Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States
The Walt Disney World Marathon is runDisney's flagship event, sending roughly 18,000 runners through all four Walt Disney World theme parks in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Participants start in the pre-dawn dark outside EPCOT and run through Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios with character meet-and-greets, park audio, and themed aid stations along the way. The January race weekend is a destination event for runners who want a marathon wrapped in Disney spectacle.
Walt Disney World Marathon is a certified 42.195 km (26.2 mile) marathon — the standard World Athletics marathon distance.
The next Walt Disney World Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, 3 January 2027 with a 5:00 am start. The certified course covers 42.195 km (26.2 miles) with 100 m of climbing on a mostly flat with gentle undulations layout.
The Walt Disney World Marathon is a loop starting and finishing at EPCOT, visiting Magic Kingdom before dawn, then Disney's Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios before returning through EPCOT's World Showcase. The course is mostly flat with only minor rolling sections between parks, making the longer resort-road connectors the tougher stretches more by exposure than by climbing. Spectators line the park entrances and the EPCOT finish, with character appearances adding to the race-day support.
The Walt Disney World Marathon course is mostly flat with gentle undulations over 42.195 km (26.2 miles). Runners cover 100 metres of climbing and 95 metres of descent, with a net climb of 5 metres from start to finish.
For the Walt Disney World Marathon, the full marathon passes through EPCOT (start and finish), Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Runners enter each park on closed course routes with character appearances and themed entertainment.
Race-day footage from the course to help you picture the route, crowds, and key landmarks on marathon day.
Last updated 18 July 2026. Edition dates and course details are reviewed regularly.
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