IT'S A VIBE!

WHAT IF YOU RAN YOUR NEXT RACE PURELY FOR FUN? THESE RW+ MEMBERS TRADED PRs FOR PIXIE DUST AT THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON EARTH.

- 

Anyone can train for and run a half marathon. The distance is substantial enough to require a strategy, but with the right training and support, the goal is absolutely achievable—with plenty of room for smiles at the finish line. To maximize the fun factor, Runner's World partnered with the happiest place on earth, Walt Disney World Resort, to offer five RW+ members an opportunity to train alongside RW editors and race the 2025 Disney Princess Half Marathon. For 10 weeks, these members had access to exclusive training content, got personalized answers to all their questions, and fine-tuned their fitness so they could show up confident on race day. Here are the game-changing lessons they learned on the way to their most fun 13.1.

I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I COULD KEEP RUNNING FOR THE LONG TERM, AND STRENGTH TRAINING SEEMED CRUCIAL, EVEN IF IT'S NOT MY FAVORITE THING.

David Berman | 49 | New York City

David set out to conquer 13.1 miles during the pandemic, giving himself an achievable goal to work toward that would also support his mental health. But he injured his IT band while training for his first half marathon in 2023 and had to postpone until 2024. In the process, he fell in love with longer distances and now hopes to extend his training to a full marathon later in 2025.

Since then, David has been diligent about staying injury-free. “I knew about strength training in the abstract, but I really learned about it the hard way.” During the training cycle, David focused on figuring out how to best incorporate strength training into his week and used RW’s guided exercise videos tailored to runners. “It helped me feel more confident I was doing the movements correctly.” Although he struggled with mild muscle pain during the last 2 miles of the Disney Half, he crossed the line feeling strong. “As soon as I finished, the pain went away,” he says. “The strength training helped.”