Champion and Sport Chalet Sponsor Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend

Champion and Sport Chalet Sponsor Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend

Today, two leaders within the sporting industry announced their official sponsorship of the 5th annual Disneyland® Half Marathon to take place over Labor Day weekend in Anaheim, Calif.  For the first time, Sport Chalet joins Champion® Athleticwear, the official performance apparel of the Disney Endurance Series, as the official retailer of the exciting Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend.

As presenting sponsors, Champion and Sport Chalet will receive on-site marquee inclusion within event marketing collateral, program advertising and signage, and goody bags.  The apparel brand and retailer will also bring their partnership to life at the Disneyland Health and Fitness Expo with a 20-foot-by-30-foot pop up retail store, which will exclusively sell select pieces from Champion’s popular Double Dry performance collection to participants and spectators alike.  More than 14,000 athletes have registered for the Disneyland® Half Marathon and all will be outfitted in a commemorative Champion Double Dry T-Shirt.

“We have a tremendous ongoing partnership with the Disney Endurance Series and are honored to bring our performance apparel to its athletes throughout the year,” said Claire Powell, director, Champion brand marketing.  ”We’re especially excited for this year’s Disneyland Half Marathon as we welcome our retail partner and West Coast sports staple, Sport Chalet, to celebrate these everyday athletes with us.”  Champion men’s and women’s apparel are now available at Sports Chalet locations.

For David Hacker, director of marketing at Sport Chalet, the event sponsorship and apparel partnership with Champion is a testament to the retailer’s identity.  ”Like Champion, we are a destination for players of all levels, across all sports.  We’re thrilled to be the official retailer at the Disneyland Half Marathon and help fuel the passions of the runners.”

Disney Sports Event Director Paul Lambert returns the sentiment and supports the focus on everyday athletes.  ”We look forward to kicking-off the 5th milestone of our Disneyland Half Marathon with the support of Champion and Sport Chalet.  These two sporting icons are sponsors our runners can relate to which is extremely important as we continue to explore ways to enhance the Disney running experience.”

Watch official Disneyland Half Marathon runners navigate through Disney California Adventure® Park and Disneyland Resort on Sunday, Sept. 5, for a chance to earn the coveted 5th Anniversary finisher medal.  Runners of all ages will also participate in the Disneyland Fabulous 5K and Kids’ Races and the Disneyland Health & Fitness Expo, which features the latest trends in running, fitness equipment, footwear and apparel.


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Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Celebrates Anniversary with Fifth Consecutive Sellout

Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Celebrates Anniversary with Fifth Consecutive Sellout

A record field of more than 14,000 registered participants will take to the streets of Disneyland Resort and the city of Anaheim for the fifth anniversary of “The Happiest Race on Earth” – the Disneyland Half Marathon. In addition to the 13.1-mile half marathon, the weekend features activities for the entire family, including a Health & Fitness Expo, Disneyland Fabulous 5K presented by the Los Angeles Times, and Kids’ Races.

In true Disney fashion, the fifth anniversary of the race weekend will be celebrated in several ways. Athletes who complete the half marathon will be rewarded with a commemorative edition finisher medal featuring Sleeping Beauty Castle circled by a vibrant number “5” and running Mickey Mouse. Nearly 570 “Legacy Runners” – those who will be running in their fifth Disneyland half marathon – also will receive special recognition throughout the race weekend.

Participants from 16 countries and all 50 U.S. states are set to compete in weekend races. More than 14,000 are registered for the half marathon Sept. 5, and 5,000 are registered in the Family 5K and Kids’ Races, Sept. 4. Participants and the general public can also visit the Disneyland Health & Fitness Expo at the Disneyland Hotel. The expo features the latest in official Disneyland Half Marathon merchandise and more than 90 vendors of fitness apparel, footwear, sunglasses, high-tech gadgets and nutritional products.

The Disneyland Half Marathon features a course unlike any other in the world. Passing through the two Disneyland Resort theme parks – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure – and the streets of Anaheim, participants will experience a race full of inspiration that only Disney can provide, including live entertainers and Disney characters at the start line and along the route. The road race has become popular for its flat loop course and mild climate – ideal for personal best times. Hosted by the Disneyland Resort and the City of Anaheim, it reached registration capacity – for the fifth consecutive year – in late spring.

“We are so proud to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Disneyland Half Marathon,” said Disneyland Resort President George A. Kalogridis. “This unique event has become a tradition of fun and memories for thousands of athletes and their families. We share the success of this event with the city of Anaheim. Since 2006, we have jointly brought more than 80,000 participants from around the world to the Anaheim resort area.”

Throughout the race, runners will pass Disneyland icons such as Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Matterhorn, Anaheim landmarks such as the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center, and will see themselves on the jumbo screen running on the field inside Angel Stadium of Anaheim before finally crossing the finish line next to the Disneyland Hotel.

An estimated 2,350 runners are eligible to earn a special medal for the third annual Disney’s Coast to Coast Race Challenge. To be eligible, runners must have completed the Walt Disney World Marathon or Half Marathon or Disney’s Princess Half Marathon this year at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., in addition to completing the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon. The Coast to Coast medal showcases the iconic statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse (known as the Partners Statue).

The next Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend will take place Sept. 2-4, 2011. Registration is scheduled to open Jan. 3, 2011, for the 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon.

About the Disney Endurance Series

The Endurance Series at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort gives recreational athletes of all ages and abilities the chance to walk, jog, run, bike and swim their way “around the world.” From marathons to road races to triathlons, athletes from across the country and around the world compete to stay in shape, achieve personal best times and raise donations for charitable causes. Popular Endurance Series events are the inaugural Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend (Oct. 1-2, 2010),Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna (Jan. 6-9, 2011), Champion 5K at ESPN the Weekend (February 2011), Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Lady Foot Locker (Feb. 25-27, 2011) and Expedition Everest Challenge (summer 2011).

For more information on Disney’s Endurance Series please visit www.disneyenduranceseries.com.


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Disneyland Half Marathon – By the Numbers

Disneyland Half Marathon – By the Numbers

1 -Commemorative fifth anniversary Disneyland Half Marathon medal for each finisher of the half marathon

2 – Number of theme parks that participants will visit during the half marathon

5 – 2010 is the fifth anniversary for the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend

9 – Water stops positioned throughout the course

13.1 – Number of miles in the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon

16 – Countries represented

17 – Number of consecutive years that runners have participated in the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend near Orlando, Fla.

50 -U.S. states represented in the Disneyland Half Marathon, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico

50.7 – Percentage of half marathon participants who are from the 5-county Southern California area. This is the race’s lowest percentage of Southern California runners, as more are traveling from outside the area to participate!

64 – Percentage of female runners

83 – Age of the oldest participant registered for the half marathon

93 – Vendors scheduled to exhibit at the Disneyland Health & Fitness Expo, displaying the latest in running and fitness apparel, equipment and nutrition

460- Registered runners from foreign countries

561 – Number of Legacy Runners – those who will have completed all five Disneyland Half Marathons

1,000 – Number of participants for the Kids’ Races

1,900 – Number of volunteers expected to work the weekend

2,350 – Number of runners eligible to receive the Coast to Coast Challenge Race medal

4,000 – Number of Disneyland Fabulous 5K participants

9,751 – Number of Disneyland Half Marathon registered participants from California

14,000 – Number of registrants for the half marathon


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