Written By: William Warne
We are reinventing running and exploring with kids. And the Bend community of runners is part of our vision; a high performance running machine for hands/arms free running with kids from 6 months to about 4 years old. The current prototype is 70% complete and has run hundreds of miles on roads, trails, beaches and snow/ice. It weighs 30% less than traditional push strollers, fits in a backpack and is designed for safety, beauty and agility. We want your feedback, ideas and experiences running with kids and traditional push strollers. 
It all started four years ago when my daughter was six months old. My wife and I were avid runners but immediately discovered that pushing an awkward, traditional stroller was miserable. We stopped running together so we could trade off and avoid pushing. When we did push, we ran less and felt worse. Our shoulders hurt, we got a poor workout and we were limited to paved roads only. So I started drawing new ideas for a better way to run with kids. KidRunner was born! Several prototypes and two patents later, we are getting closer to reinventing running and exploring with kids. 
Our next steps are to keep testing, to get more community feedback/experiences, to build a new generation prototype and to seek funding for a go-to-market product launch in 2014. Join Us! Lead the Way with your experiences and ideas about improving running and exploring with kids. Help make Central Oregon the place it all started.
15 comments:
I tested the Kidrunner and have to say I liked it (that's me pictured in the red shirt). I run with a double stroller and I have major shoulder pain and tightness. It felt nice to have my arms free.
I would love to test this with my 2 yr old! We have very hilly dirt road terrain, out here in Vermont, how can I be a tester?!
Like the hands free concept. Maybe a net/backpack style "add-on" for baby essentials and a couple water bottles.
I would love to be a tester for this! I run with the stroller and it kills my neck and shoulders.
How do I become a tester?
Wow! I run with my bob and love how it transitions from the road to dirt so easily. P how does this manage?? How does it do on trails? I'd test one but I'm all the way in Maine!
I'm an avid runner that has ran multiple 5K's pushing either a single or double jogging stroller. I'd LOVE to product test this and give you feedback! You can read about (and see pictures) of me pushing my kids on my blog http://caffeineyesplease.blogspot.com. I currently run with a single Baby Trend and a double Schwinn. Pushing jogging strollers are cumbersome. They're bulky, often loaded with unnecessary weight, and are a bear to load in and out of the trunk of the car. I've learned to run pushing with just one arm and alternating back and forth with my arms. I often find that my form falls apart and I feel muscle soreness that I generally don't experience when running solo. I want to be able to have my children experience races with me. This would be a great alternative!
This is such a great concept! I would love to test this out! How do I become a tester?
This sounds AWESOME! I want it! I hate running with my stroller.
I would love to be a tester for this, too!! I have an 11mo old and hate running with a traditional stroller!
I would love to test this! I get all sorts of aches and pains from running a lot with my stroller.
I would love to test this too!!!
If you're really looking for testers, throw my name in the ring! I have 8 kids, including 3 under the age of 4. I've used pretty much every stroller out there, so I'd have a lot to compare it to. Also, I've been running since I was 15 and I'm a total gear junkie! :)
Thanks everybody for your great feedback and enthusiasm for KidRunner. YES...! We definitely want to connect with you for product testing and design/development input. We are committed to creating a better way to run and explore with kids starting here in Central Oregon/Bend. Look for more up-dates about testing, up-coming events/races, etc. Keep your comments coming. Thxs again, Will W.
We had a great time running the BigFoot 10K this weekend with four month old Baby Jameson asleep in the KidRunner the whole way! Take a look at photos on our Facebook site www.Facebook.com/gokidrunner. Keep an eye out for up-coming new harness and seat design and testing.
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