Nationally Recognized Program Partners with Chicago Public Schools

In its first year in Chicago and in top level collaboration with Chicago Public Schools, the nationally acclaimed, free Marathon Kids® running/walking and nutrition program expects 5,000 to 10,000 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and other area K-6th grade children to sign up for the six month program this fall.

www.MarathonKids.org

Coloring in incremental Marathon Kids Running Logs© in ¼ to ½ mile segments, the children will also color in each day they eat 5-a-day fruits and veggies. Besides running/walking 26.2 miles over six months, the K-6th graders' goal is also to eat 26.2 days a month of 5-a-day fruits and veggies, to fuel their running and walking! The six month program is both school and community-based.

Marathon Kids was recently featured on CBS Evening News: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/27/eveningnews/main4130458.shtml

Elementary Physical Educators are a critical conduit for Chicago Marathon Kids curriculum, encouraging a lifetime of physical activity and health for children. These teachers integrate the program as a key element in their ongoing goal setting, activity and nutrition work, set by CPS, Marathon Kids and the Illinois Standards for Physical Education. It is the fervent goal of Marathon Kids to build habits over the six months not only of a lifetime of physical activity but also to nurture the vital promotion of more Physical Education for all children in Chicago and Illinois.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan states: "Our Chicago Public Schools data shows that students involved in organized physical activities perform better in school, have higher graduation rates and also attend school more frequently than non active students. This program could help to continue this trend."

CPS Physical Education Manager Denise Murphy-Stroud says, "Marathon Kids is an elegantly simple, proven offering, helping us to fulfill physical activity needs for our children. We have watched this incremental, habit-building offering resonate with thousands of children, of all skills and sizes, across the country, in other urban areas. Chicago Public Schools is fortunate to have Chicago Marathon Kids 'lift off' this autumn, for our deserving children."

The children have the "courage to start" and the "courage to finish" what seems at first an insurmountable, six month project: Marathon Kids. The free program is for public, private and homeschoolers. The target market are those children most vulnerable to type 2 diabetes and sedentary lifestyles.

The elementary students both shyly or boldly raise their hand in class and said "Yes! I think I can run/walk 26.2 miles over the next six months! And, yes, I will commit to running 1/4 to 1/2 mile either at school or with my parents!" The net is thrown wide. All Chicago area children can be Marathon Kids: fast/slow, overweight/slender, rich/poor, sighted/blind, able/disabled, deaf/hearing. Parents join in with the children, as the children work hard through classroom offering and/or at home, coloring in their incremental miles and learning to make healthy food choices.

Chicago Public Schools has graciously donated the Chicago Hanson Track & Field Stadium for the free, ceremonial, non-mandatory, Kick Off Celebration on November 8. As the registered children and their families go through the balloon arches of the Start and then the Finish Line at their November 8 Kick Off Celebration, Chicago community runner volunteers, college athletes, teachers, will award each child their Marathon Kids Reward Water Bottle. The Marathon Kids will be running with local community runners, Race with Purpose members (in association with the Robert H. Lorsch Foundation), Chicago Marathon elites.

At the free Fall Kick Off Celebration, parents, Physical Educators, teachers, siblings, Principals, Assistant Principals, and college athletes will run with the "Flag Lap Marathon Kids" in the ceremonial flag lap, while a Chicago jazz saxophonist plays "The Star Spangled Banner". Along with the ongoing program, the November 8 ceremonial Kick Off Celebration is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, CVS Caremark, Race with Purpose (in association with Robert H. Lorsch Foundation) and Chicago Public Schools.

As all the children are brought down by section from the stadium bleachers and cross under the magnificent balloon arched Finish Line, after running in "rounds", they will have EARNED free Reward Water Bottles, Reward Bumper Stickers, and receive autographs from elite athletes. During the six month program, all incentives must be EARNED. In early May, they will run their Final Mile Medal Celebration with Olympians. Later in school assemblies, they will receive their Marathon Kids Finisher T-shirts.

The free Marathon Kids six month program is presented in the Chicago area to public and private school districts, homeschools, private schools, by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.

Marathon Kids® is a 12 year old non-profit that began as a grassroots initiative. It is now in Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Chicago, Texas Rio Grande Valley, Navajo Nation (Window Rock area). There were 122,000 registered USA elementary children in the 07-08 program, with the average completion rate of 74%.

The non-profit is bracing for 155,000 registered Marathon Kids in 08-09. Marathon Kids target market are those children most vulnerable to type 2 diabetes and sedentary lives. There are 300+ towns and cities on the Marathon Kids waiting list, as well as 14 foreign countries.

Families with questions about Marathon Kids should visit

www.MarathonKids.org or ask their Physical Educators or Principal about participation. Home schools and private schools are welcome!

Marathon Kids® was featured in Runner's World Magazine as one of 2005's Ten Inspirational Heroes of Running. It has been showcased in The Weekly Reader, Scholastic News, USA Today, Nurses Digest, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Austin American Statesman, Her Sport Magazine., Prevention Magazine, Baltimore Sun, Los Angeles Times, CNN etc. The free Los Angeles Marathon Kids program received the national Saucony "Run for Good" Award, as well as a grant from the Mattel Children's Foundation. Marathon Kids was featured on CNN's Childhood Obesity Summit panel, along with former President Clinton.

CBS Evening News with Katie Couric recently featured Los Angeles Marathon Kids: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/27/eveningnews/main4130458.shtml

Marathon Kids has received a grant from The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation to work with The Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living to study the measurable physical and psychological effects of the free program on children and their parents.

..a global collaboration of families running/walking and making healthy food choices

Our Mission: Marathon Kids® is a twelve year old, free, endurance building running/walking/nutrition and schoolyard gardening program for kindergartners through 5th graders. Our mission is to build joyful community around children and be quickly accepted into public, private and home schools as a free, innovative celebratory fitness program, resonating with the child... and with the child's family. The goal is for the child to develop the love and habit of moving through space and to carry forward the power of muscular, nutritional and psychological well being.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois): www.bcbsil.com

CVS Caremark: www.cvscaremark.com

Race with Purpose: www.racewithpurpose.org

Chicago Public Schools: www.cps.edu