Plan Your Trip to Walt Disney World for a runDisney Race Weekend

Disney's 2019 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend wrapped on Nov. 3 with a big win for women and a feel-good story about overcoming the odds. Now, the biggest runDisney event of the year, the 2020 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, is just around the corner Jan. 8-12, 2020. In other words, this is the moment when many Disney fans with even a casual interest in running or, conversely, running diehards with even a casual interest in Disney, ask themselves if a runDisney race belongs on their bucket list. Now that RunDisney has just announced race dates for the 2020/2021 year, here's what you need to know about race weekends to help you decide if and when to lace up those sneaks and head down to Walt Disney World for a race.

The annual Walt Disney World runDisney race season is comprised of four weekends. Here are the dates for the upcoming 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons:

-Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend - Jan. 8-12, 2020; Jan. 6-10, 2021

-Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend - Feb. 20-23, 2020; Feb. 18-21, 2021

-Star Wars Rival Run Weekend - April 16-19, 2020; April 15-18, 2021

-Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend - Nov. 5-8, 2020

All four weekends include a 5K, 10K, half marathon and kids races. Only the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend offers a full marathon. Many runners looking to push themselves further will sign up for multi-course challenges, from a 19.3-mile two-course challenge to the four-day, four-race, 48.6-mile Dopey Challenge.

With the right training, nearly every race can be within reach. RunDisney official training consultant and Olympian Jeff Galloway has created customized training programs that can get anyone from the couch to a marathon-yes, anyone!

When choosing a race length, runners should consider how much they hope to do at Walt Disney World beyond their race and how much time they have to take for vacation. The weekend's main events begin with the 5K and culminate in the longest race, either the half or full marathon. If you're running a longer race, you might want to add a couple of days to the tail end of your trip for more park time so you can conserve your energy before the race. Plus, it's fun to show off that medal around the parks after you've run!

All four race weekends are held during lighter travel weekends but bring their own crowds, so you should expect on-property hotels to fill up. If you need help choosing a weekend, here's what sets each one apart from the rest.

This is the big one. Hardcore runners who want to check the ultimate runDisney race weekend off their bucket list should look no further. Race shirt and medal themes have historically centered around the Fab 5, and racers are sure to run the gamut-literally-of both classic and uber obscure Disney characters.

Originally created as a women-centric race, it remains so, but more men join in every year. Race medals and shirt themes are princess-driven, but there are plenty of opportunities for princes, villains and animal sidekicks to share the spotlight.

Star Wars fans, these are the races you're looking for. Choose your allegiance and expect plenty of photo ops with your favorite Light Side heroes and Dark Side villains.

Foodies, this one's for you. Held during Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, runners will get the chance to burn all the calories, then replenish them in a big way with a special after-hours post-race party at Epcot. Runners can toast their victory alongside their fellow racers while experiencing Epcot's attractions and the Food & Wine Festival without the usual crowds.

Now! But seriously, runDisney weekends are extremely popular and fill up very quickly-especially the shorter races. Although most races are now full for the 2019/2020 season, you can still register for the sold-out races through a participating charity or by booking a travel package through the Walt Disney Travel Company.

If there were ever a time to splurge on an official Walt Disney World hotel, that time is now. A stay at one of these resorts during runDisney weekends will get you all the usual perks to staying on property-free airport transportation on Disney's Magical Express, Extra Magic Hours, a 60-day FastPass booking window and more.

But, on race weekends, you'll also get free bus transportation to and from the runDisney Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, where you'll pick up your bib, race shirt, souvenir merch and more. Even better, staying on property will get you bus transportation to and from the race. With a suggested arrival time of 3:30 am for runners, it's so much easier to hop on the bus than to deal with parking or try to score a rideshare in the middle of the night.

You'll get these benefits from all official Walt Disney World Resorts, but our top picks for best race weekend hotels are Disney's Boardwalk Inn and Villas (many races run right along the Boardwalk-spring for a Boardwalk view and you can watch the runners from your balcony!) and Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. All three of these resorts are a quick walk back from Epcot, where all of the longer races currently finish.

For more bang for your buck, just down the Boardwalk are our favorite "off-property" (but still very much on-property) resorts, including the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. While you won't get airport transportation, you'll get all of the other benefits of staying on property, including a killer location and Deluxe-caliber amenities for a more reasonable price.

Other solid choices include the monorail resorts, offering easy monorail access to Epcot and the Magic Kingdom, and the resorts along the Skyliner route. Disney's newest transportation system, the Skyliner connects Disney's Caribbean Beach, Art of Animation, Pop Century and Riviera (opening Dec. 16) to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios.