8 Reasons the runDisney Virtual Series Might Be Your Most Magical Race Yet

Ready to experience the magic of runDisney—without boarding a plane, booking a hotel, or navigating the crowds? In this episode of Mile Marker Matriarch, I’m sharing 8 powerful reasons why the runDisney Virtual Series might be your most magical race yet. Whether you’re a seasoned runDisney racer or dreaming of your first Disney medal, you’ll learn how to bring the magic home, save time and money, conquer the fear of the Balloon Ladies, run for purpose over pace, reclaim your space and place, express yourself with dress, and cherish your meaningful medals.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to register for a virtual race, this is it! Now is the perfect time to listen because next Tuesday, August 19, registration opens for the 2025 runDisney Virtual 12Ks of Christmas!

As a planDisney alumni panelist, certified running coach, personal trainer, and veteran of 21 runDisney races, I’ll walk you through how to make the virtual race experience just as memorable and empowering as running through Cinderella Castle—without the travel logistics.

Plus, I’m giving you my FREE Virtual Race Magic Toolkit with Disney-inspired recipes, packing checklists, race-day prep guides, and more to make your at-home run truly unforgettable.

Don’t miss the bonus YouTube video where I reveal and review the full runDisney Virtual Series medal collection—you’ll find the link in the show notes below.

Whether you’re running your first 5K or adding to your challenge medal collection, this episode will help you run with purpose, joy, and a touch of Disney magic—right from your own neighborhood.

🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

·       Download the FREE Virtual Race Magic Toolkit

·       Watch the full runDisney Virtual Series Medal Review on YouTube

·       Follow me on Instagram

·       Visit my website for more resources

Let's connect!

