Goofy, Fitz, Tania and Pluto
Disney makes everything fun. Yes, even running. This past Saturday night, I and 3,000 other fitness fiends competed in Disney’s Expedition Everest Challenge which was comprised of a 5K race which included several obstacle courses followed by a wonderful scavenger hunt to find the Yeti. Yep, we were looking for a Yeti. Really … I was just looking for the opportunity to grab my medal and proceed to the fabulous after-party, but I was happy to pretend I was on a hot hunt for Big Foot. I’d like to start by telling you what a blast this event was and how much I want YOU to consider taking part next year. It was truly an event for folks of all ages, sizes and fitness levels and comes with an atmosphere which includes zero negatives.
If you’re a fan of the show “The Amazing Race”, you’ll enjoy that this event was designed for partners and really relies on camaraderie. Folks are allowed to race alone, but teams are encouraged: co-ed, female, male and Mother/daughter teams were designated categories for competition. My race partner, Tania, who had never done a race before had such a great time she complained that “after this race she’d be spoiled. After running in the dark, with a cool breeze on a fun path through a Disney park loaded with music and fireworks … everything else is gonna stink!” This may be true. It also may be just the motivation and encouragement newbies need to give more races a try.
The event began with a kids challenge. Hundreds of cuties took off in waves to run about 100 yards and then attack another 100 yards of little obstacles. Nothing is more exciting than watching kids go hard, have fun and exude pride upon completion of a feat in fitness. Their medals were great and each child wore their’s with enormous pride. Immediately following was the grand kickoff for the main event. 3,000 racers (mostly in teams) lined up in waves to dance and sing until the countdown for their wave began and fireworks launched in to the air. Yep, every wave got their very own firework-loaded launch. Hooray!
The course led us through the parking lot, in to Animal Kingdom, behind Animal Kingdom and back through it again. The path was lined with Disney cast members and Disney characters cheering us on the whole way. Following the race was a full-blown scavenger hunt comprised of five clue cards which took us to various points throughout the park. The medals provided were beautiful, a golden compass, and the after-party was a blast. In fact, directly after crossing the finish line, Tania and I jumped on the Expedition Everest roller coaster. Such a cool reward. This video will show you a bit of it all; I was running while shooting much of it so please forgive! I hope to see you there next year!
Disney hosts a wide vareity of races throughtout the year and you’d be wise to consider registering for one. See what’s available here.
Glad you had such a great time!