Posted: October 15, 2005

Athletics: Disneyland Resort and City of Anaheim Announce Inaugural 2006 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend

Registration Opens Oct. 15 for 'Happiest Race on Earth' to Be Held Sept. 15-17, 2006

ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration, the Disneyland Resort and the City of Anaheim today announced the inaugural Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend will be held Sept. 15-17, 2006 in Anaheim.

The feature event of the weekend will be a 13.1-mile "Happiest Race on Earth" road race on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006. The route of this half marathon will take runners through Disney's California Adventure and Disneyland parks, as well as other parts of the Anaheim Resort district.

The weekend will build off the successful 13-year history of Walt Disney World Marathon Weekends that are operated by Disney's Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Registration for the 2006 Disneyland Half Marathon begins Oct. 15, 2005, when participants in the half marathon and 5K may register online at www.disneylandhalfmarathon.com. Approximately 10,000 runners are expected to register for the Disneyland Half Marathon.

"We are pleased to join with the City of Anaheim for this event that will draw marathon runners from around the country for a very special running experience, while bringing economic benefits to the community at the same time," said Matt Ouimet, president of Disneyland Resort.

Added Curt Pringle, mayor of the City of Anaheim, "Based on the long-term popularity of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in Florida, we believe the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend will provide an economic boost to Anaheim as runners fill up our hotel rooms, frequent our restaurants and do business with our other retail establishments.

Anaheim Community Foundation (ACF) will be the beneficiary of the 2006 Disneyland Half Marathon. The organization will receive more than $2,500 in donations as part of this year's race.

Other weekend events will include the Disneyland Health & Fitness Expo at the Disneyland Hotel (Sept. 15-16) and the Disneyland Family Fun Run 5K & Kids' Races (Sept. 16). Registration fees are $85 for the half marathon, $25 for the Family Fun run 5K and $5 for the kids' races. Special Anaheim- area hotel rates and reservations and Disneyland theme park ticket options will be available through the Disneyland Resort for the Half Marathon Weekend.

Source: Disneyland Resort