Instagram: @milemarkermatriarch

Twitter: milemarkermatriarchm

https://milemarkermatriarchpodcast.com

Email the show at milemarkermatriarch@gmail.com

Transcript

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Hey, this is your running buddy, Stacey. Welcome to the Mile Marker Matriarch podcast, the running podcast where we run for purpose, not pace. I'm Stacey Cacciatore. I'm a mom, runner, run Disney fanatic, and coach. And I am here to help you reclaim your power, find your purpose, and be who you've always wanted to be one mile at a time. Have you ever wanted to run a Disney race, but you haven't because they're too expensive? Or maybe you just don't have time to get away. Between kids and work and volunteering and taking care of your pets, you can't imagine taking the time to even plan a vacation, much less take one. Or maybe you're new to running and you can't imagine lacing up in front of thousands of other people. You're too worried about how you're going to look or if you'll fit in or if you're a real runner, which let me tell you, if you run, you're a real runner. But what if I told you that the most transformational race of your life doesn't have to happen at Walt Disney World? It can happen right outside your front door, that you don't need to have a huge budget, save PTO time, or even any running experience to experience the magic of running at Disney. Imagine running a 5K through your own neighborhood that's entirely on your terms, where you prioritize yourself, where you can focus on purpose over pace. and exercise your agency and reclaim your power over your space, place, and body on your terms. All with a sprinkle of pixie dust. If you've been waiting for a sign to finally sign up for a race, this is it. And now is the time. Let me tell you, you've tuned in at exactly the right time because registration for the 2025 Run Disney Virtual 2Ks of Christmas opens up on August 19th. That is one week from today. Listen, I am not paid for or sponsored by Disney. I'm just a huge Disney fan and I'm a mom and I love to run. So I'm just gonna give you the scoop on running virtual races at Walt Disney World and all the benefits that it's gonna provide to you. Because the best part, with the Run Disney Virtual Race Series, you don't have to travel to the parks to feel the magic. You can run it anywhere, your neighborhood, a favorite trail, even your treadmill, and you still get to earn those gorgeous Disney medals. In today's episode, I'm going to break down eight powerful reasons the Run Disney Virtual Series might be your most magical race yet. We're going beyond pace times and travel plans into freedom, flexibility, identity, and meaning. And I tackle the number one mistake that Run Disney runners make and how virtual races eliminates that variable completely. Now, Run Disney is celebrating their 10 years of virtual races this summer, but we are celebrating something deeper, joy on your terms. purpose over pace, meaning over metrics, and the power to create your happily ever after. And I have a full video review of all the gorgeous medals from this year's Run Disney Virtual Series that just took place this summer. Every spinner, and yes, I said spinner, these medals have spinners, every sparkle, and lights. They are absolutely incredible. I show you every detail. It's up on my YouTube channel right now, and I'm going to have the link and the show notes, so make sure to check that out after the show. After listening to this podcast, you're not only going to have everything you need to sign up for your next Run Disney Virtual Race, but you'll feel empowered to reclaim your story, your space, and your identity, one 5K at a time. So whether you're listening to sign up for your first Run Disney Race or this is your 100th, this episode's for you. So lace up, cue the playlist, and let's bring a little pixie dust to your pavement. And I have got a surprise for you. I put together a free virtual race magic toolkit to make your run dizzy miles unforgettable. Now in this toolkit, I have pulled out all the stops. I have race prep checklist, motivation mantras, and suggestions on how to display your beautiful dizzy medals. I even create a special matriarch magic miles playlist on Spotify to fuel your run. You can grab it now by using the link in the show notes or on my Instagram bio. Before we get started, I want to welcome all of our new matriarchs to the MyoMarker matriarch community. And you are joining us at an exciting time because we are getting ready to launch season two on Tuesday, August 26th. It's not just a new season. I am gonna be bringing entirely new conversations to the table. Season two of Mile Marker Matriarch is about transforming the way you think about running. I'll be bridging cutting edge scholarship with raw lived experiences, introducing you to the matriarch mindset. This is a framework I created that is not only gonna help you succeed in running, but in life. We're also going to be diving into running rhetorics, a big, bold conversation that reframes running from a casual recreation activity into an empowering way to reclaim space and place through embodiment, neuroscience, and mindset shifts. You'll hear inspiring stories, expert insights, and actionable strategies to help you run, not further or faster, but with more purpose and power than ever. Today's episode is a preview into the type of topics we're going to be tackling here at Mile Marker Matrix, and I promise you will find content here that you are not going to find anywhere else, because this isn't just another running podcast. This is a movement, and you are part of it. Season 2 launches August 26, so subscribe now so you don't miss a mile. Now, for those of you guys who are new here, I'm gonna tell you just a little bit about me. I'm Stacey, I'm a mom, I'm a runner, I'm a coach, and I'm a storyteller. I know what it's like to juggle family, work, and a million responsibilities while still trying to carve out time for yourself. I've trained at 4 a.m., squeezed in treadmill miles between my kids' activities, ran on my lunch break at work, and logged miles when it was the last thing I felt like doing because running is more than just the miles for me. But it wasn't always. And I haven't always known what I was running to, running from, running through or for. But I do now. Running changed my life. I've had the undercurrent of understanding myself through embodied movement my entire life. I just didn't know it. I didn't have the words to put around it and didn't really know what I was experiencing. But now that I do, I want to share how running can transform your life and help you find your purpose, reclaim your agency, space and place, and live the life you are destined to live. From an educational standpoint, I'm an RRCA-certified running coach, NASM-certified personal trainer, and a certified nutrition coach. I have my PhD in Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design from Clemson