Rise and Run

What if every step you took felt like a small miracle you could share? That’s the energy running through this episode as we move from Princess Weekend prep into one of the most inspiring stories we’ve ever hosted. We kick things off with training touchpoints, expo strategy, and course notes for the Run Disney Princess 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon—plus our meetup details, virtual queue tips, and the can’t-miss Main Street moment for f...

A good mantra can change a season, and ours hits different: earn it in the winter, win it in the spring. We start with a candid weather check and slide straight into the nuts and bolts of racing life—updated Wine & Dine registration flows, random queue placement, why sellout times barely budged, and how our community rallied with Zoom rooms, phone trees, and charity backups  We map out Princess Weekend long runs, Springtime Sur...

Fireworks before sunrise, yoga in the cold, and a finish line that felt like a farewell—this Disneyland race weekend had a different kind of electricity. We open with Miss Piggy’s cameo on the castle screen and roll straight into the expo’s virtual queue scramble, a quick detour through misplaced bib drama, and a check-in with Jeff and Barbara Galloway that left us optimistic and grateful. Between merch scarcity, the Dumbo hoodie f...

Confetti at the finish is only part of the story. We sit down with Walt Disney World Marathon champion Matt Hensley to trace the path from family running roots and college grind to a smart, tactical win built on adaptation, fueling, and a decisive late-race move. Matt walks us through race-week realities—working the expo, long park days, heavy legs—and explains how dew point data and small early adjustments can save a marathon when...

Start with a grin, stay for the goosebumps. We sit down with marathon winner and runDisney favorite Brittany Charbonneau for a candid, no-filter look at a race that felt hard from the gun, a costume with a story, and the moment she stepped off the fence to encourage the final finisher home. From sleepless nights with a teething baby to Florida humidity after Denver air, Brittany opens up about panic in the early miles, how she rese...

The kind of weekend that turns runners into storytellers started with lines out the door and ended with smiles wider than Main Street. We dig into the real Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend: the Dopey merch experiment that strained patience, a 5K power outage that couldn’t dim the vibe, and shoes, shirts, and sizing choices that had everyone talking. Then we lace up for the races—Epcot-forward 10K joy, half marathon strategy you c...

Start lines can carry more than nerves—they can carry whole lives. We kick off Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend with equal parts heart and how-to, celebrating Jack's wedding, sharing practical travel and cheering plans, and diving into two stories that remind us why miles matter.

Wendy opens her journey with honesty about grief’s physical weight after losing her husband; a man who once signed up for a 5K just to sup...

A fractured kneecap, a missed flight to Honolulu, and a coaching mindset stronger than ever—Jeff Galloway joins us with candid lessons on healing, pacing, and performing when it counts. We kick off the new year one week from Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, and Jeff brings the practical wisdom runners need: how to decide when it’s safe to return from injury, why walking long sessions preserves endurance, and how run-walk-run kee...

A little Christmas magic meets marathon grit. We open with holiday cheer, community thanks, and a few playful ideas—from telethons to extra-big meetup cookies—before diving into a rewind that still gives us goosebumps: the Walt Disney World Marathon story of first-time marathoner and champion, Stephanie Muscat.

Stephanie’s path started in the pool. Years of swimming turned into tentative laps on an indoor track, then into ...

The early alarms, the corrals, the castle, the finish line glow—Marathon Weekend is closer than it feels, and we’re tackling the questions you’re actually asking. We dig into the big simulation week and why it’s more about patience than pace, then talk taper calm and how to internalize race pace without burning yourself out. From there, we zoom into the choices that matter: smart carb loading at Disney (yes, fries can be part of a ...

The alarm hits at 2 a.m., the corrals open in the dark, and somehow the magic feels brighter than ever. We bring together Dopey veterans and a first‑timer to unpack the real playbook for Marathon Weekend: how to shop the expo without losing your day, when to join the virtual queue, and which transport options get you to EPCOT stress‑free. From the 5K’s calm walk to the marathon’s 4:30 a.m. start, we map water stops, fuel options, s...

In this episode, we shine a spotlight on one of the most misunderstood parts of the runDisney experience—the Dead Last Start. Often seen as a disadvantage, the DLS is actually a unique community filled with resilience, camaraderie, and surprising benefits.

We’ll break down what the Dead Last Start really is, clear up common misconceptions, and hear firsthand stories from runners who’ve embraced starting at the very back. F...

A rainy run outside Tokyo Disneyland. A Thanksgiving table full of training plans, inside jokes, and hard-won wisdom. And a milestone we never imagined hitting: 500,000 downloads. This one brings the energy, the honesty, and the practical tools you need heading into Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and the Dopey simulation.

We walk through the training calendar and get tactical about the big Dopey sim: why long-run pace ...

A game show rivalry meets runner wisdom in a rubber match that’s equal parts chaotic, helpful, and heartfelt. We pit Team Rise and Run against Team Will Run For in a custom Family Feud built from real Run Disney life: favorite expo merch, the best post‑race resort pools, the cleanest, quietest in‑park bathrooms for that urgent corral P‑stop, and the most energizing on‑course entertainment that isn’t a character. Along the way, you’...

The miles are getting long, the holidays are closing in, and motivation is wobbling—so we get honest about what actually works. We talk through the head game of marathon training: patience over pace on long runs, how to break the distance into chunks that calm your mind, and why comparing speeds on social media can derail your best week. You’ll leave with simple mental cues, smarter pacing targets, and a healthier way to handle mis...

The sunrise hits the Staten Island Ferry and everything changes. We go from small talk to big miles fast—unpacking 2026 Coast to Coast qualification, why Wine and Dine is sticking to October, and how that choice ripples into Marine Corps and New York City plans. If you’re eyeing runDisney weekends or plotting a world major, the booking and timing intel here will save you stress and money.

We dive into medal craft and cours...

Start with a sunrise 5K in costume, add a social 10K with better photo flow, then stir in a half marathon that put course design under the microscope. That’s the arc of this Wine and Dine weekend—equal parts magic, logistics, and heart. We walk you through the expo’s new rhythms , a refreshed core runDisney merch line with some questionable shirt cuts, and the small tweaks that make or break a big weekend when sleep is scarce and p...

The fastest way to upgrade a race weekend isn’t a workout—it’s a conversation. We kick off the 2025 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend with a clear plan to turn nerves into connection, mapping exactly where to find us before each start, how to spark easy chats in the corrals, and why your first bus and first hello can change the whole vibe. If you’re arriving solo, you don’t have to stay that way; we’ll make the introductions an...

The countdown to Wine & Dine is on, and the energy is real. We swap last‑week training moves, practical travel advice for 2026 bookings, and a surprisingly useful shoe debate: are Brooks’ Stitch-themed Glycerines a smarter buy than limited race-weekend drops? Then we bring in a conversation that will change how you see your run, your city, and your next trip to Disney.

Author and advocate Doug Gordon (Life After Cars) ...