The Cowtown Hosts Pop-Up Runs to Keep Kids Active

We're less than a month away from The Cowtown in Fort Worth.

COVID-19 forced the 3-day event in February to become a 1-day event on Saturday, May 8.

The popular kids 5K is not on the schedule this year, but The Cowtown is continuing its mission to work with North Texas school districts to keep children healthy and active.

The Cowtown team is visiting schools and producing small pop-up runs through the "C.A.L.F." program, which stands for Children's Activities for Life & Fitness.

Executive Director Heidi Swartz says on Thursday, April 8, Mayor Betsy Price and Ashley Razzo with Academy Sports + Outdoors joined the children at Rufino Mendoza Elementary in Fort Worth for a Cowtown Kids Run.

More are planned this week at Donna Shepard and Versia Williams elementary schools and Texas School of the Arts. Swartz says April 20 and 21, the Cowtown team will be at White Settlement Athletic Field to host pop-up runs for all of the schools in the district.

Swartz also says kids are still getting new socks and shoes to keep them active.

"Over the past 12 years, The Cowtown has given away over 40,000 pairs of running shoes and financial grants to the children of North Texas. With the pandemic in 2021, The Cowtown did not want that stop us from continuing our mission," Swartz wrote in an email.

And new this year, the Tarrant Area Food Bank is also giving each child a box of pantry food items to take home to share with their families.

The Cowtown race day will take place on Saturday, May 8 offering a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and the Healthy Hig Relay. COVID protocols will be in place. The last day to register is May 1. There is no on-site registration.

The Cowtown also invites people to run any of the distances virtually and complete those distances no later than June 30. Virtual distances include the Kids 5K, Adults 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon, Ultra Marathon or the Healthy Hig Relay.

NBC 5 returns as a media sponsor for the event.