Back-to-back title winners dominate Disney’s 10-miler race
Nolan McKenna of Chicago and Emily Hensel of Mars, Pennsylvania, both repeated as winners of the Hakuna Matata 10-Miler at Walt Disney World on Sunday.
McKenna crossed the finish line in 54 minutes and 39 seconds, improving upon his winning time from the previous year by 10 seconds. He attributed his swifter pace to enhanced training, remarking on the magical experience of running through the Disney parks. “Once you do one runDisney race, you’re hooked,” McKenna said, planning to celebrate his win by exploring EPCOT with his wife.
In a closely contested race, Hensel completed the course in 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 26 seconds, outpacing her previous year’s time. She expressed elation at achieving victory for the second consecutive year, emphasizing her love for both running and the Disney experience.
It’s like a dream come true,’’ Hensel said after the win. “I absolutely love running. I love Disney. I love coming here with my family. And they were all hoping I would cross first since we came down here, so it just feels amazing that I was able to do it two years in a row.’’
The wheelchair division saw Linden Williamson of Seguin, Texas, and Nicholas McCoy of Boerne, Texas, emerge as the top female and male finishers, respectively.
Participants traversed through EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, encountering iconic Disney attractions and characters along the route, offering a unique pre-park-opening experience.
The Hakuna Matata 10-Miler served as the culminating event of the runDisney SpringTime Surprise Weekend, which featured various races, a yoga event, and a post-event celebration at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park. The event marked the conclusion of the runDisney race season, with the anticipation building for the upcoming Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend slated for Sept. 5-8.
