How to Train a Child for a 5K Run

A 5K run is an exciting athletic challenge for a child. The distance is great enough to have to train well in order to compete but not so far as to be impossible for most kids. Parents need to be prepared to help a child who expresses interest in running this distance. Map out a plan to train your child in terms of her technique and endurance. This is an opportunity to increase the parent-child bond as you work toward a satisfying goal.

Step 1

Write down your plan of action in a notebook. Involve your child in the planning process by having him share suggestions. List daily goals such as adding a fourth of a kilometer to your training runs. Leave room to record distances and times when you practice.

Step 2

Buy good shoes for your child for his training. According to Orange County Foot and Ankle Group, you should always outfit your child in shoes specifically constructed for running to guard against injury and help aid performance. Take him to a sporting goods or athletic shoe store to have his feet measured by a knowledgeable sales person who will take into account arch height and foot width when making purchase recommendations.

Step 3

Take your child to a local track for a base run. Tell your child to jog around the track at a comfortable pace. Note the distance she is able to run without stopping and the time it took her to complete that distance. These starting measures will allow you to decide how much distance you need to add overall and what completion time your child should aim for.

Step 4

Run with your child every other day. The day off in between needs to be taken for rest and recovery. Work on strength training during off days by performing crunches, squats, pushups and pullups. Do these exercises with your child to help keep him motivated.

Step 5

Work on your child's running technique. Observe his natural running stride and encourage him to maintain it during the entire run rather than just at the beginning. Teach him to keep his head up and still while he runs so his overall posture will be natural and correct. Mark Springer in an article for Kidsrunning.com, says kids need to lean forward very slightly and must never slouch their shoulders when completing a distance run.

Step 6

Take plenty of water with your for runs. Hydration is important for energy and endurance. Encourage your child to drink frequently before and during runs -- and even more after finishing practice.

Step 7

Enlist a few of your child's friends to run with her during some practices. This allows her to measure herself against peers. It also provides entertainment and camaraderie while working on training for the 5K run.

With a little planning and preparation, you can run—comfortably—every step of the way of a 5K. The slow buildup and easy pacing of this five-week plan will allow your body to adapt to running 3.1 miles continuously, and the three-mile dress rehearsal runs will give you the confidence that you can go the distance on race day, says Paul. (If you haven't been exercising at all, first spend several weeks running and walking until you can run for 10 minutes.) As you follow this schedule, avoid running on consecutive days and keep the pace easy enough to talk. Twice a week, cross-train by swimming, cycling, walking briskly, or taking a fitness class.

Week -- Weekday 1, Weekday 2, Weekday 3

1 -- 1.5 miles, 1.5 miles, 2 miles

2 -- 2 miles, 2 miles, 2.5 miles

3 -- 2 miles, 2.5 miles, 3 miles

4 -- 2.5 miles, 2.5 miles, 3 miles

5 -- 2.5 miles, 2 miles, Race 3.1 miles!

Great Stretches for Runners! 
A brief warm up and some stretches before and after each work out help reduce risk of injury. 
Never bounce in a stretch or hold your breath. Hold the position for at leaset 15-30 seconds, 
and warm up with a quick 5 minute walk before stretching. Here are some great ideas. 
Warm-Up Silly Walks: You can combine a warm-up with these stretches. 
 High Knee Walk: Lift knee to hip height while foot on ground raises it’s heel, so you are 
balancing on your toe. Drop knee down then switch feet. Repeat for 20-30 steps. 
 Lunge Walk: Step out, lunge down, bending the front knee, making sure knee does not 
extend over ankle, come up and then bring legs together, step out with other leg and repeat for 
20-30 steps. 
Shoulder roll: Roll shoulders five times going forward, five times backwards 
Neck roll: Drop chin to chest, roll neck slowly side to side. 
Quad stretch: Stand straight, lift your right foot up behind you, and grab your right foot with 
your right hand. Pull your heel gently toward your bottom, feeling a stretch in your quadricep 
(front thigh). Hold for 30-60 seconds—this is a big muscle, give it time to stretch! 
Hamstring Stretch: Stand with your legs crossed and the outsides of your feet together. Bend 
over with your rear knee straight. Reach toward your feet or bring your torso toward legs. Hold 
stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat with your opposite leg. 
Calf Stretch: Place both hands on a wall with arms extended. Lean against wall with one leg 
bent forward and the other leg extended back with knee straight and foot facing forward. Keep 
the heel of your rear foot on that floor. Feel the stretch in the calf of that leg, and hold 15 to 30 
seconds. Repeat with the opposite leg.