A few months ago, we heard a rumor that Disney would be hosting a Star Wars Marathon, but days turned into weeks and then months and nothing ever happened...until last week when we finally got the official announcement.

I'm lucky enough to be an annual passholder for Disney World and because of this, I was able to register early for what will be the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend taking place at Disneyland in California January 15-18, 2015. Early registration sold out in just a few hours, so I can only imagine how fast general registration will go once launched on Tuesday, June 10 at 12:00pm (EDT).

After making sure everything had gone through with my registration for the actual races, I looked at what you get for participating in each event. Of course, as with any race, there are medals for finishing, but for this particular event...you receive Star Wars medals and who doesn't want those?

First up are the runDisney Kids Races with a $20.00 entry fee:

•12 months and under - Diaper Dash for crawlers
•1-3 years old - 100m dash
•4-6 years old - 200m dash
•7-8 years old - 400m dash

All finishers will receive a runDisney Kids Races T-shirt and a Kids Race Finisher medallion.

The shortest non-kids race is the Star Wars 5K presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation with a $70 entry fee and available to all ages which takes place on that Friday. All finishers receive a 5k t-shirt and 5k finisher medallion.

On Saturday, the Star Wars 10K presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation with a $105.00 entry fee, available to runners 10 years of age and up, will take place with all finishers receiving a Long-Sleeved Tech Shirt and a 10K Finisher medal.

The longest race is the Star Wars Half Marathon presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation with a $195.00 entry fee which will be run on that Sunday. This will be a 13.1 mile race through Disneyland and Disney California Adventure with all sorts of Star Wars characters cheering you on available to runners 14 years of age and up. For finishing this race, you will receive Long-Sleeved Tech Shirt and a Commemorative Finisher Medal.

Now...for those that need something a little more, Disney is offering up the Star Wars Rebel Challenge presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation with a $320.00 entry fee, which consists of both the 10k on Saturday and the Half Marathon on Sunday, available to runners 14 years of age and up. Upon completing both races (19.3 miles), you will receive a Long-Sleeved Tech Shirt for the Half Marathon, 10K and Star Wars Rebel Challenge in addition to a Special Star Wars Rebel Challenge Finisher Medal, along with Star Wars Half Marathon and Star Wars 10K Finisher Medals. Just to recap, you could walk away with four Star Wars medals and the only way you can get them is by running!

Why do I get the feeling that because of this event, we are going to see a lot of Star Wars fans start exercising more and really make an effort to put themselves in a position to participate? What a great thing!

Finally, if you are running in any of these events, Disney also gives you the opportunity to purchase a Commemorative 5k, 10k, Half Marathon and Rebel Challenge pin for $16.15 each, a Half Marathon Necklace for $23.71 and Kids Races Mickey Ears for $15.07.

For those that would prefer to comfortably cheer on their family and friends who are running, Disney is also offering four different ChEAR Squad Packages including Bronze (Complementary), Silver ($45.00), Gold ($69.00) & Platinum ($99.00).

If you come into town early, you can also take part in the Star Wars Wookiee Welcome Party at $99.00 per person the night before the 5k which includes:

•Private Party in Tommorrowland
•Character Meet & Greets with Star Wars Characters and Classic Disney Characters in Star Wars Outfits
•Entertainment
•Dessert Reception
•Select Attractions open including Space Mountain and Star Tours – The Adventures Continues, Astro Orbitor, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster

There is a handy countdown clock for this event posted on the runDisney website here. Also, be sure to check out the training programs and tips available for free from Olympic runner Jeff Galloway. These could prove to be most helpful in your preparation if you choose to accept the challenge!

Well, there you have it folks. Are you willing to run a marathon to add these exclusive items to your collection? There's plenty of time to prepare and thank the Maker they didn't decide to hold this event during Celebration Anaheim!