Grand Rapids Marathon
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Grand Rapids Kids Marathon
Dear Runners,
Race day is almost here! Congratulations for all the hard work you have put in during your months of training! By now you should be noticing how much stronger your body feels from regular exercise and from eating the kind of food your body needs to stay healthy.
You are now ready to become “real” marathoners this weekend. We can’t wait to see you!
Here is some important information for Race Day for you and your parents. There is a lot of information to read, but please be sure to read it all the way through.
1. Race Information:
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2011
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: David D. Hunting YMCA
475 Lake Michigan Dr.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
2. Parking:
Kids Marathon participants, spectators, and volunteers park for FREE in the GVSU Student Parking Garage on the corner of Lake Michigan Drive and Winter. Parking will be open from 11 am to 4 p.m. Enter from Lake Michigan Drive.
3. Packet Pick-Up / Runner Check-in:
For Packet Pick-Up, go immediately to the north end of the YMCA parking lot and look for the Kids Marathon Packet Pick-Up Tent. You DO NOT need to go into the YMCA.
Packet Pick-Up/ Runner Check-in is from 12 pm – 1 pm
Note: Over 800 runners will be checking in during packet pick-up; please allow yourself enough time to check in and enter the runner chute. If you check in early, there will be some activities to do while waiting to enter the runner chute, including dancing and warm-up with GymCo, and music provided by TJ the DJ.
Packet pick-up will be broken up into groups alphabetically by LAST NAME. Look for the animal that corresponds to your last name at the Packet Pick-Up Tent:
A-E Rabbit
F-J Cheetah
K-O Horse
P-T Ostrich
U-Z Greyhound
4. Race Line-Up – 1:20 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.:
Children will line up in the start chutes in groups, alphabetically by LAST NAME. (We group the children alphabetically, instead of by age, so that families can run together.) Look for the animal that corresponds to your last name and line up by the signs:
U-Z Greyhound
P-T Ostrich
K-O Horse
F-J Cheetah
A-E Rabbit
PLEASE NOTE THAT we will be starting the kids in reverse alphabetical order this year, so that any children whose last names are at the end of the alphabet get to start first for a change!
For safety purposes, runners will start in waves based on the groups above. However, we will shorten the time between waves this year.
The decision to start in reverse alphabetical order and to shorten the time between waves was in response to a concerned (and perceptive!) parent who pointed out recently that those children whose names are at the end of the alphabet have been the last wave to start the run, and they are therefore just crossing the start line as some of the faster children are already coming into the finish area. We always appreciate receiving helpful comments and suggestions for improving our event!
5. Race Start – 1:30 p.m.:
National Anthem: 1:25 p.m.
Race Start: 1:30 pm
6. Race Course:
The course is an out-and-back (1.2 miles), starting and finishing at the actual Start/Finish Line of the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. Runners will start on Winter Avenue by the YMCA parking lot. The course then runs as follows:
* From the Start Line, run south on Winter Ave. to Lake Michigan Drive.
* Right (west) on Lake Michigan Drive, one block to Seward.
* Right (north) on Seward to Bridge Street.
* Left (west) on Bridge Street to Lexington.
* Left (south) on Lexington to Douglas.
* Left (east) on Douglas to Seward.
* Right (south) on Seward to Lake Michigan Drive.
* Left (east) on Lake Michigan Drive to Winter.
* Left (north) on Winter to the Finish Line!
Parents are welcome to run with their children on the course. Parents, if you want to take photos of your children during the race, please be cautious of the runners around you, and step off the race course if necessary.
7. Race Day Tips:
Dress in layers. Rain or shine, you will be outside for packet pick-up and the entire race.
Wear a hat (especially if it’s cold). A lot of body heat can be lost from your head.
Make sure you are hydrated before the race and that you have had a snack or light lunch before running.
Port-A-Johns will be available at the race site.
If you have any questions, look for any of the Grand Rapids Marathon staff (in bright orange jackets).
8. Post-Race Refreshments:
Post-race water and Gatorade will be available, along with healthy snacks, including bagels, apples, bananas, string cheese, and Go-Gurt. No water or aid stations will be set up along the course.
9. Inclement Weather Procedure:
It is our goal to allow the kids to complete their marathons regardless of weather. However, safety will not be compromised when making a determination. We will cancel the race if there is lightning or other severe weather.
If the race is canceled, we will post a notice on the website at www.grandrapidsmarathon.com by 11 am on Race Day. Runners can still pick up their race packets and t-shirts on Saturday at the David D. Hunting YMCA.
10. Sponsors & Community Partners:
We could not put this event together without the support of our Sponsors, Community Partners, and Media Partners. A great BIG thank you goes out to:
Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Metro Health Sports Medicine
Life EMS
Gazelle Sports
YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids
MyWay Mobile Storage
Gatorade
Gordon Water
Titan Equipment
Klackle Orchards
Yoder’s
Yoplait
Culver’s
Grand Rapids Public Library
Kent District Library
GRKids.com
TheBigBinder.com
GymCo
We’re looking forward to seeing you on Race Day!
Francine Robinson, Committee Chair
Co-Chairs: Pat Carey, Bridget Meyers
2011 Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Grand Rapids Kids Marathon
REGISTER HERE Then download the Logbook
The Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon is pleased to continue its efforts to promote health and fitness among the youth in our community by offering children the opportunity, free of charge, to participate in the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Grand Rapids Kids Marathon, scheduled to take place at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 15, 2011, at the David D. Hunting YMCA. Currently in its fifth year, the Kids Marathon was started in response to a growing need to improve the health and fitness of our youth by promoting healthy lifestyles through increased physical activity and attention to good nutrition.
The Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital signed on as our Title Sponsor in 2010, and they have renewed their title sponsorship for this year’s event. Other renewing sponsors and community partners include Gazelle Sports, Metro Health Sports Medicine, Life EMS, David D. Hunting YMCA, the Grand Rapids Public Library, and the Kent District Library.
WHAT IS A “KIDS MARATHON,” AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Children first register here, at www.grandrapidsmarathon.com, for free. Beginning in the middle of August, they commit to running or walking at least one mile, three times each week, with a friend or family member. They track their progress on the log sheet which can be downloaded and printed from the Kids Marathon page. The log goes through mile 25, nearly a marathon distance.
Then on Race Weekend, the children will run or walk the last 1.2 miles of the marathon distance on the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon race course. On the day of the event, pre-registered runners will receive:
• A race t-shirt.
• An official race bib.
• Finishers receive a Kids Marathon medal.
• Post-race refreshments.
Children of all ages are welcome to participate in our event. On race day, the youngest ones can run with their parents, grandparents, or an older sibling.
It is our hope that in the course of their training, children will learn that it is fun to be active and that it feels great to be healthy and fit! As a result, they will be encouraged to continue their healthy lifestyles well beyond race weekend, making physical activity and good nutrition a priority in their daily lives.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers will be needed on the day of the event to help with race weekend logistics. We will be updating the Volunteer Page of our website in the future to include a link for volunteering for the Kids Marathon. Please check back if you are interested in helping out.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon continues to offer this event free of charge because of its commitment to bettering the health and fitness of the children in our community. We would be pleased to have local businesses, or organizations that support programs for children, partner with us in order to help underwrite the costs of putting on this event. Sponsorship could be through financial support or donations of water, sports drink, or healthful snacks for the race packets and post-race refreshment area. For more information, please contact:
Francine Robinson
Cell: 616/550-6686
E-mail: frobinson58@aol.com
Tessa Emenheiser
Gazelle Sports
Work: (269) 342-9950, ext. 210
Cell: (269) 598-1605
Sunday, October 21, 2012
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