The Lagos Kids Mini Marathon has kicked off in the Ikoyi area of the state.

This year’s event, which is the third in its series, is ongoing with scores of children participating.

Accompanied by their parents, the kids arrived at the event as early as 6:30 am to race for the top prizes in various categories of the marathon.

The athletes took part in an early morning drill after which they were grouped into various categories just before the race commenced.

The race, which covers 3km to 5km, comprises three age segments – seven to eight years, nine to 12 years, and 13 to 15 years and above.

It also features a new category called Walkaton – covering 1.2km for kids between ages four and six.

According to the organisers, all athletes will be given medals but the winners in each segment would be awarded active gold, silver, and bronze medals according to their positions.

The Lagos Kids Mini Marathon is hosted by St Saviour’s School, Ikoyi Endowment Fund with an objective to promote active kids and encourage them to run for a charitable cause.

The Kids Mini Marathon is a fun family annual event organised to inspire kids to be more active and health-conscious.

The maiden edition of the race held in November 2017 and is the first inter-school 5km run in the country.

In 2018, it was bigger and had more participation from young athletes and schools among others.

This year’s edition also features hundreds of participants drawn from over 150 schools, as well as over 250 volunteer adults.

A breakdown of the figure of the participants reveals that about 50 per cent are between four to eight years, 35 per cent are in the range of nine to 12 years, while the remaining fall between 13 and 16 years.