Sunday Morning You Can Run Through SeaWorld Orlando Before It Opens, Past the Manatees and Dolphin Cove, for the MADD Monster Mash & Dash
On Sunday, September 27, about three miles of SeaWorld Orlando opens to runners before the park opens to everyone else. Anyone registered for the MADD Monster Mash & Dash can walk it, costume or no costume, as long as they clear security by 6:30 a.m., the cutoff MADD lists.
The 2026 MADD Monster Mash & Dash is the Central Florida chapter's signature fall event, with Waymo as presenting sponsor. Mothers Against Drunk Driving calls it untimed and unscored, roughly three miles, and it runs through the park before SeaWorld opens to the public.
What the course actually goes past
Kristi McElroy, director of MADD Central Florida, gave WESH 2 the walkthrough. "We are so excited," she said. "Runners are going to go by the manatees, by the Dolphin Cove. You can see some of the amazing Halloween decorations that they have up."
The route also takes in SeaWorld's bubble zone, puts characters at the finish line, and, per the station, features a surprise animal ambassador. Before any of that, the morning opens with a static display of local law enforcement partners. McElroy told the station to expect more than 20 specialty law enforcement vehicles.
Costumes are encouraged, not required
WESH 2 reported three award categories, adult, group and youth, each with a top three. MADD's own event page reads slightly differently, listing Top 3 Adult Costumes and Top 3 Kids' Costumes but only a single Top Team Costume. Either way there is a DJ, and in McElroy's words, "Dress your best, be as creative as you want to be." MADD's page adds that costumes are encouraged but not required.
Families are explicitly in scope. There is a Kids' Dash for younger participants, though MADD's own timeline still lists the Kids' Dash and the awards as TBA.
The serious half
The race is a fundraiser, and one stretch of the course is set aside for remembrance. A dedicated Memory Mile honors people injured or killed in impaired driving crashes, with Explorers from the St. Cloud Police Department helping MADD honor victims.
"We want to make sure that we give them that space to recognize and show that local impact," McElroy told WESH 2. MADD says DUI crashes kill more than 13,000 people a year.
Times, prices and the part that will catch people out
The timeline from MADD's event page:
- In-person registration: 5:30 a.m.
- Security closes: 6:30 a.m.
- Opening ceremony: 6:45 a.m.
- Race begins: 7:00 a.m.
- Awards and Kids' Dash: TBA
That 6:30 line is the one to respect. MADD's timeline lists "Security Closes - 6:30 AM," and its logistics section says all guests and volunteers have to go through security to enter the race. The two listings then disagree about the pause that follows: MADD's page says the security check "will pause at 6:30 AM - 7:15 am to ensure runners can pass through that part of the course safely," while RunSignup puts the same pause between 7:00 and 7:10 a.m. Either way, be through security well before 6:30. MADD's logistics list says parking at SeaWorld Orlando is free, and the race runs rain or shine, with any severe weather call emailed out by 4 a.m. that morning.
MADD's event page now carries a registration update saying registration has moved to RunSignUp and that all remaining registrations go through its RunSignUp event page. Pricing there, checked Wednesday, September 23, is $40 for adults 13 and up, $30 for youth ages 2 to 12, $60 for the virtual option and a $40 volunteer ticket, which MADD's own listing calls fee waived with a code. Spectators are free. RunSignup's own page says that after September 21, tickets are available exclusively there. Registration closes at 7 a.m. on race day. WESH 2's preview listed adult entry at $50 plus fees, so go by the live registration page.
Every participant gets a finisher medal, and a custom event shirt if one is left. September 14 was the deadline to guarantee a shirt in your size, and after that MADD says shirts are first come, first served.
The race meets at SeaWorld Orlando, 7007 Sea World Drive. Packet pickup runs at FIT2RUN at Mall at Millenia on Friday, September 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, September 26 from 10 a.m. to noon, and at FLEET FEET on West Crystal Lake Street on Saturday, September 26 from 2:30 to 3 p.m.
WESH 2 traffic anchor Meaghan Mackey, who also wrote the station's preview, is emceeing for a third consecutive year.
Sources
- WESH 2, "MADD Monster Mash & Dash returns to SeaWorld this Sunday"
- MADD, "2026 MADD Monster Mash & Dash" event page
- RunSignup, "MADD Monster Mash & Dash Fun Run at SeaWorld Orlando"
- ClickOrlando, "SeaWorld Orlando brings Hotel Transylvania to Halloween Spooktacular for the first time"
Image credits: race photo, MADD Central Florida. Spooktacular character and costume images, SeaWorld Orlando.
