Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

06 Jan 2011 to 13 Jan 2011

The 2011 Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend date has been confirmed from Thursday 6th January through to Sunday 9th January.

Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to run a marathon through the most magical setting in the world and meet all your childhood heroes on the way! And since Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is one of the very best holiday destinations on Earth, why not bring the rest of the family and have a great running holiday!

Intrerestingly from a female perspective, the Walt Disney Marathon has one of the highest female fields in the World. In 2010, over 48% of the runners were female, making it a more female friendly run.

It’s well known that the Walt Disney medals are true collectors items and n 2011, the all-new Mickey Medal won’t be the only thing Walt Disney World® Marathon participants will be running for. To reward all of the hard work, commitment and sacrifice that goes into training for a full marathon, we’ll be celebrating Marathon Monday at the Walt Disney World® Resort! All registered participants who complete the 26.2-mile Walt Disney World® Marathon on Sunday, January 9 will receive complimentary entry into a Walt Disney World® Theme Park the day after the race – Monday, January 10. In addition, there will be special opportunities for Marathon participants to be recognized in the parks all day long!

Want to follow the Walt Disney World® Marathon in three minutes? Then watch this!

There are a number of different events going on over the four days. The most popular is Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge, but there are plenty other opportunties for you to take part in or attend including:
Walt Disney World® Marathon presented by CIGNA
Walt Disney World® Half Marathon presented by CIGNA
Family Fun Run 5K
Mickey’s Marathon Kids’ Fest and Mickey Mile presented by CIGNA
Disney’s Health & Fitness Expo presented by CIGNA

The 2011 Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA features:

Disney’s Health & Fitness Expo 6th – 8th Jan 2011:
This 3 day event involves celebrity runner appearances, seminars on training, racing and nutrition, and the opportunity to experience the latest in running and fitness equipment. Located at Disney’s Wide World of Sports® Complex.

Disney’s Family Fun Run 5K on Friday 7th Jan 2011:
Adults, teens and kids will enjoy a fun-filled and exciting 5K course, starting at 7am, that winds through Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park with an unforgettable finish where you can high-five your favourite Disney characters! Children up to 11yrs can participate in kid’s races ranging from the 800m run down to the 100m dash. Even the infants can crawl in the Diaper Dash!

Half Marathon – Saturday 8th Jan 2011:
Participants will experience 13.1 miles of on course Disney music and entertainment visiting two Walt Disney World® Theme Parks along the way. Starts at 5.40am. GUARANTEED ENTRIES AVAILABLE

Full Marathon – Sunday 9th Jan 2011:
Participants will experience the most magical 26.2 miles in the world with a race that winds through all four Walt Disney World® Theme Parks. Starts at 5.40am. GUARANTEED ENTRIES AVAILABLE

Goofy Race and a Half Challenge – Sat 8th & Sun 9th Jan 2011:
Runners who are looking for the ultimate challenge can run the ½ Marathon on Saturday and the Full Marathon on Sunday. Those who finish both races within the allowed time will be rewarded with a special commemorative Goofy Challenge finisher’s medal at the finish line, as well as an exclusive Goofy Challenge participant T Shirt.AVAILABILITY VERY LIMITED

Our Travel Packages

By joining the Sports Tours International team of runners you will experience the best value Walt Disney World® Marathon packages. You will stay at one of the official Walt Disney World® resorts and you will enjoy the benefit and reassurance of a GUARANTEED RACE ENTRY. Your resort is located in the centre of the action at Walt Disney World® in Lake Buena Vista, near Orlando, Florida, with the added advantage of easy access to all of the Walt Disney World® Theme Parks and use of the FREE Disney Transportation System.

WALT DISNEY WORLD® RESORT CHOICES:

Disney’s All Star Sports Resort

Sport is the spectacle at this fun resort! Sections are themed around football, baseball, tennis, basketball and surfing. 2 swimming pools, an arcade and a playground provide a fun family recreation area. This great value resort also offers a food court, a pool bar, pizza delivery to your room, even convenient laundry facilities. Rooms comfortably accommodate up to four people in 2 large queen size beds.

Services & Amenities:
Baby sitting and child services
Limited room service
Laundry facilities/services
Non-smoking rooms
Free parking
Merchandise and souvenir shop
Disabled rooms and facilities

Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Experience luxury accommodation in a dazzling lakeside environment! As the monorail breezes quietly through the hotel lobby, you’re reminded that the Magic Kingdom Theme Park is just moments away. This Deluxe Hotel features a pool area, white sandy beach and a complete array of dining and recreational options.

