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Team up with Kilometer Kids

Atlanta Track Club's Kilometer Kids is a free, game oriented running program designed to get kids ages 14 and under active! The Kilometer Kids mission is to promote a healthy and active lifestyle to area youth through a running-based program, empowering children with the knowledge they need to make smart lifestyle choices.

The program launched in 2007 with one location serving 38 kids. Kilometer Kids has grown significantly and now impacts more than 8,000 children each year in the Atlanta region and beyond. The program is funded by Atlanta Track Club, private donations, 2010-kilometerkids-grantpark-startgrants and community partners.  Kilometer Kids is an official charity of the AJC Peachtree Road Race.

Contact us to start a team at your school or community organization. 

Kilometer Kids Youth Running Series

As Kilometer Kids celebrates 10 years, Atlanta Track Club is introducing a free race series designed to provide children with more access to its events. See upcoming events and learn more here!

Register Now

  • Date & Time

    September 1 - November 22

  • Location

    Bring it to your school!

The Program

Whether you are a school teacher looking to start an after-school program or a parent who wants to run with your child in the neighborhood, the free 11-week program is a great way to get started! A few of the program features include:

  • Free access to curriculum, including running game ideas and mileage tracking tools
  • Prizes for all participants who reach their mileage goals
  • Flexibility - parents, teachers and site coordinators can begin the program in the Fall or Spring
  • Opportunity to participate in free, mid-week fun runs and other youth running events organized by Atlanta Track Club
  • Engages children in a healthy, fun, non-competitive lifelong activity

 

Our Goal

Kilometer Kids seeks to create lifelong runners, instilling in participants the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle. Through the program, kids learn that exercise is a fun and rewarding activity, opening the door for physical activity to become a lifelong habit.

To learn more about the program, or how to get involved:

Contact us 

Program Format

  • Children are encouraged to set goals and accumulate at least 26.2 total miles (a marathon) and record their progress on their Running Log.  The program culminates with the Peachtree Junior 3K, 1k, & 50m Dash for the spring program and the Thanksgiving Day 5K, One Mile, & 50m Dash for the fall program.
  • Atlanta Track Club will provide resources for you to promote the program and a coach’s kit to facilitate 11 weeks of practices.
  • Children meet twice per week with volunteer  “coaches” who guide them through flexible pre-planned lessons
  • Lessons incorporate running-related games, drills and stretches
  • Prizes provided at 10 miles, 15, 20 and 26.2 milestones
  • Your host site recruits volunteer coaches, (ratio 1 coach: 15 kids). No experience necessary!
  • The host site provides grass field, gym, or vacant parking lots to hold practice

Program Benefits          

  • Opportunity to participate in 20+ youth running events throughout the year
  • Great for a wide range of ages and abilities
  • Children form a “team” mentality and learn goal setting skills
  • Ripple effect of healthy lifestyles for parents, schools, volunteers delivering the program
  • Registration platform access for data management
  • Support, consulting and site visits by Atlanta Track Club staff and elite athletes
  • Four application opportunities each year to earn grants and prize money for your team

Parent Questions

 

Is there a Kilometer Kids host site near me?

  • Click here for a map showing Kilometer Kids host sites. 
    • Because some sites only host Kilometer Kids intermittently, not all sites listed are necessarily active programs for this season.
  • If you would like to join an exisiting team, please contact the site coordinator at that location prior to completing registration.  Participating teams schedule their own meeting times and dates and may have restrictions on the maximum number of participants. 

My community does not have a Kilometer Kids team, can we participate as a family?

  • Yes! You can register and participate in the program as an individual and track your child’s mileage over the fall season.  
  • For individuals not associated with a team, prizes will be mailed upon completion (and our receipt) of the Running Logs. 
  • If you are interested in bringing Kilometer Kids to your school or site, let us know! ([email protected]).

When does the Kilometer Kids program begin and end?

  • The Fall program begins the first week of September and ends at the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5k, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia One Mile & 50m Dash in November. 
  • The spring session will begin the first week of March and will end at the Peachtree Junior 3K, 1k, & 50m Dash in May.

 

 

How often should Kilometer Kids sessions be held?

  • In order for kids to achieve their mileage goals, the suggested schedule is two 60 minute sessions per week for 11 weeks.
  • Kids will need to “average” 1.25 miles per session.

Does the Kilometer Kids program have an age limit?

  • All kids ages 5-14 can participate on a Kilometer Kids team.
  • Events in the Youth Running Series are open to all ages 14 and under. 

Who supervises the program?

  • Individual Kilometer Kids sites are responsible for providing volunteer program supervisors or any supervisor compensation. 
  • If participating as a family, you are the coach and supervisor and you may have to modify some of the games that are geared towards larger teams.

What costs are associated with the Kilometer Kids program?

  • There is no cost to host sites or participants.

 

Start a Team

What does a school or group need to do to start a Kilometer Kids program?

  • Find a place to practice and make sure you have permission to use the space.
  • When registration opens, please register as a "Coach" and list your school or program site during the registration process. Then, we'll send a confirmation email with more information on how to get the program up and running. 
  • Complete the head coach background check immediately after registering.
  • Make sure all participants and assistant coaches also register before the first practice. 
  • Attend the coaches meeting (held at the beginning of each season)
  • Let us know when everyone is registered and arrange a time to come pick up your team's prizes.
  • Get moving and come out to the races!

 

 

Coach Questions

 

When does the Kilometer Kids program begin and end?

