Tips for getting your kid started on a running regimen in Tucson

Get moving, Tucson! As the school year winds down, parents may be looking for things to do with their young ones. The running and fitness communities have a number of summer opportunities for youth and children, including free events at local charity races and low-cost events at City of Tucson track meets.

Here are some tips for youth running fitness, focusing on those under 12 years old:

Play: Kids under 12 run all the time whether it’s running as an activity or running as part of a sport. While it’s tempting to push your kids to run fast, it’s not a good idea to put pressure on youngsters, especially those under high school age.

Older athletes can set goals for daily or weekly mileage, but you don’t want to hold kids accountable to specific distances or specific times. Let them enjoy the game of sport; don’t force them to hit certain milestones.

Don’t compete: If you watch any kids race, you’ll see lots of competition — out-sprinting a friend or dashing through the pack to the finish line. Relaxed competition of this sort teaches healthy habits and enables kids to test themselves. At the same time, though, we don’t want to pressure children too much.

High school kids? Let ‘em race each other, put some time goals out there. 12 and under? Let them exercise; give them games like tag, relays, sprint/walk, and the like. But don’t use anger, guilt or other negative emotions to try to get improved performance.

Practice: Youngsters can be set up for a lifetime of good habits by providing some structure for practice sessions. Set a schedule and meet at a specific time, do a specific sort of warmup, and end the session at a specific time.

Learn: Children can also learn about health and wellness. Teach them how to stay hydrated. Teach them healthy nutrition. Teach them gentle stretching and range of motion exercises so they can avoid injuries.

Be safe: Be sure that you exercise in a safe space, away from vehicles, predators and other dangers. Try to exercise on soft surfaces. Hydrate and protect against the sun with sunscreen, hats and sunglasses.

Find a group: A number of local groups provide training for youth runners, including the Southern Arizona Roadrunners FitKidz program (runsar.org/fitkidz-racing-series), the Tucson Elite Athletics track and field program, and the Oro Valley Roadrunners youth program (facebook.com/ovroadrunners).

If you want the youngsters to get moving, here are some upcoming local events you may want to consider:

Free FitKidz Mile

What: Part of the Tucson 5000 road race

When: 6:45 a.m. Saturday, May 18

Where: Reid Park, 900 S. Randolph Way

Distance: 1 mile, 5k

Organizers: Southern Arizona Roadrunners

Beneficiary: Team Hoyt

Cost: $30 for the 5k, free FitKidz Mile

Check in/registration: runsar.org

Free high school mile and free children’s mile

What: Part of the TMC Meet Me Downtown 5k Night Run

When: 6 p.m. June 1

Where: Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave.

Distance: 1 mile, 5k

Organizers: Run Tucson

Beneficiary: Beyond Tucson, Children’s Museum Tucson and Greater Tucson Leadership

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Cost: Free mile run for high school students, junior high school and 12-and-under. $40 for adults in the 5k.

Check in/registration: runtucson.net

City of Tucson track and field meets

When: Tuesdays, June 4-July 30. Drop-in registration begins at 6:30 p.m.; meet begins at 7

Where: Drachman Stadium, 501 S. Plumer Ave.

Distance and Events: Events will include long jump, high jump, turbo javelin, shot put (ages 14 and older), softball throw (ages 13 and under), 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes, 800-, 1,600-, 4 x 100 relay, and 4 x 400 relay. Ribbons will be given to the top three finishers at each track and field meet.

Organizers: City of Tucson

Cost: $3 for youth (17 years and younger) and $4 for adults

Info: tucne.ws/1q06

Meet Me at Maynards

What: Child-friendly weekly free walk and run that begins and ends at Maynard’s Market, with discounts to local restaurants and bars and giveaway awards

When: 6 p.m. Mondays

Where: 400 N. Toole Ave.

Distance: Choose your own, with a mapped 1-mile and 2.5-mile option

Organizer: Beyond Tucson

Cost: Free

Check in/registration: tucne.ws/meetmaynards

Meet Me Wednesdays

What: A child-friendly weekly free walk and run that begins and ends at St. Phillip’s Plaza, with a route that includes the Huckelberry Loop along the Rillito River

When: 6 p.m. Wednesdays

Where: 4310 N. Campbell Ave., at St. Phillip’s Plaza courtyard

Distance: Choose your own, with a mapped 1.2-, 2.2- and 3.1-mile option

Organizer: Beyond Tucson

Cost: Free

Check in/registration: tucne.ws/meetwednesdays

All of the events welcome participants of all ages and abilities. Not yet ready to commit to go the distance? Events are always looking for youth and adult volunteers to hand out water and T-shirts, or cheer for people while providing direction on the route. Students can get service hours for volunteering, too.