit.
• Do not hand out food or drinks to athletes on the race course.
Participants
We’re going to refer you back to the official runDisney handbook for details of your various events, because so much changed since the last race. Please don’t rely on your hazy memory of the last time you ran through Sleeping Beauty Castle—read the guide so you know where to park each day (it changes!), where the start line is for each race (it changes!), and when you need to be where.
Keep in mind that you are required to attend the runDisney Expo at the Disneyland Hotel before your first race in order to pick up your race bib. Expo hours are:
- Thursday, January 29, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday, January 30, 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday, January 31, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Good luck to all of the rollers, walkers and runners participating this weekend!
Looking ahead
runDisney has not announced any California-based events for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027. With the Disneyland Forward expansion project underway, many of the areas being used for this weekend’s events soon won’t be available for race use. This includes the start and finish area for the 10K and half marathon events, and a portion of those race courses. Where Walt Disney World has the luxury of massive parking lots which can hold tens of thousands of runners, and miles of privately-owned roads, the Disneyland Forward project is all about making use of every last square inch of property.
I would love to see runDisney return again to Anaheim, but I’m not very confident it can happen anytime in the next five years, if at all. In the meantime, runDisney has announced they are increasing the capacity of some of the Walt Disney World events, so even more athletes can participate. That will help meet demand in the short-term, but there’s no denying the appeal of the Coast-to-Coast
