Their RunDisney goals met, co-workers bask in afterglow of Disney’s Princess Half Marathon
We did it! Communications colleague, Kristen Hudak, and I reached our goal this past weekend.
Crossing the finish line with thousands of women (and a few men) at Disney’s Princess Half Marathon was a huge accomplishment. The energy and passion during the race was unreal. There were characters like Prince Charming, Jack Sparrow, Tatiana and GI Joe cheering us on; serenading trumpeters at the halfway point through Cinderella’s castle; thousands upon thousands of women of all shapes and sizes dressed up like their favorite princesses and who would have guessed it, but a live gospel choir singing its lungs out, right before the finish line.
[box color=blue size=small align=right]24,000 – number of total runners
80 – age of the oldest registrant
14 – age of the youngest
93% – of the runners are women
29 – countries represented (led by Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom)
Favorite RunDisney quote: “Live like a beauty, run like a beast”[/box]
Kristen and I dressed up with a little bit of sparkle (for me, a small tiara for my daughters Alex and Lia; Kristen with a glittery headband), but our main focus was finishing the race before the balloon ladies swept us up.
The most inspiring part for me was watching the emotion of people crossing the finish line – moms and daughters holding hands with huge smiles on their faces or old friends who burst into tears at their accomplishment.
Kristen said, “I was most inspired turning the corner into Main Street U.S.A when you can see Cinderella’s Castle straight ahead and thousands of spectators cheering you on along the street. It was magical and emotional. I am just so happy we were able to finish.”
Although achieving our goal was incredible, the greatest part of the Princess Half was the journey. The journey of doing it with someone in the office and getting to know her better. The journey of inspiring a sister and a friend to share the experience. The journey of knowing you have family and friends helping you, running with you, encouraging you along the way. The journey of setting a goal and doing it.
Thank you RunDisney and Disney Sports for hosting an unbelievable Princess Half Marathon. Thank you Aubrey Hang, Faith, Nick and Mary for everything. Thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who helped us on race day.
Kristen Hudak contributed to this post
