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Paula Radcliffe to return as ambassador for Disneyland Paris’ Magic Run Weekend

British athlete Paula Radcliffe will return as an ambassador for Disneyland Paris’ Magic Run Weekend, alongside French wheelchair tennis player Michaël Jérémiasz.

The event will take place for the third year on the weekend of September 20-23, with 24,000 runners expected to take to the course.

The event will include a 5K, a 10K and a half marathon race, and will feature Disney, Star Wars and Marvel villains ‘chasing’ runners along the way.

Radcliffe and Jérémiasz both return after acting as ambassadors in 2017.

An additional element for the 2018 event is the 36K challenge, where participants will be awarded a special medal for completing all three distance races.

The routes will take runners around Disneyland Paris’ two parks, crossing the finish line at Walt Disney Studios Park.

Children as young as one can be involved, with the Magic Run Weekend’s 100m, 200m and 1K kids’ races on the Saturday.

“The Disneyland Paris Magic Run Weekend is a fantastic event bringing together sports and fun in a magical environment, and we are thrilled that it is returning for the third year,” said Peter Welch, Disney Destinations International’s vice-president of sales & marketing.

“With such a variety of runs from kids races to 5Ks, 10Ks and the half marathon itself, there is something for guests of all ages and running abilities, making it a weekend full of fun for the whole family.”

Last year’s Magic Run Weekend saw 20,030 runners from 40 different nationalities travel to Disneyland Paris for the event.

In addition to the races, the park will also be home to a runDisney Health & Wellness Expo from Thursday to Saturday, selling supplies and merchandise to the runners.

The Disneyland Paris Magic Run Weekend is part of the wider runDisney programme, which holds a number of other running events, including the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World Florida.

“As a company we have a commitment to healthy living,” said Welch. “And through runDisney events in our parks we are pleased to play a part in helping children and adults to set and achieve their health and fitness goals, all while having fun and making memories to last a lifetime.”

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