Local YMCAs Offer 5K Training Program for the Williams Route 66 Marathon
Seven YMCA locations to offer running programs for area children
Children can now enroll for a fall 5K and fun run training program, thanks to YMCA Tulsa, and in conjunction with the Williams Route 66 Marathon. This new six-week program is designed to prepare local children for the 5K race set for Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, during the Williams Route 66 Marathon weekend.
The training programs begin the week of Oct. 3, 2011, and continue through the week of Nov. 11, 2011. Children aged 5 to 12 years are welcome to sign up. The cost is $25, and includes a training T-shirt from the YMCA. Additionally, any child aged 17 and under will receive a special kids medal upon completing any of the Williams Route 66 Marathon events thanks to St. John Health System.
Each week, children will participate in two training sessions. One weekly session is held at the YMCA, and the second session will take place in a community location, such as LaFortune Park or River Parks. Each session is one hour long.
The seven participating YMCA locations are Thornton Family YMCA, R.C. Dickenson YMCA, Downtown YMCA, W.L. Hutcherson Family YMCA, Owasso Family YMCA, Daily Family YMCA and the South Neighborhood YMCA.
"The addition of a kids training program to the Williams Route 66 Marathon family is great news for families and children across the Tulsa area,"said Chris Lieberman, executive director of Tulsa Route 66 Marathon, Inc. "One of our goals is to improve the health and fitness of Tulsa, and we are grateful for the support of the YMCA in training the next generation of runners.”
Children do not have to be members of the YMCA to participate in the program. Program scholarships are also offered through the YMCA membership for all programs.
"We are pleased to join other local organizations in whetting children’s appetites for running and fitness,"said Kyle Wilkes, executive director of the Thornton Family YMCA. "By offering this training program, we will prepare the participants for this particular race, and hopefully a lifetime of running and physical activity.”
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is also working with the YMCA to select 300 children, who are already involved in YMCA programs, to sponsor in the 5K training activities. These sponsored children wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to pay for and participate in an extracurricular activity. The funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield will allow these children, located at various YMCA campuses, to enjoy the sport of running and participate in a community activity such as the Williams Route 66 Marathon’s 5K event.
To sign up for the program, visit any of the participating campuses. If a scholarship is needed, participants should inquire about this upon initial communication with the YMCA.
On Saturday, Nov. 19, the 5-kilometer run/walk (3.2 miles) is scheduled for 8 a.m. The one-mile fun run/walk is set for 8:30 a.m.
About the Williams Route 66 Marathon
The 2011 Williams Route 66 Marathon weekend in Tulsa, Okla., presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, is set for Saturday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011. The 2011 Williams Route 66 Quarter Marathon is Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. Events are held annually the Sunday before Thanksgiving and third to last Saturday in October, respectively. The sixth anniversary of the Williams Route 66 Marathon weekend includes a two-day health and fitness expo, pasta dinner, marathon, half marathon, five-person marathon relay, 5K run/walk, and a one-mile fun run/walk. Post-race festivities include concerts and a classic car show. To learn more about the events, sponsoring, training or volunteering, please e-mail info@route66marathon.com, call (918) 409-2828, or visit www.route66marathon.com 
and www.quartermarathon.com .
About YMCA
The YMCA of Greater Tulsa (ymcatulsa.org) is for Healthy Living, Youth Development and Social Responsibility. They are a powerful association of men, women and children of all ages and from all walks of life, joined together by a shared passion: to strengthen the foundations of the Tulsa community. They have eight branches in the Tulsa metro area, where they work to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
