My First runDisney Princess 5K Race!

Magically Manda
Mar 3, 2020
6 min read

Updated: Apr 14, 2020

“I am not a runner……I am not a runner….. WHY AM I DOING THIS?! It’s only a 5K, it won’t be THAT bad right? UGH WHY am I doing this?! I have to be on a bus by 3AM??? Oh my gosh….What have I gotten myself into? It'll be OK..... I am over thinking this....”

These were the thoughts that were running through my head in the weeks that lead up to my very first Disney race. I was full of excitement, joy, and yet fear. I have been cross fitting for over a year but fell very ill in November and I just felt unprepared. The race was fast approaching and I started walking on my treadmill at home. “I can do this!” I would talk to myself as I walked and walked on the treadmill. My mom was such a source of encouragement in the weeks leading up the race. She would tell me that once I got there I would be so excited and pumped up that all of the adrenaline would get me through it. And I know what you may be thinking, “A 5K? That’s not even that long! Stop over thinking it!” I know I know! But the little voice inside my head was so filled with self-doubt that I kept thinking I may not be able to finish the race. I was never very athletic as a child at all. I was a theater kid! I did run track in high school, but I hardly actually ran because I never put my mind to it and tried.

Time for the expo!

WHOAH! Is all I can really say to that experience. I was so extremely overwhelmed by all of the different places we needed to go to pick up our stuff and all of the people. And of course, it was SO HOT. We were told by many cast members and other spectators at the expo that the heat was “unseasonably warm and not usually this hot and humid outside.” GREAT! I don’t remember seeing so many people in my life in ONE area. The expo was buzzing and it was energetic along with being overwhelming for a new comer. I was starting to get really excited by it all. As you walk through the different areas there are countless booths and items to purchase along with Disney characters! I am such a character person that seeing them at the expo truly made me smile. We picked up our bibs (I couldn’t believe that was MY NAME on there!) and walked around to another building to pick up my jacket that I had pre-paid for. THE LINE THOUGH. Oh my goodness what a line! But those cast members are PROS. I have never seen a line so long yet so organized and run so smoothly (YAY CAST MEMBERS YOU ROCK!) The line went quickly and soon enough I was making friends in the line and people were talking about their experiences with the Princess Run and other Disney races. Hearing so many people say how they were not runners but runDisney got them into running. “Maybe that’ll be me too? We will see Amanda…” I loved meeting and chatting with people from all walks of life getting their gear and other merchandise and seeing how excited they were and how extremely motivating they all were to me. I was feeling inspired…

The Day Of The Race!

3:00AM my alarm goes off. Truth be told, I didn’t sleep great the night before. My mind was filled with nervousness and excitement. My cousin and I turned to each other, “It’s so early” we laughed. Thankfully the night before I laid out my clothes and everything I needed for the race. I got an adorable running outfit from iGlowRunning. I was going to the race as Belle; white apron and blue bow and all! The outfit was EXTREMELY comfortable and yet adorable! I was ready! We walked over to the front of our hotel to get the bus to the race and it was filled with fellow runners all dressed up! It was incredible! I loved seeing all of the effort that people had put into their costumes; it was memorizing.

When we arrived at the Epcot parking lot for the start of the race to get into our corral, there were SO MANY PEOPLE. I thought I had seen a lot of people at the expo! Music was blaring and people were stretching and encouraging each other. We walked over to our corral and were close to the front. I stopped to take a look around and really let it all sink in…. “I am actually doing this…” I even danced and sang along to the music to get myself pumped up! We cheered and clapped as other corals were brought to the starting line.

Then it was our turn…..

We began to walk to the starting line and the energy was electric! The man with the microphone started his countdown and fireworks shot up in the sky and off we were going! I was running as much as I could and felt great! I saw people walking, jogging, and running so it made me feel at ease that it was OK to walk. We ran for about over a quarter of a mile then we stopped. Getting to see the backstage area of Epcot and seeing Spaceship Earth at night was INCREDIBLE! What an experience! Cast members cheered and clapped as we walked or jogged past. We stopped to see two characters Dopey and Sebastian were there at the race saying hi and taking photos with people who waited in line. HOW COOL! I was so excited to see Dopey solo and to see Sebastian we knew we had to stop for them. The lines went by quickly and we were both so happy to have seen them.

Getting towards the end of the race we saw more and more cast members and spectators along the sides of where we were running. I saw the mile 3 marker, I started to choke up a bit. I could not believe I did this. Cast members cheered louder and louder and I could see that finish line. “WE ARE ALMOST THERE!” I screamed to my cousin as we began to run. The cheering got quieter in my mind, all I could hear in my head was “I can go the distance” from Hercules. “I am doing this. I am proving this to myself and to every person who tried to tell me that I couldn’t….I’m DOING IT.” As I crossed that finish line I became overwhelmed with emotions. I smiled a smile as bright as the sun and cried tears of joy that I finished strong. I walked over to smiling cast members and my first medal ever was now hanging around my neck. All I could hear was a chorus “Congratulations!” to all of my fellow racers. I have a medal….. We continued to walk through all of the smiling runners, volunteers and cast members and grabbed our snacks from cast members. I chugged a bottle of water in one shot. I was thirsty, I was tired, but I felt SO accomplished. I immediately texted my mom and dad, my two favorite cheerleaders to show them my new bling. I was so happy. I am still so happy.

I am so extremely proud of myself for completing something that I ALMOST backed out on because I was in such a negative head space. I fought through those thoughts and finished my first race ever and got my first medal ever. I guess what everyone had told me was true, “You will catch the runDisney bug and want to do this again…” I have been running/jogging/walking almost every day since I got home after my trip. I cannot wait to sign up to do the Princess Race again. If signing up is something that you have been thinking about, but don’t think you can do it. Let me tell you that you CAN. You can do this! Just sign up when the registration opens and do it. If I can do this anyone can. Believe in yourself. Believe that you can do this. I cannot wait to complete my next 5K, and maybe even my first 10K next year!