If you're looking for a non-traditional costume idea for an upcoming runDisney race weekend, or another superhero-themed race, I've got a few ideas for you, based on popular Marvel characters and featuring some unique apparel designs available in my Etsy shop.

Today I'm sharing some ideas for dressing up as Captain Carter; in coming days and weeks I'll highlight some other Marvel-inspired ideas. You can find my Etsy shop here:

WeRunForFun on Etsy

Note that the costume pieces I'll be highlighting from my shop, including this Captain Carter shirt, are made to order. Printing and shipment times vary but are clearly stated on the Etsy listing. These ideas I'll be sharing require some thinking ahead, and are definitely not "quick costume ideas."

Captain Carter, a variant of the WWII-era hero known to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), was featured in the popular animated series What If...?, featured on Disney+.

In this different world, where a single decision made by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Peggy Carter changes the course of her life, and her reality, a woman became a kick-ass super-soldier superhero instead of Steve Rogers (Captain America).

I've got a fun costume t-shirt of Captain Carter in the cartoon style seen in the series. It would be easy to match this colorful and bold printed costume top with other garments and elements to make a fun running costume.

Captain Carter All-Over Print Costume T-Shirt

Are you looking for something different to wear for the upcoming Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend? If you're running but don't want to dress up like one of the race theme princesses, or any princess, for that matter, how about something non-traditional, but still Disney?

Luisa Madrigal is one of the heroines in the latest animated Disney feature film, Encanto. 

The main story revolves around her sister, Mirabel, who wears a whimsical outfit with lace-look trim, flower details, and other pretty and intricate design features. We have a few Mirabel costume pieces available in our Etsy shop. I will share the pieces at the bottom of this post as well.

WeRunForFun on Etsy

Dress up as the strong Luisa, whose magic is extraordinary strength. Luisa works to balance the responsibilities of her gift with the pressures she feels from those who rely on her.

Luisa great character to channel during a runDisney race or other costumed run. Her signature song, Surface Pressure, is a great workout song with a catchy beat -- hum along during your run, or add it to your running playlist!

Luisa is also a perfect companion costume to join up with a Mirabel runner. Pick up Mirabel and Luisa running outfits for a pair of running sisters, or running besties.

Costume running is even more fun when you do it together!

Luisa Madrigal Running Costume Shirt, Skirt, and More

We offer a few different Luisa-inspired costume pieces in our shop. Luisa wears a lilac blouse with red ribbon and lace-look trim at the bottom. She also wears a dark purplish-blue skirt. In addition to a costume shirt and skirt, we have a t-shirt dress, and a pair of Luisa-inspired leggings for those who prefer that style instead of a skirt. These four items are featured below:

Luisa Madrigal Running Costume Accessory Ideas

Luisa makes for an especially easy running costume because she doesn't have a lot of accessories -- there's nothing large to carry or bulky to wear to achieve her look.

She does wear purple bands at her wrists, and a red ribbon in her hair. You can use sweatbands or a headband to approximate this look, with athletic gear, for your running costume. I would probably accessorize with a red Headsweats hat. You could also consider carrying a prop barbell, dumbbells, or even a plush donkey to showcase Luisa's strength. See ideas below.

While I continue to work through knee pain, I haven't really been able to make any running goals. Unfortunately my overall fitness has been a victim of this, but I hope to make some changes in 2022.

Anyway, in 2021 I participated in very few in-person events. I also completed just a handful of virtual events, mostly walking. 

These virtual runs (walks) are mostly completed in my neighborhood or local trail, so they unfortunately aren't particularly memorable; individual reports would be even more boring than the usual race report. I still want to note them, especially to shout out the charities involved, so here are some brief recaps from virtual events I completed in the last half or so of 2021.

Princess Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World is coming up at the end of February. Get ready for costumed running fun by dressing up as one of the featured princess characters for this return to in-person princess running. The featured characters are

The main costume garment pieces featured here are from Etsy small business sellers (including us), most offering print-on-demand shirts, tanks, skirts, and leggings. I've picked out accessories to add to the costumes to make your look more authentic and memorable.

Cinderella Scullery Maid Costume Shirt & Skirt

Scullery Maid Cinderella Costume Accessories

When wearing her maid outfit, Cinderella wears a simple white rag in her hair. She uses a broom, and a bucket with rag for cleaning. And, while getting ready for her day, she sings to helpful blue birds and mice.

Princess Tiana Lily Pad Costume T-Shirt Dress

Princess Tiana Running Costume Accessories

Complete Tiana's look with these accessories. A running style athletic headband is a great costume piece that's practical, too. Tiana wears long green gloves and a delicate green jeweled necklace with the lily pad dress. Neither of those accessories is particularly runner-friendly, so depending on your pace, your goals, and your photo op ambitions, choose the accessories that will work best for you.

Warrior Mulan (Fa Ping) Costume T-Shirt Dress

Warrior Mulan Running Costume Accessories

Complete your warrior Mulan look with these fun accessories. Make sure you're comfortable carrying props for the distance you'll be running as Fa Ping, and double check that your props comply with runDisney rules if you're running a WDW race.

You could carry a foam sword like the ones featured below, or check your local dollar store toy section for something similar. Wear your hair up, tied with a green ribbon. Carry Mushu with you for dragon power!.

Are you looking for something different to wear for the upcoming Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend? If you're running but don't want to dress up like one of the race theme princesses, or any princess, for that matter, how about something non-traditional, but still Disney?

Mirabel Madrigal is the heroine in the latest animated Disney feature film, Encanto. Dress up as this extraordinary, ordinary character who saves her family with her own special kind of magic. With costume pieces featured below, you can channel Mirabel's energy and unique look during Princess race weekend or for another costumed run.

Mirabel, born into a magical family, wears a unique outfit that is embellished with fun floral designs and child-like details.

Mirabel Madrigal Costume All-Over Print Polyester Running Costume T-Shirt

This fun cartoon film character inspired costume t-shirt for women is full of details inspired by the iconic top worn by Mirabel Madrigal in Encanto.

This is a printed costume shirt with no actual 3D elements or embellishments (in the film, Mirabel's shirt appears to have embroidery and applique as part of the design) Cartoon-style printed elements on this Encanto shirt include whimsical floral illustrations and a detailed black and white collar across the front and back of the shirt, plus matching detailing on the sleeves.

There is a size chart on the listing page for this costume shirt, as well as shipping information. The shirt is made using a lightweight 4oz 100% polyester fabric. 

This Mirabel Madrigal costume top is an all-over print t-shirt made using the cut-and-sew technique. Each shirt is custom made, once you submit your order, by our printing partner Printify. Due to the custom nature of the garment, be sure to note production and shipping times to be sure you're placing your order in time for your event.

Mirabel Madrigal Costume All-Over Print Polyester Running Costume Skirt

Replica Mirabel Madrigal Costume Sling Purse Bag

If you've got the time, this replica bag could be a perfect accessory for your Mirabel Madrigal running costume.

NOTE: The prop bag ships from China and delivery time is about 30 days!

For less than $8 including shipping (price at the time of posting), you can get your hands on this fun costume bag.

Unfortunately, there is no size information for the bag in this listing. There is an option to purchase the bag along with other costume elements. The entire package is for children, so the bag may be on the small side -- which could work out well as a running costume prop.

This was my fourth time participating in the Lake Helen Stress Buster, always on Christmas Eve. Previous reports: 2016 | 2017 | 2019.

With nearly 700 finishers, this was by far the largest Stress Buster I've attended. It was fun to see such a large and festive group, with many runners dressed in holiday gear or funny Christmas outfits.

Training & Goals
In July my persistent but manageable knee pain became acute and I went to an orthopedic doctor for help. Unfortunately, while prescribed physical therapy exercises have helped with strength deficiencies, my knee pain persists. I'll be trying different treatments to get back on track. Meanwhile, I'm mostly walking. 

