This program is for children and youth who are in pre-kindergarten to 8th grade.

Healthy Kids Running Series, a community-based program, is designed to improve children's health, self-esteem, and general well-being by offering scheduled running events.  Children are encouraged to participate in the races, which intend to demonstrate a friendly and supportive environment.

No peer-reviewed publications evaluating the effectiveness of this program were located.

The Healthy Kids Running Series promotes good health for participants by providing a series of races.  No training or practices are involved, and children engage in age-suitable running events, such as the 50 yard dash, 1/4-mile run, 1/2-mile run, and a 1-mile run.  Youth are encouraged to pace themselves and improve their individual race times with each running event.  During each race, participants compete for a chance to earn points, and, at the end of the series, the top boy and girl with the most points in their respective age division receive a trophy.  All participants receive a medal and gift bag for their achievements.

The program was started in 2009 by Jeff Long, the founder and president of Pattison Sports Group.  In 2012, Healthy Kids Running Series became a 501(c)(3) non-profit stock corporation and began operating separately from Pattison Sports Group but is still being managed by the same leadership team.  To date, the program has been implemented across 39 states with 70,000 youth participating in running events.

A community coordinator and volunteers run the program and no training is required to faciliate the races.

Considerations for implementing this program include acquiring volunteers to coordinate the weekly race series; finding locations to hold weekly races; understanding this is a 5-week program and commitment from the children and their parent(s) is necessary and important; and recognizing that there is a registration fee to participate in the race series, and this fee covers the cost of trophies, medals, gift bags, and bib numbers.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing Healthy Kids Running Series, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

The program lasts 5 weeks and is offered in the fall and in the spring.  Each running race takes place once a week over the 5 weeks.  Time to complete weekly races will vary.

Implementation costs will include renting facilitites and purchasing event insurance, marketing materials, t-shirts, sponsor race bags, medals for each race, race bibs, and any additional program costs. The program works with sponsors to help cover these costs. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

To move Healthy Kids Running Series to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals.  Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact Healthy Kids Running Series by mail The Mill, 383 Brinton Lake Road, Suite 1 Thornton, PA 19373, phone 1-484-352-2729, email info@healthykidsrunningseries.org, or visit https://healthykidsrunningseries.org/contact/

www.healthykidsrunningseries.org/