This is the granddaddy of all runDisney races and will always hold a special place in my heart since it was my first marathon back in 2011 and I've gone back every year since. I've run it as a solo race and as both a Goofy and Dopey runner and it's a ton of fun, it just has a great energy to it!

The Course: The race starts out like the Half Marathon where the first 5 miles will take you from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom (MK). You will then run through MK (Tomorrowland to Fantasyland, through the castle (bottleneck), Liberty Sq to Frontierland and then you exit) and then past the Grand Floridian and Polynesian. You then run through some backstage areas before entering Animal Kingdom around mile 12. (NOTE: If you are running through Animal Kingdom while the park is open, runners have been known to hop on Expedition Everest).

NOTE: Since the Speedway was demolished the race course changed slightly this year to include more time in MK and a slight out and back as you head to Animal Kingdom.

Once exiting Animal Kingdom you hit the halfway mark and you then run on roads for a few miles as you make your way to Wide World of Sports. This stretch of road is completely uncovered and can be very hot depending on the weather. Once you hit Wide World of Sports you have about 3 miles of endless winding. Highlights include running on the track (the track foam material always feels nice after running on pavement) and running through the baseball stadium. There are also a lot of people cheering here which is nice. Once you exit you will then hit the 20 mile mark and you are in the home stretch.

You enter Disney Hollywood Studios around mile 22, then run along Crescent Lake (Boardwalk/Yacht and Beach Club area), and then you enter world Showcase in Epcot and run your final mile in Epcot and finish in the parking lot! The final 10k of the WDW Marathon is one of my favorite finishes of any marathon I've run. So many people out cheering and so much to see!

Hills: You will go under the water bridge before getting the Contemporary (downhill and an uphill) and there are a few overpasses but other than that it's very flat.

Support: Aid station are every 1-1.5 miles and have lots of water and powerade. There were 2 Clif shot support areas and a candy stop. Medical Tents are every 3-4 miles and have great volunteers and are very well stocked!

Every runner gets a technical long sleeve t-shirt and finishers get a Mickey themed medal. This marathon also includes Goofy Challenge (half and full marathon) runners and Dopey Challenge (5k, 10k, half and full marathon) runners. The Goofy runners will receive their Goofy themed medal after receiving their marathon medal and Dopey runners will receive their Goofy and Dopey themed medals after receiving their marathon medal.

The expo is BIG and CROWDED pack you patience and look over the event guide before you go to see if there are any vendors that you want to check out. They also host many talks throughout the day that cover everything from race day strategies to nutrition to training. If you want official race weekend merchandise it can be a little nutty so pack you patience.

Overall - this is still one of my favorite races and I can't wait to run #7 in 2017!