Race Day: December 24, 2021
Lake Helen is close to home. I arrived with plenty of time to find a nearby parking spot and get my bib. It was about 55°F with 94% humidity and clear, sunny skies as the race began.

There were a lot of West Volusia Runners at the race. I haven't been going to meetups so I saw a lot of unfamiliar faces join in our group photo. 

Mile 1: 16:15
After a five minute warm-up walk, I decided to try running 30 seconds between 2 minute walk intervals. I met up with my friend Lauren during this mile and we stuck together with these intervals for the rest of the race.

Mile 2: 16:52
Course support is provided by local residents who cheer on the runners as we head through the cute town of Lake Helen.

Mile 3+: 16:31, 1:56*

Recommendation
This is always a nice little local holiday race. The course through Lake Helen is pretty and festive, and the event is well-managed. It's flat and fast for racers looking to PR and it's very walker friendly, too. Recommended.

Chip time: 51:10
Placement details: 32/39 in Age Group, 543 overall out of 693 finishers
Race Amenities: Cotton t-shirt, medal for all finishers, free race photos
Cost: $22.17

*I forgot to turn off my Garmin until well after crossing the finish mat.

Race branded photo and featured photo (c) Almost There Photography
Running to the finish line photo (c) Marieann Bannan

In their Zazzle shop, Disney offers a huge selection of officially licensed apparel and other gear. I previously shared how to use Zazzle's tools to customize race t-shirts, and shared some simple printed costume pieces using leggings with matching tank tops.

Marathon Weekend Costume Ideas: Officially Licensed Disney Character Leggings & Tank Tops

Design Your Own Officially Licensed Disney Race Shirt

With Princess race weekend coming up at the end of February, I thought I would highlight Zazzle's offerings featuring the race mascot princesses:

The all-over print racerback tanks are made of a soft ring-spun polyester/spandex blend. 

Note that there are two styles of leggings: full-length regular fit; and capri length with a high waist. Both are made using a comfortable, breathable polyester/spandex blend, and neither has pockets. 

Both the leggings and the 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.

Cinderella for the 5K: Leggings and Tank Top Ideas for Princess Race Weekend

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

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

Moana for Princess Race Weekend Challenge Runners: Officially Licensed Leggings & Tank Tops

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

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.

After each runDisney race, participants can pick up a bottle of water and/or sport drink, a banana, and a runDisney snack box.

What's inside the box? There was only one in-person race weekend in 2021, so the answer for this year is below.

Usually, though, the contents vary from weekend to weekend. I think if they ever got rid of the chips and cheese, there would be mass outrage. I shared what I got during a couple of 2017 race weekends here:

Typical runDisney Snack Box Contents

A few things seem to come back time after time. The rest depends on things like the race series, time of year, and participating sponsors.

runDisney's return to in-person racing took place during the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend in November 2021. It also marked the return of the runDisney snack box! Here's what I got in my post 5K-box.

• Alejandro On The Go Cheese Snack
• Shearer's Bite Size Tortilla Chips
• Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Snacks
• Azar Sunflower Kernels
• small moist towelette

Just four food items is surely more than adequate for a post 5K snack box, but more items would be nice for the longer races. In the past we'd get six items. I definitely missed having GoGoSqueez as a sponsor this year!

In their Zazzle shop, Disney offers a huge selection of officially licensed apparel and other gear. I previously shared how to use Zazzle's tools to customize race t-shirts.

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 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 tank tops are also made of a poly-spandex blend.

I'm highlighting these for the upcoming Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in January 2022, but these would be great for other races where running in costume is part of the fun.

Note that both of these garment styles 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.

Buzz Lightyear Costume Leggings and Tank Top

Dress up like old-school astronaut toy Buzz Lightyear with this easy kit. With the origin-story Lightyear movie coming out next summer, this Toy Story character is as popular as ever. Consider adding a blaster as an accessory to go with this printed kit.

