Big Changes - runDisney Wine Dine Half Marathon

Thursday, March 10, 2016
Exciting news out of runDisney today! Drum roll please.......
The Wine Dine Half Marathon (aka my favorite runDisney race) is expanding to a three-day event! That's right friends, this means we're talking a new challenge.  The weekend will now look like this:

Friday November 4th: Mickey's Holiday 5K
Saturday November 5th: Disney Wine Dine 10K
Sunday November 6th: Wine Dine Half Marathon

2016 runDisney Wine Dine Entry Fees 
Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Entry Fee: $190
Lumiere's Two Course Challenge Entry Fee: $330
Disney Wine & Dine 10K Entry Fee: $120
Mickey's Holiday 5K Entry Fee: $70
runDisney Kids' Races presented by GoGo squeeZ® Applesauce on the Go Entry Fee: $20
runDisney 1-Mile Run Entry Fee: $30
Post Race Party Tickets Fee: $79

Lumiere's Two Course Challenge has been added for runners who sign up for the challenge and complete both the 10K and Half Marathon.
Moving from Saturday Night to Sunday Morning
The Wine Dine Half Marathon has historically been on Saturday night and it will now take place on Sunday morning. I have heard some disappointed chatter out there but I am here to say, I couldn't be happier about this. I'll admit my favorite part of running the Wine Dine Half course was that we got to run through the Osborne Lights at Hollywood Studios - but those are GONE meaning even if this were a nighttime event, you wouldn't be running through that area. Other than running through Hollywood Studios at night, the rest of the night course wasn't that exciting. Not to mention, November in FL is finicky. The last 3 years of Wine Dine has faced awful weather conditions (100% humidity, 100% rain, Lighting causing a shorter course). Having the event in the morning will make for better weather conditions. This is a good change.

New Half Marathon Course
The Half Marathon course is also changing -  the 13.1-mile route will take runners through ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot. This is due to all the construction at Hollywood Studios. This girl isn't too thrilled about the addition of Wide World of Sports (nightmares from Marathon Weekend) but it sounds like it could be similar to the Tower of Terror 10 miler course with Epcot added at the end.

New After Party Hours
The last big change, and probably the one thing I am most excited about - the after party! The Finish Line Party (8 pm to 1 am on Sunday, Nov. 6), which is part of the popular Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, will allow the runners access to more than 30 festival marketplaces offering fine cuisine and wine, plus Disney characters, musical performances and the opportunity to ride signature Epcot attractions. Guess what else this means? You have a whole day to party at Epcot before the official after party. This is the Wine Dine Half Marathon after all!

Mark your calendars - this will sell out! 
Registration opens March 29 at www.rundisney.com. Last year the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon was the fastest-selling race within the runDisney series. More than 20,000 runners participated during the two-day event. I hope to see you there!

2 comments

  1. While I'm glad they're keeping the after party. I always recommended this race because I thought it was the coolest thing to finish and then go straight into the party. I do agree that the course wasn't very amazing (besides the lights) and weather is hit or miss for a night race, but IMO that finish line party was the selling point.

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  2. yea wine and park at the end and night time? what's special about it now??

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