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.

The 2021 Wine and Dine 5K, part of Disney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend, marked the return to in-person racing events at the resort. The last run at Disney World before the pandemic started was the 2020 Princess Half Marathon, held back in February 2020.

This race weekend typically consists of a 5K on Friday, a 10K on Saturday, and a half marathon on Sunday. Races for kids and diaper dashes for toddlers are also usually part of this and other runDisney race weekends, but those are not back on the agenda yet. I'm still nursing knee pain so I elected to participate in the 5K only.

I attended the expo on Thursday, November 4th; the 5K race took place on Friday, November 5th.

Before I get to my race, here are some of the differences I noticed during this return to racing event at Disney World.

Pandemic Differences: Expo

There were some different protocols during this race weekend when compared to pre-pandemic runDisney events. 

Digital waivers were used instead of printed waivers. Masks were required at the expo indoor venues (3 separate buildings as usual) and on buses. There were fewer vendors at the expo, and many vendor stands had fewer offerings. There weren't any character photo ops at the expo, though props and backdrops were available. Bib and shirt pickup were quick and easy, and there was mild chaos at the official runDisney merch area, which was pretty normal.

Pandemic Differences: 5K

The pre-race staging area was very similar to past events, with normal security at the entrance, coffee and snacks available for purchase, a DJ entertaining the crowd, and photo ops with long lines. For the 5K there were two photo ops without characters available: the Evil Queen's throne and a jumbo Magic Mirror. 

Instead of using "corrals" to divide runners at the start of the race, we were designated "start groups". These were divided into mini waves. We ended up getting on the course faster than in the past, but I'm not sure if this particular change was pandemic related. 

On the course, there were some character photo ops, but there were no up-close character meet-and-greets. 

Personal Race Report

The course was a very typical runDisney 5K starting in the Epcot parking lot, running through parts of the park, and finishing back in the parking lot.

Due to the forecast calling for rain, I decided to wear simple running clothes instead of a costume. My kit was a black Sparkle Skirt, black tech top from my running club, and black Sparkle Athletics visor. I thought wearing all black was at least mildly appropriate for a villains-themed race. 

Training & Goals

I had seen orthopedic doctor back in July to help with acute knee pain. Physical therapy is not helping as quickly as I had hoped, so I went into this race expecting to walk, hoping to be able to enjoy the course and atmosphere.

Race Day: November 5, 2021

I left home at 2:15AM and had the car parked at Epcot by about 3:10AM. There was very light drizzle on the drive down, but once I parked, the rain had stopped. Before I headed to the start area, I stuffed an emergency poncho in my pocket, hoping it would not be needed.

I got my photo on the Evil Queen's throne after a short wait. Then I got into a long line for the Magic Mirror. Halfway through this wait, it started to rain. From what I could tell, it wouldn't really let up for the rest of the morning. 

By the time I got my picture with the Magic Mirror, it was time to head to the start groups area. I had a quick porta-potty visit and then headed to s3. 

The first runners started the race at 5AM (new start time). I ended up being in the final mini wave. When I crossed the start line at 5:55AM it was about 66°F with light rain. I ditched my poncho just seconds before crossing the start.

Mile 1: 15:08
I fully intended to walk the course, but being among the last to start gave me a little panic about finishing. So I did a sporadic :30 / :90 run/walk when I could. There were a lot of bottlenecks on the course where everyone had to walk.

Mile 2: 16:07
I miss running so much. I stopped to snap photos of the characters I saw, or the empty sets that I passed. I took selfies by the mile markers and a few other selfies on the way, but I never stopped for more than a few seconds. 

Mile 3+: 16:13, 3:39

Characters on Course

Since it was raining for much of the race, some of the characters weren't out for all of the runners. The character photo ops for the 5K were:

Old Hag (Evil Queen): I only saw the cauldron set, no character when I went by

Lotso: I only saw the Toy Story set, no character when I went by

Shan Yu: Out and socially distanced under cover in China

Frollo: He was going on a break when I went by; his spot in France was covered

Captain Hook and/or Smee: I missed seeing this spot completely; I heard different reports that the final course character was one of these two

Recommendation

I thought runDisney's return to in-person racing was almost perfect. The changes are small and understandable. I'm hopeful I can participate in more runDisney events in the future. 

Final Stats

Garmin GPS time: 51:07 (my all-time fastest runDisney 5K!)
Race Amenities: Long sleeve tech shirt, medal 
Cost: $101.27

Advent calendars are used to count down the days between December 1st and Christmas Eve. Often shaped like a thick book or plank, advent calendars are typically filled with chocolates or other small gifts that can be revealed as the days are counted. 

Traditional advent calendars were first used in Germany in the 19th century; today novelty advent calendars are most often filled with small chocolates. Increasingly, special niche advent calendars can be purchased. There are wine and beer advent calendars, calendars filled with dinosaur toys, makeup and jewelry, tea, LEGO sets, and much more. 

But there doesn't seem to be a commercially available advent calendar for runners. 

That's ok -- there are plenty of empty DIY advent calendars that can be filled with anything you can imagine. If you're looking to give an advent calendar to a runner friend, here are some ideas to fill those 24 boxes.

Empty Advent Calendar or other means of gathering and wrapping the gifts

First, you'll need a vessel for your collection of advent calendar gifts. There are ready made calendars in the shape of a box, or more unique ways of wrapping the daily gifts -- you can go totally DIY with paper bags, reusable containers, or other options. Below are some empty calendars you can purchase to get started.

Gift Ideas for a Runner Themed Advent Calendar

Since advent calendar boxes or containers are limited in size, look for small gifts. Keep in mind that you don't have to keep up the runner theme for 100% of the daily gifts. Think about your recipient and include things they might like that are not necessarily running related. Here are some ideas for filling those 24 little spaces.

More! More! More Runner Advent Calendar Ideas

Here are some more ideas for filling your runner advent calendar. It's okay to include items like socks or race nutrition on multiple days.

Conclusion

Of course, there are plenty of pre-made advent calendars that would suit many runners, like the aforementioned beer and wine calendars!

I mean, Runner's World came out with a list of advent calendars for runners a while back, and none of them are actually for runners specifically. So you can definitely have fun with your DIY runner advent calendar. Heck, throw a beer or chocolate in there, too!

The supermarket chain Aldi has decreed today, November 3rd, to be Advent Calendar Day. That's because today is the release date for many of their extremely popular calendars, some of which typically sell out on day one (today!). That also makes today the perfect date for posting a list of runner advent calendar gift ideas. :)

The Global Energy Race is an event sponsored by Bimbo Bakeries to promote health, wellness, and nutrition. The company donates bread to those in need on behalf of race participants. In the past, the Global Energy Race has taken place in multiple cities all around the world. The first races were held in 2016. I ran the Orlando version three times: Orlando Global Energy Race 2016 | Orlando Global Energy Race 2017 | Orlando Global Energy Race 2018.

In 2020 the race went virtual (here's my brief recap), and, according to the Global Energy Race timeline, participation more than doubled!

The race will be virtual again in 2021, and registration is free. Runners in some locations, including the United States, will be eligible for free swag. Start your registration process here:

You'll need to complete the miles between October 4 and October 10, and submit your results, in order to receive the goodies. Swag includes a tote bag, cooling towel, and finisher medal. Your participation will also result in a $1 donation to Feeding America by the race sponsor, Bimbo Bakeries.

I've signed up -- the free swag is hard to resist and it's fun to be part of something so big, even if only virtually. And of course it supports a great cause.

Since I've completely forgotten to run a couple of virtual races within their time allotment over the last month or so, I'll need to mark this one on my calendar to get it done within the event period!