What You Need to Know About Running A Race With Your Child

My first race with my son was absolutely one of the many special moments we’ve had together since he was born. It was such a neat time for me to cheer him on and to cross the finish line together.

Our first race was a 5k that was not too strenuous though there were some hills involved which proved to be challenging for him. But I can honestly say after our running club and this race he enjoys running (on most days).

What You Need to Know About Running A Race With Your Child

(These are not meant to be health tips please contact your physician.)

Make sure you keep it relaxed and fun. You want to encourage a lifestyle so don’t make it a horrible experience by setting high or unrealistic expectations. For this reason, I chose not to time myself. This keeps it relaxed so if your child stops a lot during the race, you won’t get frustrated.
It’s “we” not “me”. Don’t try to relive your childhood dreams of becoming an Olympic runner through your own child. Whether you “win or lose” make sure you focus on the bonding and not on your or your child’s performance.
Come up with a fun name for your “team”.
Be their biggest cheerleader! Find ways to encourage them. On our first race, I repeated over and over again out loud the verse Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…”.
Stay together! This may sound basic but in the midst of the adrenaline rush you have to remind yourself that you’re running this race together. So before you start the race talk about how you are going to stay together. Also, races tend to be crowded and if you don’t stay together you may lose your child.
Help your child set a realistic goal and pace. I had to keep telling my son at the beginning of the race to pace himself because he wanted to take off really fast. I knew he would crash within 10 minutes so I ended up setting the pace. Know when to slow down or stop. My son is a bit melodramatic so after 3 minutes he likes to say, “I can’t breathe, I’m going to die.” I know that he’s exaggerating but it’s okay to walk when needed. If you find your child needs to stop a lot then have set stopping points and timed stops.
Train prior to the race. I can’t stress this enough. We only did a 5k and my son is an active child but he still needed to train a week or two prior to the race. Training also gives you a better idea of when your child can be challenged. As I mentioned above my son was saying he’s going to die after 3 minutes but because we trained I knew he had so much more in him.
Wear sunscreen. Depending on the weather and your time out, make sure you apply the right spf. My kids hate sunscreen so when we are out training in the mornings we usually just use our day to day spf 15 lotion.
Don’t wear new shoes. Whatever you do, DO NOT wear new shoes. Wear shoes that are comfortable for running.
Don’t eat anything heavy before running. Eat something light like peanut butter toast and a banana.
Don’t forget to stretch before and after.
Bring headphones and listen to your favorite music or podcast.
Make sure to stay hydrated during the race but don’t drink too much.

My personal bonus tip–When I was training for my first half marathon I quickly realized that the weather in Fort Worth was not hair friendly. I went running one afternoon without a ponytail holder and I regretted every minute of it. My hair was ALL over the place. I have long hair and I literally could not see because the wind was so strong and it was throwing my hair over my face. So I say that to remind you to put your hair up as needed.

I wouldn’t focus on running form too much but it’s good to know the basics so you don’t hurt yourself and you use your body to help you finish well. Proper Running Form Video here.