University, where I study both how and why running shapes our identity, builds resilience, and creates meaning in our lives. And when it comes to Disney... Well, let's just say I earned my ears. I've run 21 Run Disney races, and I've been a proud member of Club Run Disney since its inaugural introduction. And I've even served on the official Plan Disney panel, which I am also going to have a link to the Plan Disney panel in the notes. Plan Disney helped me plan many vacations to Disney. They also help thousands of guests plan their Disney vacations. And as I was on the panel, I've learned all the little tips and tricks along the way. And I am here to pass those on to you so you can skip the overwhelm and go straight to the magic. But more than anything, I'm your running buddy. I advocate for all women, trans and cis, and sports. And I am the one who will cheer you on at every mile marker. I'll dole out the tough truths, give you the lowdown on what works and what doesn't. I'll hit the pavement with you and help you learn strategies to pick yourself back up after you fall. And I will remind you that you are capable more than you think. I believe in you, and I am proud of you for showing up today. All right, let's get into it. So let's get into the eight reasons and make sure that you understand each of the amazing benefits to running a Run Disney virtual series. So first off, let's just chat about the 2025 Run Disney Summer Virtual Series that is wrapping up right now. So this race series began in June and is running through the end of August. I was able to log in my three 5Ks already, and so I have completed the challenge and I am here to give you the lowdown. So the virtual series, if you haven't heard of it, Run Disney has these virtual races where you can actually run a Disney race at home. Like I said, on your treadmill in your neighborhood, at your local gym, with some friends, with your local running club. It's on your space, your place, and your terms. And you can still get the amazing Run Disney medals. You are in for a treat because next Tuesday, registration for the Run Disney Virtual 12Ks at Christmas. And they are going to be highlighting the Muppets. It's the Muppets' 70th anniversary. So they're going to be highlighting each of the Muppets and the characters on the medals and in the race theming. And you're going to see Gonzo and Camilla, Miss Piggy and Fufu, Kermit and Robin. And I am so excited. I have not seen the medals yet, but I cannot wait to see them. You can run at your own pace and Disney offers you a free virtual, I say free, you are paying for the race. So how about I just say the registration fee includes a virtual race kit where you can download your race bibs, finisher certificates, and even mile markers to use while you're running. We'll get a little bit more into that later, but the Muppet themes medals actually, now here is the kicker, they double as holiday ornaments. Like how cute is that? That is just amazing. So you could actually have all of that just by signing up running it for the race and running the series of events right there at your house. As we get into the eight benefits of running a Run Disney virtual race, the first one is you get to bring the magic home. So this is the fun part. You get to bring the magic of Disney to your house. Because let's be honest, if you've been to Disney, you know that Disney is not just a destination, it's a feeling. And with a virtual series, you can actually recreate that feeling in your own space. Let me give you a few examples. So my favorite Walt Disney World resort is Beach Club, and they have a signature scent. For those of you guys who have gone to Disney a lot, you probably already know this, but if you're new to going to Disney, you might notice as you go to the different resorts that each of the resorts have a different signature scent. So the Polynesian has a signature scent, Grand Floridian, Beach Club, on and on. They all have a signature scent. Now, my favorite is at the Beach Club, and their scent is called Green Clover and Aloe. It smells like a beach, but it's just really clean, fresh, and crisp. You can actually get that same scent by resellers. Etsy is a great resource for finding this. You can get essential oils in the green clover and aloe. Also, Scent HD, it is a company that makes a air freshener that you can plug in and it comes with a cartridge and your house will smell like Disney. So that's one way you can bring the magic of Disney home. What does remind you of Walt Disney World? Is it the pineapple Dole Whip? I've seen pineapple Dole Whip candles. And did you know you can actually buy the pineapple Dole Whip from the grocery store now, which is another great way to bring it home. So let's just go through all of our senses here. So you walk in the Disney park, you take in the scent. Maybe it's green clover and aloe. Maybe it's chocolate chip cookies baking on Main Street. Recreate that in your home. Recreate that smell of Disney. Now let's move on to taste. How much fun is it after a run Disney race to enjoy one of the Disney parks snacks like a Mickey pretzel, Dole Whip, turkey leg, any of those fun snacks that they have. So bring it home. Treat yourself to one of those Disney treats that you would get in the park. Now, let's engage our sight. What are we seeing at Disney? Of course, it's beautiful with the decorations and the Mickeys, all of that. Oh my gosh, you can recreate that in your home. But one way to do it from the running perspective is, I mentioned the toolkit that Disney will send you. They will send you mile markers that you can actually print out. You can put them at the different places where you're going to reach mile one, two, three, et cetera. And you can have those in the ground. They are branded with Disney. And when you run by, you'll know what mile marker you're at. And it's just a fun way to celebrate that They also have bibs that you can print. So you can put your bib on. You'll have a race number and it will be branded with the Disney theme. Coming up for Christmas, you're going to have the Muppets on your bib. I bet. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm betting that's what's going to be on there. What makes you smile? Just think about when you're at Disney, what are the things that you like? What makes you smile? What makes you happy? Recreate that in your own space. Now for sound, I got you covered because I have a special Disney playlist I curated. I pulled out songs you're going to see. You'll go to the toolkit. I have a QR code. You can scan that. You can go to Spotify. I'll have a link in the show notes as well. I have carefully curated this playlist to be not only Disney songs, but you are going to feel like you are in the parks. And I did theme the playlist after our summer virtual race series, which we have, and I'll talk about that a little bit later about the different characters and what we have going on from that perspective.

