Camp River Runners Summer Youth Run Camps are back, bigger and better for 2017. We had a blast in 2016 with over 40 young runners in each of our Middle and High School day camps. New is our overnight High School Camp July 16-19. We continue our Middle School Day Camp July 10-13 and High School Day Camp July 13-15. The camps focus on the joy and play of running, skill development, building endurance safely, drills and supplemental exercises to stay injury free, and how to eat like a champion.

Camps are hosted by Freedom’s Run, who organize the largest races in the state and invite runners from all over the country to take in the rich scenery and history of our region. Camp River Runners provide the youth with the opportunity to explore these beautiful trails and National Parks with runners from other schools and states. The camps tailor the activity for both beginning and experienced runners and give all the feeling of learning and growing.

The campers will explore some of best of the regional trail runs of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the C&O Canal. Between runs and drills, campers will get to hear training tips and advice from myself and my college teammate Meg Waldron. Overnight campers will stay and eat on the Shepherd University Campus giving a mini college experience as well as sunrise group run through Antietam National Battlefield and canoe trip on the Shenandoah River.

“Fun first” is the overriding principle of our camps. Distance running is not supposed to be punishment, it can be and should be fun. The two overriding rules and principles are (1) have fun and (2) stay healthy. I believe young runners should not have running injuries, rather running should make the youth injury resilient. As a kid I ran around all the time and never got hurt. Every time I ran it made me stronger and more resilient.

Part of having fun for a youth (and adult) is discovering one’s limits and pushing these limits. It is accepting the challenge to improve. We do this in a way that makes them want to come back the next day. Last year the young runners did a loop run that crossed the Potomac River at Pack Horse Ford and for many this was the highlight of the week.

I love to teach the simple and healthy principles of running and have been doing this for over 10 years for the US Air Force and around the world in courses and seminars. But the true joy is doing this locally through my store Two Rivers Treads and engaging in our local community and youth.

My teammate at University of Virginia, Meg Waldron, has her MS in Sport Psychology and is a mental performance coach. As a high school All American she ran the fastest 800m split for a high school girl in Penn Relays history. While teaching and coaching in Philadelphia, Meg’s middle school teams medaled numerous times at Penn Relays, and she started You Go Girls a girls’ empowerment running program. With a highly successful running career, and a staff member of Nike Running Camps for 20 years, Meg will provide essential skills needed for these young runners to stay healthy and happy in the sport both physically and psychologically.

For local runners, day camps will be hosted at Morgan Academy for middle school students, July 10-13, and High School students, July 13-15. For more information contact Katie@freedomsrun.org, or visit freedomsrun.org/YouthPrograms.aspx for more details and to register. Our camps are very affordable and any revenue from the camps go to the Freedom’s Run Grant, www.gofundme.com/freedomsrun.