Pooh & Tigger Take Over EPCOT: runDisney Springtime Surprise 10K Bounces Off Today
There's honey on the course this morning. The 2026 runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend is in full swing at Walt Disney World, and today — Saturday, April 18 — thousands of runners are pouncing, bouncing, and trouncing their way through 6.2 miles of EPCOT and surrounding roadways for the Winnie the Pooh and Tigger 10K.
This year's weekend theme is Disney Duos, and each race gets its own iconic best-friend pairing. The 10K belongs to a certain bear of very little brain and his bouncy orange pal.
The Honey-Pot Medal Everyone's Chasing
The 10K finisher medal is shaped like a honey pot, with Pooh and Tigger sculpted on the front and sparkling gold "hunny" accents. If you've ever wanted a medal that looks like it could double as a snack bowl for your teddy bear, 2026 is your year.
Image: Disney Food Blog
The Full Duos Lineup
The weekend runs Thursday through Sunday, and if you're chasing a Challenge medal you've got a marathon of mileage ahead. Here's the lineup:
Friday, April 17 — 5K: Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde host a 3.1-mile run around EPCOT. Zootopia fans, this one's yours.
Saturday, April 18 — 10K (today!): Pooh and Tigger lead runners through 6.2 miles. Honey pot medal, green tank, orange tee.
Sunday, April 19 — 10-Miler: Joy and Sadness from Inside Out take over for the 10-mile finale. Expect emotional support characters along the course.
19.3-Mile Challenge: Finish all three races and Aladdin and Genie hand you a Challenge medal on top of the individual race medals. A whole new medal collection, if you will.
Expo, Merch, and the Spirit Jersey
The Health & Fitness Expo at ESPN Wide World of Sports has been open since Thursday, and merchandise has been flying out the door. The headlining piece is the 2026 Springtime Surprise Spirit Jersey — covered in Disney duos from every race theme — available via virtual queue to keep the shopping manageable.
Image: Disney Food Blog
Brooks also dropped a new Disney x Brooks shoe collab this weekend featuring Genie and Winnie the Pooh colorways — yet another reason the line at the expo hasn't let up since Thursday morning.
Heading to EPCOT Today? Read This First
If you're not running the 10K but you've got a park day at EPCOT on the schedule, the morning race course brings real road closures and rerouted traffic around EPCOT Center Drive and the resort roads. Plan for extra drive time, consider Disney transportation instead of driving, and aim for a later park entry if your day is flexible.
Why It Matters
Springtime Surprise has quickly become the cozy cousin of the bigger runDisney weekends — smaller fields, warmer weather than January's Marathon Weekend, and a reliably adorable theme that skews fun over fierce. Pooh and Tigger on the 10K medal is peak Springtime Surprise energy, and honestly, we're here for it.
If you're out there running today: good luck, hydrate, and don't eat the honey on your medal.
Sources
WDW News Today — 2026 Springtime Surprise runDisney Expo Opens
WDW News Today — First Look at 2026 Springtime Surprise Medals
Image Credits
Featured and inline images courtesy of Disney / runDisney. Original artwork and medal designs © Disney / runDisney.
