Plan ahead now if you have Disney's World Marathon Weekend in mind for January. The Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will be the stage for a 4 day running festival planned to take place between 7th and 10th January 2010. Taking alongside the running events is a health and fitness expo or exhibition. With an accent on family fun, the marathon weekend runs start on Friday with a short 5 kilometer race for all the family.

The route for the marathon distance event of 26.2 miles takes in all four of the main Disney resorts, winding its way first through Epcot, followed by the Magic Kingdom Park, then Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios and finally back to Epcot for the finish. The entry fee for the main race is not cheap at 125 US dollars, but competitors are promised an amazing event in true Disney style and will also receive a commemorative Champion Race T-shirt and Kodak single-use camera.

Registration for the marathon is already open and places are proving very popular. The main event was already over 85 percent taken up when we last checked. In 2009 all the marathon places were taken up and the organisers are expecting a repeat of the 80,000 participants that took part in previous editions of the weekend, making this one of the biggest events to happen in central Florida.

For anyone not satisfied with the challenge of running just a full marathon, the weekend also includes a double-race competition entitled Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge. In this event runners take part in the half-marathon race on the Saturday followed by the full marathon on the Sunday. That makes a total of almost 40 miles of running over two days and those completing will be honoured with the, apparently coveted, Goofy medal.

The weekend sounds like a perfect excuse for a sporting family to take an early season flights to Sandford and make use of the warmer Florida weather for some winter activity.