Peter Westcott and Michael Miller realized that they must have been a bit “goofy” to try and run a half-marathon one day and a full marathon the next.

And the senior managers in Systems Integration & Technology from Accenture’s Reston, Virginia office found a colleague also looking for an extreme challenge in Kristen Andrews, who joined Peter and Michael for her first-ever full marathon at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida January 12-13.

By running both events, Peter and Michael completed Goofy’s Challenge, named for the famous Disney cartoon character. They proudly displayed their Goofy Challenge medallion around their necks—having covered 39.3 miles over two days—as they toured the Disney World theme parks with their families over the following days.

Kristen, an analyst with Systems Integration & Technology, wore the “Mickey Mouse” medal for completing the 26.2-mile marathon.

It was Peter’s third time completing Goofy’s Challenge, and a first for Michael. Seeing other runners who finished both races wearing “that big, goofy medal” around their necks fueled his push to the finish, Peter says.

For first-time runners at Disney, Michael and Kristen, it was an awesome experience running through the cheering crowds at various Disney theme parks, past Cinderella’s castle at the Magic Kingdom and across the back lots normally confined to employees only.

“It almost brings a tear to your eye,” said Michael. “Running down the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street where thousands of people were cheering the name on your shirt really motivated me.”

Peter said he wasn’t interested in keeping so quick a pace that he didn’t have time to stop and pose for a photo with one of the Disney characters.

“I plan to run a half-marathon at Disneyland (in California) in August with my daughter Elaine,” Peter said. “There is a special second medal for whoever does a Disney World marathon and then the half at Disneyland.”

Kristen said that while paths have crossed with Peter and Michael at Accenture, none of them initially had any idea they were all planning to run marathons at Disney. Once the word got out, they launched a flurry of e-mails, offering each other encouragement and checking in on their training progress.

“I played soccer in college, but found that I still needed something to motivate me athletically,” Kristen said. “I think I could have been better mentally prepared, but I did sprint the last half mile. I was sore for two days after that, but it didn’t keep me from walking around the parks.”

Michael said he was not in the best condition due to an Achilles tendon injury he suffered in November. Still, he decided to take on the challenge, jokingly describing the act as a “character defect.”

“The second day my knee started locking up, and then a woman came running out of a tent and accidentally stepped on my foot,” Michael said. “It swelled up and I thought it was broken. I kept going, though, thinking not about my knee anymore but how much my foot hurt.”

Although they didn’t have an opportunity to meet up at Disney, Peter, Michael and Kristen say that they now enjoy a friendship and closeness that only comes from sharing a common experience in overcoming a difficult challenge—lessons they can apply in both their personal and professional lives.