CUMBERLAND — The New Year’s Day Resolution Run at Country Club Mall in LaVale is the first organized chance for younger runners signed up for the Mountain Maryland Kids’ Marathon to log mileage toward the premiere event in April.

There is a 2.62-kilometer run — about 1.63 miles — as well as a half-mile children’s run Thursday. The longer event begins at 10 a.m. with the kids’ run immediately afterward. Race-day registration begins at 9:15 a.m. inside the mall at the AMC Theatres entrance.

No matter in which event Pam and Kirk Robinette and each of their five children plan to participate on April 19 — from the full marathon to the 400-meter Tot Trot — you can bet all seven of them will complete either distance run on New Year’s Day. Maybe both.

The Robinette children of Fort Ashby, W.Va., use running as conditioning for all the other sports they choose to pursue. Even on days they don’t feel like lacing up their sneakers, it’s not difficult to motivate them toward a short run.

“Just the fact of us being together,” said Pam, is enough to get the kids outdoors sometimes. “We’re always real encouraging. The fact that we all do it together … no one wants to be left out.”

Six-year-old Kennedy prefers gymnastics to running, riding her bike, coloring and joining her teammates on the wrestling mat. She’d much rather show off her near-perfect round-off back handspring.

But it’s running — perhaps a more grounded sport than gymnastics — that prepares her and her four brothers for the challenges they’ll face in any athletic competition, Kirk said.

“We try to do something every day,” he said while watching all five youngsters shooting hoops after swimming a few laps at the Cumberland YMCA on Christmas Eve. “It’s like you see on TV, ‘Get out and get active.’”

Football is young Kirk’s favorite sport. The 11-year-old Frankfort Middle School student also plays basketball, tennis, baseball, swims and wrestles. And he knows that “running keeps you in shape.”

“It’s fun,” Kirk Jr. said. “It’s relaxing. It’s better than just sitting around doing nothing.”

The Robinettes are rarely doing “nothing.” Karson, 8, favors wrestling because he wins a lot. But in running, he doesn’t need to finish first to excel. He prefers his older brothers in the event to help push him that much harder.

“I want them to run,” Karson said, “for me to have more competition.”

Kolynn is 6 years old and Kennedy’s twin. He plays middle linebacker for the Colts in the Fort Ashby Pee-Wee football. Already, he has bought into his father’s concept of conditioning.

“It makes your legs better and faster,” Kolynn said.

And then there’s Kristian, age 10. He has it in his mind to trail for the full 26.2-mile distance. To be ready for the starting line April 19, he knows he’s going to work much harder than he has been.

“It’s a challenge,” Kristian said. “You have to do way more mileage than you usually do. You have to train hard.”

With perhaps unusual athletic savvy among all five children, they are able already to set realistic goals. Kristian isn’t quite ready to qualify for the Boston Marathon — yet. His goal for the 2009 marathon?

“To finish it,” he said.

The New Year’s Day Resolution Run is sponsored by the Mountain Maryland Marathon Club. For more information, visit www.mountainMDmarathon.org or call (240) 522-0276.