APRIL 6, 2011 -- On April 8-10, 2011, tens of thousands of health seekers will take part in the GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend, Missouri's largest competitive fitness event.

In addition to a marathon, half marathon, relay and 5K events, the weekend also shines a spotlight on children's fitness by hosting children's fun runs. At 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, kids -- from the youngest crawlers up to age 10 -- will compete in diaper derbies, 50-yard dashes, 100-yard dashes and a half-mile run. The children's fun runs are held at Cricket Field in Forest Park.

Unique to GO! St. Louis is the Read, Right & Run Marathon. Children in kindergarten through middle school are encouraged to read 26 books, "right" the community with 26 good deeds and run 26.2 miles in a six-month period. On Saturday, these students will run their final 1.2 miles (middle-schoolers will run 3.1 miles) in Forest Park. This event starts at 9:15 a.m. near the Visitor's Center in Forest Park.

St. Louis Sprout & About will be sponsoring half marathon runner Melissa Gilliam. This is Gilliam's third half marathon.

"Running has taught me that if I set my mind to a goal and do the right things to prepare, I can achieve anything I set my mind to," Gilliam said. "The most important thing I've learned from running though is that I'm more effective in every other area of my life when I'm physically active. I'm more patient, more caring, and more supportive of the people I love. I accomplish more at the office, and I'm more inspired in my writing because I run."

When she's not running, Gilliam is a marketing and communications professional who also freelances as a writer and blogger. You can read more of Melissa's writing at www.smalltowngirlsguide.com or follow her on Twitter.

For more information on GO! St. Louis, visit their website.

Photo: Gilliam completed a half marathon in Arizona earlier this year. Photo courtesy of Melissa Gilliam.

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