East Tennessee children will kick off the Covenant Kids Run with a one-mile event at the Knoxville Zoo in January and end it on the 50-yard line at Neyland Stadium in April.
The start at the Knoxville Zoo will be held Saturday, Jan. 30, at noon. The cost is $15 and covers the one-mile fun run at the zoo and the Covenant Kids Run on April 2.
“The Covenant Kids Run promotes healthy habits for children that we hope continue for the rest of their lives,” said Jason Altman, race director for Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. “Families are encouraged to attend the fun run at the Knoxville Zoo to get kids excited about completing their first mile as they start logging their own miles and physical activity with the goal of completing a staggered 26.2-mile marathon.”
Each child who registers for the Covenant Kids Run receives a logbook to track miles or the exercise equivalent, such as 30 minutes of active playtime. All physical activity counts toward the child’s marathon goal. They’ll complete the last mile at the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon race weekend in April, when the Covenant Kids Run starts in World’s Fair Park and ends in Neyland Stadium. The children run their last mile together, finishing on the 50-yard line and seeing themselves on the Jumbotron.
This year, the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon’s 5K race also will take place on the evening of Saturday, April 2. In the past, the 5K has taken place on Sunday morning of race weekend, along with the half-marathon and marathon races, which will be held April 3 this year.
Timing the Kids Run and the 5K back-to-back on Saturday evening will make this year’s event more family-friendly. After cheering on younger participants, older siblings and parents can participate in the 5K race, and the whole family can meet at the finish line in Neyland Stadium. It’s an opportunity for family and friends of all ages to enjoy race weekend together.
“Childhood obesity is a concern across the country, and the Covenant Kids Run is one way to get kids moving by making it both fun and goal-oriented,” Altman said. “They’ll have fun as they hop, skip, walk or run a mile at the zoo to log their first mile in the challenge, and running onto the field at Neyland Stadium for the final mile is the memory of a lifetime.”
Each child that participates in the Covenant Kids Run on April 2 also will earn one point for his or her school in the Fittest School Challenge, a competition among area elementary schools. Schools register for the Covenant Kids Run and provide a total student enrollment count, and the top 10 schools with the highest percentage of student participation in the race win prize money and the title of Fittest School.
Registration for the Kids Run kickoff at the Knoxville Zoo can be made in advance online or on-site starting at 10 a.m. the day of the event. The registration fee includes free admission to the Knoxville Zoo for the participant and one accompanying guest for the day of the fun run, and any additional guests with the child will receive half-price admission. Children in eighth grade and younger are eligible to participate in the Kids Run.
In the event of inclement weather, the Kids Run kickoff at the Knoxville Zoo will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6.
For more information, visit www.knoxvillemarathon.com or call 865-684-4294.
About Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon
The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon is a premier event organized by the Knoxville Track Club, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the encouragement of physical wellbeing through running, jogging, competitive road racing, race-walking, fun runs, cross-country and track and field.
