Marathon Kids run for health

MATTAWA — Marathon Kids; Sounds like the title of a movie.

It is a title, all right, but of a movement administrators and teachers at Wahluke Junior High hope will take hold at their school.

Physical education teacher Lauren Kanyer, who is directing the program, recently received notification that her school qualified for and was awarded funding assistance to implement a Marathon Kids running club.

The school has been funded for 480 students at a dollar value of $7,200. The funding is welcome, but administrators, teachers and students started running, or walking even before applying for the grant.

“We wanted to get kids moving around at lunchtime instead of sitting around (playing) on their technology,” Kanyer said.

WJH students spend the first 10-15 minutes of their allotted 34 lunchtime minutes running or walking around the high school track two laps before going to the chow line.

“They seem to be liking it,” Principal Andy Harlow said. “Nobody has complained.”

Indeed, the students seem content during the two laps. Most of them walk and chat. Some run.

Another reason for Marathon Kids was to quiet down the lunchroom, Harlow said. It was getting very noisy.

“They have all this energy,” he said. “It has to go somewhere. We hope they use it up on the track,” he said.

Students go to track when the bell rings for lunch and do their 10-15 minutes of walking/running. Teachers are not required to do the exercise, but many of them do.

Other teachers and parapros man the check-out line. As students complete each lap they get a hole punched on their mileage-tracking card. Then they go to lunch.

There are milestones that mean prizes to the students. Once students complete a card (five miles) they get their picture taken. Once a week, milestones are announced and recognized at lunchtime.

When a student reaches 26.2 miles, he or she receives a T-shirt. For 52.4 miles they get shoelaces. For 78.6 miles, it’s shoe tags, and for 104.8 miles they get a bracelet.

Those who reach 104.8 miles by the end of the school year will be able to attend a field trip to Central Washington University. They will participate in a two-hour rock-climbing experience at the student recreation center followed by a guided tour of the campus.

Kanyer said this idea of changing the lunchroom environment came from Harlow. Then Harlow asked Kanyer, Lauren Venera, and Steve Bator to run with the idea. Marathon Kids fit their need.

“Marathon Kids is dedicated to improving the health of children by providing them with the tools, motivation and support to live happier, healthier lifestyles,” said Laura Clarke, Marathon Kids manager of running clubs.

Although the funding decision has been made by Marathon Kids, WJH can lose it. It must register its running club by Jan. 15 with Marathon Kids, which provides an online portal for that task.

According to Kanyer, the school expects students to perform better in school, focus better, improve behavior, learn healthy behaviors at a young age and perhaps follow up with lifelong fitness.

“Teachers who participate and students are building relationships while exercising (together) during lunchtime,” Kanyer said.