Running club exchanges ugly sweater run for fitness event
Dec 21, 2018 -- Posted by :By Cole Short, Hillsboro Banner
The Hillsboro Running Club has found a way to help Hillsboro kids stay fit over the holidays – and stay a little more fashionable.
After attempting ugly sweater and holiday runs the past four years, the running club will host a fitness fun event Dec. 30 inside the comfy confines of the Hillsboro Events Center.
Mia Kozojed, the running club’s president, said cold conditions the past few years were a driving force behind exchanging the ugly sweater run for a new event indoors.
The club’s 2016 ugly sweater 5K run was canceled due to extreme cold.
“We found that with the variable weather, our attendance was variable, too,” Kozojed said Wednesday. “We’re hoping moving things indoors will be better for attendance and for attracting people’s attention.”
The event will be targeted at school-age children and offer four different types of activities for kids: soccer, basketball, relay races and fitness challenges.
The challenges will include activities such as hula hooping and jumping rope.
“We want things that will get kids’ heart rates moving but also be enjoyable,” Kozojed said. “You can mix in fun and games and it’s still fitness.”
The event will run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 30.
There is no fee to attend, but participants are asked to bring an item to share with the Hillsboro Kiwanis food pantry.
In addition to kids’ activities Dec. 30, the Hillsboro Fitness Center will be made available to adults interested in scoping out the facility free of charge.
“If you’re not a member, this is a great opportunity to try it out,” Kozojed said.
Run by the Hillsboro School District, the $1.2 million fitness center opened to the public in December 2015. The 6,270-square-foot facility typically sees 1,500 to 1,600 visits per month, according to figures released in May.