Inaugural runDisney Castaway Cay Challenge 5k Race in the Record Books

Disney Cruise Line recently shared some of the first photos captured photographer Matt Stroshane during the Inaugral runDisney Castaway Cay Challenge 5k which was held earlier this morning in the Bahamas.

RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Corrals

According to Disney, more than 700 runners participated in the brand-new 5K event co-hosted by runDisney and Disney Cruise Line at Castaway Cay. The event was the first of its kind to be held amid the lush palm trees and turquoise waters of a private island paradise, making it the ultimate tropical fun run in the sun.

RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Runners In Stride RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Runner RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Runner Erin RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Runner Bridget RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Runner Ariel And Eric

Participants earned an exclusive inaugural race medal to commemorate the event, which came on the heels of the annual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. An all new rubber Castaway Cay 5k medal was revealed which will be awarded to finishers participating in the regular event.

RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Medals

RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Runner Bridget RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Runners MedalsThe 4-Night Bahamian Cruise aboard the Disney Dream sailed from Port Canaveral featured special activities, speakers and merchandise designed exclusively for the Castaway Cay Challenge.

Additional details regarding the Castaway Cay Challenge can be found in this brochure that was provided to the runners. Due to the number of participants, the start/finish line was set up on the air strip which resulted in a new Castaway Cay 5k race route.

RunDisney Inaugural Castaway Cay Challenge Brochure Race Route 2015

There is an great write up of the cruise and run by Mary Jo Collins over at WDWFanZone.com.

The second Castaway Cay Challenge will be held during the 2015 Princess Half Marathon in late February.

13 Replies to “Inaugural runDisney Castaway Cay Challenge 5k Race in the Record Books”

  1. R. S.

    Is the new CC5K medal just exclusive for the event or will this be the new one given out? Any details if the regular event will change?

    Reply
    1. MollyB

      At the rundisney meeting onboard for the Challenge, Chris with rundisney stated quite clearly that the new rubber 5K medal is the one they will be using going forward for the “island 5K” as they call the one normally held. And it was indeed given to the participants in the free 5K held an hour or so after the Challenge 5K.

      [I personally doubt the free 5K will be free for much longer, but that’s not anything official. Just a person’s opinion based on a few years of watching Disney take fun free little things and deciding to make money off of them.]

      [Another opinion of mine is that they won’t keep doing the Challenge. They had to dock at midnight to make SURE we were there for the run. They said if weather was such that the run couldn’t be had (lightning) that we would meet at the same early morning time and they would hand out the medals…they wouldn’t even have a deck run. Most of the cast members didn’t even know the event was happening, and they had to get up even earlier for it. It seemed a huge disruption, and the potential for missing it entirely because CC docking isn’t guaranteed just makes it seem like something they won’t continue after Princess. JUST my opinion. I’m likely wrong. But I wouldn’t want to be onboard if CC was missed during a Challenge…]

      Reply
  2. Johnny C.

    It’s a special medal as part of race registration. For the Princess CC5K registration is now $65. So if you cruise not paying run Disney you get the same old plastic mickey medals.

    Reply
    1. R. S.

      What I noticed is that they gave out two medals. The ‘metal’ one shown on the left that says “Inaugural CC Challenge” and the other one on the right, which looks like hard rubber and says “2015 CC 5”. I thought you would only get the left one if you ran during the weekend.

      Reply
      1. Lauren

        I am curious about the same thing, R.S. If they were to keep that new rubber Castaway Cay 5K medal for anyone running the 5K on their cruise, that would be pretty fantastic!

        Reply
  3. Amanda

    Sure hope they continue this challenge race!!! I heard nothing is “in the works” yet for the 2016 race season. I really wanted to “officially” complete this challenge. Hubby and I ran in 2013 and then cruised. Then again for 2014 TOT wknd. So, technically, I’ve done this twice. 😉
    Sure would enjoy the official bling!! **fingers crossed**

    Reply
  4. Shari

    I booked us on the January 2016 Dream Cruise after Marathon weekend just in case. We have run the 5K twice and the 10k once and done the Castaway challenge twice. I would love the extra bling too.

    Reply
  5. Andrea

    I hope they continue to do it. We booked the February 2016 Dream Cruise after Princess weekend in hopes of the Challenge being continued. If not, we will just run the 5k any way.

    Reply
  6. Jennie Lee

    It was SoOoOo fun. I hope they do it from time to time. The challenge medal is my new favorite one in my collection of rD medals.

    Reply
  7. john

    Me and my wife had a blast I ran the first run early that morning after doing the Dopey and then later we did it together .

    Reply
  8. Sheri

    The regular Castaway Cay 5k is still going, and it is still free. I ran it 2 weeks ago while on our Disney cruise. We signed up the first day on board, and received the plastic metal shown upon completing the race.

    Reply

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