While runDisney fans are gearing up for the Princess Half Marathon runs this coming weekend (see ya'll at water stop #6 for the half!), it's definitely not too soon to start thinking about wardrobe plans for the following runDisney race weekend! Springtime Surprise is coming up in mid-April!

In their Zazzle shop, Disney offers a huge selection of officially licensed apparel and other gear. This is a great place to find officially licensed items themed to the race weekend events.

Apparel from Zazzle is easily customizable, so you can make a unique piece by adding your own text or images. I previously shared how to use Zazzle's tools to customize race t-shirts here:

Design Your Own Officially Licensed Disney Race Shirt

Zazzle also offers athletic-style leggings and all-over-print tank tops in costume style, making for easy and officially licensed costume choices for races. 

The leggings are all made of a comfortable and slightly compressing polyester-spandex blend. Note that these do not have pockets of any kind, so you'll have to carry any necessary nutrition and/or gear in a waist pack, armband, or other method.

The all-over print tank tops are made of a poly-spandex blend, while the flowy tank styles are made of a poly/cotton or poly/viscose blend, and the Sport-Tek shirts are 100% moisture-wicking polyester.

I'm highlighting these for the upcoming Springtime Surprise Race Weekend coming up April 13-16, 2023, but these would be great for other races where running in costume is part of the fun.

Note that the all-over print garments are made using a cut-and-sew process, which means that the design elements on the different pieces of fabric might not line up exactly, which especially depends on the size of garment you're purchasing. This is normal and shouldn't be too noticeable while wearing.

Here are the themes, all Disney/Pixar-related, for the three races taking place April 13-16, 2023

Cars for the 5K

Monsters for the 10K

Toy Story for the 10-Miler

Finding Nemo & Dory for the Challenge

Cars for the 5K

Zazzle has some fun graphics inspired by characters and themes from Cars. You can use Zazzle's tools to transfer designs to different products. I'm sharing some examples below that would be fun to wear on race day.

Lightning McQueen Stylized #95 Race Number Sport-Tek Shirt

This bold design is simply Lightning McQueen's race number, 95, filled in bold yellow and red with the character's face making up the red portion. This bold simple design on a sporty moisture-wicking shirt is perfect for channeling the 5K theme on race day!

Cruz Ramirez Faster Than Fast Logo Tank Top

Channel the race spirit of Cruz Ramirez, yellow trainer character from the Rust-eze Racing Center. This fun distressed logo style design is captioned "Faster Than Fast", a perfect race day mantra!

Smokey's Garage Cars 3 Sport-Tek Competitor T-Shirt

The iconic character Smokey appears in Cars 3. He's inspired by the real life legendary mechanic Henry "Smokey" Yunick. Wear a sport moisture-wicking shirt with this fun logo style design for your Cars race.

Piston Cup Champion White Marble Flowy Tank Top

Race in fun Cars style with this great racerback tank top with a vintage style design. Piston Cup Champion is a logo-style image that's been intentionally distressed for a vintage style.

I participated in the Pump House Run in Lake Apopka, Florida this year. This was the second running of this race. The event also includes the signature 8-mile race that takes runners to the pump house and back from the start/finish at Magnolia Park.

I ran the Pump House 5K in 2020 and it immediately became one of my favorite races of all time. It might not have happened in 2021 due to the pandemic, and I think construction at Magnolia Park may have prevented the race from happening in 2022. I was very glad to see it return. I signed up for the 8-miler but about 3 weeks before the race, I decided to drop back to the 5K again as I'm still not where I want to be in my fitness. I was very happy that the RD obliged my request with no issues.

Training & Goals
My knees continue to be a big problem, but so far this year I've been getting out on easy runs pretty consistently 3 times a week and it's going okay. Just okay. My current interval of choice is 60/45 and I planned to start with a short walking warmup and then try to keep up my intervals for the entire run. I hoped to finish under 45 minutes.

Race Day: February 18, 2023
I left home around 6:30AM to get to Magnolia Park in time to get my packet before the 7:40AM start time for the 5K. There was plenty of parking, though the later one arrived, the further away one had to park in the extremely long parking lot across the street from the start/finish area.

