Matt Hensley gets first Disney Marathon win after several near misses; Fellow Colorado resident Brittany Charboneau was the women’s division winner for the second time; The course took runners through all four Disney theme parks
Race video and photos available at the link below
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Jan. 11, 2026) – After trying for years to win the Walt Disney World Marathon presented by State Farm, Matt Hensley finally pulled it off Sunday. And afterwards he did what he has seen his Super Bowl heroes do so often after a big win: He went to Disney World!
“I’ve always wanted to do that,’’ Hensley said, referencing Disney’s iconic Super Bowl campaign in which the game’s star player celebrates by going to a Disney theme park.
Hensley, an avid runner from Superior, Colorado, had come close to winning the Disney Marathon many times, piling up several Top 10 finishes. But on a beautiful and sunny Sunday morning, he smartly hung back in the pack, conserving precious energy before making his move toward the lead in the final stages. He posted a winning time of 2:29:37, which was comfortably ahead of second-place finisher Bryan Case of Norfolk, Virginia (2:34:59) and Sean O’Bryan of Arlington, Texas (2:36:40), who was third.
Hensley’s win was a family affair, one shared with his parents who have run races at Disney with him in the past. After taking some time to recover from the race through all four Disney World theme parks, Hensley and family celebrated by spending the day at Magic Kingdom.
“My dad ran here back in the 90s when they first started the race and then we all came as a family in 2012 and all seven of us ran it,’’ Hensley said. “So, to come back here this year and get the win is so exciting.’’
It was exciting too for Brittany Charboneau of Denver, Colorado who was the first woman to cross the finish line (2:54:48), running hard at times but also having some fun, stopping briefly to snap a photo with one of the many Disney characters along the course. The win marked her second Disney Marathon win after sweeping the race weekend’s four events in 2022 (5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon). She was followed by Haley Chura of Bozeman, Montana (2:59:36) and Sadie Smith of Kirkwood, Missouri (3:02:31).
Brian Siemann of Savoy, Illinois won the men’s wheelchair division (1:54:17) and Heather Sealover of Clermont, Florida took the women’s wheelchair division (2:12:41).
The race, which had to be shaved slightly toward the end due to unseasonably warm temperatures, wrapped up runDisney’s signature race weekend, which is one of the largest and most popular in the nation. The event weekend featured a 5K, 10K, half marathon in addition to the marathon. Runners also took part in the runDisney Health and Fitness Expo at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Overall, it was a magical day for many of the runners who experienced loads of Disney entertainment along the course that ran through all four parks including Animal Kingdom Theme Park where the new Zootopia: Better Zoogether! show recently opened. After crossing the finish line, runners proudly displayed their medals that featured Mickey and Minnie Mouse and celebrated by spending the day in the Disney theme parks.
Next up at Walt Disney World is the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend (Feb. 26-March 2, 2026) followed by the Springtime Surprise Weekend (April 16 – 20, 2026).
For more information on runDisney races, visit www.rundisney.com. For news releases, photos and video of runDisney races, visit www.disneysportsnews.com.
MEDIA CAN ACCESS BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO AND HIGH-RES PHOTOS OF THE RACE AT THIS LINK: https://brandfolder.com/s/f6rv6cx4tptxv3n54qcbg6w