Want to earn a finisher medal? Here's how with the free Marathon Kids program

Your child CAN earn a marathon finisher medal like this over a few months of walking or running!!




This year's Marathon Kids finisher medal will have RITE AID on it as the sponsoring corporation. Each year in Los Angeles (and 8 other cities and in Rio Grand Valley as well as in Navajo Nation), any school (including homeschools) can participate in this completely free program.  Check out the website (http://www.marathonkids.org/) to see how you can start this program at any school. 

MarathonKids describes it best:  "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 and nutrition 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."

Each child will need to fill out a registration form (which is also a liability waiver form) where you can indicate the size of the T-shirt your child wears.  Everyone who completes 26.2 miles by walking or running within 6 months before March 5 will earn their Marathon Kids' T-shirt.   There is a mileage log to chart every quarter mile you walk or run and a Fuel log to record your child's eating of 5 fruits and vegetables a day for 26 days. To earn the medal, the child needs to come to the Final Mile Event for the ceremonial final lap run!

For us in Los Angeles, the Final Mile finisher event is on Saturday, March 5, at Drake Stadium.  We will be arranging for free bus transportation from our school to UCLA for everyone as parking at UCLA is $10 per vehicle.

Some teachers are encouraging  regular running after warm ups during PE class.  Families walking their kids a quarter mile a day to school 5 days a week can easily finish the 26 miles log in a matter of 3 months (104 days exactly!)   Walking to the beach or along the beach bike trail or hiking in the local parks would be a fun way to get the whole family walking and enjoying nature.

Here's a weblink for kids to explore kids-tested recipes and fitness ideas:  http://www.marathonkids.org/kids-only

For more resources on safety, ideas, and health-related links, see:  http://www.marathonkids.org/resources
and also check out community partnership program in Los Angeles:   http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/CPNS/Pages/default.aspx

Here are my two favorite sites to help families eat and live more healthily:

http://blog.superkidsnutrition.com/
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/#

Don't forget to warm up your body by doing stretching exercises before running!  For an idea of what you could do, consider some of these warm up stretches: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/stretching-exercises-for-runners.html

HAPPY WALKING or RUNNING - and perhaps organize some family walks or hikes during the school winter break!  See you on March 5 at UCLA's Drake Stadium.  Don't forget to drink lots of water, eat healthy snacks, and wear sunscreen whenever you venture out to exercise.