More than 500 Children Finish Princeton Kids Marathon

More than 500 children raced to the finish line and celebrated finishing the fourth annual Princeton Kids Marathon on Sunday.

The event, organized by Community Connection of Princeton HealthCare and held at Princeton University, aimed to help promote physical activity and combat childhood obesity.  The event was also a fundraiser for the hospital's Outpatient Pediatric Clinic. 

The race was the culmination of a 10-week training program in which kids in grades kindergarten through eighth walked, ran or rolled 2.5 miles a week at their own pace. On Sunday they gathered to complete the last 1.2 miles of the marathon together. 

“It’s great to see the smiles on the kids’ faces as they cross the finish line,” said Pam Cipriano, community connection manager. “Our goal is that this event inspires children to remain active and teaches them the importance of physical fitness and healthy lifestyles.”

The children were joined by former Giants players and Super Bowl champions Stephen Baker “The Touchdown Maker” and Bart Oats, a five-time Pro-Bowler. The players ran alongside the kids and cheered them on during the race. 

“Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States,” said Dr. Alicia Brennan. “In order for our children to live long and healthy lives, we need to help them establish healthy habits early on and events like the Princeton Kids Marathon are great way to do that.”

Children from more than 75 schools across Central New Jersey participated. There was also a 10K race for adults, which attracted more than 300 runners.