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Now here's the best part. As for sound, I have got you

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covered with a special Disney curated playlist I created on Spotify and have available for you to download. There's a QR code in the toolkit, and I'll also have a link in the show notes, and you are going to love this playlist because not only have I pulled out Disney songs, but I have pulled them out to match the theme of the Summer Run Disney Virtual Series. Now, even though that challenge is officially over, there is nothing holding you back from running those three Ks in your neighborhood this summer and holding out for the medals for when you sign up for that Muppet virtual race. But you can go ahead and do these 5Ks, listen to the playlist, and let me tell you a little bit about this virtual series that happened this summer. So the first race was seen after Pirates of the Caribbean. So it's a Pirates of the Caribbean 5K, and I have some yo-ho-ho special songs on the playlist for you on that. The other one is Jungle Cruise. And so there's some fun Jungle Cruise songs on there as well. And then Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is the third 5K. If you do all three, you can get the Happily Ever After Challenge medal. So just think about that a little bit. And that is a preview into what might be on your Spotify playlist when you hit that download. Now, in regard to touch, this might be your favorite running outfit, a theme shirt, which you can order from Etsy or even your medal at the end. And the best part of doing these virtual run series is that you can do all this without any fear of judgment. Many new runners feel nervous about joining running groups or going to a gym, and the virtual series gives you the privacy and freedom to celebrate on your own terms. To make this super easy for you, I put together a free virtual race magic toolkit with everything you need to engage all of your senses. You're going to have the playlist, costume ideas. I even have special You know, Scrooge is one of my favorite characters from Disney. I really loved him in Mickey's Christmas Carol. I know he's not a lovable character, but I always had an affinity for him. Anyways, that brings me to our second one, which is to be Scrooge savvy. You can save a ton of money without sacrificing the magic because let's be real, traveling to a run Disney event at the parks can be really expensive. Between flights, hotels, park tickets, meals, and the race registration itself, it can easily run into the thousands. But with a virtual series, you get to skip the airfare, skip the hotel, you don't have to take any vacation days off work, and you can still get the official Disney medals, the race swag, and that incredible sense of accomplishment. Plus, you'll have control over how much you spend to make your race day feel special. If you want to splurge on a themed running outfit, do so. Go to Etsy, pick something out. There are such cute ideas, or you can even make it yourself. You can also put together different pieces like from Amazon and do Disney bounding. You can also invite your friends and family to join in and cheer you on without having to ask them to travel. Having your friends and family cheer you on at Disney is very difficult. I don't know if any of you guys have tried to have a attend and cheer you on on the sidelines, but at Disney, it is very difficult because you typically have to pay for an extra cheer package. If you're doing it at home, of course, no extra expense and your friends can just walk down the road and cheer you on there. In the virtual race magic toolkit, I've also included a lot of budget-friendly ideas on how to bring the magic of Disney home from DIY metal displays to low-cost costume hacks that feel like the splurge without a splurge. As a running community, we have a responsibility to recognize that running is a privileged activity. And I really want to make sure that running is accessible to anyone who wants to get out there and run. While running has been positioned by some as a low-entry sport with only needing to purchase a pair of shoes to hit the pavement, it can also be costly. And like anything else, there's a lot of variability in the sport and can be as expensive or inexpensive as one makes it. But if you're considering running at a run Disney event, a lot of money is at stake. So let's talk numbers here, okay? Running at the parks is magical, but it is quite an investment. Let's just take a look at some of the races that are going on and what the costs are. Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, the most popular race that Disney has, is held every January. The 5K and the 10K are pretty reasonable at$112 and$155 each, respectively. The half marathon's$2.24 and the marathon's only$2 more and$26. Don't know what makes that$2 difference, but that's okay. Now here's where we get up in costs. The goofy challenge is$442 and the dopey challenge, hold on to your seats here,$688. That is only for the race. That is just for the race. That does not include your hotel, your airfare, your snacks, your merch, nothing. Now, as part of what you get when you sign up for a race, you get the t-shirts, medals, you get to participate in the run, you get a virtual kit. Those are the basics of what you get. But you're not getting anything extra as far as getting to get into the parks. I know I've had a lot of questions about that on the Plan Disney panel around if you register for the race, do you get into the parks afterwards for free? And the answer is no. You still have to buy park tickets. You still have to buy your resort stay. For those who are new to Disney races, the Goofy Challenge is where you get to run the half marathon which takes place on saturday and then the full marathon that takes place on sunday and you have a total of 39.3 miles over two day period it's a really fun challenge and you end up getting three medals because you get the medal for the half the medal for the full and then you get a goofy medal for doing both races now the dopey challenge is the 5k 10k marathon and the full marathon which are all consecutive days and that's why it's 688 dollars I have done the Dopey Challenge and I've done the Goofy Challenge. And they're fun. They are certainly something if you want to