Parents, take note!
The Finger Lakes Runners Club has teamed up with the Ithaca Youth Bureau to encourage families to run for fun and fitness in 2021! As you know, the FLRC Challenge gives adults the goal of completing ten courses—half road, half trail, ranging from 1 mile to the half marathon—before the end of the year, along with lots of ways to compete for all ages and abilities.
For youth, the Ithaca Youth Bureau is coordinating the free, age-appropriate, non-competitive FLRC Kids Challenge, where families run three FLRC Challenge courses together from April 3rd through October 31st, with cumulative kid targets of 25, 50, 75, and 100 miles. Record each run on the FLRC Kids Challenge Mileage Tracker, watch your mileage increase on the FLRC Kids Challenge Dashboard, and get an acknowledgment for each milestone!
Kids Challenge courses include the East Hill Rec Way (1 mile), Cornell Botanic Gardens (2.4 miles), and Waterfront Trail (3.1 miles). You and your kids can run each course on your own whenever you want, at whatever pace you want. Registration for the FLRC Kids Challenge is free through the City of Ithaca’s CommnityPass system. While we encourage parents to participate in the overall FLRC Challenge (improve your fitness, participate in this huge community game, and be a role model, all at once!), it’s not required.
Gordy Begent and Bethany Schiller of the Ithaca Youth Bureau will be leading group kickoff runs the first three Saturdays in April to introduce the courses and answer any questions. The links below have maps and parking information for the starts.
- April 3rd at 1:00 PM: East Hill Rec Way
- April 10th at 1:00 PM: Cornell Botanic Gardens
- April 17th at 1:00 PM: Waterfront Trail
For any remaining questions, ask here or contact Challenge director Adam Engst or the Ithaca Youth Bureau’s Gordy Begent.