For years, my family had an annual date with the city of Boston. On the same day each year, we’d get up early, take the train from
suburbia to Boston Common, and sightsee in the city’s historic core.
And while we were there, I’d run a 10K. The kids, under my husband’s smiling supervision, would whoop it up at the race’s fitness
celebration, an open-air party in the shadow of Beacon Hill brownstones. There was music, a kids race, booths with games and giveaways,
and mass aerobics led by some of the planet’s most energetic women. Day’s end would find us back on the train, happily exhausted. We’d
seen things, and we’d accomplished things, and it felt good.
An outing built around a fitness event can add a fulfilling dimension to family time. And exposing kids to physical activity and
healthy lifestyle choices is always time well spent.
Plan your excursion around these three ideas:
Road Races and Relays
Hosted by charities, organizations, hospitals, YMCAs, there’s one–or two or ten–in your area. Don’t let the
word “race” deter you. Most people who hit the pavement in these events are out for air, exercise and fun. Go fast; go slow; walk; push
a stroller; commune with your iPod; hold hands with your kids down the final stretch; spectate with gusto and cheer for family and
friends who are on the course.
Pre- and post-race events are always family-friendly. Think bagels and sports drinks, warm-up exercises, kids runs, free samples,
raffles and games. All served up in an atmosphere that says being active is not only good for you, it’s fun. Find events at
Active.com, CoolRunning.com
and in your local media.
Distances range from 3Ks to marathons. Many marathons–Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nashville to name a few–offer “kids marathons,”
community-based programs in which kids run 25 miles over a several-month period, then run their “final mile” to the finish line on the
marathon course. T-shirts and finisher medals reward their accomplishment of getting healthy, one mile at a time.
My neighbors, the Kents, plan an annual family outing around Boston’s Run to Remember, a foot tour through some of the city’s most
scenic areas. The race offers both a five-miler and a half-marathon. Dad, Jim, runs with Melissa, 16, while mom Diane and three younger
siblings cheer them on. The whole family enjoys the race expo. Said Diane, “The younger kids were so excited to get all the free stuff.
It was like a mini-Christmas. Best of all? Free popcorn!”
The first year, Melissa and her dad ran the five-miler. Now they tackle the half-marathon. “It was an amazing experience running in such
a big race with my dad,” said Melissa. Diane agreed: “As her mom, I couldn’t have been prouder to see her running her heart out
alongside her father. What a special family day that was.”
Walkathons
Like some road races, most walkathons are fundraisers, with entry fees supporting causes from cancer research to animal
rescue. You get a special feeling walking as a family in such an event. To really engage your kids in the experience, educate them about
the cause you’re supporting.
A walkathon’s relaxed pace lets you stop and smell the roses while you’re doing good and getting fit. One year my husband and I pushed
our then-toddler son, Adam, in a stroller as we walked for multiple sclerosis. Adam loved the crowd of people, but what excited him most
were ducks in a park along the walk’s route. We spent part of our walkathon sitting in the sun watching Adam try to befriend waterfowl
(which would have been easier had we brought bread...).
Do-it-yourself Sports
No organized event on the horizon? Create your own. Check everyone’s calendar, then designate a day or weekend
for active family fun. Explore a bike path; take a hike; climb a mountain; play tennis; go inline or ice skating; swim, canoe or kayak;
hit the driving range; play Frisbee; play disc golf (think golf with Frisbees); scale a rock wall (find out where at
Indoor Rock Climbing ); tour a YMCA, sign up, and spend the day.
We’re planning our next family fitness day. Like our old 10K outings, this one will be in Boston and will include running. But instead
of a kids race, my daughter, now a teenager, will run her first half-marathon, alongside her mom. Our men-folk will cheer us on, and
day’s end will find us all happily exhausted.
About The Author:
Lori Hein is an author, a traveling mom and a freelancer specializing in travel writing. Her book,
Ribbons of Highway: A Mother-Child Journey Across America ,
takes you around the U.S., and her blog, Ribbons of Highway,
takes you around the world. Visit her professional site at at LoriHein.com.
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