The force is with these runners at Friday morning's Star Wars 5K.

The race started at 6 a.m., with many of the participants dressed up as their favorite characters.

More than 45,500 runners were expected to take part, with more than 16,000 of them Floridians. This is the second time the Star Wars Half Marathon has been held in Florida. The Light Side version of the race debuted at Disneyland in 2014.

The 5K is the beginning of a busy Star Wars racing weekend.

The 10K takes place on Saturday and the Half Marathon on Sunday. The 13.1-mile course will take runners through Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, finishing at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

In addition to the other races, some runners will participate in the “Star Wars Dark Side Challenge,” competing in the 10K and half marathon. Around 8,000 runners have registered for the challenge.