Kids get their day at the race
Walking with 3-year-olds can be a bit like herding cats, but it’s all par for the course at the annual Marmot March – the kiddie version of Bloomsday minus the miles, the crowds and the pressure of a stopwatch.
While a few of the older kids raced to the finish line Saturday morning, most of the preschoolers and toddlers took their sweet time, indulging in the many distractions: colorful balloons, dogs on a walk, pine cones, rocks, other children.
Who wouldn’t stop to check out an actual living, breathing marmot? One actually popped its head out of the rocks on the north end of the course.
And besides, the Marmot March isn’t supposed to be a race.
It’s a fun, 1.2-mile tour of Riverfront Park designed for first-graders and younger kids – many of whom ambled, shuffled, dawdled and skipped along with their parents and guardians. The littlest ones didn’t have to move at all – they just sat in their strollers and enjoyed the ride.
“It’s all about having a good time,” said Shawn Watkins, who pushed her 8-week-old infant, Elijah, while her 3-year-old son, Ephraim, trotted ahead. “It’s wonderful to be out here with all the other families and kids.”
More than 270 kids and their parents showed up for the event – nearly four times the number of participants at last year’s inaugural march. They started the march at the Clocktower, winding their way around the park to eventually finish at the Lilac Bowl.
“It’s a great community event,” said Marmot March chairwoman Michelle Neill, who carried both of her sons – 10-month-old Andrew in a backpack and 2-year-old Seth in her arms – as they joined others on the march. “It’s also a good way to get kids interested in Bloomsday.”
Neill and other parents also hope the event will encourage their children to exercise and lead active, healthy lives.
“We want to show them that exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle,” said Dennis Leidall, of Spokane, who took part in the march along with his kids, 5-year-old Olivia, 2-year-old Conrad and 5-month-old Piper.
Jeni and Tom DuVall, from Pasco, woke up at 5 a.m. so they could drive to Spokane and bring their 16-month-old son, Caden, to the Marmot March. When Caden was 6 months old, he finished in second place at the Tri-Cities’ Diaper Derby, boasted his parents.
“We hope he’ll grow up to be healthy and physically active,” Jeni DuVall said.
With cheerleaders from area high schools and colleges rooting them on at nearly every corner, most of the kids and their parents finished walking the course in 20 minutes or less. Nearly all the children wore their special Marmot March T-shirt, which many decorated in bright colors. The $10 entry fee not only included a shirt but also a set of paints that the kids picked up Friday or early Saturday at the Bloomsday Trade Show.
At the finish line, each child received a blue ribbon to reward their efforts, along with tasty snacks provided by this year’s sponsor, Franz Family Bakeries-Snyder’s Division. They also got a chance to take part in face painting and meet the mascots of area teams including Otto of the Spokane Indians and Butch from Washington State University.
“We want to make this an annual tradition,” said Missy Champagne, of Spokane, who pushed her daughter, 3-year-old Genevieve, in a stroller. “Getting out into the community and doing these things is part of living in Spokane.”