The 8-milers went off at 7:30AM and then, 10 minutes later, it was time for the 5K runners to start. It was an extremely pleasant 54°F at the start with bright sunny skies, about 64% humidity, and a bit of a breeze. It was very similar to the conditions for the 2020 race -- really nice running weather.

Mile 1: 13:53
The first ~1/3 mile was on the multi-use paved trail along S. Binion Road, taking us from Magnolia Park to Lake Apopka wildlife area. Once we turned into the natural area, the run was on hard packed gravel trail, and we were suddenly surrounded by the wetlands and bird sounds of the Lake Apopka wildlife area. About 1/3 mile later we turned again, now running alongside Lake Apopka to the southwest.

I kept comparing my pace to the 2020 event, and I was thinking about how much slower I was moving now than the previous race. I was getting in my head and feeling kind of down.

Mile 2: 13:10
The trail continued to run along the Lake Apopka shore. This was an out-and-back so we had the same beautiful scenery after the turnaround, though now we were running into the sun.

I was looking down a lot, and kept trying to remember to look up and enjoy the beautiful course. As long as I looked to the side, the peaceful landscape was a good distraction. That sun was brutal, though!

I had started almost dead last (a runner with a stroller came into the narrow chute behind me and it wasn't possible to let her pass without being awkward) so after the turnaround I saw all of the people I had passed. It wasn't a huge amount, but it was still a little pick-me-up to think about.

This was a cupless race, so the water stop at the turnaround had several jugs of water available. I brought my own handheld and didn't need to refill. The volunteer or staff members manning the water stop were really encouraging, which was appreciated.

Mile 3+: 13:32, 1:30
I was feeling pretty good in this mile. It seems to take me longer to warm up these days; it wasn't really something I paid any attention to when I first started running, or the first few years. I'm starting to understand the idea that the first mile (or so) is a liar. In the last quarter mile or so the first 8-milers passed me, and it was cool to see those fast runners heading back to the finish line.

After the Race
Runner refreshments included hot dogs, water, energy drinks, granola bars, bananas, chips, and cookies. Just like last time, I thought it was a very good spread for the relatively small field of runners (104 5K finishers and 117 8-milers; in 2020 there were 69 in the 5K and 133 in the 8-miler).

While I was having some post-race cookies, I checked the race results and was amused and delighted to see that I came in 3rd place for my age group. The awards weren't given out until around 9AM so I had to wait before heading over to the wildlife drive for some post-race birding. I know I came in 3rd place because my AG wasn't competitive for this run, but it was still a nice pick-me-up to get to stand on the podium for a moment. I've earned a couple of awards at small races but I think this was the first time I ever actually stood on a podium like this.

After I received my plaque, I headed back to the car, changed my clothes in a park restroom, and drove over to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive to do some birding. I took a photo of my award with the pump house in the background.

Recommendation
This was a well-organized event from local race company Sommer Sports. It was another small field of runners (just a bit more than last time) but we were well taken care of. Pre-race information is clear and complete, there is ample easy parking, good swag, and the route is gorgeous. I hope to run all the way to the Pump House some day. Highly recommended. 

Chip time: 41:58 (about 3 and a half minutes slower than 2020)
Placement details: 3/6 in Age Group, 62nd overall out of 104 finishers
Race Amenities: Cotton unisex t-shirts and finisher medals for everyone, free race photos, very nice spread of treats
Cost: $47.93 (downgraded from initially signing up for 8-miler)

Branded photos & finish line video (c) Sommer Sports

For over a decade, the MeStrong 5K in Deland, Florida, has been a popular small town race put on by a local cancer charity and fund-raising group. Last year's "Victory Lap" was intended by the original organizers to be the final event. By popular demand, the event was resurrected by sponsor Florda Cancer Specialists & Research Institute with logistics organized by a group of four Rotary clubs in West Volusia County.

The popular race goes through the streets of and around downtown Deland. The 3.1 mile course is lined with spectators, cheer zones, volunteers, and refreshment stations, including at least two mimosa stands. Local businesses and student organizations from Stetson University cheer the runners, along with live bands and other groups. In the past I have participated in the 2019 MeStrong 5K and the 2022 MeStrong 5K (as well as the 2021 virtual event).

