Credit Union Cherry Blossom Kids Run presented by Warner Bros. Discovery

BIG CHANGES THIS YEAR - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2024
New Starting Time for 2024: 11:00 am
New Location for 2024: The Kids Run will stage on Freedom Plaza and start and finish at the 5K starting line on Pennsylvania Ave. between 12th and 13th Sts. The event will take place after the conclusion of the 5K.
New Location for Packet Pick-up: Packet pick-up will take place on Friday at the National Building Museum (401 F St., NW) and on Saturday at Freedom Plaza (1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW).

Registration for the 2024 Kids Run is now open!  We will accept registrations for kids aged 4 - 10.

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 1/2 Mile Kids Run will start and finish at Freedom Plaza (the site of the Cherry Blossom 5K at 1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004).

The race is on an out-and-back course down Pennsylvania Ave. and is closely monitored by sentries. Parents are allowed to run with their children.

Limited to the first 500 to register.

Registration

Online registration will remain open until 11:59 pm on Monday, March 25, as long as the 500-runner maximum has not been reached. There will also be in-person registration (again as long as the 500-runner maximum has not been reached) at the Expo from 2 pm - 7:30 pm on Friday, April 5, and at Freedom Plaza (in the Kids Run Staging Area) on Saturday, April 6 from 9:30 am - 10:45 am.

Race Details

Ages: The Kids Run is for children ages 4-10.

Race Start Time: 11:00 am on Saturday, April 6, 2024

Fee: $10. Includes t-shirt.

Packet Pick-up: Packet pick-up for registered Kids Run participants will take place on Friday, April 5 inside the National Building Museum between 3:00 pm and 7:45 pm, and on Saturday,  April 6, between 9:30 am and 10:45 am in the check-in tent at Freedom Plaza (1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004).

Registration: Registration for the Kids Run has closed.

Awards: No times or places will be kept, but all finishers will receive a medal.

Course: CLICK HERE for the Kids Run Course Map and Staging Area Map

Kids Run Information:

• For security reasons as required by Metropolitan DC Police, every parent or guardian of a Kids Run entrant will need to locate and remove a detachable wrist band on the top of each child's bib number. The wrist band will be imprinted with the same number as each child's bib number. The responsible adult(s) will detach and wear the wrist band around their wrist. After the run, kids will be released from the secure Parent-Child Reunion Area only to adults with a wrist band matching the child's bib number.
• Every child on the race course must be registered and wear a bib number. Parents may choose to run with their child, but at least one parent must be wearing a wristband matching the bib number of their child.
• Accompanying adults may need to wear multiple wristbands as necessary for multiple child participants.
• Individual participants will run by age group, starting with 4-year olds and continuing by 1-year increments up to 10 years of age. It is likely there will be multiple heats in each age group, especially among the younger ages.
• Within each age group, heats will consist of approximately 25 participants.  Each heat will take about 8 to 10 minutes. The four-year-olds will run first, followed by the five-year-olds and on up in ascending order.
• Each age group will be called into the pre-race staging area by the announcer. From the pre-race staging area, children will be organized into heats and moved on to the Kids Run course.
• Participants will finish and be directed to a secure post-race reunion area. Children will only be released to the appropriate responsible adult wearing the wristband that matches the child's bib number. NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE. Any children not matched with an adult in the secure parent-child reunion area will be referred to on-site security personnel.

Kirt West Ten Mile Beginner Training Program Presented by ASICS

January 23 – January 29, 2023

Overview: Welcome to the 50^th anniversary of the race. Thanks to the support of ASICS, the Coach Kirt West Beginners Training program is the beginning of your transformation into a runner or a return to consistent running. You will start off with a walk-run approach where you will stop running and walk for a bit. Returning runners may want to walk less and run more. You will slowly increase the amount of running time. Don’t worry. Thousands have followed this program and successfully completed the 10-mile race.

Need to Switch Programs? If you are a former runner, you may find this program too basic and should consider transferring to the Coach West Intermediate Program.

To switch to another Kirt West program, send an email to vtswitch@cherryblossom.org requesting removal from the Beginner Program and specifying which program you want to be added to – Intermediate or Advanced.

Tracking Your Fitness: As you start your training, consider using a sports watch or fitness app for a scientific approach to training. 

Join Our Facebook Group: Share your training experience: Join our 10 Mile Virtual Training Facebook group.

Monday, January 23, 2023

• • Time:  30 minutes
  • Goal:   Walk for 1 minute and then accelerate into a slow jog for 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
  • Tip:     Always begin walking to warm up your legs. After a couple of minutes, begin walking faster and faster until you start jogging. The jogging portion should be at a conversational effort, not a sprint.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

• • Time:  21 minutes
  • Goal:   Walk 1 minute, run 2 minutes (7 times)
  • Tip:     Find a specialty running shoe store to get properly fitted with a good pair of running shoes that will work for you. The best shoe for you to wear depends upon the structure of your foot, your gait, size, etc. Do not try to train in cross trainers or an old pair of running shoes that is more than 6 months old. For friendly, expert advice visit REI or Potomac River Running, our official retail partners. They have the latest running shoes and apparel, including outstanding models from ASICS, our official shoe and apparel sponsor.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

• • Rest Day
  • Tip:     Rest days are important to let your body recover. If you are used to other kinds of aerobic activities, you may want to consider cutting back during this training program, especially in the month of March. Consider instead taking a Yoga or stretching class on your rest day.

Thursday, January 26, 2023

• • Time:  32 minutes
  • Goal:   Walk 1 minute, run 3 minutes (8 times)
  • Tip:     The running part of your workout should not be a sprint—slowly accelerate from a walk into a slow jog. At first you may be out of breath, but it will get better as you get into running shape.

Friday, January 27, 2023

• • Rest Day
  • Tip:  You may want to think about doing moderate upper body weights as part of your preparation for the Credit Union Cherry Blossom. Avoid doing leg weights as running will take care of your legs.

Saturday, January 28, 2023

• • Time: 24 minutes
  • Goal: Walk 1 minute, run 3 minutes (6 times)
  • Tip: It is normal to feel stiff and sore after the first week. That is nothing to be worried about as it is part of the process of getting into shape. Soreness is good, pain is not.

Sunday, January 29, 2023

• • Time:  36 minutes
  • Goal:  Walk 1 minute, run 2 minutes (12 times)
  • Tip:   When running and walking in the cold, if possible, start running and walking into the wind so that you will have the wind at your back at the end of the workout. After the first few minutes, your body will warm up. It is very uncomfortable to run or walk into a cold wind after you have worked up a sweat running or walking with a tailwind.