If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that one of my very favorite race experiences had nothing to do with my running and everything to do with my daughter’s first race! Last year, Cora ran in her very first race, the 100m Kids Race as part of runDisney‘s Princess Half Marathon Weekend.
This year, we experienced a very magical 200m kids race! Since we missed the Expo thanks to terrible weather and flight delays, we picked up the bib the morning of the race. This was a really easy process and I am thankful that we were both still able to run our Saturday events. Just like last year, she was really excited to participate, especially since the theme of the race was Frozen. She loved that her bib had Olaf and was personalized with her name. What kid isn’t on the Frozen bandwagon these days?
After getting her bib situated, we made our way to the corrals. Here, we waited for a very long time and she was definitely getting antsy! I can’t blame her since I feel the same way on race morning. After doing the Hokey Pokey and lots of other dances, we finally made our way to the starting line. I assured her I would be right next to her or just behind her and if she needed me I would be there. Within a few second of the start, a little boy pushed her and she almost went down. Luckily, I grabbed her and prevented a wipe out. She didn’t miss a beat though and was off and running, with a little more determination in her eyes.
I’m really proud of her for not letting anything get in the way of her enjoying her race. For me, it’s always amazing to have to opportunity to run right by her side. I’m one proud mom!
So, if you are considering entering your children in a runDisney Kids Race, here are a few thoughts I have on making the decision with your family.
1.) Make sure the event you choose is age appropriate for your children. Do I think Cora can run more than 200m? Yes! She runs a mile or more with me at the track. But, races are different and can be stressful for children. While I certainly enjoy sharing running with her, it is more important to me that she have FUN! Why stress her out by forcing a distance? runDisney does a fantastic job of recommending distances based on age. Why push a race that may result in a major meltdown? I know those finish line spectators know what I am talking about!
2.) Along this same line of thought, while my husband spectated at the finish, he felt so bad for children that were sobbing during the course of the event. He said it was difficult for him to watch parents continuing to attempt to get the perfect photograph despite their child’s discomfort. Again, I think you have to know your child, their personality, and what they can handle. There are a lot of people and the kids races can be very overwhelming for tiny tots. While I have participated in runDisney since Cora was born, I opted to introduce her to the kids races when she was a little bit older for this exact reason. For me, it was more important to slowly introduce her to running on her timeframe, not mine. I asked her about racing when she was two and she did not want to run so I respected those wishes. I’m so happy I waited because she looks forward to this event and our time together!
3.) You need patience for the Kids Races. Last year, we ran the 100m and had to wait for the 1 mile run to finish before running. This year, we ran the 200m and had to wait for the 1 mile run and the 100m to finish. This may sound simple but there were 30+ corrals of the 100m dash. My little one tends to get nervous the longer you wait so this is definitely something to keep in mind. I will say that the DJ did a fantastic job of playing tunes and leading us all through dances to pass the time. But, it was still a very long time to wait around, especially for little ones. Plus, I have to wonder if this also plays into the reason for so many meltdowns.
Hopefully those of you with kiddos will find this post informative and help you decide how to incorporate a runDisney kids race into your next runDisney race weekend!
Have you participated in the runDisney kids races? What would be your advice to parents looking to introduce their children to this race experience?
Lisa
Wow, those wait times must be really difficult for parents and kids alike. As usual, I absolutely love seeing all the darling race photos of Cora. She is adorable and clearly enjoys running and racing.
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Yes! I hydrated so well for the 10k earlier that morning and I was having issues waiting for the race!
That is so cute. So great to see the love of racing at a young age – good tips in here, too. My boys are a bit older now but they did a kids race for Cincinnati flying pig marathon weekend back in 2005. Now my oldest is 13 and kicks my butt in 5Ks. He also runs track and cross country.
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That's awesome! I would love for Cora to continue running but you never know what sports kids will end up enjoying later on in life!
So adorable! I love seeing parents run w their children. Such a great influence for them. My sister and Mom’s flight also got messed up day before and they had to get their race bible that morning too. I was surprised how smooth it did go.
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I'm still bummed about missing the Expo. I decided to forgo the t-shirts because I had made plans with a lot of family to hit the parks on Saturday. I didn't want to waste the time traveling to and from the Expo but man, am I sad that I missed out on those adorable designs this year!
Of course I do not have kids but what a fun idea! I love the pics you share of running w/Cora. She's adorable and very clearly having FUN! Congrats mom 🙂
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Of course I do not have kids but what a fun idea! I love the pics you share of running w/Cora. She's adorable and very clearly having FUN! Congrats mom 🙂
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Thanks Mar! I think she's cute too but I am definitely biased!
Those are some long wait times for kids, but I bet they have such a blast once they get started!
I know my sisters kids would love to run these, if they lived closer! She has them doing lots of 1 mile runs and 5k's once they turn 8.
But I agree with ya, let the kids have their race, and don't pressure them for the perfect picture during or after!
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I know how I get when I have race pressure. It's just too much for the little guys! I think Cora might try a small 1 mile race this summer at one of the 10k's that I run!
So glad to hear that Cora had another great runDisney race experience! Those are definitely some long wait times for the kids races though.
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Thank you!! Hope you had a great weekend at Shamrock!!
Adorable! She looks like she had a blast!
Little man has done one runDisney event. I think he did the 400m? I remember that the wait to get started was ETERNAL. I was over it, and I'm a grown adult, so I can't imagine how the kid must have felt.
I see parents pushing their kids in races a lot and it breaks my heart. Running is fantastic, but it can be hard, and I don't see the point of browbeating kids into going faster or harder. I'm kind of a softie about stuff like that, though.
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So cute! My brand new niece is a Cora as well. Love the name. Really good advice about kids' races. I've done a few mountain bike races with my 9 year old son but I'm trying to get him to do some running ones as well.
So cute! My son loves to do kids races, but has yet to do a Run Disney one!! Looks like such fun!
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