With the third-annual Call Federal Marathon Jr. set to take place on Saturday, October 25 at Byrd Park, it’s a great idea for participants to start gearing up for it now. If your kids are anything like I was, they’ve spent most of the summer playing with friends, going to various camps, hitting the pool, and spending as much time being active as possible until you call them into the house when it gets dark. And that’s great – they’ve got a good fitness base already built up.
So what to do next? Well, there are a variety of options to prepare for the event, which features two distances: a 0.5-mile course for kids seven and under, and a 1-mile course for kids 12 and under. And, if you’ve ever seen the Call Federal Marathon Jr. in action, it seems more like an all-out sprint at the start. But, it’s still probably better to build up that endurance, so that your son or daughter is not left panting after the first 100 yards, exhausted from a sprint pace that not even Usain Bolt could keep up. There’s a handy training guide to follow on the Call Federal Marathon Jr. website that will help you prepare for the event, and it also includes a great game board to make the training even more fun!
With school starting soon, check to see if your child’s school has a run club or fitness club. These programs are a great way to keep kids active during the day in a fun setting, and can often lead to improved performance in the classroom as well. If your school doesn’t have one, the Kids Run RVA website has some great ideas on ways to get one started.
Another great aspect of exercise is how easy it is to incorporate the whole family in the activity. So to get started, take the kids out to jog a few laps around the neighborhood, or head to your local park to hit the trails there. Start out easy and build up to the 0.5-mile or 1-mile distance, and help instill the importance of lifelong physical activity to your kids. And maybe even tire them out before bedtime. It’s a real win-win!
Registration is now open for the Call Federal Marathon Jr., so sign up to be part of this great community fitness event on October 25th, which includes a race festival featuring a photo booth, face painter, arts and crafts, and other exciting activities for participants and families. The 0.5-mile distance will begin at 12:00pm, and the 1-miler at 12:15pm. Be sure to stay tuned to Macaroni Kid for Call Federal Marathon Jr. training tips, as we’ll have several more installments leading up to the event. October 25th will be here before you know it, so start training now!
RUNRVA