challenge your body and your mind to a physical and mental feat, that is very challenging. It is a great way to just push yourself and do something really fun. The medals, of course, are amazing. With the Dopey Challenge, you're getting the 5K medal, the 10K medal, the half marathon medal, the full marathon medal. You also get the Goofy medal and you get the Dopey medal. I mean, that's incredible. It's a lot of medals. And if it's a bucket list item for you, I highly encourage it. It's definitely a fun experience, but it's not cheap. And I did the Dopey Challenge only one time. And it's not because I'm not interested in pushing my body to those limits again. I would actually really love to do that challenge again. But the problem is not only the cost of the challenge, but you're adding additional hotel days and you're adding additional tickets to the parks because you're there at the park longer. So the costs just go up astronomical The Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend is held every October. The 5K is$120, 10K is$166. The half marathon is$257, and you can do the two-course challenge, which I do typically do, because if I'm going all the way down to Disney and investing the time and the money to do the race, I may as well do both the 10K and the half and do the two-course challenge, and that's$427. My favorite Disney race is the Disney Princess Half Marathon, and it's held every February on my birthday weekend, and I haven't got to do it two years in a row, and I I was not able to even make registration for this year, so I won't be doing it in 2026, but 2027, here I come. I really cannot wait to do that race again. Now, the Run Disney Springtime Surprise Weekend is actually coming up. And I have to say, the challenge is still open. Believe it or not. So this race is taking place April 17th through the 20th. And it is going to be held at Walt Disney World. There's a 5K, a 10K, a 10 miler, and then the challenge. If you do the 5K, the 10K, and the 10 miler, the challenge is$534. But again, you get that extra medal. It's a great experience. And it is nice. to run at Walt Disney World. But listen to this cost difference. So the virtual summer series that I just wrapped up and the one we're talking about here today, three 5Ks at$58 each. You can do the full challenge for$180. So you get four medals, a towel, and a pen, and the virtual race package. The price difference is tremendous. You can do all of those races. You're still getting the medals. You're getting the towel. You're getting the virtual toolkit. You can print the numbers. You can still feel a part of that run Disney community for$100. The price alone just is encouraging to do these virtual races. But I have eight reasons why virtual races are amazing. And this is only reason number two. But when we consider again the cost of going to Disney, you're also adding in the airfare, hotels, park tickets, meals, souvenirs. The average five-day Walt Disney World trip for one person, one person during a run Disney weekend can be between$1,500 and$4,000 for one person. For a family of four, you're looking at like$7,200 to$11,000, depending upon your choices. And really, it can go beyond, I mean,$11,000 plus, right? Because at Disney, you can make it as expensive as you want it, for sure. It's really expensive. And especially if you're traveling with your family. I have a lot of mom listeners here who doesn't want to bring their kids to Disney with them and have a whole family fun weekend running races and having the kids get to enjoy the parks as well. It just really adds up in cost. That's one huge benefit for the virtual race series. I mean, just the cost alone. So that's one thing to consider when you're thinking about it. Now, I will tell you again in the toolkit that I have, I do have some budget and savings planner items in there so you can estimate your total cost for your virtual And you can decide where to splurge and where to save. That makes it a little more accessible from a cost perspective by doing the virtual race. But I also want to talk to you about how the virtual race will save you time. So you can say poof to planning pressure because a third benefit of the Run Disney Virtual Series is you're going to save so much time. Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing like a trip to Walt Disney World. And as a planned Disney panel alumni, I love to plan. But vacations require park strategies, dining windows, Genie Plus, transportation, and 3 a.m. wake-up times. Actually, 2 a.m. You have to be on the bus at 3 a.m. for the Run Disney races. You have to be in the corral area by 4 a.m. I can do a whole other podcast on the lowdown of running a Run Disney race in person, but let me just say, when you're running it at home, you don't have to set your alarm for 2 a.m. I know firsthand how much effort goes into making a Disney vacation magical, but it's not the kind of trip you can just play by ear. You got to choose your parks. You got to book your dining in advance. You really need to map out each day in advance. You need to snag those lightning lane reservations, which usually require getting up really early the morning of your vacation to make those. And if you have kids, you know it's going to be even more work. You're juggling outfits, packing, transportation, entertainment bags, keeping everyone happy all while trying to figure out your race, all that mental energy to planning a vacation and what's your family going to do when you're running. I know that was a big one for me. I did a ton of run Disney races when my kids were little and I was always wondering how can they be entertained? I don't want them to miss anything as I'm out there running. So it's just a lot of work and all that mental energy could be going towards putting in time in your training hours, refining your run, defining your purpose, putting the attention on you and what you're doing for you because running should be the space and play for you, that you're doing something for your health, for yourself. Planning a whole Disney vacation, I mean, definitely for you if you like to go, but when you're doing it for a whole family, it can really kind of take away from some of that. So I will say with a virtual race, poof, planning pressure drops. No corrals, no buses, no family juggling act. You get to choose your date. You get to