Your Kid Can Run Through LEGOLAND Before the Park Opens, and Then Get In Free

Overview

The Kids Marathon Mile at LEGOLAND is on Saturday, January 16, 2027, starting at 7:45 a.m.

It's one mile. It loops through LEGOLAND California and exits — and it happens before the park opens to the public.

That is the whole appeal, and it's a genuinely good one. Your child gets to run through an empty theme park at sunrise, with nobody in the way and no queues anywhere, and then gets handed a medal at the end.

Then they get the park. Every registered child aged 12 and under receives a free 1-Day LEGOLAND + SEA LIFE Hopper Ticket, valid from January 16 through February 21, 2027. So you can use it that day or come back any time in the following five weeks.

One thing to be clear about before you sign up: this is not a race. There's no timing, no results posted and no awards. It's a one-mile run or walk, in waves, and the organisers say plainly that children can be pushed in a stroller or carried.

What It Costs, and What You Get

$50.85 per participant, which includes processing fees.

Four registration categories, all at the same price:

• Kids — 12 and under
• Big Kids — 13 and older
• Virtual Kids — 12 and under
• Virtual Big Kids — 13 and older

What's included:

• A souvenir event T-shirt
• A finisher's medal
• A free 1-Day LEGOLAND + SEA LIFE Hopper Ticket for kids 12 and under, valid 1/16/27 to 2/21/27
• A free Chick-fil-A Kid's Meal digital offer card
• A free Ruby's Diner Kids Meal — the offer is printed on the back of the bib
• A one-day pass to the Carlsbad Columbia Sportswear Employee Store
• Post-run snacks, including Hollandia chocolate milk and Partner's Crackers
• Entry into the first race of the 2027 Kids Run Carlsbad series
• Family-friendly entertainment after the run

Work out the park ticket's value against the entry fee and the arithmetic does itself. A LEGOLAND day ticket on its own starts around $69, so for most families the $50.85 is already covered before you count the shirt, the medal and the two free kids' meals.

The Companion Bib — Know This Before You Register

This is the detail that catches people, and it's worth getting right.

Each registered child aged 12 and under gets one adult companion bib, issued at packet pickup. It gives an adult course access only — no shirt, no medal, and none of the other registration perks.

If a second adult wants to run, they must register separately as a Big Kid at $50.85.

So: one child plus one accompanying parent is covered by a single registration. Two parents is two registrations.

Extra adult park tickets are available at $75 each if you want the rest of the family in the park afterwards.

Race Morning

| | |

|---|---|

| 6:30 a.m. | LEGOLAND parking lot opens. Parking is free at this time. No re-entry |

| 6:45 a.m. | Event-day registration and bib pickup opens |

| 7:35 a.m. | Deadline to be at the staging area. Late starters are not allowed |

| 7:45 a.m. | The mile starts |

| 8:45 a.m. | All participants must be out of the park |

Two notes on that schedule.

The 7:35 staging deadline and the 8:45 exit are published on the registration platform but not on the organiser's own event pages. They matter — 7:35 is a hard cutoff, and 8:45 is when the park reclaims the course before opening to the public.

And the event-day registration time is published two different ways. The main event page and the event-details page both say 6:45 a.m.; the FAQ page says 7:00 a.m. — while that same FAQ's own packet-pickup list says 6:45. Plan for 6:45 and you're safe either way.

Start and finish are both just outside LEGOLAND's main entrance, along the Tyke Hike. Pre- and post-race activities are in LEGOLAND's lower parking lot.

The run is rain or shine. No pets except service dogs. No skates, scooters, skateboards or bikes.

Packet Pickup

Three options:

• Saturday, January 9, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. — In Motion Office, 1782 La Costa Meadows Drive, Suite 102, San Marcos, CA 92078
• Friday, January 15, 12 to 4 p.m. — Carlsbad Marathon Expo, Holiday Inn Carlsbad–San Diego, 2725 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad, CA 92009
• Saturday, January 16, from 6:45 a.m. — event day at LEGOLAND, Already Registered Tent

Anything uncollected gets mailed to your registration address within two weeks of the event.

If you can do the Friday expo pickup, do. It's the day before, it's in Carlsbad already, and it takes the one genuinely stressful thing out of a 6:30 a.m. start with children.

