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 Advanced 10 Mile Training Program Presented by ASICS

February 13 – February 19, 2023

Overview:  Week 4 continues with the same 5-7 days training schedule during which you will try to increase your weekly long run by a mile and add an additional repeat to the hill work out.  This is the last week of hill repeats and fartlek runs. New speed workouts will begin next week.

Monday, February 13, 2023  

• • Goal:     Rest day or optional easy recovery run of 4-6 miles.    
  • Tip:       As your fitness level improves, you may feel that rest days are not as important. Resist this line of thought and enjoy the extra time (or sleep). If you want to stretch on your day off, first go for a walk to warm up your muscles. Never stretch cold muscles. Yoga or Pilates will help increase flexibility. 

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

• • Distance:     5-8 miles
  • Goal:    8-10 Hill repeats   
  • Tip:      Run at least a mile warm up before starting the hills. Find a moderate hill approximately 200-400 meters long. Try to surge up the hill keeping your arms relaxed. Jog down the hill and repeat. If running the workout on a treadmill, adjust the treadmill to 2.5 or 3.0 for the uphill and 0 for the downhill jog. After completing the workout, run at least a one-mile cool down. Enjoy Valentine’s Day!

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

• • Distance:     4-7 miles
  • Goal:    Easy recovery run
  • Tip:      Continue to make sure that you are not running too hard every day. Use your heart monitor to keep recovery days below 70%.

Thursday, February 16, 2023

• • Distance:     5-8 miles
  • Goal:    Fartlek run
  • Tip:      First warm up for a mile and then do a 1-2-3-4-5-6 fartlek run as follows:  Pick up the pace to 10K race pace (not a sprint) for one minute, jog approximately one minute, pick up the pace for two minutes, jog one minute, pick up the pace for three minutes, jog one minute, etc., until you work up to six minutes. If you are feeling good, try to run seven minutes at 10K race pace. Cool down for at least one mile.  A hard spinning class can be substituted for this run.

Friday, February 17, 2023

• • Goal:    Rest day or optional easy run of 4-6 miles
  • Tip:      Going for a walk or easy bike ride (indoors or outdoors depending upon where you live) can help work out muscle tightness to prepare for the weekend’s hard work.

Saturday, February 18, 2023

• • Distance:     5-8 miles
  • Goal:    Easy run
  • Tip:     Try to stay relaxed while running. Your arms should be relaxed and swinging like a pendulum. Keep your shoulders loose.

Sunday, February 19, 2023

• • Distance:     10-13 miles
  • Goal:    Increase your weekly long run by one mile.
  • Tip:      Congratulations! You have just finished your first month of training. Six weeks to go before the Credit Union Cherry Blossom. Remember to stay hydrated before, during and after your runs, even in the cold weather. To learn more about Gatorade Endurance Formula, which will be available on the course on race day, click here.