Toy Story's Jessie Costume Leggings and Tank Top

Dress up like Woody's gal pal sidekick Jessie with this legging and tank top set. I dressed as Jessie for the 2017 Disneyland Half Marathon with a different kit (self-painted shirt, denim-look skirt, cow print socks). Consider adding a red hat to complete this fun costume look.

Toy Story's Sheriff Woody Costume Leggings and Tank Top

Like Jessie above, consider adding a costume hat to complete your Woody costume.

Mrs. Incredible / Elastigirl Costume Leggings and Cotton T-Shirt

Note that this costume top is an everyday cotton shirt, not a polyester or sport blend. For that reason, this outfit might be best for a 5K distance. Add a pair of long black sweatbands to your wrists to copy the superhero look -- they're cooler than gloves.

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.

Disney races are back! The successful Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend took place during the first weekend of November; a full schedule of three more race weekends is slated for the rest of the season. If you're looking to run a future Disney race, you could consider creating a custom, officially licensed t-shirt for the run.

For my first full marathon, the final race during the 2018 Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World, I decided to wear a shirt with my name boldly printed on the front. I got an obnoxious neon greenish yellow tech top with the balloons from the Pixar movie UP printed on the front and back. On the back I added the slogan 26.2 Miles of Adventure are Out There.

I purchased my shirt from Zazzle, a Print-on-Demand company that partners with artists and content creators to offer unique designs on apparel and other merchandise. The partners range from individual artists to brands like Disney.

Using Zazzle's tools with officially licensed Disney art, it's possible for anyone to make a custom shirt like the one I wore during my first marathon. In my case, I found this shirt on Zazzle and made changes to it for my race day outfit.

Here's a quick tutorial to show how to do it. Note that these instructions refer to using a desktop computer; the mobile platform instructions are similar but not recommended for making fine edits.

1. Visit Disney's Zazzle Store

2. Find Your Favorite Disney Character or Design

In this example, let's pretend we're looking for something to wear for the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend next February. For the half marathon, we can find a design featuring Mulan, the princess who appears on that race's medal. From the Disney Princess shop, we can search for Mulan and pick out our favorite design. 

I like this image of Mulan and Mushu kicking.

3. Customize the Shirt with Text & More

But I'll need that on an athletic shirt, in an adult size. And I want to add my name, and maybe some other fun text. I can use the blue "Edit Design" button to start making changes.

On the editing page, I can move Mulan and Mushu around, make them bigger or smaller, and add text. Note that sometimes elements cannot be moved or adjusted. In this case, the Disney copyright text cannot be moved.

I used the tools to copy/paste the image onto the back. I added my name in large text on the front, and a motivational phrase over the image on the back. I picked out a font style that I thought goes well with Mulan. I could have changed the font color, but I left it black. Here's what my design looks like so far.

Design tip: When you're designing your own shirt for a race, remember that you'll have to wear a bib! Be aware of your design placement to avoid covering up elements you want visible on race day.

4. Pick Your Apparel Style

After customizing the design, the final step would be to pick out the right apparel type for your needs. Click on See more under Style to see all of Zazzle's apparel options. Right now, Zazzle is offering a unisex Sport Tek moisture-wicking shirt, several styles of cotton shirt, and a few tank tops, in addition to other styles like sweatshirts and hoodies. You can click on as many styles as you like to see what they would look like.

That's it!

You can pick out your shirt style before you make your customization choices -- it's okay to do step 4 above before step 3.

Once you have your custom design ready on the product of your choice, check if Zazzle has any coupons or promotions to apply, then make your purchase!

It's fun to dress up specifically for themed races, whether you're putting on a full costume, wearing a hybrid "bounding" style look, or wearing a special t-shirt made just for race day.

Like the marathon shirt I showed you at the top of this post, I used Zazzle's tools to customize another shirt for a different race day. I added the phrase RUN NOW CHEESE LATER, a play on "Run Now, Wine Later", to a Ratatouille t-shirt for the inaugural Wine & Dine 10K back in 2016, which featured Remy as the medal character.