SHIPPENVILLE, Pa. — Over 140 youth put their best foot forward on Sunday to kick of the Healthy Kids Running Series at the Clarion County Park. The Clarion County YMCA is hosting the program through October 16.

(Above: Preschoolers take-off after their signal to start the race.)

Runners from preschool through eighth grade from Clarion County and other nearby areas participated in the race. Distances range from 50 yards for pre-school to one mile for middle school students.

(Above: Joseph Henderson nears the finish line.)

The Healthy Kids Running Series is a five week cross country program for kids to get them excited about running. Races take place once a week on Sundays. Kids earn points for finishing the race and at the end of the series the top boy and girl in each age category will receive a trophy.

The next race in the series will be held on September 25th at 4:30 p.m.

The series will continue for four more weeks.

(Above: Kevin Young of Lucinda completes the race.)

Registration for the series is located at www.healthykidsrunningseries.org. Runners are also able to pay $10.00 by the race on race day. Anyone registering on race day must arrive 30 to 45 minutes early.

For more information, please contact Jesse Kelley, race coordinator, at [email protected].

For more information about the Clarion County YMCA and Y programs, please visit the YMCA website at www.clarioncountyymca.org, call 814-764-3400 and follow the Y on Facebook.

The Clarion County YMCA hours are: Weekdays 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

(Article submitted by Michelle Murray, Marketing & Membership Director, Clarion County YMCA, Oil City YMCA, and YMCA Camp Coffman)

Clarion County YMCA and exploreClarion.com have partnered to provide the community with YMCA News. This is an exclusive article only found on exploreClarion.com.