4 Fun Running Challenges for Kids

Kids are natural runners, but sometimes they need a fun running challenge for motivation to get moving. If you’re a running club coach, physical education teacher, or parent, here some running challenges for kids to inspire and encourage them to get all the benefits of running.

Kids’ Marathon Running Challenge

Kids are too young to run a full marathon (26.2 miles), but that doesn’t mean they can’t take on the distance.

They can use this Kids’ Marathon Running Challenge to accumulate and track their mileage until they cross a marathon “finish line”. This fun and motivating challenge is perfect for kids’ running clubs or teams, physical education classes, or for kids to just do on their own.

Kids just run a total of at least 26.2 miles in as much time as it takes them. They can keep track of their mileage using this handy Kids’ Marathon Running Challenge tracking sheet.

Whether they want to run on a track, trails, or roads, kids can accumulate miles in whatever way they want to. For example, they could run a mile every other day, or run 1/2 mile three times a week.

This challenge is suitable for kids of all ages because they can take as long as they need to complete it. Super ambitious kids may finish the challenge in a couple of weeks, while others may take a couple of months.

When I did it with the kids’ running team that I coach, I awarded them 26.2 medals when they completed the challenge.

Kids Virtual Running Challenges

Race at Your Pace offers virtual running challenges for kids where they can choose a goal distance of anywhere from 5 to 30 miles. They then have a month to accumulate the distance.

Once they complete the running challenge, kids will receive a medal in the mail. If your kids are into other activities, they also offer challenges for swimming, biking, and walking.

Running Streak

Running streaks, such as running every day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, can be fun challenges, but running every day for an extended period of time may not be an appropriate challenge for kids.

However, they can do other types of creative or short-term running streaks.

For example, you can have them run around the block every day for a week and mark an X on the calendar when they do it. Or, encourage them to run every other day or every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Children crave structure and like goal-setting, so giving them an achievable “running streak” goal can help them get motivated and excited to run.

Run a 5K Every Month for a Year

This challenge encourages kids to run the 5K distance (3.1 miles) at least once a month. Because the distance is a bit much for younger kids, this challenge is probably best suited for kids 10 years old and up.

Kids can either run the distance on their own or as part of an official 5K race. Local 5K races are fairly easy to find, especially in the spring and fall.

If running a 5K distance every month for a year sounds too ambitious, kids can attempt to do it for a certain number of months, such as three months in a row.

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About the author: Christine Luff is a certified RRCA running coach, kids’ track coach, and an American Council on Exercise certified youth fitness specialist. Her book, Run for Good: How to Create a Lifelong Running Habit, is available on Amazon.