LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Mar. 5, 2009) – Thousands of women from around the world are bringing out their inner Princess at the inaugural Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Lady Foot Locker. Runners from every U.S. state and 17 other countries is taking part in this three-day celebration of women’s health and fitness that includes special features that are all things Princess.

Participants and their family and friends can experience a variety of exclusive opportunities including Princess meet and greets, a character breakfast, a makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and a Princess-themed after party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with live entertainment and a special gift at the stroke of midnight.

The weekend, kicks off Friday, March 6, with Disney’s Fit for a Princess Expo at the Jostens Center at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. The expo, open to everyone, will involve renowned fitness experts leading seminars on training, racing and nutrition, and the latest running and fitness equipment. (Expo schedule below.)

“This is a tremendous opportunity for women to educate themselves about their health and fitness all in one place,” said Disney’s Endurance Series Director Kathleen Duran. “Not only does it provide awareness and empower women to live a healthy lifestyle, but they will have a great time doing it.”

More than 11,000 runners are competing in various races throughout weekend, making this event one of the largest endurance race weekends geared towards women. The signature event, Disney’s Princess Half Marathon, is Sunday, and takes runners on a 13.1 mile royal journey through Magic Kingdom and Epcot. On Saturday, there is the Royal Family 5K at Epcot and the Princess Kids’ Races.

Every runner will receive a commemorative Champion Ladies Tech shirt and runners crossing the finish line will receive a special Princess tiara-shaped medal. While the event is geared towards women, men can run in support of the special women in their lives.

For a complete schedule of events, visit disneyprincesshalfmarathon.com. Also, additional post-race party tickets can be purchased for family and friends at the Fit for a Princess Expo or at the party.

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon will support the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Disney has a long-standing relationship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation that stretches more than 27 years. Disney has contributed more than $11 million in cash and in-kind donations each year and used its magic to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. With more than 6,000 wishes granted every year – including visits to the Disney Parks, Disney Cruises, Disney Characters visits, attending sporting events and visiting TV and movie sets – Disney-themed wishes continue to be the most popular requests by children to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

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Speaker Series & Character Appearances
Jostens Center at Disney’s Wide World of Sports

Friday, March 6, 2009 Expo Hours 12:00pm – 7:00pm

12:30 – 1:15 pm Sonja Friend-Uhl is a USATF elite runner and coach. She will present Fit for a Princess Running Clinic, featuring tips on training & racing strategies, nutrition for runners & positive imagery techniques.

1:30 – 2:15 pm Liza Hunter-Galvan is a two-time Olympic Marathoner. She won the San Antonio Marathon six times, participated in the 2005 World Championships and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In 2004, Liza won the Dallas Marathon and was named “San Antonio Sportswoman of the Year” in both 2004 and 2008. In 2008, she was presented with UTSA, Distinguished Service Alumnus Award.

2:30 – 3:00 pm BREAK – Character Appearance

3:00 – 3:45 pm
Tara Gidus is a nationally-recognized expert on nutrition and fitness. Good nutrition is vital to sport performance. Learn how what you eat and when you eat it can affect your energy and how well you do during your race. Get the latest tips on what to eat before, during, and after training runs and races, how to prevent injuries through good nutrition, and the most updated hydration guidelines.
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Betsy Hughes is Co-owner of Track Shack Orlando. Come and hear Last Minute Tips – Preparing for Event Day.

4:00 – 4:30 pm BREAK – Character Appearance

4:30 – 5:15 pm Sally Edwards and Maggie Sullivan present Running Faster, Running Further – The Secrets of Running Far and Fast. If you are ready to turn up the intensity and increase your stride, ultra-marathoner Sally Edwards can show you ways to accomplish that and even more. You can get stronger, lose weight and run further than ever before if you add a blend of power and fun to your running program. Join Sally Edwards for this motivational and entertaining presentation.

5:30 – 6:00 pm BREAK – Character Appearance

6:00 – 6:30 pm Jon Hughes, Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Marathon Race Director is joined by Tom Ward, Technical Director, to provide Last Minute Tips and Information and a final look at the half marathon course.

Saturday, March 7, 2009 Expo Hours 10:00am-5:00pm

10:15 – 10:30 am Make-A-Wish – Twelve year old Wish Kid Jerry describes the experience of his wish to meet author R.L. Stine. Jerry’s mother discusses what the wish meant to Jerry’s family.

10:30 – 11:00 am BREAK – Character Appearance

11:00 – 12:00 pm Lady Foot Locker presents Sarah Haskins, Finding Your Passion. Learn about setting goals to pursue that passion, the journey it takes for you to achieve your goals and the techniques to achieve your own personal dreams.

12:00 – 12:30 pm BREAK – Character Appearance

12:30 -1:00 pm Tari Rose, faculty member and education specialist with the American Council on Exercise, as well as a free-lance writer, TV guest and motivational speaker, will share her health & nutrition philosophies included in her upcoming book BodyInstinct – Creating Lean Strong Healthy Bodies Discover how to get the most out of food, exercise and your bodies metabolism!

1:15 – 2:00 pm Sally Edwards and Maggie Sullivan present Running Faster, Running Further – The Secrets of Running Far and Fast. If you are ready to turn up the intensity and increase your stride, ultra-marathoner Sally Edwards can show you ways to accomplish that and even more. You can get stronger, lose weight and run further than ever before if you add a blend of power and fun to your running program. Join Sally Edwards for this motivational and entertaining presentation.

2:00 – 2:45 pm Liza Hunter-Galvan is a two-time Olympic Marathoner. Liza won the San Antonio Marathon 6 times, participated in the 2005 World Championships and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In 2004, she won the Dallas Marathon and was named “San Antonio Sportswoman of the Year” in both 2004 and 2008. In 2008, she was presented with UTSA, Distinguished Service Alumnus Award.

3:00 – 3:30 pm BREAK – Character Appearance

3:30 -4:15 pm Jon Hughes, Tom Ward, and Betsy Hughes provide Last Minute Tips and Information and a final look at the half marathon course.

4:30 – 5:00 pm Patricia Fox, PhD, LMFT, is a motivational sports therapist & running coach and Certified ChiRunning® & ChiWalking® Instructor. Learn How to get the most out of your run-effortless & injury free: Power Running, Pose Method® or ChiRunning©.

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