Services & Amenities:
Baby sitting and child services
Room service
Concierge
Barber and Beauty Shop
Laundry facilities/services
Non-smoking rooms
Free parking
Merchandise and souvenir shop
Disabled rooms and facilities
Free Monorail to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and various Walt Disney World® Resorts

Flights – We have arranged flights from London Gatwick Airport to Orlando McCoy Airport on the following dates:
Thurs 6th Jan
Thurs 13th Jan

Please note all return flights are overnight from Orlando and land into London Gatwick on Friday morning, 14th Jan 2011. Domestic flights from other regions can be requested at a supplement if required to connect to your international flight.

Transfers – These will be by Disney’s Magical Express, direct from McCoy airport to our hotels in Walt Disney World. We can also book car hire for you on request if required.

Race Entry:
Your official Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend Tour Package includes the following:

GUARANTEED entry into your choice of race
Unlimited use of the complimentary Walt Disney World® Resort Transportation
Exclusive Commemorative Race Shirt
Official Walt Disney World® Marathon Programme
Finisher’s Certificate
Unique Collector’s Quality Medal for all participants who finish the marathon in under 7 hours and the ½ Marathon in under 3½ hours.
(Please note: Due to safety issues all participants of the Walt Disney World® Marathon and Half Marathon must be able to maintain a 16min per mile pace for the entire race. Anyone dropping below that schedule will be picked up en route and transported to the finish)

7 NIGHT TRAVEL PACKAGE RATES:

ALL STAR SPORTS RESORT:
Single…£1149 per person
Twin…..£869 per person
Triple….£779 per person (based on 3 adults sharing a room with 2 beds)
Quad….£729 per person (based on 4 adults sharing a room with 2 beds)

CONTEMPORARY RESORT:
Single…£2129 per person
Twin…..£1349 per person
Triple…£1099 per person (based on 3 adults sharing a room with 2 beds)
Quad…£969 per person (based on 4 adults sharing a room with 2 beds)

Note: if you require a different duration of holiday, then please let us know and we try to accommodate you.

Package price notes:
The above prices are per adult and DO NOT include the race entry fees which are as follows:

RACE ENTRY FEES:

• Walt Disney World® Marathon presented by CIGNA £99


• Walt Disney World® Half Marathon presented by CIGNA £99


• Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge presented by CIGNA £220


• Family Fun Run 5K £32


• Mickey’s Marathon Kids’ Fest presented by CIGNA £8


• Mickey Mile presented by CIGNA £18

Included in the price:
Return scheduled flights from London Gatwick to Orlando, inclusive of all taxes, fees and surcharges (Note: taxes and surcharges are not guaranteed until tickets are issued and are subject to change. At the point of ticketing, which is normally 3-4 weeks before travel, any increase in taxes and surcharges will be invoiced to the customer)
Your choice of Walt Disney World® accommodation on a room only basis, including all occupancy taxes.
Coach Transfers to and from your resort on our group flights.

How to Book

In order to confirm your reservation we require a deposit of £200.00 per person, plus the applicable race entry fee per runner, at the time of booking:

To book, please download our *booking form* and post, fax to + 44 (0) 161 703 8547 or email to us at running@sportstoursinternational.co.uk .

Sightseeing and Excursions

There’s so much to do in Central Florida and around the Parks and Orlando>

Theme Park Entrance:* Walt Disney World® Theme Park tickets add to the magic of your trip! We have specially priced Walt Disney World® Theme Park tickets available to our Sports Tours International customers – for more information please call our office.

There is additional information about our other Concierge Services on our special web page.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

PASSPORTS – THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

Please note: we will require a copy of your passport along with your application form.

Please – don’t leave it to the last minute. The following information is for United Kingdom passport holders only, other nationals including Eire should consult the appropriate embassy.
UK residents are allowed to enter the USA with a ten year passport, with no less than 6 months left before the expiry of the passport, if staying in the US for less than 90 days. However, the rules are constantly updated, so we advise that you check your own individual situation as the visa waiver programme is subject to strict criteria, and for example, if you have a criminal record or have previously been refused entry to the US, you may not qualify for entry under the Visa Waiver programme. Please check your status with the rules.

Passengers are no longer permitted to enter the USA with a non-machine readable passport unless their old style passport has a valid Visa stamp. The newer red passports are machine readable. CHILDREN MUST HAVE THEIR OWN PASSPORT – If in doubt please contact the passport advice line on 0300 222 0000, or Passport Office Website or if applicable the American Embassy on 0207 499 9000 or the US Embassy Website

IMMIGRATION TO THE USA

There are now very strict guidelines on entry to the USA and a new system put in place whereby you must have registered with the Department of Homeland Security at least three days before you travel. More information can be found on the Department’s Official Website

INSURANCE

For details of insurance for the our travel packages, please visit our insurance page