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 27 – March 5, 2023

Overview:      You are now entering your second half of the training program. If you have been following the program, you are on your way to a great 10-mile race on April 2. Visit our 10 Mile Intermediate/Advanced Virtual Training Facebook page to see what your fellow runners are doing.

Monday, February 27, 2023

• • Rest Day
  • Tip:        Take a look at how far you have come in five weeks. Congratulate yourself on your effort so far. 

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

• • Distance:   4-6 miles
  • Goal:     Easy recovery run
  • Tip:        If you can run on a course with rolling hills, you will be getting a bonus because hills will make you stronger. Expect your heart rate to go above 75% on the uphill sections.

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

• • Distance:   4-7 miles
  • Goal:     After a mile warm up, run 2 minutes hard, jog for 2 minutes and repeat 8 times for a total of 32 minutes. The 2-minute hard segments ARE NOT A SPRINT. Finish with an easy cool-down jog of at least one mile.
  • Tip:        Try to run the two-minute segments at your 5K or 10K race effort. If you do not know your race pace, the effort should be somewhat difficult and involve some huffing and puffing, especially at the end of the workout.

Thursday, March 2, 2023

• • Distance:   4-6 miles
  • Goal:     Go easy to recover from yesterday’s hard workout.
  • Tip:        Wear sunglasses with UV protection to keep your eyes safe on sunny days.

Friday, March 3, 2023

• • Rest Day
  • Tip:        Do not be concerned if you are still feeling tired and sore from Wednesday’s workout. That is a normal feeling.

Saturday, March 4, 2023

• • Distance:   4-6 miles
  • Goal:     Easy recovery run before Sunday’s long run.
  • Tip:        Four weeks left in training before the Credit Union Cherry Blossom race. Make sure that you are getting enough sleep. Keep easy runs at a conversational effort.

Sunday, March 5, 2023

• • Distance:   8-11 miles
  • Goal:      Increase weekly long run by one mile. Keep it conversational.
  • Tip:        The long runs should start to feel easier. For those of you dreaming about running a marathon, this ten-week program can be a springboard to a fall marathon. For those with a specific time goal for the race, run a mile or two at your projected Credit Union Cherry Blossom race pace near the end of the long run to see what the effort feels like.