Fit Kids: Marathon Training

"My mom, she was running the half marathon for Rochester and she told me there was a marathon for kids so I wanted to do it,” says nine year old Hannah Iseman from Webster who ran the YMCA Kids Marathon last year.

"It's designed for kids six to 12 years of age. Anyone can participate; you don't have to be a member of the Y. As long as you’re between the ages of six to 12 and you're up to the challenge,” says Kim Smith who is coordinating this year’s marathon.  

Unlike an adult marathon, the YMCA Kids Marathon runs over five weeks.

“What we're trying to do is get the kids up and running or walking. It's not competitive and you can go at your own pace. It is the full 26.2 miles that any marathon is,” says Smith.  

“You can take breaks, like walking and stuff, and you don't run your fastest because then you lose your energy,” says Iseman.

 Add into the process special training sessions to get the kids prepared.

“There are six different training sites across the City,” says Iseman, “we're going to focus on different aspects of running, training, safety. We're going to throw in nutrition, healthy snack ideas--make it a really well-balanced program for everybody.”

The final two miles are done on September 14th at Frontier Field and Hannah says it's worth it.

"I like getting a medal."

The YMCA Kids Marathon begins 9:00 a.m. Saturday, August 9^th at East High School.

There is a $25 registration fee. The fee increases to $30 after the 9^th. The registration fee may be waived for those families who cannot afford to enter the race.

If you would like more information on the YMCA Kids Marathon call:

(585) 341-3223 or log onto: www.rochesterymca.org