This year I have decided to represent Only WDWorld by running in Disney World's Race For The Taste 10K on October 11th. The race is part of the Disney Endurance Series and is held in conjunction with the 14th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

The Race For The Taste 10K has become a popular event over the last few years with nearly 4,000 runners competing in last year's event.

One of the most appealing attributes of this race is the fact that the course works its way through two different Disney World theme parks: Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot.




The Course

The 6.2 mile race starts at Disney's Wide World of Sports and heads to Hollywood Studios where they enter at the rear of the park.

The runners get to run through the set of “Lights! Motor! Action! Extreme Stunt Show” as they work their way through the park and exit near the front.

Runners will then trek past the Boardwalk Villas, Swan & Dolphin Hotels, Disney’s Yacht Club and Disney’s Beach Club resorts before passing entering Epcot at the International gateway.

Finally it's a trip around the World Showcase at Epcot, the epicenter of the Food & Wine Festival, and out the front of Epcot to reach the finish line.

At the finish line, runners – along with ticketed friends and family members – will have an opportunity to sample international cuisine from the Food & Wine Festival at a post-race picnic.

Competition
The race starts at 7:00 am on Oct. 11th and is for both the competitive and the casual runner.

The race is a timed event that will have the results posted on-line. Awards are presented to the top three male, female, military, and age group winners and male and female champions in the masters and wheelchair divisions .

Each runner also gets a unique medal for completing the race.

Last year's overall winner, Cobi Morales,34, of Miami Beach, FL, finished the 6.2 mile course at 35:53 besting the nearest competitor by 45 seconds.

Even if you are not a competitive runner, as long as you can stay ahead of the 15 minute per mile pacing requirement, you will be allowed to complete the race.

I am expecting my time to be somewhere slightly north of the one hour mark for the race, so I won't be challenging Cobi for this year's title, but I will be loving every step of this opportunity to run through the parks before opening.

Helping Others
The race also has a charitable side to it. Last year, Cast Members, guests, and runners donated 3,872 pounds of non-perishable food at Disney’s Race for the Taste 10K , benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

Second Harvest received the collected food—equivalent to 2,581 meals—to distribute to partner agencies in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia County. “It’s important for all of us to find some meaningful way to pitch in and help our neighbors get through this tough time,” said Greg Higgerson, vice president of Development at Second Harvest. “The food from Race for the Taste will land on the plates of thousands of children, seniors, working poor families and others who were struggling even before this economic crisis began—it represents hope for these folks.”

Hope To See You There!
Hopefully you are also interested in joining me and participating on October 11th at this fun Disney Event.

At this moment the pre-registration indicates that the race is 50% full. Don't wait until the last minute or you may be shut out. You can register by going to: http://www.disneyraceforthetaste.com/