Training & Goals
Arthur and I planned to walk this one together without any goal for time.

Race Day: February 4, 2023
We had picked up our packets the day before so all we had to do race morning was find a parking spot, which was easy when we arrived at the courthouse at around 7:15AM. We sat in the car for a while, watching the lot fill up. 

I hopped in for the group photo with my run club, and then Arthur and I watched the opening speeches close to the stage before making our way to the middle of the start area. I thought we should have moved farther back because we were walking, but from the middle of the pack we were among other walkers so it was fine. 

It took us a good 6 minutes to cross the start line, and I think I heard later that it took 18 minutes for the entire crowd of participants to officially start. It was about 52°F with partly cloudy skies and 82% humidity when we started.

Mile 1: 16:40

Mile 2: 15:59

Mile 3+: 15:03, 2:36

After the Race
MeStrong takes over downtown Deland with sponsor booths and food and drink vendors. A lot of shops and restaurants opened early for the runners. The after party is pretty legendary! Arthur and I looked at the booths and picked up some snacks and swag before heading out.

Recommendation
4000+ MeStrong participants are happy this extremely popular race will continue to raise money for local cancer patients. Excellent race organization. Fun on-course entertainment and great after party. Always recommended.

Chip time: 50:11
Placement details: I came in 81/243 in age group; 1725 out of 4112 finishers. Arthur finished 65/108 in his age group and one spot ahead of me at 1724th overall.
Race Amenities: Nice cotton race shirt, swag bag, fun course with lots of support
Cost: $77.06 for two bibs

MeStrong branded photos (c) Almost There Photography

I published a similar post last year for the 2022 Princess race weekend. Since some of the featured princesses have changed for 2023, I'm sharing more officially licensed leggings and tops for this new group of characters. 

Remember that you can customize the shirts here to make them unique for your race; here's how: Design Your Own Officially Licensed Disney Race Shirt.

This post features several different apparel styles. 

The all-over print racerback tanks are made of a soft ring-spun polyester/spandex blend. The flowy tank styles are made of a poly/cotton or poly/viscose blend.

The all-over print leggings are made using a comfortable, breathable polyester/spandex blend, and do not include pockets. 

Both the leggings and the all-over print tanks are made using a cut-and-sew process; the design elements on the different pieces of fabric might not line up exactly. This is normal and shouldn't be too noticeable while wearing. 

The leggings and tanks are great for racing but also comfortable for post-race park hopping.

Here are Zazzle's officially licensed Disney offerings featuring the race mascot princesses:

Jasmine for the 5K
Belle for the 10K
Moana for the Half Marathon
Cinderella for the Challenge

Jasmine for the 5K: Officially Licensed Leggings for Princess Race Weekend

Princess Jasmine with Tiger Rajah Colorful Leggings

Found on Zazzle

Wear these fun leggings, named "Besties Rule", featuring Princess Jasmine with her feline bestie Rajah. From the front, these appear to have purple across one leg and Jasmine's turquoise or light blue as the dominant color on the other leg. See Rajah from the side, and find a purple and tiger orange dominant color scheme on the back.

Princess Jasmine Dream Big Magic Carpet Leggings

Found on Zazzle

These dynamic leggings, with a design called "Dream Big", featured Princess Jasmine riding on Magic Carpet through a starry, partly cloudy sky. She wears her iconic turquoise outfit as the moon looms large in the background.

Belle for the 10K: Leggings and Tank Top Ideas for Princess Race Weekend

Princess Belle Motivational Slogans Leggings

Found on Zazzle

These fun leggings feature a large image of Princess Belle, along with a bunch of inspirational and motivational words in different fonts, including smart rules, true of heart, inspirational, and caring is enchanting. The graffiti style design also includes icons of roses and flowers, teapots, tiaras, and more.

Moana for the Half Marathon: Legging Options and Matching Tank Top Outfit Ideas for Princess Race Weekend

Whether you're dressing up in a Moana-themed outfit for the half marathon, or looking to channel the character while park hopping later in the day, there are a lot of options featuring Disney's Polynesian Princess.

