BOSTON MARATHON Khalid Khannouchi at the Expo by Carol Goodrow Khalid Khannouchi at the Expo Other 2003 Boston features: B.A.A. Kids' Relays | Champions' Breakfast Winners and Heroes April 19, 2003 There's always excitement at the Expo. It's a crowded indoor marathon fair with everything you can imagine that has to do with running including: food samples, official marathon wear, sports massages, running shoe booths, etc. With so many people coming to the expo, you're bound to run into someone you know and that person may just be a famous runner, but you may have to wait in line for his autograph. Getting Khalid Khannouchi's autograph Saturday afternoon, Khalid Khannouchi was signing autographs. Khalid owns the world record for the marathon (2:05:38, London, April 2002). While in line, KR met up with a a family from New York. Dad was planning on running the marathon on Monday while Mom and the kids were in Boston as his fans. Since both of the boys just happened to love running, we naturally had a little conversation about distance, particularly about distance for kids. KR: Your dad's going to run a marathon. That's 26.2 miles. What's your favorite distance to run? Dominic (4th Grade): I like the 2 mile run. I ran 2 miles in 16 minutes. I like the mile, also. I ran a 7:14 mile this year. KR: Yes, the mile and the 2 mile run are both great for 9 year olds. They're both considered long distances. 7:14 is a fast mile time. Congratulations! Jonathan (2nd Grade): I ran the 2 mile (18 minutes) , but I had to walk. I didn't really like it that much. I like the mile run the best! KR: That's super! A mile run is considered a long distance for a 2nd grader. My second graders train for a cross-country mile which we run as a fun run at the end of the school year. Mom: The boys enter many events and love running. One of the most frequent questions we receive at KR is about distance children should run. We continue to say, young children should not run marathons. A mile or two mile run is considered a LONG distance for a child for a race or fun run. And very fast running should be at much shorter distances, even than the mile, to keep things fun and safe for young children. Children should however (like adults) strive for an hour of exercise a day. This can involve more running at different times in the day or with different sports, as well as walking, cycling, soccer, and any other means of exercise that gets the heart pumping, the legs moving, and the body and mind energized. Check back for what Khalid has to say about DISTANCE for kids. Art by Jonathan, age 7 (Click picture for full drawing.) My Trip to Boston by Dominic      Last weekend, I went to Boston with my mom, dad, and my brother Jonathan. We went on Saturday and went straight to the Boston Marathon expo because my dad was running in it. My dad first got his number and then we walked around the expo. There were stands giving away free energy drinks and there were other stands that were selling running shoes.       When we were there, we saw Khalid Khannuchi and had our photo taken with him. We also got his autograph.       After that, we walked around places we hadn't been to in the expo and then we went back to the hotel. At the hotel, my mom, brother, and I went bowling.       The next day, we all went on a trolley bus tour around Boston and saw lots of different places in Boston. At night, we went to the pasta party and had some pasta.       The next day was Monday marathon day. My dad had to go to the marathon early, so my mom, brother, and I walked to the marathon to watch my dad finish. He ran 3:02 which is fast. That night, my dad had to drive all the way back to New York after running the marathon. That is about my trip to Boston.