choose your start time, your route, your after party. You get all the magic without the mental load. And that is worth every penny within itself. To make it easier, the Virtual Race Magic Toolkit has checklists to save you time. I am a checklist girl. I have them in there to help you figure out what to lay out the night before, what to have ready the morning of, how to set up your route, and how to get to the finish line stress-free. Let's move on to the next benefit. And this, my friends, is the number one mistake that new Run Disney runners make. Fear of the Balloon Ladies Now listen, if you run a virtual race, you get to bust your fear of those balloon ladies because they're not even going to be on your radar because you're going to be in your neighborhood and there's going to be no ladies holding balloons making sure that you run a certain pace. If you've never done a Run Disney race before, here's a quick lowdown of what the balloon ladies are. Now the balloon ladies are volunteer pacers who start at the very back of the last corral and they carry big Mickey Mouse balloons. They maintain a steady 16-minute mile pace, and if you fall behind them, you risk being swept from the course. They're incredibly nice. Of course, they're wonderful, but people fear them because, basically, they can feel like the ticking clock for runners who are just starting out, coming back from an injury, or running for reasons that have nothing to do with speed, which a lot of us are. And that's one of our core values here at Mile Marker Matriarch. We run for purpose, not just pace. Traditional in-person events often center everything around pace. The corrals, minimum pace requirements, awards. It can feel like a real divide between faster runners and slower runners. I've even seen some online chatter about this tension in the online communities for Run Disney races. Some of you guys may have seen it as well. There's some runners who are scared of the balloon ladies and what they represent. There are some runners who, let's just say, maybe they run for pace. And that's okay. Everyone has a reason. And I'm not saying that if you're running for purpose, maybe your purpose is pace. That's fine. But not all of us have that. And I just think there's too much of an emphasis on speed, pace, fast, slow, and this definition of who's a real runner. And I want to take all of that away. Because if you run, you're a runner. You deserve to take up space. And I personally have experience being on a Run Disney course and running and seeing runners pass myself and a lot of other runners on the side, running on sidewalks, cutting people off. The last race, I saw this older woman and someone was running fast, tried to cut her off, cut her off too quickly, bumped into her and she fell and she hurt herself and she couldn't finish the race. I don't say that to scare anyone off, but I'm just saying there's no need to do that. I do another podcast on Run Disney Race I'll see you next time. But at Disney, let's just let everyone have the opportunity to be on the course, to run at a pace that is meant for them, and run for a purpose and whatever their purpose is. Don't put any pressure on them to be a certain pace. With a virtual series, that element disappears. There's no balloon that's chasing you. There's no fear of being swept. There's no pressure to match a certain pace. You get to focus entirely on your joy, your milestones, and your own reasons for running. So in the Virtual Race Toolkit, I do have that playlist to help you keep your energy up during the run. You can help find your natural rhythm because what I like to do is I like to time my steps and my rhythm and my pace to my music or how I'm feeling in the moment or how my body feels, not an arbitrary number on my garment. And I can help you do that. We're now gonna move on to our fifth reason on why running virtual races are more beneficial than running in person. And this one is a passion of mine because it's really what we're all about here at Mile Marker Matriarch. purpose over pace. Part of the reason I created my own marker matriarch is for women who run for purpose, not pace. There's nothing wrong with chasing a personal record or winning your age group. Our relationship with running is fluid, and there are seasons when speed is the goal. But there are also seasons where running is about carving out a little space for yourself amidst all the chaos of work, parenting, caregiving, volunteering, and all the other responsibilities we carry. Running for purpose means running to find yourself, to process life, to live more intentionally. It's not about competing against others. It's about challenging yourself to become the best version of you. And here's the thing. Our purpose isn't static. It evolves. I didn't start running with a deep purpose. I started because I wanted to lose weight. And I remember the exact moment when I decided to start running. I was about 220 pounds. I didn't feel good in my body. And I wanted to lose weight to feel better about myself. And I... didn't want to exercise at all. I was trying to figure out how I could lose weight just through diet alone. And I was looking things up and everywhere I looked said that exercise was an important part of the equation. So I acquiesced and said, fine, fine, I'll do an exercise. I hated all exercise. I failed PE every year in elementary school. So I decided, okay, I'm gonna do the exercise that just burns the most calories because that would be the most efficient and I can do it for less time and get more bang for the buck. And I went in the book and I looked in the little table, they had a little table chart that showed the different exercises and I saw running and running burned the most calories in an hour. So I said, that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna start running. And that was my reason. And even though I started to lose weight, what I gained was my self-worth. I gained my passion. I gained purpose in life. And I gained knowing who I truly am. And that's better than anything I lost. So maybe you already know your purpose. Or maybe you're running to find it. Or maybe you're not sure why you run, but you know there's something beyond the horizon. There's something more. And that's why you're here. You want to live a purpose-filled life. You run for meaning more than miles.

