Paul Ngeny, 31, of Auburn, Calif., Wins Fifth Annual Disneyland Half Marathon

ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Ngeny, 31, of Auburn, Calif., led a record field of more than 14,000 registered runners Sunday at the fifth annual Disneyland Half Marathon, crossing the finish line first with a time of 1:07:24, beating the fastest Disneyland Half Marathon time by 41 seconds.

"The course was very nice and comfortable," Ngeny said. "I liked running through the parks and all the music. I could keep on going for a hundred miles."

Finishing just behind Ngeny was Eric Marenburg, 27, of San Diego, Calif., with a time of 1:12:10.  Kevin Broady, 48, of Brea, Calif., finished third with a time of 1:12:43.

Rachel Booth, 29, of Mountain View, Calif., claimed the title of 2010 women's champion with a time of 1:15:19, beating the fastest women's finisher time in the history of the Disneyland Half Marathon by 00:04:04. Booth, who performed better than she expected, finished just 18 seconds off of an Olympic trial qualifier time.

"It was great. Magical," Booth said.  "It's in Disneyland and it's just a happy day. Always enjoyable. Everyone was so loud and cheering."

The women's second-place finisher was Theresa Lowry, 36, of San Diego, Calif., with a time of 1:19:05. Susan Loken, 47, of Phoenix, AZ, took third place with a time of 1:19:13.

Other notable finishers of the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon are Jon Megeff, 47, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., who won the men's Master's Division (age 40+) with a time of 1:16:57, Merryt Jackman, 41, of San Diego, Calif., who topped the women's Master's Division (1:28:16) and Scott Parson, 51 of San Jose, Calif.,(00:56:45), and Sandi Rush, 49, of Oceanside, Calif., (1:17:06), winners of the men's and women's wheelchair divisions.  

The fifth anniversary of "The Happiest Race on Earth" welcomed its largest registration field as more than 14,000 runners from every U.S. state and 16 countries made the magical 13.1 mile journey. The course traveled through the two Disneyland Resort theme parks – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure - and along Anaheim streets, passing landmarks such as the Honda Center and running on the field of Angel Stadium of Anaheim, while Disney characters and festive entertainment inspired runners along the way.

Participants who completed the half marathon received a special edition medal featuring Sleeping Beauty Castle circled by a vibrant number "5" and running Mickey Mouse. Nearly 570 Legacy runners – those who completed all five Disneyland Half Marathons – received a special medal lanyard.

The third annual Coast to Coast Race Challenge medal was presented to approximately 2,350 runners who completed the Walt Disney World Marathon or Half Marathon or Disney's Princess Half Marathon this year at Walt Disney World Resort and then also completed Sunday's Disneyland Half Marathon.  The Coast to Coast medal showcases the iconic "Partners Statue" of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

The 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend is scheduled for Sept. 2-4, 2011. Registration for next year's Disneyland Half Marathon is scheduled to open Jan. 3, 2011.

During the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, Disney announced that Jeff Galloway, one of America's foremost marathon trainers, will be the official training consultant to Disney's series of endurance events, which has been rebranded runDisney. The new runDisney brand also includes a new website, rundisney.com, which provides runners with a wealth of running-related content, from Galloway training videos to endurance tips to complete runDisney event information. Additionally, newly-launched facebook.com/rundisney provides opportunities for the endurance community to connect and interact with runDisney.

About runDisney

The runDisney series is a program of half marathon and marathon events that provide runners unique opportunities to run through Disney theme parks.  Race participants also get to earn Disney-themed medals, experience legendary Disney entertainment and guest service, and ultimately celebrate their accomplishments with a Disney vacation.  The original event in the series, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA, takes place each January and features both marathon and half marathon distances.  Other races at Walt Disney World in Florida include the Disney Princess Half Marathon presented by Lady Foot Locker in February and the new Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon in October.  The Disneyland Half Marathon takes place each September in California.  More than 75,000 people participate in runDisney events each year. For more information visit www.rundisney.com. 

SOURCE Disneyland