RunDisney Star Wars Medals

I love all things Disney – it even got me interested in running! I had long admired my US friends running the Run Disney events at the parks, but when they launched Star Wars race events, I knew I wanted to go!

I was able to attend the Star Wars Light Side Half Marathon Weekend 2016 at Disneyland, and have just returned from the Star Wars Rival Run Half Marathon Weekend 2019 at Walt Disney World – and now have 11 Run Disney medals of my very own – including the Kessel Run Challenge!

I came home with an awesome haul of medals this year – in addition to the usual race medals, I also completed the Rival Run Challenge (10K and Rival Run Half Marathon) and the Kessel Run Challenge (Virtual Half Marathon and Rival Run Half Marathon).

The first medal of the 2019 Rival Run weekend was the Virtual Half Marathon medal – having completed this run at home prior to the event, I picked up my medal from the Run Disney race expo. This is the heaviest of all my medals, it is really thick!

I must note, this is not how my medal originally looked – it had a red enamel ‘eye’ detail, which fell out as soon as I took my medal out of the packaging! I was sad at first, but it doesn’t affect the look too much, and I don’t really want to replace ‘my’ medal, it is what it is, and it’s still very special to me.

The first race event of the Rival Run 2019 weekend was of course the 5K – the medal features Finn vs Captain Phasma, in a spilt design which is held together with a plate across the back. Captain Phasma’s side has a shiny silver finish with red and black enamel details, while Finn’s side has a matte brushed gunmetal finish.

While the 5K race is the shortest/easiest run of the Rival Run weekend, it was absolutely pouring with rain! The race was nearly cancelled due to electrical storms, but after nearly 2 hours waiting in buses, they finally started the race. It was hard running in such heavy rain, but looking back, it was a fun adventure, and something different from the other races.

The medal theme for the 10K race is Han Solo vs Boba Fett. This is a gold-toned medal, with blue enamel details for the text. The mdeal has matte and shiny finishes, to highlight the characters.

The Rival Run Half Marathon medal is my favourite of the race medals – not just the design, but it also has Rey! This medal features Rey vs Kylo, divided down the center with a white lightsaber-inspired detail.

Rey’s side is accented with a blue enamel background, while Kylo’s side has a red enamel background (and each side has black enamel starships).

As I signed up for the Rival Run Challenge, I also recieved the Challenge medal for completing the 10K and Half Marathon races. This is a spinner medal, with a split inner disc of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.

The spinner disc is divided into two parts, which spin independently of each other – you can have both sides of Vader’s helmet, both sides of Luke’s face, or half and half (I prefer half and half).

Last but certainly not least, the Kessel Run Challenge medal. I received this medal for completing the Virtual Half Marathon at home, and the Rival Run Half Marathon event at Walt Disney World.

I have wanted this medal since it was launched in 2016 – back then it was a ‘coast to coast’ style medal, awarded for finishing the Light Side Half Marathon at Disneyland, and the Dark Side Half Marathon at Walt Disney World. The events were three months apart, meaning two international trips.

Since Run Disney events are currently not being held at Disneyland, the Virtual Star Wars Half Marathon event replaces the Light Side Half Marathon – making it so much easier for international fans to achieve, with only one trip to a Disney Park required. While I am sad that the Run Disney events aren’t being held at Disneyland at the moment, I am so happy that I finally got my Kessel Run medal!

For completeness, here are my earlier Run Disney Star Wars medals.

My first ever Run Disney medal was the Star Wars Light Side 5K medal at the Disneyland event in 2016. Back then, the 5K medals were the rubber versions (the last time the Star Wars 5K medal was rubber, sigh) – a bit of a shame, but I still love it, it will always be my first medal.

The next event was the Light Side 10K, and my first Run Disney medal made with metal. I really love this design – a gunmetal silver crest with a rebel X-Wing fighter. No enamel details on this one, but the all-silver design really looks pretty.

My first big race medal, and my first ever half marathon – the Light Side Half Marathon! This medal resembles the ‘Yavin medal’ Princess Leia gives to Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in A New Hope. The shiny gold finish is just gorgeous, and features a yellow enamel ring around the outside with raised gold-tone text. It felt so good to get this at the finish line!

After finishing the Light Side Half Marathon, I also got the Rebel Challenge medal, for signing up for/completing the Light Side 10K and the Light Side Half Marathon. This is a spinner medal, with a circular inset disc – one side has a red Rebel ‘bird’ symbol, with the other side features R2-D2. I can’t decide which side I like best!

In early 2018, to replace the canceled Disneyland Star Wars races, Run Disney launched the Virtual Star Wars Half Marathon. The inaugural medal features Poe Dameron, with a little X-Wing fighter detail that slides up and down the right-hand side edge!

Living outside the US, it will be on only rare occasions I get the opportunity to earn Run Disney Star Wars medals at the race weekends at the parks, so I am so excited they have given fans around the world the chance to get involved and earn medals at home.

It’s so much fun to finally see all my Run Disney Star Wars medals all together! I love all the different medal designs, with the vibrant and detailed ribbons, I really hope I get the opportunity to add to this collection in the future.