Tresa Reneaud is one of several volunteers throughout Genesee County that is helping to make the Crim Festival of Races appeal to the younger crowd.
Reneaud, a Goodrich resident and physical education teacher in Clarkston, is the coach for the Goodrich Kids? Running Club, which has been meeting at 10 a.m. each Wednesday at Oaktree Elementary School, 7500 Gale Road, Goodrich.
The Crim Kids? Running Clubs have been a staple in Genesee County for 15 years. Marti Austin, youth program coordinator for the Crim Fitness Foundation since 1994, said the first kids? running club started in 1991 at Pierce Elementary School in Flint by Bob Emerson and Judy Samelson, who is now a member of the Crim Board of Directors.
‘They started the clubs to get kids to prepare to run Crim events,? Austin said.
The clubs have grown to the point where this year, Austin said there are 40 summer day kids? running clubs throughout Genesee County. She also said there are more than 500 kids in the clubs this year in the county.
Austin said the objective of the kids? clubs is to get youngsters interested in running at an early age and develop habits that will last throughout their adult lives.
‘We’ve had kids start in the summer running clubs as teens, and they’ve continued to excel in running,? she said. ‘There’s teaching time to go along with the running aspect. Hopefully, the kids will continue to think running is a good thing to do.?
Goodrich’s club began their training Wednesday, June 14, and recently added Monday night runs as well.
Reneaud said about 97 kids signed up for the club, although between 60-70 of them show up on a weekly basis to run.
‘It gets them motivated,? she said. ‘They get to run against kids in their age group, plus there’s the health benefits. It’s also free, and they get a T-shirt.?
The culmination of the summer running clubs in Goodrich and throughout the county, is the Crim Kids Invitational, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 25 in downtown Flint. Austin said between 200-300 kids take part in the kids? race each year.
The race, geared for kids ages 3-18, is divided into two sections: a three-quarter-mile competitive race and a quarter-mile fun run.
Reneaud said there will be pizza and pop after the invite, and winners will earn prizes such as iPods, bicycles and savings bonds. In addition, she said she tries to get kids in the Goodrich club to participate with their parents in the actual Crim Festival of Races, which this year is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 26 in downtown Flint.