Have you ever wanted to find a fun event that all your family can participate in? I’ll share my experience and tips for getting families running so that you can all grow in your love for the sport while spending valuable time together as a family.
Some of the best memories I have of my family are the times we spent running together. My four children are all grown now and two of them have young children of their own. One memory that stands out to me was the time our family signed up for a Marathon Relay race during the summer in Vancouver, Washington. We had a blast just planning for it! We ordered matching red racing singlets and had Team Porter printed on each one. The process of strategizing who would run each leg was the topic of many dinner time discussions. Each leg averaged about a 5K distance with some legs longer and some shorter. We decided to have my son Matthew run the last leg because he was the fastest. I ran the longest leg since I was training for a marathon at the time. My husband, George and three daughters, Georgia, Sarah and Shannon, ran the other legs of the course. While we were only able to see family members at the exchange zones, we were all able to see Matthew come into the finish line! This was such an incredible family celebration, the accomplishment of a shared goal!
Our family also faithfully signed up every year with our local Clark County Running Club. If there is a running/walking club in your area, I strongly encourage you and your family to join. There is no better way to get out and meet other runners and walkers in your community. Our local group only charges $20 a year for the whole family to join. I can’t think of a better family investment than that. Our family especially loved running the Wednesday night summer 5K series. The comradery and friendships of the other participants and their families was always awesome!
I want to encourage you to think about having your family run/walk a 5K together. The Around the World Race/Walk event is a perfect choice and it’s coming up this April! You can organize your own event or join an existing one. You also have the option of raising funds for any one of their worthy organizations! Not only is it a fitness oriented event, but one where you and your family will enjoy planning and training for! Some fun ideas to throw around are:
- Hold planning sessions where everyone gets involved (dinner time is a great option)!
- Pick a favorite theme!
- Dress the part!
- Set a fundraising goal!
- Wear matching team shirts!
- Challenge each other to train for the event!
- High fives at the finish line!
- Take lots of pictures!
After your event, don’t forget to post and share your family adventure on social media! The Around the 5K Run/Walk Facebook group page is a great place to start!!
Laurie Porter is a Team RunRun coach and she’ll help you achieve your running goals, from running your first 5k to setting new PRs at the marathon, she has the experience, expertise, and kindness to make running an even more special part of your life!