The force is strong for thousands of runners Friday morning at Walt Disney World.
- Star Wars — The Dark Side 5K attracted almost 10,000 runners
- Many participants dressed as Star Wars characters
- Some came after competing in the Star Wars 5K in California
More than 9,800 people competed in the Star Wars — The Dark Side 5K race at Epcot. Running through the park meant not only passing through some of the iconic attractions, but also meeting some of the characters, including Captain Phasma and droid BB-8 from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
Runners embraced their inner stormtrooper, R2-D2, even ewok, to make it through the 5-kilometer course.
"All the Disney races are really well run. And the Star Wars races is just a theme that appeals to so many people. I've loved Star Wars my entire life," said James Green, a runner from Atlanta who dressed as Star Wars bounty hunter Boba Fett.
Susana Cruz, of Chicago, and her daughter completed the Star Wars races at Disneyland earlier this year, and they were in Central Florida to race in the Star Wars races here.
"We basically had run the Star Wars Rebel challenge at Disneyland, and we also did the kids races," Cruz said. "It's just a lot of fun to do with the Star Wars characters."
Stormtroopers were featured on the 5K medal, and after runners finished the race, they could meet with the iconic Star Wars characters.
Friday's race was the first Star Wars race to be held in Florida. The Star Wars-themed running weekend also includes a 10K Saturday and culminates with the Star Wars Half Marathon on Sunday. In total, 43,000 runners will participate in this weekend's events.
Star Wars fans in Central Florida have more to be excited about: Disney has officially broken ground on its 14-acre Star Wars Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
It is excepted to be the park's largest land so far.
