Walt Disney World Marathon

Established in 2008, the Walt Disney World Marathon is now 18 years old. From its first edition in Orlando, it has evolved into a race that reflects the character of its host region in United States.

Runners come to the Walt Disney World Marathon for one reason: personal bests. The flat, fast course through Orlando has a reputation as a PB factory, with the roads seemingly designed to keep your pace honest and your splits consistent from start to finish.

With 21,500 finishers and spectators lining the course deep, the Walt Disney World Marathon generates an atmosphere that carries runners through the hard miles. The crowd support in Orlando is not polite applause — it's visceral, personal, and often the difference between hitting the wall and breaking through it.

For thousands of runners each year, the Walt Disney World Marathon is their first marathon. The combination of a forgiving course, generous time limits, and supportive crowds has earned this race a reputation as the place where marathon journeys begin. The first-timer energy on race morning is palpable.

The course passes through all four Disney theme parks, and characters line the route in full costume for photos. The race starts at 5:30 AM with fireworks, and runners pass through Cinderella's Castle around mile 5. It's simultaneously the most commercially engineered and most genuinely joyful marathon experience on the circuit.