The Five Points of Life Kids' Marathon---Saturday, May 11, 2013

Is it already almost June? I have been neglecting this blog! I haven't responded to the comments, but I plan to soon. I am excited that a new follower posted a comment! Even if I don't respond right away, I always read my comments and love hearing from new followers and my few "regulars" too.

So I will start this rapid catching up with a recap about the Five Points of Life Kids' Marathon held on Saturday, May 11th at 9:00. Before the race, the kids had a couple of months to log quarter miles on these sheets. Mine did this very carefully and thoroughly. I noticed they were asking to go for more walks afterschool (walking counted), and my daughter wanted to walk her brother to school more (instead of riding in the stroller) so she could get more miles! Still, it was a challenge to complete the 25 miles. It is also crazy to think that marathoners run all of that in one morning! Maybe it helped the kids understand how far 26.2 miles really is for us marathoners!

The day of the race, the kids were given a goodie bag and a free shirt. My daughter got her face painted and loved it! Then the kids ran the final 1.2 miles of their "marathon" in the parking lot of our local baseball stadium and finished by going around the field. After almost everyone had finished, a guy told us to get up and "cheer for Sophie!" Apparently, there was a little girl with some physical handicaps that was completing the race today. We all got up and started cheering like crazy. It was amazing to be a part of such a special moment for her.

There was pizza and popsicles for the finishers----and a medal for each finisher too! This event is free, and it's one I definitely recommend if you are local. If I could offer a little bit of advice, I would have them somehow check the log sheets better (they are not required, but for those that do complete them, maybe putting a special stamp on each one to make the kids feel like their hard work was recognized) and to have a clock at the finish line (they told us this was not a race, but my kids still wanted to see what their time was). I find it hard to complain when something is free, though! 

My kids before the race

The start!

Finishing the race