Jennifer Serna wins first place running her first runDisney race; Tinker Bell Half Marathon celebrates fifth anniversary; More than 24,000 runners celebrate a pixie-dusted Mother’s Day Weekend at Disneyland Resort

ANAHEIM, Calif. (May 8, 2016) — With faith, trust and plenty of pixie power, Orange County, Calif. resident Jennifer Serna flew in first place in the fifth annual Tinker Bell Half Marathon presented by PANDORA Jewelry at Disneyland Resort on Sunday. The 31-year-old runner dashed by her competition, finishing in 1:25:49. Kellie Nickerson of Albuquerque, New Mexico, fluttered in as the second place female finisher, clocking at 1:29:41.

“It was a surreal experience. All the cast members and locals were supportive,” Serna said. “Running through the park was really fun and exhilarating, I didn’t even feel like I was running.”

A resident of Fullerton, Calif., Serna works for a running shop and participated in the race as a Mother’s Day celebration, running in honor of her daughter and to support her local running club.

Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the Tinker Bell Half Marathon at the Disneyland Resort is one of the top three largest women-focused races in the nation. Approximately 950 runners participating in this year’s race have run all five years. In 2015, Southern California resident Lenore Moreno set the Tinker Bell Half Marathon record, completing the race in 1:15:55.

Grandmothers, mothers, daughters, aunts and nieces were some of the 10,700 runners who spent their Mother’s Day racing along an entertainment-filled 13.1-mile course through Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Parks, as well as by several Anaheim landmarks.

Runners competed in various events during the weekend that included the Never Land 5K, the Tinker Bell 10K, runDisney Kids Races, a health and fitness expo and the second Pixie Dust Challenge, which involved runners completing the 10K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday.

In total, there were more than 24,000 runners from across the nation and 32 countries. Finishers received a commemorative Tinker Bell “wings’’ medal. The Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend is one of eight annual runDisney events and one of two women- focused events. The other is the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which takes place in February at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. Both events are designed to celebrate and promote women’s empowerment, women’s health and an active lifestyle. And both are among the nation’s largest race weekends geared towards women.

Runners can register for any runDisney race weekend at www.rundisney.com.