Get in on the fun! Registration for the MCM Healthy Kids Fun Run presented by The Washington Post is now open and children ages 6-13 are invited to participate for just $2.  The Healthy Kids Fun Run will be held on Saturday, October 27 at its new location, the North Pentagon parking lot in Arlington, Virginia beginning at noon.  All runners must be registered and pay the entry fee by October 19.   Participants will receive a t-shirt, goodie bag, medal and snacks at the finish line. 

The Healthy Kids Fun Run presented by The Washington Post will be held at a new location.  Children, grouped by age, will join Miles, the MCM mascot, and uniformed Marines at the start line before running a one-mile up and back on the course along Boundary Channel Drive near the North Pentagon parking lot in Arlington, VA.  Check out the new, interactive course map.

Starting at 9:30 a.m. and continuing until 2:00 p.m., families are invited to Camp Miles, an activity area featuring interactive challenges, live entertainment, giveaways and games focusing on health and fitness.  This year, Fit Arlington hosts a moon bounce and plenty of other activities to keep families moving.  Kids won’t want to miss the fun at the National Children’s Museum booth or the free eye exams from VSP, plus exercise demonstrations, apple dippers and juice boxes from McDonald’s! Camp Miles is hosted by the National Children’s Museum, McDonalds, KIWI Magazine, VSP and ABC7/WJLA.

Kids Run participants will be required to obtain their t-shirt and bib at the MCM Health and Fitness Expo at the DC Armory on Thursday and Friday, or on race morning beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the North Pentagon parking lot.  Families are encouraged to avoid long lines on race morning at Packet Pick-up by attending the Expo on Thursday, October 25 between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. or Friday, October 26 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. for Packet Pick-up.  A shuttle between the Healthy Kids Fun Run events and the Health and Fitness Expo will be available.

Parents and children are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Campaign.

The 2007 Healthy Kids Fun Run will begin at 11:45 a.m. with a pre-race warm up.  The RED wave, children ages 10 through 13, will start the race at 12:00 p.m.  The WHITE wave, children ages 8 and 9, will take their mark fifteen minutes later, at 12:15 p.m. Finally, the BLUE wave, children ages 6 and 7, will take off at 12:30 p.m.

Post- race, children will be assisted by Marines to meet up with their families in the appropriate Link-Up Area, designated by the color of the child’s bib.

Parents are reminded to pin the bib to the front of their participant’s shirt and fill out the safety and contact information on the reverse of the bib. 

Want to be the next recipient of the MCM Healthy School Award? Now is the time to get your child’s school involved in the MCM Healthy Kids Fun Run presented by The Washington Post (HKFR).   Simply register for the HKFR and fill in the participant’s school. The school with the most participants will win the Healthy School award and a financial donation to their physical education department from Washington FAMILY Magazine. NEW IN '07: The Healthy School Award will be presented to schools in two categories: The top large school (enrollment of 400 or more students) and the top small school (enrollment under 400 students).

The award and donation will be given in a presentation to each school by the MCM staff and special guests. Parents, students and faculty are encouraged to promote participation and the importance of physical fitness within their schools.

Read the Marine Corps Marathon Healthy Kids Series each month in Washington FAMILY Magazine. Focusing on health and fitness for children, the articles feature a wide range of topics ranging from healthy food for child athletes to choosing a team sport to healthy gift ideas.  Pick up your free copy of Washington FAMILY Magazine at a variety of locations.

A recent excerpt from the Healthy Kids Series of Washington FAMILY Magazine:

For many parents, the biggest challenge of getting children involved in physical activity is motivation. To jump start a child’s desire to get moving or reinforce the fun of athletics for an already active child, try introducing them kid-friendly literature with sports themes. There are books on virtually every sport, from football, basketball and baseball to surfing, snowboarding and running.

Fred Milbert, Supervisor for the Office of Health, Physical Education and Athletics with Prince William County Schools in Virginia offers a few book recommendations to encourage both literacy and fitness:

• Heart of a Champion by Carl Deuker
• Travel Team by Mike Lupica
• Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica
• Satch & Me by Dan Glutman

There are plenty of inspiring stories aimed at getting young sports fans off the couch and on the field.  In 2005, the Marine Corps Marathon partnered with Mascot Books to create Run Miles Run, featuring MCM mascot Miles the Bulldog, as he journeys through memorials and landmarks along the 26.2 mile course. The book offers health and fitness tips for children along the way.

Whether it is parents reading young children a story before bed or older children reading on their own, sports-themed literature is a great way for children to strengthen both their minds and bodies by bringing fitness and imagination to life.

Don’t miss the annual MCM Mascot Race! Just a few minutes prior to the red wave start of the Healthy Kids Fun Run, the MCM Mascot Race will kick off at 11:45.  Catch Miles, the MCM mascot, and all his funny, furry friends like George Mason University’s Gunston, Ned the Newshound from The Washington Post, Uncle Sam from the Potomac Nationals and Navy Federal’s Sammie.  Participants and parents are sure to enjoy the friendly competition between the mascots as they race towards the finish line.

Sponsors of the Healthy Kids Fun Run are excited to be a part of race day! Here are a couple things they’ve said about their experiences at the event:

"When you see the faces of these young competitors crossing the finish line, the feeling is tremendous," says WJLA-TV Director of Creative Services Stan Melton, Jr.  "The pride and accomplishment they feel and show is priceless, and ABC 7 is proud to be a part of that."

“Participation with the Marine Corps Marathon’s Healthy Kid’s Fun Run is a great way for Navy Federal employees, friends, and family members to connect with the community during an event that focuses on the importance of physical activity,” said Keasha Lee, Public Relations Specialist for Navy Federal Credit Union. “The best part about the Fun Run is that it shows how enjoyable exercise can be through an experience that children and their parents can appreciate.  We like to bring our Navy Federal Mascot, Sammie the Sea Otter, to participate in the mascot race.”