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 20 – February 26, 2023

Overview: The intensity picks up this week and the speed workout changes. You will continue to increase your Sunday long run to prepare you for the race. Try running a few more miles focusing on increasing the distance of the weekly long run. For extra motivation, log onto our 10 Mile Intermediate/Advanced Virtual Training Facebook page.

Monday, February 20, 2023

• • Rest Day
  • Tip:        Check your shoes for wear. It might be time to think about getting a new pair of shoes. Many runners have two pairs and alternate running in them. They always have an old pair already broken in and a new pair they are breaking in. Many shoes wear out in the mid-sole after 300-500 miles, even though the bottom of the shoe does not show much wear. Start tracking the mileage on each shoe. If you need new running shoes, visit REI or Potomac River Running, our official retail partners. They have the latest running shoes made by ASICS, our official shoe and apparel sponsor, and will make sure that you are fitted to the right shoe for you.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023  

• • Distance:   3-5 miles
  • Goal:      Run easy to recover from your longest long run so far.
  • Tip:        While running try to visualize yourself floating in the air. Stay relaxed and let your arms swing like a pendulum.

Wednesday, February 22, 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 minutes hard IS NOT A SPRINT. Finish with an easy cool-down jog of at least one mile.
  • Tip:        For the two-minute 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 involves some huffing and puffing, especially at the end of the workout. If you want an idea of how fast you are running, find a local track or measured course. If using a treadmill, make sure the elevation is set at 1.0.

Thursday, February 23, 2023  

• • Distance:   3-5 miles
  • Goal:     Easy run to recover from yesterday’s speed session
  • Tip:        You may feel stiff and sore from yesterday’s workouts. The effort should become easier in the next few weeks.

Friday, February 24, 2023  

• • Rest Day
  • Tip:        Don’t worry if your appetite is increasing. Your body needs more fuel because of increased mileage and intensity. Make sure your diet includes complex carbohydrates and try to avoid junk food.

Saturday, February 25, 2023

• • Distance:   3-6 miles
  • Goal:      Easy recovery run
  • Tip:         Remember to stretch after every run.

Sunday, February 26, 2023  

• • Distance:   7-10 miles
  • Goal:      Long run
  • Tip:        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 during a long run. Keep the rest of the run at a conversational pace. Heart rate should stay in 60-75% range.