UnitedHealthcare is continuing its sponsor-partnership with IRONKIDS for the third UnitedHealthcare IRONKIDS Tempe Fun Run, aimed at inspiring and motivating young people to lead active, positive and healthy lifestyles.
IRONKIDS will offer one-mile and quarter-mile tracks for special-needs and physically challenged youth athletes. UnitedHealthcare is providing free admission to kids with special needs and physically challenged youth to encourage participation.
The one-mile and quarter-mile UnitedHealthcare IRONKIDS Tempe Fun Run will take place on Saturday 14 November at 08:30 local time at Tempe Beach Park – 54 West Rio Salado Parkway in Tempe, Arizona.
Onsite registration begins at 07:00, and each athlete will receive a race bib, t-shirt, goodie bag and finisher medal. The fun run course for young ‘triathletes to be’ will take place along portions of the IRONMAN Arizona triathlon presented by Waste Management course, which begins the next day.
Michael Somsan, a visually impaired IRONMAN triathlete, alongside UnitedHealthcare mascot Dr Health E Hound, will lead youth and their parents in warmup exercises and join the kids at the starting line to kick off the fun run.
The cost for registration and to participate is US$15 for kids ages 3 to 15. Registration details are available at www.IRONKIDS.com. Members of the special-needs and physically challenged community should contact Stephanie Wiersum, stephanie_wiersum[at]uhc.com, for registration details.
“The IRONKIDS fun runs give our community the opportunity to have fun together, and begin their day being active and healthy,” said Joseph Gaudio, CEO at UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona.
This is the fourth year UnitedHealthcare is supporting IRONKIDS as part of the company’s commitment to help stem the rising tide of childhood obesity through healthy lifestyles. The UnitedHealthcare IRONKIDS 2015 Series features nine one-mile fun runs and a dip-and-dash.
“I would like to thank IRONKIDS and UnitedHealthcare for working with the City of Tempe to bring the 2015 IRONKIDS event back to our community,” said Mark Mitchell, Mayor of Tempe. “We’re proud to be the host for events like the UnitedHealthcare IRONKIDS Fun Run, which work to raise awareness about obesity and help children develop healthy lifestyles.”
Obesity among children and adolescents in the United States has almost tripled since 1980, with nearly one in every three children being overweight or obese, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Children from low-income and low-education households are three-times more likely to suffer from obesity, which is a leading risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and many cancers, according to America’s Health Rankings, an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state basis. Arizona ranks 17th in the country with nearly 27% of adults and 10% of youth estimated to be obese.
“We are thrilled to have a partner in UnitedHealthcare to sponsor these youth events as part of our IRONMAN series,” said Carola Ross, Chief Sales Officer for IRONMAN. “The opportunity the IRONKIDS fun runs offer young athletes is tremendous, as these races can be the catalyst for a lifetime of exercise and healthy living.”
IRONKIDS is owned by Ironman brand owner World Triathlon Corp (WTC). After being acquired from the Sara Lee Corporation, which owned the event series since 1985, IRONKIDS relaunched in 2009 with nine events in the IRONKIDS National Triathlon Series. Since the inaugural year, IRONKIDS has seen more than 60,000 participants and has grown to over 40 events worldwide including races in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.
The brand represents a ‘multi-dimensional approach to creating positive experiences for athletes, families and communities as well as embodies achievement and determination while fostering self-esteem.’ The IRONKIDS mission is to inspire and motivate through the sport to live an active, positive and healthy lifestyle.
