Information about the program is online at the parks and recreation section of the city’s website, www.kennesaw-ga.gov.
The springtime weather has brought crowds of walkers, joggers and runners to the winding trails at Swift-Cantrell Park near downtown Kennesaw. It’s been a particularly crowded destination lately as 170 youngsters from the city’s Kilometer Kids program - and their sign-toting, cheering parents and siblings - took to the blacktop lanes to warm up for the city’s 5K race that took place May 10.
This year marked the second time that members of the Kilometer Kids committed to running in the race and to spending 12 weeks of getting in shape for it. The program, sponsored by the Atlanta Track Club, is run by volunteers led by Kennesaw councilwoman Cris Eaton Welsh.
“We’re one of the few Kilometer Kids programs outside the perimeter,” said Welsh. “The first time we started these sessions, I was really surprised that 90 kids signed up. This year, I was going to cap it at 150, but every time I turned around, there were more kids who wanted to get moving. So we wound up with 170.”
The kids, from ages five through 12, donned matching T-shirts and got tips on running and exercise from the program’s 37 coaches, as well as students who aged out of the program but came back to cheer on others. They met for one hour, twice a week, at the city park to practice, with the final run-through bringing out parents with timers and cheerleaders with encouraging signs urging them on.
The spring sessions wrapped with the kids running through the downtown streets last week, which Welsh described as “one of the cutest things you’ve ever seen.”
The idea for Kennesaw to have Kilometers Kids program came from Welsh’s brainstorming ways to expand “Fit City Kennesaw,” a citywide program kicked off two years ago to increase the physical health and fitness of its citizens.
“Though Fit City, we made connections to the Track Club,” said Welsh. “We worked together to get the kids excited about running. If we can get them started early, they can go onto to be some of the top performers in track at North Cobb and Kennesaw High.”
The enthusiasm has also spread to some of the volunteer coaches, who are expanding the program in other parts of Cobb. It’s also helped get parents in shape, too, Welsh said.
“We ask our parents to walk on the trail while we’ve got the kids practicing,” she said. “That way, parents wind up getting exercise, too.”
Welsh is now gearing up to launch another 12-week program that will run through August. She expects about 200 local kids to sign up.
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