| Rapides Junior Runners is a kids' running club that was started in 2002 by a group of runners in the Alexandria / Pineville, Louisiana area called the Rapides Runners. The club has been extremely successful in exposing kids to the sport of running and has grown to have over one thousand participants, which makes us one of the largest kids' running clubs in the nation. It's a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon with your family and friends. Every year, starting in the fall and ending in the spring, we have five races (one per month) at different locations around the Alexandria / Pineville area. The races have a festive atmosphere with a DJ providing music as well as guidance to the racers, such as what ages are racing next and where warm-ups will be held. Every race, the 2 milers (ages 10-14, both boys and girls) race first. The 1 milers (ages 6-9) will start after the 2 milers all finish. The 1 milers are usually broken up into two races, the 6 and 7 year olds (both boys and girls) together and then the 8 and 9 year olds (both boys and girls) together. The 5 and under crew are last for the 1/2 mile. We have added a walking category for 2007-08. They will walk the 1/2 mile course right after the 5 and under crew. Every finisher gets a finish medal hung around the neck and can refresh themselves with a snack and drink while volunteers tally race results. At the awards ceremony, a first, second and third place custom medal is awarded to the top three finishers, both boy and girl, in every age category. For example, the six year old girls will only compete against other six year old girls even though they are running with all 6 and 7 year olds in the race. Our computer timing system, finish-line barcode scanning (new in the 2006-2007 season) and computer software allow us to separate out the finishers into the correct age categories. At the last awards ceremony, a special prize is given to those who have run all five races. We also award a total of one thousand dollars to the top three participating schools' P.E. departments. We also have started a community outreach to help put tracks in at schools that don't have one. Hopefully, this will encourage running/walking in the PE departments of all the schools of Rapides Parish. Above all, we try to stress health and happy running. We want children to improve their level of fitness by training between runs with their families. If the kids can see they have improved their time from race to race, it'll be easier for them to say, "Catch me if you can!" |