Atlanta ( CNN ) -- The training wheels came off two weeks before the race . They had to , or 5-year-old Jonah Jennings could n't compete in the triathlon . The first day without them , she cried -- big plopping tears of fear . By the second , she was ready for her new two-wheel bike . Jonah was one of more than 800 kids who participated in the first Atlanta Kids Triathlon in Norcross , Georgia , on Sunday . The juniors , ages 5 to 10 , swam 100 yards , biked three miles and ran a half a mile ; the seniors , ages 11 to 15 , swam 200 yards , biked six miles and ran a mile . `` I think it 's a big deal for anybody , '' said Blanche Payne , wellness director at Andrew & Walter Young YMCA and one of the coaches for Jonah 's 30-kid triathlon team . `` When you say to someone , ' I want you to swim , bike and run in one event , ' adults ' eyes glass over . When you say that to a kid , they 're like 'OK . ... ' '' Schools given $ 25,000 to help kids move . Kids Triathlon Inc. started almost by mistake four years ago in Jacksonville , Florida , said event director Tom Gildersleeve . His wife is a physical therapist who saw a lot of teens getting burned out on their favorite team sport . She worried about kids becoming inactive when they did n't end up playing professionally . `` That led us to triathlon , '' Gildersleeve said . `` That 's a sport that just supports lifelong activity . People who are 80 can still do triathlons . '' The organization 's first race was held in Jacksonville with 400 kids . In 2012 , Kids Triathlon spread to five other cities . In each , the group tries to partner with an NFL team as part of NFL Play 60 -- the football league 's campaign to get kids moving for 60 minutes a day . `` Today we hear constantly about kids not being active , '' said Joshua Kraft , director of strategic partnerships for the New England Patriots . `` What better way than swimming , biking and running ? A kid does n't have to be a superstar to participate . '' Why it 's so hard for kids to lose weight . Cheerleaders for the Atlanta Falcons and mascot Freddie revved kids up Sunday as they gathered in a sea of yellow swim caps to the sounds of singer Carly Rae Jepsen 's `` Call Me Maybe . '' `` It 's a bit like herding cats , is n't it ? '' a harried volunteer muttered as she tried to line the kids up by race number . It was easy to identify the mini pros -- kids whose parents had obviously spent hundreds of dollars on triathlon equipment . Yet beside the fancy road bikes were ones with pink and purple streamers ; Hello Kitty helmets lay next to ones shaped like dinosaur heads . Each kid on Jonah 's team was the first in his or her family to complete a triathlon . But as the junior group prepared to jump into the pool , Jonah and her friend Lincoln Fletcher were more interested in their loose baby teeth than being nervous . `` See ? It 's ready to come out , '' Jonah said as she wiggled it with her pointed finger . The Andrew & Walter Young YMCA team spent seven weeks training . Three days a week , the group gathered to swim and either bike , run or practice transitions . Then , on Saturdays from 8 to 11 a.m. , they did all three . `` Most could not complete it when we started , '' Payne said with a laugh . `` Huffing and puffing , they 'd look at me like , 'You 're kidding . ' `` 'The Beast ' races to lose 100 pounds . Scholarships were awarded to those who could n't afford the registration fee , and some of the team 's triathlon equipment was donated , including Jonah 's new bike . `` I want her to be competitive in life , quite honestly -- not be afraid to compete , '' said Jonah 's mother , LeRoya Jennings , as she eagerly waited for her daughter to round the last corner on the bike path . Twenty minutes later , Jonah ran across the finish line to receive her medal with a big grin . `` It was long ! '' she exclaimed , gulping down water . She said she wants to do another race soon , maybe with her dad next time . Gildersleeve said he hopes the events are making a long-term impact on the communities where they 're held . He said that research shows kids average an extra 19 hours of exercise a month in the lead-up to the races . `` If we can get a family to adopt that lifestyle , that 's a priority for us , '' he said . `` They can learn that being active and healthy is fun . '' Too much TV linked with weaker kids .
Kids Triathlon Inc. holds races in six U.S. cities and hopes to expand . Children ages 5 to 10 swim 100 yards , bike three miles and run half a mile . The organization partners with local YMCA and NFL teams to promote an active lifestyle .