runDisney has announced that they will pause Disneyland races following the 2026 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. The announcement from runDisney says that races will be placed on hiatus in 2026, and it’s possible that construction impacts could continue for years to come as DisneylandForward work begins at the resort. runDisney did not announce a timeframe for the resumption of Disneyland races. Instead, they invited runners to enjoy Walt Disney World races and Virtual Races. Here’s the announcement from runDisney, followed by some of our thoughts on the reason for the pause.
Disneyland runDisney Races Paused
Due to upcoming construction impacts, runDisney races at the resort will be placed on hiatus in 2026 after the conclusion of the 2026 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend.
One of the things runDisney participants enjoy most about our races is running through our theme parks as they enjoy special entertainment and character experiences. Due to upcoming construction impacts, we will be unable to provide guests with the race experience that our participants have come to expect from our events.
For fans who love to experience runDisney events, we will continue to offer races at Walt Disney World Resort, as well as virtual offerings.
As for the reason why, runDisney hasn’t said, but it could be due to work related to the DisneylandForward initiative. As you may know, DisneylandForward is best described as a rezoning effort, but Disney did outline some of the work that they plan on doing in an effort to expand Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. While the theme park expansions are still years away, this pause from runDisney could indicate that some early construction is set to begin soon.
As you can see in the screenshot below of Disney’s plans, Disneyland is planning on creating a new parking structure to the east of Harbor Blvd and north of Disney Way. There is a parking lot there right now that is utilized for Cast Member parking, but it is also utilized as the start/stop location for runDisney races. In short, if Disneyland were planning to start construction on this eastern gateway parking structure, it would displace their runDisney operations. It looks like that is the most likely reason for the hiatus.
Back in October 2024, Disneyland executives held a discussion with Disneyland Resort leaders to start preparations for the DisneylandForward project, and the extensive construction that will take place for decades to come at Disneyland.
While the most immediate in-park construction project is an expansion of Avengers Campus, and is not related to DisneylandForward, a new parking structure is said to be critical to freeing up space for an Avatar-themed land that will be the start of the DisneylandForward theme park expansion initiative.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
