Chennai Kidathon

2,000m of kiddie fun runs

By Veloscope

April 9^th, 2019

a run in the Stadium?

Every time as Indians we are at our home watching a visual like this in a sporting event like the Olympics, guessing about the individual athletes who are going to do well and more often than not,that guess is an athlete from some other country. We are rarely expecting to see an Indian name.

So how do we change that script?The answer lies here - in events like the Kidathon. Starting early, identifying individual talents and nurturing them right from the grass root levels. It has the atmosphere of a fun event alright, but how many kids or adults for that mater ever get to run on a laid out track inside an International stadium?

pick your flavour.

Different age groups and different distances. It's a well thought about system for a perfect mix of fun and challenge. Age group starting from as tender as 3 years to the more grown ups at 15 years old, with age-range specific races. 400m, 800, 1600m and the 2000m.

the support system.

What is the biggest crowd to expect at the Kidathon?

If you said, "Parents armed with water bottles, caps and phones on the ready to take pictures of their little ones as they sped by", you get 10 points for accuracy.

Some of these are already runners and some will discover running thanks to their kids. We can't wait to see the state of our nation as a result of all this running!

400m race for the 3-8 age category

What a rare occurrence for a kids race also to have this level of detailing, and to start them off in a race format as universal as the 400m, as young as 3 years old. You can imagine future world champions saying that their first 400m race was at the tender age of 3, in their hometown.

The little bunches of cuteness

'Nuff said!

May their tribe increase

We close on a note of hope that other cities pick up beautiful and simple formats such as these and give kids of the country the running start they need to develop a lifelong love for running.