Glass Slipper Challenge
19-Week Glass Slipper
Challenge Training Plan
The 10K on Saturday. The Half Marathon on Sunday. The Glass Slipper Challenge is the most ambitious event on the Princess Weekend calendar — and the most rewarding.
This 19-week plan prepares you for both races with back-to-back weekend training, 64 structured sessions, and Magic Mile pace tests to track your progress throughout.
19
weeks
64
sessions
3
days/week
Free
no paywall
What makes this plan different
The Glass Slipper Challenge isn't just two races — it's a weekend where your legs have to perform twice. The plan is built around that specific challenge.
Back-to-back weekends
From week 9, every weekend has two runs: a longer Saturday run and a shorter Sunday run. Your legs learn to go again the next morning.
More volume than the Half
64 sessions versus 57 for the standalone Half Marathon. The extra sessions build the base and endurance the double-race weekend demands.
Magic Mile tracking
Periodic one-mile time trials show your pace improving across all 19 weeks, giving you confidence heading into both races.
Plan breakdown
Three training days per week. Back-to-back sessions begin in week 9 and build to simulate race weekend conditions.
Weeks 1–4
Building the foundation
Establish consistent three-day training weeks. Easy effort sessions focus on building the habit and recovering well between runs.
Weeks 5–8
Adding volume
Midweek sessions introduce cadence drills and hills. Long run distances on Saturdays begin to grow. First Magic Mile benchmark.
Weeks 9–13
Back-to-back begins
The Saturday long run is now followed by a Sunday recovery run. This is where the Challenge plan diverges most clearly from the standard half marathon plan.
Weeks 14–17
Peak training
Your hardest weeks. Back-to-back sessions are at their longest. The plan has built you specifically for this load — trust what you've done.
Weeks 18–19
Taper and race weekend
Reduced volume arrives to let your body rest and peak for race weekend. Saturday is the 10K. Sunday is the Half Marathon.
Common questions
- What is the Glass Slipper Challenge?
- The Glass Slipper Challenge is a runDisney event where you run the Princess 10K on Saturday and the Princess Half Marathon on Sunday across the same race weekend. Finish both and you receive the Glass Slipper Challenge medal in addition to your individual race medals.
- How is the Glass Slipper Challenge plan different from the Half Marathon plan?
- The Glass Slipper Challenge plan has 64 sessions compared to 57 for the standalone Half Marathon. It includes slightly higher midweek volume and a longer back-to-back training block to prepare you for running two races in two days. The taper is also structured to keep you sharp for Saturday without compromising Sunday.
- What are back-to-back sessions?
- Back-to-back sessions are consecutive weekend runs — a longer run on Saturday followed by a shorter run on Sunday. They train your body to perform on already-tired legs, which is the defining challenge of the Glass Slipper Challenge race weekend.
- What is the runDisney time limit for the Glass Slipper Challenge?
- Both races use a 16-minute-per-mile (approximately 10-minute-per-kilometre) time limit. The Glass Slipper Challenge is open to all pace groups — thousands of runners complete it every year across a wide range of speeds.
- Do I need to have run a half marathon before attempting the Glass Slipper Challenge?
- Not necessarily, but some running experience is important. If you have completed a 10K and have 19 weeks available, the plan builds you toward both distances. Complete beginners should consider starting with the 5K or 10K plan first.
Ready to earn the medal?
Create your free account, enter your race weekend date, and your 19-week Challenge plan is built automatically. No download, no credit card.
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