UnitedHealth : are Teams Up with IRONKIDS® to Energize Washington Youth During Fun Run in Seattle

UnitedHealthcare Teams Up with IRONKIDS® to Energize Washington Youth During Fun Run in Seattle

UnitedHealthcare is teaming up with IRONKIDS® for the UnitedHealthcare IRONKIDS Seattle Fun Run Saturday, Aug. 16, to inspire and motivate young people to lead active, positive and healthy lifestyles.

The UnitedHealthcare IRONKIDS Seattle Fun Run will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Genesee Park, 4316 S. Genesee St. in Seattle. Participating children and their families are encouraged to arrive early. Onsite registration and pre-event activities begin at 7:30 a.m., and include healthy snacks, games, arts and crafts, educational materials and warm-up exercises.

UnitedHealthcare mascot Dr. Health E. Hound will lead warm-up exercises and join the kids at the starting line to officially kick off the race. Families, community leaders, UnitedHealthcare employees, and IRONMAN and IRONGIRL supporters will line the course to cheer the young runners on their quest to be "IRONKIDS." Runners will receive race bibs, T-shirts and medals at the finish line.

Seattle-area kids and families are invited to participate. The cost for registration is $15 for kids ages 3 to 15. Registration details are available at www.IRONKIDS.com.

This is the second year UnitedHealthcare is sponsoring a one-mile Fun Run in the Seattle area - last year as part of the Lake Stevens IRONMAN and this year in conjunction with the Seattle IRONGIRL Sprint Triathlon. The age-appropriate (¼ mile, ½ mile and 1 mile) course for "triathletes to be" will take place along portions of the IRONGIRL course, which begins the next day.

UnitedHealthcare and IRONKIDS are providing 100 free registrations to Boys & Girls Club of King County youth and will donate $15 to the Boys & Girls Club for each registered runner, up to the first 200 participants. The donation will support Boys & Girls Club of King County after-school health programs.

"This IRONKIDS Fun Run is a great way for children and families in the Seattle area to enhance their health and well-being," said Doug Bowes, president of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Washington. "We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with IRONKIDS and the Boys & Girls Club and inspire young people to be active and stay healthy."

Obesity among children and adolescents has almost tripled since 1980, with nearly one in every three children being overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Children from low-income and low-education households are three-times more likely to suffer from obesity, which is a leading risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and many cancers, according to America's Health Rankings®, an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation's health on a state-by-state basis. Washington ranks 14th in the country, with nearly 36 percent of people estimated to be obese.

The UnitedHealthcare IRONKIDS 2014 Running Series features nine one-mile Fun Runs and a dip-and-dash, as well as music and health expos, and the opportunity to watch IRONMAN, IRONMAN 70.3 and IRONGIRL events with hundreds of spectators.

"We are thrilled to have UnitedHealthcare team up with IRONKIDS to sponsor these youth events across the country as part of our IRONMAN series," said Carola Ross, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for IRONMAN North America. "The opportunity the Fun Runs give children is tremendous, as these races can be the catalyst for a lifetime of exercise and healthy living."

About IRONKIDS
After being acquired from the Sara Lee Corporation, which owned the event series since 1985, IRONKIDS® launched in 2009 with nine events in the IRONKIDS® National Triathlon Series. Since the inaugural year, IRONKIDS has seen more than 60,000 participants and has grown to over 40 events worldwide including races in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. The brand represents a multi-dimensional approach to creating positive experiences for athletes, families and communities as, as well as embodies achievement and determination while fostering self-esteem. The IRONKIDS mission is to inspire and motivate through the sport to live an active, positive and healthy lifestyle. For more information visit www.ironkids.com.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 800,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves more than 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

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