Nick Arciniaga Wins First-Ever Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend at the Disneyland Resort

The Force was strong with Nick Arciniaga this morning at the inaugural Star Wars Half Marathon presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation at the Disneyland Resort. The Fountain Valley, Calif. native made the jump to hyperspace to win with a time of 1:08:13. Jennifer Berry, 34, of Denver, blasted across the finish line as the female winner with a personal record of 1:22:34. Both athletes won the 2014 Disneyland Half Marathon, and Berry was also the top female finisher at the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon this year at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Arciniaga and Berry outran a galaxy of more than 12,200 runners in the new 13.1-mile intergalactic journey through Disneyland Resort and Anaheim area streets where a variety of Disney entertainment, including Star Wars characters, cheered on runners at every mile.

More than 23,000 runners started races during the four-day event weekend, which included a variety of race experiences for all levels, from Padawans to Jedi Masters – the runDisney Kids Races, the Star Wars 5K, the Star Wars 10K and the Star Wars Half Marathon. And for an ultimate test for Star Wars rebels, there was the Star Wars Rebel Challenge – a two-race challenge that combined the Star Wars 10K on Saturday with the Star Wars Half Marathon on Sunday. Jedi runners who finished the 19.3-mile challenge earned a special Star Wars Rebel Challenge finisher medal in addition to medals for the 10K and half marathon.