(It’s More Than the Medals… But Yes, It’s Also the Medals)
People ask why I keep going back to runDisney.
They tell me…
- It’s expensive.
- It’s halfway across the country.
- You’re too old to be running that far.
- You’ve already done it before.
If they’ve run a runDisney race themselves, they usually ask a different question.
“Why would you pay that much money just to get up at 2:30 in the morning and run?”
The easy answer?
Because it’s Disney.
The real answer?
It’s a lot more complicated than that.
Because after a while, you realize the medals aren’t the reason you keep coming back.
Let’s get into it.
The Medals Matter
So many people will tell you it isn’t about the medals.
I’m not going to lie to you.
Yes, it is.
I earned every single one of them by starting and finishing a distance I wasn’t sure I could do.
Have I ever signed up for a runDisney race because I loved the medal?
Absolutely.
It was Tinker Bell. Come on now.
Those medals hang in a place of honor in my home. Every time I walk past them, I’m reminded that I really can do hard things.
Each one tells a different story. Some remind me of races my husband and I completed together. Others bring back memories of weekends shared with my goddaughter. Several represent months of training through Texas heat, early alarms, and days when quitting sounded a whole lot easier than lacing up my shoes.
During every race, I also know I have family and friends scattered across the country tracking my progress and cheering me on from hundreds of miles away.
So no…the medals aren’t just about one morning at Walt Disney World.
They’re reminders of the journey, the people beside me, and the person I became while earning them.
It’s About Becoming Someone I Never Thought I’d Be
When my goddaughter first saw a runDisney race pin, she said, “I couldn’t do that.”
My immediate response was, “Yes, you could.”
Encouraging her was easy.
Believing it about myself?
Not so much.
I was over 50.
I could never.
…or could I?
I joke with my goddaughter now and tell her, “Look what you talked me into.”
The truth is, I’m grateful she did.
Because runDisney showed me something I never expected.
It showed me that I could become a runner.
Not a fast runner.
Not an elite runner.
Just…a runner.
One of the things I love most about runDisney is that there isn’t an age limit on registration. Nobody tells you you’re too old to chase a finish line or earn a medal.
Before all of this, my age and old injuries had convinced me my running days were behind me. I couldn’t picture myself crossing a finish line.
Now I have multiple race photos proving that I was wrong.
If I can complete the Princess Challenge, maybe I really can do other hard things too.
Everyone Belongs
This may be my favorite thing about runDisney.
Everyone belongs.
I’ve seen runners of every age, every pace, every body type, and every experience level.
One of my favorite memories is watching two teenage girls during the Princess Half Marathon. One was in a wheelchair, and the other was pushing her the entire race. I remember thinking, what an incredible friendship.
I’ve seen elaborate costumes that must have taken months to create. I’ve also seen runners wearing nothing more than the race shirt they picked up at the expo the day before.
Some people are chasing a personal record.
Others are hoping to finish before the balloon ladies.
Some runners stop for every character photo. Others never slow down.
And somehow…all of them belong.
When I stood in those corrals surrounded by thousands of runners, I didn’t feel too old.
I didn’t feel too slow.
I didn’t feel out of place.
For the first time in a long time…
I simply felt like I belonged.
The Community
This is the real reason I keep coming back to runDisney.
Where else can you walk around a Disney resort after the race, spot complete strangers wearing race shirts and medals, smile, and say, “Good job!”…and have them completely understand why you’re saying it?
Where else do Cast Members line the course with foam fingers and clappers, cheering for every single runner?
Where else does the Fairy Godmother stop to sprinkle pixie dust on runners?
High school bands wake up before dawn to play music and encourage thousands of strangers they will probably never meet again.
Even before the race begins, something special happens.
You start talking to the people around you in the corrals. An hour earlier they were strangers. Now you’re sharing race nerves, talking about costumes, comparing training plans, and wishing each other luck.
Some of those conversations last only a few minutes.
Others turn into friendships that continue long after race weekend.
Then there’s my own runDisney family.
My husband and I have crossed finish lines together. My goddaughter and I have made memories I’ll never forget. For this next race, her aunt will be there cheering us on.
runDisney gave me more than races.
It gave me a community.
And that’s something that’s much harder to earn than a medal.
It’s About the Journey
I also keep coming back to runDisney because of the journey.
Yes, I am completely aware that I complain during every long, hot Texas training run.
I also know those miles are part of what gets me to the finish line.
Training is hard, but that’s where I’m learning I really can do hard things.
And let me emphasize something…
I am not a morning person.
I’ll be the one at the bus stop chugging down a coffee.
Somehow, though, those early mornings have become part of what I now love about runDisney weekends.
The truth is, I probably learn more from the bad runs than the good ones. The difficult days remind me that showing up still counts, even when everything feels harder than it should.
People think runDisney begins when you walk through the gates of Walt Disney World.
I don’t.
For me, it starts months earlier with training plans, early alarms, hot Texas mornings, and deciding over and over again not to quit.
By the time I arrive at Walt Disney World, the journey is already well underway.
Crossing the finish line is amazing.
But it’s everything that happened before the finish line that keeps bringing me back.
Training for Dopey: Why the Hardest Part Isn’t the Running
Why I Keep Coming Back
Every medal hanging in my house tells a different story.
Princess reminds me of the first time I believed I could finish.
Another medal brings back memories of races my husband and I completed together.
Future medals represent dreams I’m still chasing.
When people ask why I keep coming back to runDisney, they’re usually expecting me to talk about Disney, the castles, or the medals.
Those things absolutely matter.
However, they aren’t the whole story.
The friendships, the encouragement from complete strangers, the early mornings, and every difficult training run have changed me just as much as the finish lines have.
More importantly, runDisney helped me discover something I never expected.
I belong.
Not because I’m fast.
Not because I’ve earned enough medals.
Simply because I showed up and kept going.
So why do I keep coming back?
For the memories.
For the people.
For the challenge.
For the person I’m becoming.
…and yes, the medals are still pretty amazing.