FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
Runners could not have asked for a nicer morning May 19 as 90 children and adults participated in the America's Armed Forces Kids Run and 5K at Fort Eustis.
Children as young as 4, and their families, ran in honor of Armed Forces Day, joining thousands of other children across the globe on Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps installations. Participants had the choice of running a half-mile or mile, and adults participated in a 5K run.
This year's race was special for Yanixa Guerrero-Rivera and Ja'Naye Dean, both children. They both participated in and finished the 5K race. Both said they were "very tired, but had a lot of fun."
"We have been waiting a long time for something like this," said Kimberly Reels, whose son Brandon participated in the event. "Brandon views running as his first love. This was fantastic."
This year marked the 26th year of the global event, which is free for military dependent children. America's Kids Run began in 1986 with 3,800 children participating in the first run in Spokane, Wash. Over the past 24 years, 198,000 children ages 5 to 13 have participated in the run.