The Force was strong at Star Wars Rival Run Weekend

Star Wars Rival Run Weekend brought runners from around the galaxy to Walt Disney World to run through the parks and across the finish line.

Walt Disney World hosts four different runDisney events each year, but the one that brings the galaxy together at the Orlando resort is the Star Wars Rival Run Weekend. Throughout the weekend there were three distance races and two challenges runners could participate in: a 5K, 10K, half marathon, the Rival Run Challenge, and the Kessel Run Challenge.

Many Star Wars and Disney fans decided early last year that they were going to participate in each of the races and challenges the race had to offer. As anyone who’s participated in a runDisney event can tell you, the hardest part of the races isn’t the actual race it’s getting up at 3:00 a.m., sometimes multiple times in a row over three days. Why so early? Since each of the events goes through the Disney Parks runners need to be out of the parks before it opens to regular guests.

The 5K was themed after Finn and Captain Phasma, and the race went through Epcot. A Han Solo and Boba Fett 10K took runners from the Magic Kingdom parking lot over to Epcot to run through World Showcase and Future World. Kylo Ren and Rey took over the half marathon, which took runners on a course through Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot.

If runners participated in the 10K and half marathon, they were able to receive the Star Wars Rival Run Challenge medal. Those who wanted a real test of power took on the Kessel Run Challenge by doing the Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon and the Star Wars Rival Run Half Marathon. If runners completed all of the races they had the opportunity to earn six medals in one race weekend!

One of the best things about a runDisney event is that you are surrounded by other Disney fans. With the Star Wars Rival Run fans took the theme of rivals in the Star Wars story to the next level with cosplay style costumes, character mashup costumes, and fun T-shirts to wear while running!

Not only was there endless imagination for costumes at the Star Wars Rival Run, there were a ton of Star Wars characters thanks to Disney and the 501st Legion. Runners could encounter Rey, Captain Phasma, Kylo Ren, Stormtroopers, Ewoks, Imperial Officers, and more throughout each race course and in the pre and post-race celebration area. Being able to meet some of your favorite Star Wars characters is a major perk of participating in this runDisney event.

If you love Star Wars, you might want to consider participating in the Star Wars Rival Run Weekend in 2020, or even another runDisney event. The races are not filled with elite runners like you might find at the Boston or New York Marathons. They are truly for anyone who loves Disney Parks and wants to challenge themselves with a race or two. The events are filled with other fans who are there to have fun and meet other people. You can find the full runDisney event schedule on the runDisney website.

Have you participated in a runDisney event before? Let us know what you thought of it in the comments!