On a crisp Sunday morning, thousands of runners toed the line for the 20th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World® Marathon presented by Cigna®. With countless hours of training and hundreds of miles conquered, each runner was ready to earn the most anticipated Mickey medal. And then their magical journey began.

At each mile, runners experienced the most magical running route for which the Walt Disney World® Marathon is known. From running past iconic locations like Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom® Park, Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and Spaceship Earth at Epcot®, to being cheered on by beloved Disney characters along the way, 26.2 miles never felt so good. There were some new additions to the course such as running along the track at the Walt Disney World® Speedway as well as the amazing Mile 20 Spectacular near the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. At the end, each runner was congratulated with their very own Mickey Medal.

Adriano Bastos of Votorantim, Brazil, claimed his eighth title as the overall male winner with a time of 2:21:16, besting fellow Brazilian and last year’s marathon winner, Fredison Costa, by a margin of 16 seconds. Matt Hensley finished in 3^rd place. Renee High of Virginia Beach, Virginia won her second consecutive title in the women’s race, winning with a time of 2:48:30. Antonia Silva of Fortaleza, Brazil and Claudia Dumont from Belo Horizonte, Brazil finished 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.

From the 95 Perfect runners who completed their 20th Walt Disney World® Marathon to the first-time Mickey medal recipient, every participant went home with the feeling of accomplishment and memories that will last a lifetime. Congratulations to you all!

On Saturday, January 12, 2013 over 22,000 runners came out to celebrate with Donald Duck, the official conDUCKtor of the Walt Disney World® Half Marathon presented by Cigna®. It was the 16th running of the Walt Disney World® Half Marathon and concluded with a newly redesigned Donald Duck Medal.

From start to finish, the half marathon course was filled with memory-making moments. From running past Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom® Park to ending with Spaceship Earth at Epcot®; beloved Disney characters, cheering fans, inspirational music and reminders of classic Disney entertainment moments paved the way for a unforgettable finish. Mike Morgan from Rochester Hills, Michigan, crossed the line to win the Half Marathon for the men in 1:05:26. Melissa White, out of Shelby Township, Michigan won the women’s Half Marathon title with a time of 1:14:56.

After 3.5 hours and a consistent stream of exuberant half-marathoners (Nearly 10,000 just warming up for Sunday’s marathon event as part of the Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge), the final racer victoriously crossed the finish line and was awarded their very own Donald Duck medal. Congratulations Half Marathoners!

What’s better than running the Walt Disney World® Marathon or Half Marathon? Running them BOTH in the same weekend of course!

In 2013, the 20th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna® was proud to once again welcome the few, the proud, the Goofy! Nearly 10,000 runDisney fanatics conquered 39.3 miles in two races through four Theme Parks over two days as part of Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge. 150 athletes completed their 8th consecutive Goofy Challenge, keeping up their “Perfectly Goofy” streak.

From the Half Marathon “warm-up” run on Saturday to the grueling last few miles of the Marathon on Sunday, we hope every mile was filled with magical memories. Congratulations to all who braved the ultimate test of Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge. You’re now part of an elite group, so take pride in your Goofy-ness!