@Jonathan Tremaine - list of characters from last year's race. They aren't guaranteed to be the same year after year but this should give you an idea:
- Country Bears during the first mile
- Ostrich and Hippo from Fantasia between Mile Marker 2 (MM2) and MM3
- Rafiki after MM3 (just before entering Animal Kingdom)
- Baloo just after entering Animal Kingdom
- Timon just before MM4
- King Louie after MM4
- Pluto after MM4
- Pirates of the Caribbean set-up (ship with pirates - I think Jack Sparrow and Barbosa were in there) just before MM5
- Character puppets just before MM6 (Tigger, Sebastian, Genie and Lumiere)
- Sarge after MM7
- Lilo and Stitch after MM8
- Woody & Buzz after MM9 (they were in Pixar Place)
- Mr. & Mrs. Incredible after MM9 (backstage at the Studios)
- Wreck-it Ralph after MM9 (backstage at the Studios)
- The Osborne Lights...not a character obviously, but my favorite part of the race!
- Darth Vader and Boba Fett after the lights (just before MM11)
- Minnie in apron and Chef Mickey at the finish line (CMs won't take pictures of you with them anymore but you can have another runner do it for you)
Hey, not bad! That's more than I thought for this race!