The Kids Fun Run will be held at the Family Lawn at Bonnet Springs Park.  You can view our interactive Google map to see all key locations.

Thank you for volunteering with the Lakeland Runners Club 🧡

Our #1 goal for the Kids Fun Run is simple—make it fun for every kid who steps up to the start line. Your energy, encouragement, and presence help create a memory they’ll talk about all day.

Race Distances:
🟢 3–4 year olds: ½ lap of the Family Lawn (~100m)
🔵 5–7 year olds: 1 lap (~200m)
🔴 8–12 year olds: 2 laps (~400m)

Arrival & Check‑In:
Please be at the Family Lawn by 8:30 AM, and we'll meet at the 5k Finish Line at 8:45 AM and walk the course together before getting everyone into position.

What to Wear:
• Middle/high school volunteers: wear a shirt with your school logo.
• If you ran the 5k: your race kit is perfect.
• Everyone else: wear something comfy—think “ready for a walk or jog.” We’re not handing out the orange LRC volunteer shirts for the Kids Fun Run.

Cheering Tools:
You’ll get bam‑bam (thunder) sticks at check‑in—your official cheering and directing devices. Kids love them, and you can hand them off to a runner after the kids races are finished.

Start Time:
The Kids Fun Run begins at 9:00 AM or 10 minutes after the final 5k participant finishes.

How We'll Get Organized:
Join in with the kids as the DJ calls all the kids for a fun dance warm‑up. Once we are all warmed up, we’ll split them into two groups based on their start location (3 & 4 year olds to one location, and 5+ to another). We’ll send the age groups off in waves so every group feels like they’re getting their own special race. Parents are welcome to run with their child.

Medals:
Every child wearing a Mabel the Owl bib and finishing the race receives a Kids Fun Run medal. Kids who ran the 5k but did not register for the Fun Run may still participate—they just won’t receive a second medal.

Keeping Kids Safe & Smiling:
• Every kid wants to be first—totally normal! If you're assigned to the start line, help them give each other space.
• Some 5k runners may not realize the kids’ races are happening—please keep an eye out for adults trying to cross the path and give them a friendly heads‑up.
• Remind the kids to avoid sudden stops so no one coming behind them runs into them causing them both to fall.