Costa wins Walt Disney World Marathon again

© Preston C. Mack/WDW Photo Fredison Costa crosses the finish line at the Walt  Disney World Marathon.

Brazilian runner Fredison Costa went on to win his fourth Walt Disney World Marathon in the past five years and his second in a row.

Costa is very familiar with Disney World since he has moved to Orlando and trains at at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World. He topped his winning time last year and finished in 2:18:06.

Trindade Mateus came in second with Joao Fonseca third and perennial Disney Marathon champion Adriano Bastos was fourth

Giovanna Martins of Brazil was the top female winner, finishing in 2:50:20. “I’m a teacher of disabled and underprivileged children (in Brazil) who dream about Mickey Mouse and love him as much as I do,’’ Martins said through an interpreter, “so this was a dream come true.’’

Martins was never challenged down the stretch. Neither was Costa, 37, who won by more than four minutes.

In the wheelchair division, Robert Kozarek of Urbana, Ill., repeated as the men’s champion (1:57:35). Perennial winner Jacqui Kapinowski of Tesqesta, Fla., won the women’s division (2:39:04).

More than 26,700 runners competed in the Disney Marathon presented by Cigna on Sunday. More than 7,600 of those runners ran in all four weekend events – the 5K, the 10K, the half marathon and the marathon, completing the popular “Dopey Challenge’’ (48.6 miles).

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is the first race in the 2015 runDisney series, which includes eight weekend events at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Next up in the runDisney series is the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation at Disneyland Resort, Jan. 15-18, 2018.