Officially Licensed Moana Leggings

Moana | Sail By The Stars - Pattern Leggings – Meet Maui from Disney's animated adventure, Moana. He's half god, half mortal, all awesome! Here we see the South Pacific demigod pulling back the sun in... View on Zazzle
Moana | Land And Sea Are One - Pattern Leggings – Let's get tropical! Amazing colorful patterns from Disney with a Moana inspired mosaic of the ocean islands of the pacific. The ocean princess's boat making waves... View on Zazzle
Moana | Maui - Shape Shifter Pattern Leggings – Meet Maui from Disney's animated adventure, Moana. He's half god, half mortal, all awesome! Here we see the South Pacific demigod pulling back the sun in... View on Zazzle

Cinderella for the Challenge: Leggings and Tank Top Ideas for Princess Race Weekend

Princess Cinderella "Express Yourself" Jumbo Character Leggings

Found on Zazzle

Cinderella poses with a sassy look on her face. She holds a glass slipper in one hand as she wears her ball gown with iconic choker necklace and hair in a high, loose bun. The princess is featured large and bold along one leg; the rest of the leggings have a subtle blue pattern with text that reads "Make Your Own Magic".

If you decide to use one of these kits or costume pieces for your race, check if Zazzle has any coupons or promotions to apply. If you're not in a hurry, wait until a great sale before making your purchase.

This post originally appeared on the blog on January 7, 2022. Since then I've run in this costume, during the 2022 Princess Half Marathon, and made a few more pieces available in my Etsy shop. I figured now would be a good time to update this post and feature it again for the upcoming Princess race weekend.

I love a good mashup costume! After runDisney discontinued the Star Wars themed races (Dark Side forever!), I thought I would continue to run races at Disney, but I'd try to incorporate Star Wars into my costumes as much as possible.

I was thinking about Star Wars / Princess mashups for the 2022 Princess Half Marathon weekend, and figured that combining two strong characters portrayed by the amazing actress Ming-Na Wen would be perfect! So here is a fun costume that mashes up her Fennec Shand from the Star Wars universe with Mulan, a character she voiced in the original animated feature.

Princess Fennec Shand Mulan Mashup All-Over Print Costume Casual Leggings – Embody the strength of two popular Ming-Na Wen characters with our Princess Fennec Shand Mulan mashup running costume leggings. The design uses the patterns and shapes... View on Etsy
Princess Fennec Shand All-Over Print Costume Skater Skirt – Embody the strength of two popular Ming-Na Wen characters with this costume design that mashes up a Mulan color scheme with the style of Fennec Shand! The... View on Etsy
Princess Fennec Shand Mulan Mashup All-Over Print Costume T-Shirt Dress – Embody the strength of two popular Ming-Na Wen characters with this fun t-shirt dress design that mashes up Mulan with Fennec Shand! The design uses the... View on Etsy

If you're looking for something to wear on 5K race day during the 2023 Princess Half Marathon Weekend, consider a traditional costume from Amazon, and have a look through Amazon Warehouse for some hard-to-beat deals!

Designed to be worn on Halloween or for other cosplay-type events, traditional store-bought costumes won't typically be made of moisture-wicking performance material. For that reason I would only recommend these for a 5K race, or maybe a 10K if you're not prone to sweating a lot and chafing. Cheap Halloween costumes can also be combined with tech running gear to make them more athlete-friendly.

I found all of these costumes searching through Amazon Warehouse (select Amazon Warehouse at the front of the Amazon search bar on desktops). Since these items are typically customer returns, they might be missing the original packaging or have the labels removed, which is why they are discounted. Style and size options will also be limited -- you'll have to work a bit for these discounts! You should check each item before purchase to be sure, but typically Amazon Warehouse items have the same generous return policy of new items purchased from Amazon.

The items featured below are just a few of the options I found today, with example actual price compared to the cost for the item when purchased new. Remember that Amazon prices change frequently so you might not find the same items or price points when you do a similar search.

Pretty Provincial Belle Blue & White Dress

Found on Amazon

This easy costume dress styled after Belle's village dress is available from Amazon Warehouse in Large, XL, and XXL. The large dress is normally $37.99 but available discounted at $25.57. Belle is the featured character for the 10K this year.

Moana Adult Costume with Crop Top, Skirts, Accessories

Found on Amazon

Dress up like adventurous heroine Moana with this fun costume. Adult size XL is available at a discount, priced at just $9.04 instead of the full retail $33.98. This outfit in particular might work well worn over tech clothes -- I could see this working for the Moana-themed half marathon with the right gear.

Little Mermaid Style Costume Party Gown

Found on Amazon

This fun gown styled after Ariel's party dress from The Little Mermaid is available in LARGE for $31.65, discounted from the retail $45.69 new.

Mulan Matchmaker Costume Dress

Found on Amazon

This costume dress styled after Mulan's look during her matchmaker scene is available in size small for $34.39 from Amazon Warehouse, discounted for the retail $49.99 new.

Beautiful Merida Velvet Archer's Gown

Found on Amazon

This pretty velvet gown is available from Amazon Warehouse in size 3X-4X at a great discount: pay just $27.93 compared to the $64.99 retail price.

More Princess Costumes from Amazon Warehouse

Lilycos Luisa Costume Adult Luisa Madrigal Dress Princess Skirt Shirt for Women Full Set with Wristbands for Halloween (3X-Large, White, Blue) – Luisa Costume Adult Luisa Madrigal Dress Princess Skirt Shirt for Women Full Set with Wristbands for Halloween.; Fabric: high quality Polyester and Uniform Cloth. Comfortable to... View on Amazon
Lkxfz Womens Super Brothers Princess Peach Costume Halloween Party Dress Women L – Package: One peach princess dress + Gold crown headband + A pair of gloves.; Design: Long satin gown, pendant adorning the bodice of the dress, tulle... View on Amazon
Womens Dolores Costume Adult Tops Skirt Full Set with Headband Princess Dress for Halloween Outfits (X-Small, Full Set) – Womens Dolores Costume Adult Tops Skirt Full Set with Headband Princess Dress for Halloween Outfits.; Material: Uniform cloth and Cotton.; Package Included: Shirt,skirt, headband and choker.;... View on Amazon

Try specific searches in Amazon Warehouse for more costume inspiration, like these:

The eighth annual Shark Bite Half Marathon and 5K weekend took place on January 14 and 15, 2023. It was my third time participating; I ran the Shark Bite 5K in 2019 and the 5K Challenge in 2020. I also participated in 2021 when Shark Bite went virtual. This fun and popular event happens in the shark bite capital of the world: New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The event consists of a the Feeding Frenzy 5K on Saturday evening, and the Shark Bite Half Marathon and 5K on Sunday morning.  

Training & Goals
My knees continue to be a big problem, with pain hindering any progress I try to make in getting back into running. Regular steroid shots lose their effectiveness before I'm eligible to get a new one and they take longer to provide any relief. So it's not great. But I keep trying. I hadn't run at all since last week's WDW 5K

When reading through my personal recap of the events in 2020, I saw that I ran short 45:30 intervals. For this year's events, I decided to run 45:45 for the Feeding Frenzy Saturday evening, and mostly walk the Shark Bite 5K on Sunday.

Feeding Frenzy 5K

Race Day: January 14, 2023
I left home around 3PM and found a spot to park just off of Flagler Avenue. Packet pickup was smooth and I had plenty of time to drop off my stuff back at the car and use a portapotty before the race began. It was a pleasant 52°F with 43% humidity and clear skies when I started running at 5:03PM. 

Mile 1: 13:47
This event had a new course which was a simple out-and-back down Flagler Avenue and Riverside Drive along the Indian River. 

I know this is a very slow pace but I was surprised I could move this fast, considering my lack of workouts of late. I felt pretty good.

Mile 2: 13:29
I liked this course. Running along the river and looking at all of the nice homes and watching for birds distracted me. I was able to run all of my intervals pretty consistently.

Mile 3+: 13:45, 1:43
For these fun shark-themed races, it's always a lot of fun to see all the folks running in shark-themed gear. Someone running in a full Hammerhead Shark costume had me laughing.

After the Race
This evening event wrapped up shortly after the race was complete, and I headed out, though I know many participants stayed to enjoy the bars and restaurants in downtown New Smyrna Beach. 

