Penn Medicine Princeton Health Hosts 11th Annual Kids Marathon
Nearly 200 children ranging from pre-K to the 8th grade crossed the finish line at Educational Testing Service on Sunday, completing the 1.2-mile fun run that served as the final leg of Penn Medicine Princeton Health’s Kids Marathon.
The Kids Marathon was initiated at Princeton Health in 2009 to promote regular physical activity for young people and raise awareness of the health risks associated with childhood obesity, which has tripled since the 1970s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each year, participants in the Kids Marathon strive to walk, run or roll 25 miles on their own in the weeks leading up to the fun run. The 1.2 miles covered on race day brings their total to 26.2 miles, the full distance of a marathon.
The fun run is only part of the day’s family friendly festivities, which also include games, kids’ crafts, a face/body painting tent, a photo booth, informational displays by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and local fitness centers, prize drawings, music provided by Magic 98.3 FM and WPST 94.5 FM, and a visit by Rookie, the Trenton Thunder’s bat dog.
Princeton Health would like to thank its generous sponsors:
- 94.5 PST
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Magic 98.3
- Trenton Thunder
- The Medical Staff of Penn Medicine Princeton Health
- Princeton Fitness & Wellness
- Princeton Nassau Pediatrics
- Hamilton Area YMCA
- The Home Depot
- Lori’s Gifts
- Plainsboro Recreation & Community Services
