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 Ten Mile Training Program Presented by ASICS

February 6 – February 12, 2023

Overview: Week 3 continues with 5-7 days of running in which there is an additional repeat when doing the hill workout. You will maintain your weekly long run. Don’t worry about a missing a day of training because of weather, work, etc., as long as you get in the long run and speed sessions. See what some of your fellow runners are doing on our 10 Mile Intermediate/Advanced Virtual Training Facebook page.

Monday, February 6, 2023

• • Goal:    Rest Day or optional very easy recovery run of 4-6 miles at 60-65% effort.
  • Tip:      A rest day or easy recovery day is an important element of a training program as it helps your body in assimilating the gains from your hard training days.

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

• • Distance:     5-7 miles
  • Goal:    7-9 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. Run at least one easy mile at the end of the workout to cool down.

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

• • Distance:     5-7 miles
  • Goal:    Easy recovery. You have another hard workout tomorrow.
  • Tip:      For safety reasons, do not wear headphones or ear buds when running in an isolated area or on a road with traffic. Be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Thursday, February 9, 2023

• • Distance:     5-7 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 about 10K race pace (not a sprint) for one minute, jog 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. Cool down for at least one mile. A hard spinning class can be substituted for this workout.

Friday, February 10, 2023

• • Goal:    Rest day or optional easy recovery run of 5-7 miles
  • Tip:      Consider taking the day off to recover and be rested for Sunday’s long run if you are feeling tired or are not used to running 6-7 days a week.

Saturday, February 11, 2023

• • Distance:     5-8 miles
  • Goal:    Easy run
  • Tip:      If running on a road or in the street, always run toward traffic and be alert for oncoming vehicles. Cars and trucks do not always honor the right of way.

Sunday, February 12, 2023

• • Distance:     9-12 miles
  • Goal:    Long run at conversational pace (60-70% effort)
  • Tip:      Make sure you are hydrated during this run even if it is cold.  Consider using Gatorade’s Endurance Formula, the Official Sports Fuel Provider of the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile. For more information about Gatorade Endurance Formula, click here. This is the drink that will be on the race course.