Registration is now open for the sixth Annual Kids Marathon, a fitness program sponsored by Princeton HealthCare System and Princeton Fitness & Wellness Center that strives to help youngsters develop healthy habits for a lifetime.
Children in kindergarten through eighth grade may participate in the Kids Marathon by running, walking or rolling an average of 2.5 miles per week over a 10-week period. After completing the 25 miles, participants come together to finish the final 1.2 miles Oct. 12, at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South.
Registration and parental permission are required.
Registration is $20 for those who sign up by July 1. After July 1, registration is $25.
Proceeds raised by the event support the care of babies and children at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center at University Medical Center of Princeton.
In addition to the final leg of the Kids Marathon, the Oct. 12 event features kids’ crafts, local vendors, water ice and activities for the whole family.
PHCS initiated the Kids Marathon in 2009 as a way to encourage young people to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight or obese. The potential health risks posed by childhood obesity include asthma and obstructive sleep apnea, as well as long-term, chronic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Last year, 550 children participated in the Kids Marathon.
More information is online at princetonhcs.org/kidsmarathon.