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So I have a challenge for you.

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The next time you go out for a run, I want you to set your intention. I would love for you to set an intention before every run you have. Ask yourself, what do I want this run to stand for? Maybe it's resilience. Maybe it's rest. Maybe it's release. Ground it in your lived experience because your body holds the truth. And after you run, take a moment to reflect and journal about it. I'll have some journal prompts for you in the toolkit. And I want you to really take some time and think about what is your purpose? Why are you running? Go deeper. Go deeper than the surface level. Why? Why are you running? To exercise. Okay. Why are you exercising? To lose weight. Well, why do you want to lose weight? I mean, ask yourself these questions. Really peel back the layers and what you will find is your true purpose. And I promise running will help you get there. And if you don't know today, that's okay. And if you don't know tomorrow, you may not know for several weeks, months, even years. But I promise you, you will find your purpose through running. Intentional

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running will change your life. Moving into the sixth benefit of

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running a virtual race is that you can reclaim your space and place. Now here's where I'm gonna geek out a little bit and I'm gonna bridge scholarship with my everyday lived experience. Doreen Massey is a scholar who studies space, place, and gender, and she posits that space and place are socially constructed, dynamic, and interconnected. In other words, space isn't just physical, it's rhetorical, it's political, and it's gendered. And as women, the freedom to move through public space is often shaped and oftentimes also limited by social constructs. Think about it. There's places that women can't go, not as freely as men. It may not be off limits, but surely there are places where women are not as welcomed. Running gives us the opportunity to reclaim that space as an act of resistance. I believe in quiet activism through running, which I have a video on that up on my YouTube channel. I'll drop a link in the show notes. Simply the act of running through space and place as a woman, you are reclaiming that space and you are able to put your stamp on that. And when you're doing it through running, you can do that as an active point of resistance. So with quiet activism, for example, if you take a look at my profile picture on mile marker matriarch, I'm running with a shirt that says feminist and I'm I'm wearing a race tutu and it's rainbow colored and I'm running a Disney, my favorite place in the world. And that to me is quiet activism because what I'm saying through my shirt, I am for women. I stand up for women's rights, all women. That is the core of my beliefs. I am advocating for every woman by being out here. My tutu, I wear that as an act of resistance because oftentimes in sport, And I'll get into dress in a little bit, but women are discouraged from wearing things that are feminine because running is typically a masculine sport, right? So I think a lot of people look down on women who are wearing tutus while running as being frivolous. But what I'm saying is we get to reclaim that space because just because a tutu is feminine does not mean it is not serious, that it's not meant for running, right? We can reclaim that as an act of resistance. And I do that by wearing it in the race. Let's also talk about safety for a minute because we can't talk about reclaiming space without talking about safety. Nearly 46% of female runners experience harassment while running. Half of us, I think it's even more than that, to be honest, but the statistics show half of us are harassed while running compared to only 17% of male runners. I mean, that's not surprising. Women are 2.6 times more likely to be harassed while out on a run. You don't have to look very far to believe that. We should not be scared to go out in our own neighborhood because we're going to be harassed while we're out running. And women are not being harassed because they're doing something wrong. It's because of how our culture polices women's bodies and movement. And here's where I feel strongly. We need to stop telling women that the answer is to carry pepper spray, especially when companies are pinking it and shrinking it to make it cute or dainty. Listen, I love pink. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love pink. But women's safety is no laughing matter. Safety gear should empower, not patronize. We shouldn't be not going for a run because we're scared of being harassed or buying a pink pepper spray to protect ourselves. We need to be holding those who are doing the harassing accountable It's not acceptable. That said, part of reclaiming space is making intentional, empowered choices about where and how we move through it. For some, that might mean choosing a well-lit route, running with a friend, or carrying a safety device that makes you feel confident. You can keep your music low so you can be aware of your surroundings. Safety isn't fear, it's agency, and you get to define what that looks like for you. Unfortunately, we're not in a place in society where we can say we can just throw all that to abandon and run like men. I wish we could. But we do have to keep our own safety in mind. But I do want to put a call out there for everyone. If you see a woman running in a sports bra, that's not for you. She's not doing that for you. She's doing that because it's hot. So please refrain from beeping your horn or yelling. No woman has been honked at while running and turned around and been like, oh my gosh, I met the love of my life. It's just not going to happen. Okay, moving on. In practice, reclaiming space could mean also walking into a gym full of gym bros and hopping on a treadmill without letting that male-dominated atmosphere intimidate you. It might mean running past the cars, revving engines and honking horns without shrinking in your stride. It's jogging through your own neighborhood and redefining that sidewalk as a place where you matter. You are allowed to take up space. You run on that sidewalk. Don't hop off. You run on that street. That is made for you. You are able to run there and don't let anyone tell you that you can't. And I've said before, the streets we run become our sites of memory, ritual, and reclamation. And the virtual race gives you both the freedom to choose those spaces intentionally and make every mile personal and intentional for you. I also want to add that when running in races in person, there's also a lot of embedded meaning there. And so I want you to think about what that means for you in your own neighborhood and how that space can really mean something different based on where you are at the time. Just to give you an example, when I'm out with my kids and we're driving around, I'll point at streets and say, oh, I ran there. I did a race that ran past this street. I just did that today. We were in a neighborhood we don't typically go in. And I said, I know this street. I ran the hot chocolate 15K around here. Place and space can mean something different based on where we are. You can make that meaning something that is important to you, intentional for you. So you get to map your own meaning into your space and place. Now let's move on to number seven, something I love, which is express with dress. Now the seventh benefit of running a Run Disney Virtual Race is you get to express yourself fully through what you wear without worrying about what anyone else thinks. Let's continue the scholarly conversation. So in my dissertation, which you can download on Tiger Prince for free if you were interested... It's called Princesses, Divas, and Mother Runners. So I have been studying running, women's running, and in particular, looking at the gendered institutional and vernacular rhetorics for women's running for years. This has been my dorky geek out moment here. And given that I've explored how gender rhetoric and running intersect, I can really help bring these to life in the everyday lived experience because I'm also out there on the road doing this every day. And one area in particular that I find very interesting is how runners express their identity through public embodiment like race day clothing. So Carol Madeline does some research on how women's dress are rhetorical acts. I extend this into running. I'm contributing to the conversation that scholars have on dress, in particular, regendering the delivery through dress, which is Carol Madeline's work. And I explore how we do that in running. So again, I'm going to bring up the tutu. The tutu is more than just fashion. It's a rhetorical act. And yet critics have dismissed them for being frivolous or silly. Self Magazine publicly mocked a runner for wearing a tutu during a race, calling it a racing tutu epidemic. Later on, it was revealed that the lady who was wearing the tutu is a cancer survivor. She was in the midst of going through chemotherapy, running a marathon while in the midst of her chemotherapy, and