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

Week of March 13 – March 19, 2023

Overview:  This is the last week of hard training. The end is in sight. Continue to focus on the weekly long run. The two minute hard-easy runs continue. Visit our 10 Mile Intermediate/Advanced Virtual Training Facebook page and share your favorite running course.

Monday, March 13, 2023

• • Rest Day
  • Tip:        Think about running a St. Patrick’s Day race this weekend. A 5K or 10K race may help you to mentally prepare for the Credit Union Cherry Blossom and give you a pre-race practice run that includes the various steps of race-day preparation, including what to eat for breakfast and emptying your bladder and bowels.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

• • Distance:   3-5 miles
  • Goal:      Easy run especially if you increased the distance of your long run
  • Tip:        Think how hard these runs used to be when you started training for the Credit Union Cherry Blossom. Think how much easier your runs have become  since  January and early February.

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

• • Distance:   4-7 miles
  • Goal:      After a mile warm up, run 2 minutes hard, jog for 2 minutes and repeat 10 times for a total of 40 minutes. The 2-minute hard segment IS NOT A SPRINT. Instead, it is a surge in which you try to stay relaxed while working hard. Finish with an easy cool-down jog of at least one mile.
  • Tip:        For the hard portion of the workout, try to run 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 16, 2023

• • Distance:   3-5 miles
  • Goal:      Easy recovery run to recover from your last speed session
  • Tip:         Remember to stretch after each run

Friday, March 17, 2023

• • Rest Day   Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day!
  • Tip:          Only two weeks to go. Your last long run is coming up on Sunday.

Saturday, March 18, 2023

• • Distance:   4-6 miles
  • Goal:      Easy run or 5K or 10K race
  • Tip:        Think about what clothing you are going to wear on race day. For the latest gear and apparel, visit REI or Potomac River Running, our official retail partners. They have the latest shoes and high-tech apparel including from ASICS, our official shoe and apparel sponsor. 

Sunday, March 19, 2023

• • Distance:   10-12 miles
  • Goal:      Easy long run
  • Tip:        If you did not run a race yesterday, try to run a couple of Credit Union Cherry Blossom predicted race pace miles during the middle of the long run to see how your body reacts to the pace. If you ran a race on Saturday, run at a very easy pace. If you decided to run a race today, go out for an easy run afterwards to get  your mileage up to the suggested total of 10-12 miles for the day.