If you ran in the thick of the field at the TC 5K, presented by Fredrikson & Byron, in October, there’s a good chance some Bolingers were running near you.
Seven members of two Bolinger families ran the race, including four kids aged 10 and under participating via the TC Kids Run Free program.
“I think my brother kicked if off by signing himself and his wife up for the full marathon,” Ryan Bolinger of Roseville remembers, “then I soon followed by signing myself, my wife, and my kids up for the 5K. Then suggested having my brother's kids run the 5K with us, turn it into a larger family event.”
Ryan's wife Monica bowed out of the event at some point, he remembered, but their kids Tucker, 9, and Hattie, 7, challenged themselves on the Summit Avenue course as did Ryan’s brother Clayton and sister-in-law Melanie and their kids Shaylee, 10, and Hayden, 8, who traveled to the event from Kansas.
Team Bolinger organized themselves in three squads that ran and finished together – Ryan and son Tucker in 28:24, Clayton and son Hayden in 32:44, and Melanie with daughter Shaylee and niece Hattie in 45:56.
(Clayton and Melanie ran the 40th Anniversary Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon the following day, cheered on by their Bolinger teammates.)
“My son and daughter really enjoyed it,” Ryan shared. “They love hanging the medal up on their wall and being able to say they did that. They enjoy the swag and just the whole experience of seeing other people running with them.”
“It was really fun seeing my brother and his son along the route as I ran with my son and then all come together at the end celebrating each other’s time,” Ryan continued. “I hope we can make it a tradition for many years to come.”
The TC Kids Run Free program helped make the budding tradition possible for the Bolingers and countless other families with young runners.
“Signing my son and daughter up for a TCM run is a low-risk push to get them outside,” Ryan explained. “If they at the last minute choose not to do it, then I'll go by myself and no wasted expense. But hopefully, and so far so good, they have come with and really enjoyed the accomplishment.”
The TC Kids Run Free program, begun this year and supported by donors and TCM Members, lets all kids 18 years old and under run Twin Cities In Motion events at no cost. All TCM events include free age-appropriate races for kids pre-school and older who aren’t ready for a full 5K or longer race. In it’s inaugural year, nearly 5000 kids ran TCM events via TC Kids Run Free.
The program has been good for Ryan’s running as well.
“The TC 5K wasn't my first race, but I did only start actually running outside of a treadmill or elliptical this year,” he noted. “I am trying to get into better shape as I get older, and having the kids come with is a great way to motivate them and myself toward a goal of healthier living.”
Ryan and his kids hit the streets again in November at TCM’s Turkey Day 5K, too.
“I love how family focused TCM events are,” Ryan said. “Having the games and vendors before and after the race give the kids even more stuff to look forward to. All in all, it is a great way to do something together that will benefit them for years to come, they know they can do hard things.”
Photo: from left, Melanie, Shaylee, Ryan, Hattie, Clayton, Hayden and Tucker Bolinger after the TC 5K.
This article originally appeared in The Connection in December 2022 , TCM's weekly e-newsletter. Subscribe here.