Disney World Marathon 2027 medals put Donald Duck on 5 of 6

Disney revealed the six medals for January’s race weekend, from a Pluto 5K medal to a Dopey Challenge locket. Donald turns up on all but one for the Disney World Half Marathon’s 30th, and every race is already sold out.

Donald Duck is crashing almost every finish line at the 2027 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.

Disney shared the medals for all six events on Oct. 12, WDW News Today and WDWMAGIC reported. Each one has its own character, and Donald pops up on five of them, sometimes front and center, sometimes peeking out of a corner.

The one he skipped? Dopey’s.

The races run Jan. 7 to 10, 2027. If you were hoping to sign up, though, you’re out of luck. Every race is sold out, according to runDisney.

What do the 2027 Disney World Marathon medals look like?

Here’s each one, going by Disney’s photos:

• 5K (Pluto): a blue-gray shield with Pluto, plus Donald inside a ring next to Pluto’s head, on a light blue ribbon

• 10K (Chip ‘n’ Dale): a magenta medal in a cutout silver frame, with the chipmunks in headbands. Donald hides inside the “0” in “10K.”

• Half Marathon (Donald and Daisy): shaped like a giant “30,” topped with Donald’s sailor cap. It opens on a hinge, with Donald on the front and Daisy inside, and the ribbon says “30 Years.”

• Marathon (Mickey and Minnie): a red shield reading “26.2 Miles,” with Mickey and Minnie running and Donald in the upper corner

• Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge: a teal hexagon that folds open into three panels, with Goofy, Donald and “39.3 Miles”

• Dopey Challenge: a purple, glittery locket with Dopey on the front. Open it, and he’s covered in gold medals next to “48.6 Miles.” No Donald on this one, going by Disney’s photos.

The half marathon medal is the showstopper. A medal that opens like a greeting card is a lot of medal.

Why is Donald Duck on the 2027 runDisney medals?

Because it’s the Walt Disney World Half Marathon’s 30th. According to runDisney, 2027 marks the race’s 30th anniversary, and Donald was its first mascot.

The runDisney Instagram account teased the theme back in February, with a caption about “an attention seeking duck.” Which is a fair description of Donald.

The half marathon has been around since 1998, according to WDWInfo. That makes 2027 its 30th year, though not its 30th race. The 2017 half was canceled because of the weather, and the 2021 race weekend went virtual, WDWMAGIC reported.

When is Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 2027?

Four days, from Thursday to Sunday, according to runDisney:

• 5K: Thursday, Jan. 7, starting at 4:30 a.m.

• 10K: Friday, Jan. 8, at 5 a.m.

• Half Marathon: Saturday, Jan. 9, at 5 a.m.

• Marathon: Sunday, Jan. 10, at 4:30 a.m.

Goofy’s Race and a Half is the half and the full, back to back, Saturday and Sunday. The Dopey Challenge is all four races in four days, for 48.6 miles.

Yes, that means a very early alarm. That’s runDisney.

Is the 2027 Disney World Marathon sold out?

Yes. The runDisney website listed the whole weekend, and every individual race, as sold out on Oct. 13.

Registration opened to the general public on March 17, a week after Club runDisney Gold and Platinum members got first crack on March 10.

The main way in now is through a charity team. The official runDisney charity partner is Blood Cancer United, formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which fields runners through its Team In Training program. Charity spots come with fundraising goals, and at least one other charity team says its bibs are already gone.

How much did the 2027 Disney World Marathon races cost?

Prices went up on Sept. 15. These are the runDisney prices after that, service fee included:

• 5K: $135

• 10K: $185

• Half Marathon: $259

• Marathon: $265

• Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge: $505

• Dopey Challenge: $779

Anyone who registered before Sept. 15 paid $10 less for each one.

Is the Dopey Challenge cheaper than running every race?

Yes, and you get more medals. Signing up for all four races separately would cost $844 at the post-September prices, by our math.

Dopey costs $779. That’s $65 less, and Dopey runners take home six medals, one for each race plus the Goofy and Dopey medals, according to runDisney. Four separate sign-ups would get you four.

At $779 for 48.6 miles, Dopey works out to about $16 a mile. That’s about $130 a medal.

When did the Walt Disney World Marathon start?

In January 1994, with 8,200 participants, according to the Disney Parks Blog.

The challenges came later. Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025, Disney said. The Dopey Challenge started in 2014, according to WDWInfo.

What are some fun facts about Donald Duck?

He’s 92. Donald debuted in The Wise Little Hen on June 9, 1934, according to D23.

He’s squeezed into the 10K medal. He’s tucked inside the zero, which feels like something he’d complain about.

He shares the half marathon medal with Daisy. She waits inside the hinge until you open it.

Stitch got the virtual races. The virtual runDisney 12Ks of Christmas went Stitch-themed for 2026, as we reported in September.

Donald has spent more than 90 years losing his temper on screen. Now he gets to watch thousands of people run 26.2 miles before sunrise, which might be the first time he’s the calm one in the room.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• runDisney: 2027 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend event pages, race dates, start times, prices and sold-out status, checked Oct. 13, 2026

• WDW News Today and WDWMAGIC, Oct. 12, 2026: 2027 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend medals revealed

• WDW News Today, Feb. 2026: runDisney teases Donald Duck-themed 2027 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend; 2027 themes confirmed

• Disney Parks Blog, Jan. 12, 2023: 30 years of the Walt Disney World Marathon; Aug. 19, 2024: 2025 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend medals

• WDWInfo: Walt Disney World Marathon history

• WDWMAGIC, Jan. 7, 2017: Walt Disney World Half Marathon canceled due to weather; Sept. 22, 2020: 2021 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend cancellation

• D23: Donald Duck

• Pirates & Princesses, Sept. 27, 2026: Stitch takes over runDisney’s virtual 12Ks of Christmas for 2026

• Our math: Dopey Challenge cost comparisons

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.