Chip time: 42:41
Placement details: 32 out of 51 in my age group; 369th out of 516 finishers

Shark Bite 5K

Race Day: January 15, 2023
I left home at 5:53AM. I knew it would be tough to find parking so I wanted to arrive early. I found a spot off of Flagler Avenue about a half mile from the start. I stayed in the car to keep warm before heading out at around 7AM. I said hi to some club mates, posed for the group photo, and watched the half marathoners start at 7:30AM.

For this race it was my turn to wear a funny outfit -- a hooded shark dress I bought from Ali Express a few months ago. It was cold so I layered this over three long sleeve shirts and full length leggings. A hat and shark-pattern buff helped keep me warm.

It was a chilly 36°F with 87% humidity and sunny skies when my race started at 7:43AM.

Mile 1: 15:19
My plan was to walk this mile. I jogged a little bit here and there when the course was congested and I wansn't able to walk my desired pace.

Mile 2: 14:37
I did a slow 45:45 run:walk for most of this mile. The water stop was towards the end of the mile and I started walking when I got a cup so I didn't quite run the whole second mile. 

Mile 3+: 15:48, 2:21
I walked this mile, too. It was fun to wear this ridiculous outfit. I got some compliments and made others laugh. Good times.

After Party
The after party for Shark Bite is consistently pretty awesome. There's lots of treats for the runners, free beer, vendors with swag. Unfortunately there was no mechanical shark this year. I didn't linger -- it was cold! 

Chip time: 48:01
Placement details: 33 out of 44 in my age group; 463rd out of 612 finishers. 

Recommendation
Great swag and a smooth operation. You can't ask for more. Highly recommended.

Race Amenities for 5K Challenge: Runners got a nice soft cotton unisex shirt for each race, a big finisher medal for both races, plus a large challenge medal. I got last year's pint glass after the Feeding Frenzy and a new pint glass on Sunday morning. There is a finisher hat for top 10% half marathon runners, plus free race photos. Great support and after party with free beer and treats.

Cost: $85.14 for the two 5K challenge

Branded photos (c) Almost There Photography

Note: This post was originally published on 1/10/18. It has been updated with currently-available Amazon products along with a few new selections.

Are you looking for a non-traditional tiara to wear during Disney's Princess Half Marathon race weekend next month? Wearing a tiara or crown-style hat is a fun way to get into the royal princess theme of race weekend and can be worn with a regular race kit or added to your full princess running outfit. Check out these princess-ready caps, visors, and beanies.

Bright & Bold Rhinestone Tiara Baseball Cap

Found on Amazon

This is a rhinestone studded sparkling adjustable baseball hat with a bling tiara pattern and extra baubles on the bill. I purchased a hat similar to this one in red to wear with my Gaston-inspired look for the Princess 5K in 2017. This hat style is also available in black and denim blue.

Warm Embroidered Tiara Beanie Hat

Found on Amazon

Be ready to stay warm in case race day is cold with this hot pink beanie. The hat has an embroidered heart-shaped tiara sewn onto the front. Get in Magenta as shown or in black or white with the same embroidery.

Denim Grunge-Style Rhinestone Tiara Cap

Found on Amazon

This adjustable rhinestone tiara baseball cap comes in several shades of denim, as well as pink, fuchsia, red, and white. The style is similar to the white hat above but this one has wear to the bill for a vintage look, as well as extra bling on the bill. Note that this has a longer shipping time than most Amazon products.

Pink Princess Cowgirl / Cowboy Hat

Found on Amazon

This fun hat in the shape of a cowboy style has a big shiny tiara at the front of the high crown. The wide brim is also decked out in bling, with shiny sequins all around.

Moisture Wicking Tiara Running Visor

Found on Amazon

This visor was made for running princesses. It's made of polyester fabric that wicks moisture away from your head and is ultra light for comfort. The design is a printed heart-shaped tiara with printed bling sparkles. The hat is reversible with a blue tiara on one side and gold on the other. This tech hat from Gone For A Run is ideal for longer runs.

Pink Princess Rhinestone Bling Baseball Cap

Found on Amazon

This pink baseball cap has a small tiara in rhinestones, but the main design element here is the word PRINCESS in shiny rhinestones across the front. More rhinestones border the bill. This bold hat design is available in pink as shown or dark denim.

Tiara Warm Beanie Hat with Pom

Found on Amazon

This cute hat will keep you warm in case race weekend ends up being chilly. The price is right for a "just in case" purchase, too, but keep in mind that this also ships from overseas and can take several weeks to arrive. This hat has a woven tiara pattern on the front with gem details sewn on. Available in black or pink.

Pink Rhinestone Crown Dark Denim Bling Cap

Found on Amazon

This distressed dark denim baseball cap has a bold tiara crown in pink rhinestones on the front, outlined in white stones with the crown's points embellished by pearl beads.

While I'm back to participating in in-person events, I've still got some virtual runs on my calendar. 

These virtual runs and walks are often completed alone, in my neighborhood or on local trails, so they unfortunately aren't particularly memorable. They may also be completed in conjunction with another race, or during a group run. It doesn't make sense to write up individual reports, but I still want to make some note them, especially to shout out the charities involved. Here are my brief recaps from virtual events completed in the second half of 2022.

2021 Tunnel to Towers 5K

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation exists to honor firefighter Stephen Siller who died on September 11, 2001, in the line of duty. The foundation raises funds to help first responders, and part of their fundraising efforts includes organizing 5K events all over the country. The local Orlando event that I signed up for was scheduled to take place on September 12, 2020. Eventually the race was postponed, with registrants able to re-register for the 2021 event at no charge. I selected virtual as I was to be out of town on race day (September 11, 2021). I was only able to pick up my packet from my sweet friend (who held it for me for over three months!) at the end of December, and finally crossed the event off of my calendar on July 4, 2022.

  • Completed: July 4, 2022 on the Spring-to-Spring Trail as part of a WVR holiday meetup
  • Charity: Tunnel to Towers Foundation
  • Cost: $17.50
  • Swag: Tech t-shirt & mini beer mug on lanyard
  • Time: 49:10

Bimbo Virtual Global Race 5K

The worldwide Bimbo Global Race event went virtual for the third year in a row (formerly known as the Global Energy Race). I wonder if it will ever be an in-person event again? The charity run boasted unique swag for a free entry. I have participated in the Global Energy Race 3 times in person, and virtually in 2020 and 2021.

  • Completed: September 24, 2022 in conjunction with a local race: Be Healthy 5K
  • Charity: Feeding America
  • Cost: FREE
  • Swag: Global Energy 2022 tote bag, cooling towel, and finisher medal (submitted date-based results required)
  • Time: 43:49

United with the Blue 5K

This inaugural race was put on by one of my WVR club mates to honor law enforcement fallen officers and raise funds for two related charities. The in-person race took place in Lake Mary, Florida, on November 6, 2022. I switched to the virtual option when I was surprised to get a volunteer shift for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon after previously being wait-listed.

  • Completed: November 2, 2022 on the Spring-to-Spring Trail
  • Charities: Law Enforcement United and Team Blueline
  • Cost: $25.74
  • Swag: Race shirt and finisher medal for all
  • Time: 49:28

Florida Breast Cancer Foundation Race 2 Cure 5K and Tribute Walk

This race that raises funds for cancer research was scheduled to take place in Sanford, Florida on October 2, 2022. Due to Hurricane Ian, the race was postponed to October 22, 2022 and move to Oviedo. I switched to virtual due to a conflict.

  • Completed: November 4, 2022 on the Spring-to-Spring Trail
  • Charity: Florida Breast Cancer Foundation
  • Cost: $25.74
  • Swag: Race shirt and finisher medal for all
  • Time: 49:10

10th Annual Holiday Stress Buster 5K

I was on a cruise ship when this annual Christmas Eve race took place in Lake Helen, Florida. I completed the run on the ship on December 24, 2022. I've participated in the Stress Buster 4 other times.

  • Completed: December 24, 2022 on the Norwegian Dawn
  • Beneficiary: City of Lake Helen's Parks & Playgrounds
  • Cost: $22.17
  • Swag: Race shirt and finisher medal for all
  • Time: 47:04

Addendum 1/20/23: I gave this shirt away (Goodwill) in January 2023

Addendum 1/20/23: I gave this shirt away (Goodwill) in January 2023