runDisney’s Glass Slipper Challenge

We haven’t yet registered to race, but our hotel is booked and our flights are set.

And most importantly, costume planning is well underway.

Yessiree, Heather, Brooke and I will be decked out in full Princess gear for runDisney’s Princess Half Marathon weekend in February 2014.

As we approached registration opening day on June 11, runDisney last week finally announced Princess weekend race prices:

Race fees start at $270 for Glass Slipper runners, $160 for half-marathoners, $95 for the 10k and $60 for the 5k. Prices rise every few months until each race sells out.

But let’s be realistic. If those races follow suit to runDisney’s new Dopey Challenge and Dumbo Double Dare, some events may sell out in the first few days. Heck, Marathon weekend’s Minnie Mouse 10K sold out in hours!

Honestly, I hadn’t planned to head to Florida next February. I had already decided the Dopey Challenge was too rich for my blood, that I couldn’t swing a trip to either Disney park next winter after a coast-to-coast running journey in January.

My tune changed when I heard rumblings of the new Glass Slipper Challenge and pink coast-to-coast medal. Another bi-coastal running journey wasn’t likely, but I was suddenly thrilled I hadn’t signed up for Dopey. But I knew I could swing another journey south to visit and run with good friends.

And just what is the Glass Slipper Challenge? It’s a 10K race and a half marathon over the course to 2 days. That’s 19.3 miles of princess bliss!

Brooke, our resident shoe fan, said she knew right away she wanted to take part.

“I want to run the glass slipper challenge because the medal must be a shoe, right? And I’d never pass that up.” — Brooke

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Brooke, Meri and Vic with Cinderella and Prince Charming at the 2012 Princess half

Heather was also thrilled to learn about the Glass Slipper Challenge, since she missed out on registering for the Dumbo earlier this year. Heather said her one and only Princess half experience (in 2012) was rough, as she nursed an injury through 13.1 miles.

Her goal? To better her previous race time and push her self past her comfort zone.

20130601-143455.jpgHeather and her beau as Snow White and her Prince after Princess 2012

As for me, I am beyond thrilled to be tackling a shorter distance running challenge, mid winter, with two fantastic friends.

Brooke

I think the Glass Slipper challenge is awesome because it’s an opportunity to do one of the crazy back-to-back Disney races without a massive amount of miles. I think it’s cool that so many runners want to challenge themselves with that type of mileage over a single weekend, but I have no desire to run a Goofy or a Dopey. Not for all the bling and bragging rights in the world!

Heather

I absolutely love that runDisney is adding a 10k option and “challenge” to their race weekends. My favorite distance is the 10k so I’m thrilled for that and honestly the option to sign up for the challenge and earn a little extra bling always makes me happy. My only real concern is in the quest for the extra bling, especially in the inaugural years I wonder if some people that are not conditioned for the added miles may jump in too fast. I love the idea of Dopey but no way am I ready to tackle a full alone, so 48.6 miles would be foolish to try.

And we three princesses are well into costume-planning mode. We all plan to dress as Rapunzel for the 10K. Plans for our second costumes are still in the works, and will likely stay under wraps until the big weekend. But we do plan to don some Team Sparkle skirts!

princess4

We plan to run with Grete while in EPCOT too!

Chick Brooke has never run in costume before. Heather is an expert costume designer — she’s been everyone from Snow White to Tinkerbell!

And yes, we realize runDisney races aren’t cheap.

Heather downsized her Dumbo plans to a 10k and skipped other runs she was eying in order to make her Glass Slipper trip happen.

I passed on Dopey and will skip other outings to make the trek.

But as Heather noted, there’s just something magical about running Disney.

“I was running down Main Street USA towards the castle, the sun was coming up behind it and I honestly stopped for a minute, took a mental picture and said to myself ‘this is what it’s all about.’ That moment brought tears to my eyes.” — Heather.

Will you be running the Glass Slipper Challenge? What do you think of the new runDisney lineup? What do you sacrifice to take race-cations? Tell us in the comments below!

Post publication note: Here are more registration and Princess weekend details from my friend Heather. She’s a different Heather than pictured above, but her love of Disney and fitness are just as strong!

16 thoughts on “runDisney’s Glass Slipper Challenge

  1. This challenge seems really awesome! It sounds way hard but not quite as scary as dopey. I hope they do something like it at disneyland!

    • precisely! It’s a much smaller scale challenge than Dopey or Goofy, which are both huge training tasks to take on! I’m really excited about taking this one on!

    • Yes! they are lots of fun. Experience is great, course is fun. lots of distractions. Its a great event for a girls’ running weekend, but not necessarily the place you;d’d go to beat your best time.

  2. AAH!!! I did Princess this year and loved it. I really wanna sign up for Glass Slipper but my running partner is out for this one. And my wallet isn’t exactly thrilled with me right now… nosiree! 😉

    • My wallet is less than pleased with the workout I’ve given it with race registrations lately — between Glass Slipper and NYC Marathon! But yes, Princess is a lot of fun, I have a feeling this challenge will be a hit and back in future years 🙂

    • Congratulations! It’s a great race! I think you will love it. Disney makes it easy to tackle long distance courses with all sorts of distractions and characters along the route! It was chick Meri’s first half too!

    • As Vic said, it was my first Disney race/half marathon too! Absolutely amazing – definitely a good way to go for a first. 🙂

  3. I’m running my first Disney races and doing the Tink 1/2 weekend and Glass Slipper Challenge for the pink Coast to Coast next year! I agree that costume planning is almost as important as the running. My friend (running with me) and I have bets on what the Challenge medal will look like – I think a big Crystal Shoe medal, she thinks more a small shoe charm ala Nike Women’s race medals… Can’t wait to find out!

    • Good luck for the pink Coast to Coast! I’m sure it will be amazing! And I love that you are guessing what the GSC medal will look like! (For the record, chick Brooke and I are also convinced it will be a big crystal (not actual crystal or glass of course) shoe!

  4. Pingback: Tink, sickness and an upcoming trip | Scoot A Doot

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