Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Running at the Happiest Place on Earth to Fight Pediatric Cancer

It's hard to believe just over a week ago Randy and I completed our second half marathon at Disney World! And let me just say, Disney knows how to put together a race. I was so impressed with the check in, the runners expo (we met Jeff Galloway!), the transportation to the race, the pre-race entertainment and the race itself! 14,000 runners participated in the Wine and Dine Half Marathon and it was incredible. The race started at 10pm so we got the special honor of running through Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot at night. The parks were all lit up (including the newly unveiled Christmas lights) and there were tons of Disney cast members and volunteers to fuel us with water and cheer us along the way. The best part about the race is that we finished with a new PR and we got to meet Minnie!

Emily would be so jealous.

If you are looking for a fun race with a little vacation tied in, you have to check out Disney. Throughout the year they host marathons, half marathons, relays, 10 milers, 5ks and family fun runs. In addition to all the fun at the parks, there are tons of activities for the whole family. We loved spending time at the Expo and spent the rest of our time at Downtown Disney.  Check out Run Disney to find your next race! I can't wait to do Wine and Dine again!

This amazing adventure would not have  possible without the amazing staff at the Rally Foundation. We originally singed up to run the Disneyland half  back in September. With a surprise baby in July, our training plans got a bit derailed. They worked with us and allowed us to transfer over our fundraising efforts to participate in the Wine and Dine. They took care of the registration and kept us in the loop ever step of the way. We ran 13.1 miles and raised more than $2,000 to fight pediatirc cancer. Doing good never felt so rewarding! Consider joining us as Rally Athletes and we will hope to see you at our next race. 

Until then, keep calm and run on! 
*M