Editor’s note: This article was checked on August 12, 2026. The event’s public pages list registration links and current prices, but the registration checkout page says full-series registration is full except for participants joining an existing group or team. Families should contact the organizer or test the registration process before making plans.
The Healthy Kids Running Series is bringing five Sunday afternoon race days to Pendergast Regional Park in Bremerton this fall. The program begins with short dashes for preschool-age children and continues through one-mile races for students in grades 4 through 8.
This is not one long race with every child starting together. Children register for a division based on age or grade, and each division has its own age-appropriate distance. The local series also lists an adaptive Challenger Division.
Kitsap series at a glance
- Dates: September 13, September 20, September 27, October 4, and October 11, 2026
- Time: 2 p.m. The registration platform lists the event window as 2 to 3 p.m.
- Location: Pendergast Regional Park, 1199 Union Ave. W., Bremerton, WA 98312
- Format: Five weekly races divided by age or school grade
- Full-series listed price: $48.70, including a $3.70 processing fee, through August 23
- Later listed price: $54 beginning August 24
- Single-day option: $16.90, including a $1.90 fee, with registration opening at the race site one hour before each race
- Packet pickup: Not yet confirmed
You can review the dates, location, coordinator information, and packet-pickup status on the official Healthy Kids Running Series Kitsap County page. Prices and registration windows appear on the event options page.
Which distance will your child run?
The series uses short distances for younger children and gradually increases the distance for older grades. The listed Kitsap divisions are:
- Ages 2 and 3: 50-yard dash
- Pre-K ages 4 and 5: 75-yard dash
- Kindergarten and first grade: quarter mile
- Second and third grade: half mile
- Fourth and fifth grade: one mile
- Sixth through eighth grade: one mile
- Challenger Division: adaptive 75-yard race
The registration instructions include one detail worth checking if your child is 5. A 5-year-old in pre-K registers for the 75-yard dash, while a 5-year-old in kindergarten registers for the quarter mile. The organizer says the preschool races are noncompetitive and do not include scoring or results.
The Challenger Division is for children with disabilities or special needs. According to the organizer, parents, siblings, or friends may provide support on the course, and runners may use supportive devices such as braces, crutches, or wheelchairs. This confirms the division’s format, but it should not be read as a general accessibility statement about the park, parking areas, restrooms, or every part of the event site. Contact the local coordinator if your family needs specific access information.
Full series or one Sunday?
The full-series registration covers all five races. The organizer says it includes weekly race bibs, a runner shirt, a Week 5 finisher medal, and any sponsor giveaways. Registration is listed as nonrefundable and nontransferable.
A single-day walk-up may be useful if your family cannot commit to five Sundays. It covers one race and is scheduled to open at 1 p.m. on each race day. However, single-day participants do not receive a shirt or official series scoring and results.
There is an important registration conflict as of August 12. The main event and division pages show “Sign Up” links, prices, and registration periods continuing into September. The checkout page, however, displays a notice saying full-series registration is full and available only to people joining an existing group or team. That could reflect an actual capacity limit or a temporary registration setting. Kitsap Runner cannot resolve the difference from the public pages alone.
Before paying or promising your child a place, try the official checkout page or email the local coordinator at kitsapcountywa@healthykidsrs.org. Single-day registration is separately listed as opening at the park on each race day, but families should also confirm that option if the full series remains unavailable.
What happens across the five weeks?
Healthy Kids Running Series describes its regular program as a five-week series in the spring and fall. Children in scored divisions earn points based on their finishes. The Kitsap listing says every participant receives a medal during Week 5.
The organizer also lists trophies for overall finishers in the kindergarten and first-grade, second- and third-grade, fourth- and fifth-grade, sixth- through eighth-grade, and Challenger divisions. The preschool dashes are not scored.
Families do not need to treat the standings as the main reason to participate. The weekly format can also help a child learn the routine of arriving, finding the correct group, listening to instructions, and completing a familiar distance. Parents should still use the organizer’s division and participation rules rather than assuming a child may switch races from week to week.
Plan before the first Sunday
Packet or race-bag pickup is still marked “TBD” on the official Kitsap page. The organizer has also posted a course map, but the public listings do not provide enough verified detail to describe the running surface, elevation, parking plan, restroom access, stroller rules, or weather procedures.
A few simple checks can prevent race-day confusion:
- Confirm that your child’s registration was accepted and note the selected division.
- Watch the official page for packet-pickup instructions.
- Ask the coordinator about arrival time, parking, or access needs that could affect your family.
- Recheck the event page before each Sunday in case the organizer posts a schedule or location update.
- Keep the September 13 through October 11 commitment in mind when comparing the full series with a single-day entry.
Volunteers can help for one week or several
The Kitsap event is also accepting volunteers for one or all five race days. The organizer says it can document service hours or provide reference letters for high school and college students. Available roles and remaining openings should be checked through the official volunteer page.
Volunteering may be a practical option for an older sibling, parent, or community member who wants to support the program without registering a child. Do not assume a particular assignment or service-hour arrangement is guaranteed; confirm those details with the organizer.
Is this series a good fit for your family?
This format may be worth considering if your child prefers a distance matched to their age or grade, and your family can return to Bremerton on several Sunday afternoons. The single-day option provides more flexibility, although it comes without the shirt and series scoring.
The main question right now is availability. Check the registration status before making the trip, especially because the event listing and checkout page do not agree. Packet pickup and several race-day logistics are also not yet confirmed.
Ready to get moving? Check the organizer’s current registration details for the Healthy Kids Running Series in Kitsap County.
