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 Intermediate 10 Mile Training Program Presented by ASICS

February 13 – February 19, 2023

Overview:  You are now beginning your fourth week of training. Daily runs continue to increase as does the weekly long run. You should start feeling stronger now and may want to increase the distance of your daily training run. Don’t forget to join the 10 Mile Intermediate/Advanced Virtual Training Facebook page to share your training experience.

Monday, February 13, 2023  

• • Rest Day
  • Tip:        If you want to stretch today, first go for a walk or bike ride (indoors or outdoors depending upon where you live) to warm up your muscles. Never stretch cold muscles! Find a Yoga or Pilates class to help with flexibility and core strength.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 

• • Distance:   3-5 miles
  • Goal:      Easy run to recover from Sunday’s long run
  • Tip:        A training partner can help you maintain your motivation. Contact your local running club or running store for help in finding a partner or a running group. If you are looking for a training partner or a running group to help with motivation, our 10 Mile Intermediate/Advanced Virtual Training Facebook page may help you find one. You can also contact your local running club. Visit the RRCA to find a running club near you. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

• • Distance:   4-6 miles
  • Goal:      Include 3 miles of aerobic intervals of 15 seconds hard/45 seconds easy.
  • Tip:        To warm up, run easy for the first mile, then pick up the pace for 15 seconds (THIS IS NOT A SPRINT!), jog for 45 seconds and repeat until you have run 1-3 miles. Finish with a one-mile cool-down jog. For those running a total of 3 miles, include 1 mile of aerobic intervals. For those running 4 miles, include 2 miles of aerobic intervals. For those running a total of 5-7 miles, include 3 miles of aerobic intervals. If you only ran one or two miles of aerobic intervals last week, try adding an additional mile of aerobic intervals this week. You should not be huffing and puffing or be out of breath during this workout. If you are, you may be running too hard. The purpose of this workout is to work on leg turnover and prepare you for the next few weeks when you will be running at a fast pace for a longer distance.

Thursday, February 16, 2023

• • Distance:   3-5 miles
  • Goal:      Easy jog to recover from yesterday’s workout
  • Tip:        Always maintain a conversational pace while running on a recovery day. Keep the effort at 60-70% on your heart monitor or 90-120 seconds per mile slower than your 10K race pace.

Friday, February 17, 2023  

• • Rest Day
  • Tip:        Go for a walk to loosen up your legs to prepare for the weekend’s hard work. Do some light stretching of your calves, hamstrings and quadriceps.

Saturday, February 18, 2023

• • Distance:   3-5 miles
  • Goal:      Easy run
  • Tip:        Try to stay relaxed while running. Try to make your arms swing like a pendulum.

Sunday, February 19, 2023

• • Distance:   6-9 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.