Are you looking for something that is fun for the whole family and keeps you active? Try family friendly races. It promotes fitness and allows you to spend time as a family. Miss A and I entered our first race last summer in July and it was a great experience.
I was so overwhelmed with emotions as we completed the 5K together. I heard the words “We did it!” from my six year old. I had a sense of pride for our accomplishment, as well as for knowing that I was teaching my daughter a new way to stay active.
We did The Color Vibe, to see if it was something that we would enjoy. It was amazing! This year, we have made a goal of completing four races, including The Crim.
Here are our top family friendly races in + around Genesee County:
Be Greater Indoor Tri {March 5th, 2017}
This triathlon, held in Midland, is for kids ages 13 and older. It consists of a 20 minute swim, 20 minute bike ride, and a 20 minute run on the treadmill.
Younger children ages 7-12 are also welcome to participate in the Dive & Dash for kids. Each athlete will swim in the Lap Pool and run on the Indoor Track. Each participant is given an award!
Flint Superhero Run {April 22, 2017}
This Race is super fun, dress up in a cape and run or walk to the finish line. This year’s race will be held on April 22. The course is located at the Flint Farmer’s Market. You have to options for this race; 5k Race, that you MUST run to complete and a 1K family walk. The registration price includes a t-shirt and finisher medal. Strollers are welcome. I am super excited for this to be our first race of the year!
Wake the Bear, Feed The Kids {May 6th, 2017}
This May race, held in Flushing, benefits the Bread For Life organization, a group that packs lunches for children in need. Offering a Cub Run (a half mile run/walk), or 5 and 10K courses, Wake the Bear, Feed the Kids is a fun event that supports a great cause!
Tri-Kids-Try {July 15th, 2017}
Located just outside of Genesee County, the Tri-City Kids’ Triathlon is a fun and unique event designed to foster a healthy lifestyle and a sense of accomplishment for kids ages 6-15. Each triathlete swims, bikes, and runs to complete the competition. No experience is necessary! The aim is for children to participate in an enjoyable athletic event that emphasizes their self-confidence in a safe environment.
The Color Vibe {July 2017}
This event is in July (2017 date to be determined) and was held downtown Flint last summer. It is a 5k race with a pretty easy course. The race starts out with a “pump up” session with music and everyone throwing color packets(bags of colored chalk), then people line up in several groups(keeping the runners on one side and the families on the other side), to run/walk the course. Along the way there are checkpoints where you get blasted with color and by the time you finish the race you look like a preschool art project. Added bonus: there were several families that had strollers and wagons, so all family members can participate in this race. *If someone didn’t want their littles to be blasted, all they had to do was ask!
The Crim {August 25-26, 2017}
The Crim is held annually in August and is known world wide. Downtown Flint is transformed for an entire weekend full of events and the big race on Saturday morning. There are several race event options that include a race with professional races from around the world and the Teddy Bear Trot for littles to “race” their heart out. Many people train for this race and feel that it is “the” only race that matters. I have always thought that this would be an amazing thing to accomplish in any of the events. I wanted to enter last year, but was uncomfortable about my ability to complete it almost seven months pregnant. So, this is MY year
Santa Run {December 2017}
Put on a Santa suit(included in registration fee) and run /walk a 5k or 1 mile course. This is a charity event held every December for the YMCA, to help provide scholarships for Flint youth to attend classes that they offer. The event takes place downtown Flint. I have seen this race and it is truly a sight to see all those Santas!
Does your family have a favorite fun race that you would like to share? Please let us know, and we’ll add it to our list!