How to Go

• When: Saturday, January 16, 2027. Mile starts 7:45 a.m.
• Where: LEGOLAND California Resort, Carlsbad — start and finish along the Tyke Hike outside the main entrance
• Price: $50.85, fees included
• Register: Race Roster
• Parking: free from 6:30 a.m. No re-entry
• Organiser: In Motion Events, 1782 La Costa Meadows Drive, Suite 102, San Marcos, CA 92078 · (760) 692-2900

Good to Know

• It's not timed and there are no awards. That's deliberate, and for most children it's the right call.
• One free adult companion bib per child 12 and under. A second adult has to register.
• The free park ticket is good for five weeks, through February 21 — you don't have to do the park the same day.
• Get there by 6:30 when the lot opens. There's no re-entry once you're parked.
• 7:35 a.m. is a hard staging deadline. Late starters aren't allowed.
• Everyone's out of the park by 8:45.
• Do packet pickup on the Friday at the Carlsbad Marathon Expo if you can.
• "Though created for kids ages 12 and under, everyone is welcome to participate" — their words.

A Note on What Isn't Published

Two things we'd want to tell you and can't.

There's no published finish cutoff — only the 7:35 staging deadline and the 8:45 park exit. For a one-mile course with an hour between those two times, that's almost certainly ample for any walking pace, but the organisers don't state it.

And there's no published stroller policy. The event description mentions children being "pushed in a stroller or carried," which strongly implies strollers are fine — but there's no rule page confirming it. If you're planning on one, a call to (760) 692-2900 would settle it.

Why It's Worth It

Because the version of LEGOLAND a child sees at 7:45 on a January morning is not the version anyone else gets.

No crowds. No lines. No one telling them to wait. Just a mile of empty park, a medal at the end, and then the gates open and the day is theirs.

It's also an unusually gentle introduction to the idea of a running event. Nobody is timed, nobody comes last in any way that's recorded, a parent can run alongside on a free bib, and a child who'd rather walk it is doing exactly as well as everyone else. For a first bib and a first medal, that's a better design than a timed kids' race.

And a portion of every registration goes to Merlin's Magic Wand, the charity attached to LEGOLAND's parent company, which funds days out and travel for children who are seriously ill or disadvantaged. The amount isn't published, but the beneficiary is.

If it goes well, the entry includes a place in the first race of the 2027 Kids Run Carlsbad series — so there's somewhere to go next.

For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Kids Marathon Mile at LEGOLAND? Saturday, January 16, 2027. The mile starts at 7:45 a.m.

How long is it? One mile, looping through LEGOLAND and exiting, with the start and finish along the Tyke Hike outside the main entrance.

Is it a race? No. There's no timing, no results and no awards. It's a one-mile run or walk in waves, held before the park opens.

How much is it? $50.85 per participant including fees, the same for all four categories.

Do we get into the park? Yes — every registered child 12 and under gets a free 1-Day LEGOLAND + SEA LIFE Hopper Ticket, valid from January 16 through February 21, 2027. Extra adult tickets are $75.

Can a parent run with their child? Yes. Each registered child 12 and under gets one adult companion bib at packet pickup, which covers course access only — no shirt, no medal, no other perks. A second adult must register as a Big Kid at $50.85.

What age is it for? It's designed for children 12 and under, but the organisers state that everyone is welcome. There's a Big Kids category for 13 and over.

Can I push a stroller? No stroller policy is published, though the event description refers to children being pushed in a stroller or carried. Call (760) 692-2900 to confirm.

What time should we arrive? The parking lot opens at 6:30 a.m. and parking is free then, with no re-entry. Bib pickup opens at 6:45, and 7:35 is a hard deadline to be at the staging area.

Where's packet pickup? Three options: the In Motion office in San Marcos on Saturday January 9, the Carlsbad Marathon Expo on Friday January 15 from 12 to 4 p.m., or event morning at LEGOLAND from 6:45 a.m.

What do we get? A souvenir T-shirt, a finisher's medal, the free park ticket, a Chick-fil-A Kid's Meal card, a Ruby's Diner Kids Meal offer on the back of the bib, post-run snacks, and entry into the first 2027 Kids Run Carlsbad race.

Does it support a charity? Yes — a portion of each registration goes to Merlin's Magic Wand. The amount isn't published.

What if it rains? It runs rain or shine.