she was raising money for Girls on the Run. And the tutu was a part of what she was doing for her advocacy for that organization, which Girls on the Run is an amazing organization. But here's the thing. Even if she wasn't a cancer survivor or raising money, every runner should feel empowered to wear what she wants that makes her feel strong, that brings her joy, and that is authentic to her. For me, race clothing is a passion topic and a personal form of quiet activism. If you've seen my Instagram profile picture, you know, the one of me running a Walt Disney World in a rainbow-colored tutu and a shirt that says feminist in the friend's font, that outfit embodies my core values. Some may take a look at that picture and think I'm being frivolous. They may laugh at the tutu or think I'm being opportunist by wearing a shirt that says feminist or even silly because it's feminist in the friend's font. But this outfit represents my advocacy for women's rights to express themselves and embrace femininity as a source of strength, not weakness. The rainbow colors, they stand for my advocacy of LGBTQ rights and the inclusion of all women, trans and cis, of all gender identities, all sexual identities, and all expressions in the sport of running. So if you want to wear a tutu, wear the fucking tutu. If you want a costume, sparkle skirt, or shirt that makes a statement, do it. This is your race, your body, and your message. think about what makes you feel fierce or what makes you feel playful or powerful or all three. And you wear what empowers you and inspires you to get on the road and fuck what anyone else thinks. Moving on to reason number eight on why virtual races are so beneficial are meaningful medals. Now, some people say if you run for you, if you run for purpose over pace, why do you need the medal? I'll tell you why. The medal isn't just a painted chunk of metal with a ribbon. It's a material representation of something deeper. It's the proof of the miles you ran, the early mornings you pushed yourself out of bed, the hard workouts you didn't want to do. You didn't think you could finish, but your determination carried you to the finish line. If you've been to an in-person Run Disney race, you know the magic of the medal moment. Maybe it's the end of the dopey or goofy challenge. You see the runners limping around with that foil blanket wrapped around their shoulders and that crinkling sound of walking with that foil blanket while clutching a banana in one hand and just sawing another with your fingers that are numb from the lack of circulation. Taking awkward steps to reduce further chafing. heading towards those Run Dizzy snack boxes that are filled with tortilla chips and that artificial cheese that really nothing tastes better when you dig into it on the bus back to the hotel. And for the first time in miles, your headphones are off, your legs aren't churning, and you soak in the cacophony of the after-race walk back to the bus or car. If you've been to an in-person Run Dizzy race, you know the magic of the medal moment. Maybe it's at the end of the dopey or goofy challenge when runners are limping with a foil blanket wrapped around their shoulders. You hear the crinkling of the blankets, the clutching of banana in one hand, the sun in Wadi in the other. Fingers are numb from a lack of circulation. They take awkward steps to reduce further chafing and head towards those run-disease snack boxes filled with those tortilla chips, that little artificial cheese packet that tastes so damn good on the bus on the way back to the resort. And for the first time in miles, the headphones are off, your legs aren't churning, and you soak in the cacophony of the after-race walk back to the car. And that sound, the weight around your neck, it hits you. You did it. You. You doubted yourself. You trained, but you worried. You put in the work. And I know this because I see you. I see how you embody strength and resilience. I see you out there training in the early morning, in the dark. running at 4 a.m. before work, squeezing in a run during the hottest part of the day between your daughter's soccer practice and dinner with your in-laws. I hear you on the treadmill next to me, pounding away with AirPods in your ears and your baby in the on-site nursery. I see you. I understand you. And I and the entire Mile Marker Matriarch community support you. You've put in the miles and you've done the work, and you deserve the fucking medal to celebrate it. And whether you're celebrating your first time crossing the 5K threshold or use the 5K distance as part of your marathon training plan, you deserve the medal. And why should you not get to experience holding a medal, which is the material representation of your efforts? From a material rhetoric's perspective, the medal holds so much more meaning than a chunk of metal with a ribbon attached. The medal holds layered meaning. Material rhetorics explore how material objects, experiences, and environments shape our meaning of the world around us. The materiality of a race medal is layered and rich. It might represent the space you carved out for yourself, the healing you experienced, or the agency that you claimed. Whatever it represents for you, you wear it with pride. This is not a participation award. This is the physical embodiment of your purpose and perseverance. In the magical toolkit I created, I have some ideas for displaying your medal so it becomes a daily reminder of your strength and the story behind it. because remember, you deserve it. Now as a bonus, the running community between Run Disney, now whether you're doing a virtual race, you're doing in person, the Run Disney running community is absolutely amazing and wildly supportive. I mentioned there's a little bit of a conversation between fast runners and slow runners, but really that kind of dies down the background because the heart of the community are the Run Disney runners who support each other. who share their experiences, who share their training, the tears, the laughter, the triumph. We all share that together. And here at Mile Marker Matriarch, our community is filled with fellow matriarchs who are cheering you on. You can share your start line, your finished photo, your middle moment, lessons learned. You tag the community, we can cheer you on. When we run together, even virtually, our miles gain meaning. Now, while the 2025 Run Disney Virtual Summer Series is wrapping up, I mentioned that coming next week, so August 19th, you can register for that Run Disney Virtual 12Ks of Christmas, which are celebrating the Muppets' 70th anniversary. Don't forget, you can create that race day magic anywhere you are, and your pace does not define your purpose. Your routes, your outfits, your medals, they all tell a story, and you, you get to choose what you want to say. Now you get to grab that virtual race magic toolkit from the show notes or on milemarkermatrix.com, watch the YouTube medal review, and tell me what spoke to you the most. Season two is coming in hot. We are bridging scholarship with lived experience and diving into embodiment and mindset and reframing running as reclamation. I want you to follow, rate, and share this episode with your running bestie, and let's grow this movement of women running for purpose. not pace. Whether you're running down Main Street or looping your neighborhood or logging treadmill miles near a basin while the laundry mocks you from the corner, remember this, running is yours. It's not just about the pace on your watch or the number on the leaderboard. It's about joy. It's about your purpose, the moment you claim for yourself. And the Run Disney Virtual Series, it's proof that magic doesn't require a plane ticket or a castle. Sometimes it's waiting for you right outside your door. So here's my challenge. I want you to pick one of these benefits that we talked about today and make it yours this week. Set an intention before your next run. Wear something that makes you feel unstoppable or reclaim a space that you didn't feel comfortable running in before. And if you do it, share it. Tag me on Instagram at milemarkermatrix so we can celebrate together. And if you love this episode, hit the follow button, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs a little magic in their miles. And don't forget to grab your free virtual race magic toolkits linked in the show notes for recipes, intention-setting prompts, and more ways to make your race unforgettable. Until next time, lace up, run for purpose, and remember, every mile is a milestone, and you, my friend, are a major of your own story. The Mile Marker Matrix podcast is written and produced and hosted by Stacey Cacciatore. All content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical, nutritional, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified health professional before starting any training program or making changes to your health routine. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without written permission from the host. All trademarks or brand names mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only. This podcast is not a Affiliated with or endorsed by Run Disney or the Walt Disney World Company.