Kids Who Love to Run

On Sunday, Skipper did his part for Kids Running For Kids, the virtual run which is fundraising for Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.

Skipper’s 1K run was part of the OTMH Classic race that I ran in Oakville. He was excited about participating in it again. This was the first year that he also had friends that were going to be there and, at this point in his life, the social aspect of running is more important than running itself.

The plan was for Skipper to run at 8:30 and hang out with our friends while I raced at 9:00. The kids went off and I stood around the 200 metre mark, which was also the starting point of my run. I watched as dozens of kids ran by but I couldn’t see my own. Remembering that he was one of the first finishers last year, I wondered if I missed him, . And, then, towards the back, I saw him walking, tears obviously starting to fill his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as I grabbed his hand.

No response.

“You don’t have to finish if you don’t want to, ” I added.

And he walked away. I followed. My 9 year old turned his back on me. Obviously, something had happened and he just didn’t want to talk about it. So, I did what any running mom would do; I found my friends to keep an eye on him and returned to the start line.

That night, the story came out. Skipper started to run and was one of the first runners. But a larger kid pushed him out of the way when they turned a corner and he brushed against a parked truck. The driver was standing nearby and yelled, “Hey, kids, stay away from my truck!” This upset Skipper and that was the end of his run.

So, now we’re off to run another kilometre this weekend for our fundraiser. After all, he only ran part and needs to finish. This time, though, it will just be the two of us (well, maybe the dog will come along).

And, my youngest? He is still with Daddy in Florida visiting Grandma. They’re getting up tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn so that my little guy can race somewhere in the south and “win”. He wants to be the fastest, I’ve been told.

Have you run with your kids yet? For more details on how to support Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto through Kids Running for Kids, click here. And, remember, your support also gets you entries into my giveaway for Mabel’s Labels.