Frequently Asked Questions
At Run Hard we want to see your child succeed. If a child misses practice, their whole team is affected because they cannot work together effectively as a team. Workouts gradually increase in difficulty, so regular attendance enables the children to build up their strength and endurance. We realize that there will be occasional, unavoidable absences. Please communicate with your coach and/or area director if you are experiencing multiple unforeseen absences. We want the final race to be a fun and injury-free experience. We ask that each final race participant have no more than three absences. This will ensure that they have adequately prepared to run hard on race day.
Your child will receive a water bottle on the first day of practice. Please have your child bring this to every practice. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes for running. Snacks will be provided during practice for each child.
A patch is defined as a piece of cloth or other material used to mend or strengthen a torn or weak point. We want to encourage the children to become the “patch” for their team. In order to be the “patch,” they must work hard to embody the Run Hard core principals and strengthen their team. At each practice, we will focus on one of our core values. The child that most embodies the core value of that day will be recognized by the coach and awarded a patch.
Not necessarily. The purpose of the patch is to teach the children to work hard to make a difference in their team. It is our hope that they will model our core values at practice and carry these skills over to their classroom and to their communities. If we gave away a patch to each child, then it might not encourage them to work as diligently toward their goal.
Our core values are Peer Pressure, Perseverance, Wise Choices, Work Ethic, Leadership, Teamwork, Honesty, Respect and Honor.
We want the children to see that hard work pays off. At the beginning of the season, many kids may think that a 1.5 mile run sounds very difficult. Over the course of the first few weeks, they will see how quickly their hard work pays off. Something that seemed difficult at the beginning quickly becomes a very attainable goal. On week four, the students will have 25 minutes to complete a 1.5 mile run. Once they complete that run, they will be awarded their Run Hard shirt. We encourage them to wear their hard-earned shirt the next day to school!
Yes! We will send out a link during the season for parents to order shirts. Shirts will be picked up either on race day or during packet pick-up the afternoon before the race.
Parents are welcome to attend practices with their child as long as they submit a Coach Application form. The Coach Application form, which can be found on our website under “School/Coach Tools”, gives us permission to run a background check on all adults that will be present at practice. This is strictly a safety precaution for the kids.
Yes, please! We love our volunteers and could never run this program without them. There are many opportunities to volunteer throughout the season. You can help at practices, shop for snacks, teach a core value character lesson, or just be a cheerleader during practice. All volunteers that help during practices will be required to submit a Coach Application form. This can be found on the website under “School/Coach Tools” at www.runhard.org.
Please contact your area director for an application. Please ask your coach for contact information for your area director.
Each Run Hard participant will be required to have a sponsor runner on race day. The sponsor runner must be at least 16 years old. Sponsor runners run or walk the 5K course with their Run Hard participant and assume responsibility for their child in the event of an injury or illness.
Absolutely! Just be sure that you stay behind both runners throughout the course of the race.
Yes, you can still sponsor! You are not required to keep up with your Run Hard runner. If you can keep up with your runner, that is great. If you cannot, then please walk or run at your own pace and stay behind them. In the unlikely event that your child becomes ill or injured during the race and has to stop running, we will know that a responsible sponsor will be able to catch up with their runner quickly. This is the fastest way to obtain help for a child on the race course.
We strongly encourage that each child attend the Run Hard 5K race. This event is what your child has been working toward for the entire season. Please contact your coach and area director if your child is ill and cannot attend. We can work with you to help your child earn their medal.
We need many volunteers on race day. A few weeks before the race, you will begin to hear about opportunities for race volunteers. Here is a list of possible volunteer opportunities on race day:
- Course set-up volunteers will help line the course with cones and directional signs
- Registration table volunteers will help with last minute-registrants and race bib distribution
- Course marshals will to be stationed along the course to direct the kids
- Bike marshals will ride their bike to direct kids and keep them safe along the course
- Snack volunteers will prepare the post-race food and help serve kids as they finish the race
- Medal distributers will award medals as the kids cross the finish line