  • The Fall program begins the first week of September and ends with the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5k, Blue Cross Blue Shield One Mile & 50m Dash in November. 
  • The spring session will begin the first week of March and will end at the Peachtree Junior 3K, 1K, & 50m Dash in May.

How often should Kilometer Kids sessions be held?

  • In order for kids to achieve their mileage goals, the suggested schedule is two 60 minute sessions per week for 11 weeks.
  • Kids will need to “average” 1.25 miles per session.

Who can participate in the Kilometer Kids program, and is there a limit on how many kids can take part in the program?

  • All kids ages 5-14 can participate in the Kilometer Kids program
  • It is recommended we have at least 1 coach/supervisor per 15-20 kids. Some teams have 15 kids and some have almost 300.

Who supervises the program?

  • Each Kilometer Kids host site is responsible for providing volunteer program supervisors. Atlanta Track club will pay for online background checks since many coaches are volunteers and parents not checked through the school.
  • Plan to have at least two coaches, and programs with 15+ kids should plan on having one adult for every 15 kids. 
  • High school students qualify as program supervisors if they are working with another responsible adult, over the age of 21.  At least one, if not all, of the program supervisors should be able to run with the kids.

Do Kilometer Kids sites need to have insurance?

  • All Kilometer Kids sites need to have their own liability insurance. Atlanta Track Club provides insurance for Kilometer Kids events only. 

 

 

What type of facilities does a Kilometer Kids site need to have?

  • While an outdoor track is preferred, an enclosed area such as a soccer field will work as well. Cones or markers can measure out distance for games and activities.
  • Since safety is the top priority, running should be done in a safe and controlled area.
  • Sites will also need to make sure that water and bathroom facilities are readily available to participants.
  • Sites are responsible for providing transportation to the practice area (if needed) and Kilometer Kids events.  

Is the program flexible?

  • Yes! A typical team meets twice a week for eleven weeks each season. However, some meet once a week for 22 weeks and some meet year round. Some meet in fields and parking lots, some in gyms, at school's YMCA's, neighborhood associations etc.  

Do Kilometer Kids sites need to register?

  • Every coach should register for the program at the beginning of each season. All coaches and participants must register to be eligible for incentives. Children must also register for each event in the Kilometer Kids Race Series that they plan to attend.

How are kids rewarded for participating?

  • Children are given prizes throughout the season for meeting mileage benchmarks.
  • Typical prizes include a T-shirt, water bottle, pedometer, jump rope, etc.
  • We also provide coaches a game based running curriculum, provide participation prize money to the biggest teams a some events, and provide transportation money assistance to select qualifying teams. 

What costs are associated with the Kilometer Kids program?

  • There is no cost to host sites and no child should pay to participate on a Kilometer Kids team.
  • The program is typically led by volunteers, but host sites are responsible for any program supervisor compensation. 

Team Grants & Opportunities

Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Grant

Atlanta Track Club is able to provide 250 free Mizuno shoes and 250 entries into the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia One Mile on Thanksgiving Day or the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Peachtree Junior to children who might not otherwise receive such opportunities and amenities. Your Kilometer Kids program is eligible if it has completed at least two seasons and serves a Title 1 school or children primarily within lower income neighborhoods.

Be Healthy Georgia Festival Participation Competition:

Arby’s Foundation and the Lt. Governor’s Healthy Kids Georgia will award the top three organizations with the most participants at the Be Healthy Georgia Festival with scholarships to grow your Kilometer Kids team and your health and wellness programming! 1st Place: $1,500 / 2nd Place: $1,000 / 3rd Place: $750

Peachtree Junior Challenge:

Three group scholarships will be awarded to the schools or nonprofit teams with the most children registered for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Peachtree Junior events. Additionally, donations will be awarded to schools and nonprofits that have more than 50 children registered for the event. Scholarship amounts: 1st Place - $2,000 Scholarship / 2nd Place - $1,500 Scholarship / 3rd Place - $1,000 Scholarship

Adopt A Mile:

Since 2010, Atlanta Track Club has organized the Adopt A Mile program which allows local nonprofit organizations the opportunity to provide course support and cheer zones at an event in exchange for a monetary donation from Atlanta Track Club.  Organizations that meet the minimum requirements on race day will receive a base donation of $1,000. Up to $5,000 can be earned by organizations that offer extra support in categories such as: number of volunteers, creativity of cheer zone, cleanup efforts and more.

 

College Scholarships:

Each year at the All-Metro Awards Banquets, Atlanta Track Club and Atlanta Track Club Foundation together grant more than $15,000 in college scholarships to female and male Metro Atlanta High School Athletes.  

AJC Peachtree Road Race Charity Runners:

These entries offer an opportunity to participate in the world’s largest 10K while supporting Kilometer Kids (even if the participant was not able to enter the race through the lottery). Those who purchase the charity numbers will receive perks such as a Mizuno performance T-shirt, MARTA Breeze card, automatic placement in start wave E or higher and access to a separate VIP start area and post-race appreciation area at Park Tavern.

Atlanta Track Club Family or Individual Memberships:

Support Kilometer Kids while simultaneously getting access to exclusive benefits. Member benefits include: Free races, guest passes, discounts to paid races, discounts on training programs, discounts on local running store purchases, guaranteed entry into the AJC Peachtree Road Race, free Wingfoot magazine subscription, access to AlterG treadmill, Atlanta Track Club apparel and more!

 

Our Partners