This story is taken from Sacbee / Outdoors/Outbound.

Great kid stuff

Eppie Johnson challenges the 17-and-under set with a mini-version of his annual race

By David Watts Barton - Bee Staff Writer

Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, July 19, 2007

When Eppie Johnson founded Eppie's Great Race, which launches into its 34th year this weekend, he wasn't thinking too much about health.

"I started it as a lark," says Johnson. "And because I was a kayaker. And to promote my restaurants."

Health issues were so off his radar that he thought he was contributing to the common good when his restaurants, Eppie's, offered to dish out a free sundae for any kid who got straight A's in school.

"In the commercials, I was Professor Eppie," he recalls. "I had a psychedelic cap and gown, and I went on TV and said you just have to write to me in care of this station with a copy of your report card, and people would get a ticket good for a sundae.

"I still hear from people who remember when they got a ticket."

But these days, with the words "childhood obesity" and "epidemic" in frequent proximity, Johnson again is doing what he can to make a difference in the community. But with no restaurants to promote -- he sold his 27 restaurants years ago -- this time, he's doing it because he cares about kids. And to promote his race.

The Great Race, which takes place Saturday beginning at 8 a.m., will draw what Johnson estimates will be nearly 2,000 competitors, 20 percent more than last year. And for the second year, there will be an additional few hundred other, younger, competitors in the Kaiser Permanente Kids Duathlon.

The reason, he says, is that he and the organizers are finding it harder and harder to get kids interested in the race.

"We thought about the Kids Duathlon to get more kids into the Great Race," he says. "It's a problem getting kids into the junior division. So the idea was to add another facet to the Great Race. It was very successful the first year -- we had 134 kids -- so we're optimistic about it."

The Duathlon, open to those up to 17 years old, doesn't include kayaking, but children will be challenged by a 2.5-mile run and a six-mile bike ride.

Among the kids who did the Duathlon last year was Heather Thomas of El Dorado Hills. She'll be back in the race this weekend.

"It was good last year," says Heather, 11. "I liked the biking portion because I'm a very strong rider, and I've become better since I got a new bike. I think I'll be able to do the Great Race when I'm 16, when I have a few years' more experience."

Obesity is not an issue for Heather, but she says she still gained a lot from the competition and the training she's done since.

"I learned that if you believe you can do something, and you tell your brain that, you can be confident in yourself," she says. "Even if you don't get a good time. Last year I crashed, and they asked me if I wanted to quit the race, and I said no, because I knew my mom would be at the finish line.

"I started it; I'm going to finish it."

Heather's mom, Sheila Thomas, says she's taking this year off from the Great Race -- she competed last year and just did last weekend's Markleeville Death Ride -- noting that she's not able to compete and be there for the kids at the same time.

So this year, it's about Heather and her younger brother, William, 8, who will compete for the first time. But she's no track mom.

"It's not so competitive," she says. "That's the beauty of it, that's what I like about it."

Still, she betrays a bit of her own enthusiasm for competition as she describes the Duathlon.

"It's such a trip to watch them come over the finish line," she says. "The little kids were duking it out at the finish, up in their pedals, just like the Tour (de France)."

Johnson says organizers plan to make a fuss over kids like Heather and William Thomas because they are, in some respects, the future of the Great Race. Getting them involved at their own level will help build athletes for future Great Races.

"We've got a Junior Division in the Great Race," he says, "but very few young people sign up for it. We want to get them out of TV and computer game mode."

And the separate division for kids is both a way to make the kids feel special and a practical solution for the organizers.

"We've had kids as young as 9 or 10 compete," he adds. "But paddling is a bit difficult for the younger kids, so they don't compete in that in the Duathlon. The Duathlon has the same course as the Great Race, but it's a lot shorter. If they want to paddle, they can do the Great Race."

Johnson says he and other organizers have made sure to make the kids' event memorable.

"We've got their own area for them, at the Youth Pavilion, where we have ribbons and medals, and balloons, and a magician, a climbing wall, some food. ... We try to make it special for the kids."

More than any finish-line bells and whistles, Johnson says, the process of training helps make kids more aware of what they need to do to be healthy.

"The kids become more aware that they've got to work out to attain certain goals, physically," he says. "They have to watch their diets, follow all the steps that people have to take to get into great performance shape."

And will the kids be digging into free sundaes at the finish line?

"No, that's not going to happen," says Johnson with a chuckle. "We've got some real healthful food for them -- sandwiches and stuff."

He pauses, then adds, "OK, we'll have some Jelly Bellys for them. But they come in low-cal versions, so it's all right, OK?"