Fairy tale wins at the 10th annual Disney Princess Half Marathon
A runner from Spain won the men’s division of the Princess Half-Marathon at Disney World and a former Indiana State runner won the women’s division this weekend.
Victor Da Costa Mendoza finished the 10th annual Disney Princess Half Marathon in 1:19:03. For Da Costa Mendoza, who’s visiting Disney World on vacation, said today is about more than winning. “It’s about having fun, honestly,” he said. “I won it, but it’s not about winning, it’s about having fun.”
Crossing the line after Mendoza was Mark Ruhsam of Orlando (1:27:26) and Zachary Thomas of Austin, Texas (1:28:49).
Dani Cook, of Fort Collins, Colorado, was the top female finisher with a time of 1:20:31. The former Indiana State runner and trained athlete started off the race running alongside her sister-in-law. Cook was followed by Natasha Baskin from Montverde, Florida (1:22:52) and Elle Ellender from Hilton Head, South Carolina (1:24:38).
“To see a lot of women, feel empowered and triumph for the first time, and to have that comradery out there, really empowers you while you’re running the race,” Cook said.
More than 53,800 runners participated in the largest women-focused running event in the country. In addition to the half marathon, the race weekend included a 5K, 10K and Kid’s Races.
