Elementary School Running Club

On my solo ten-miler this morning, I reflected on the parental support at my daughters' elementary school.   It is outstanding!   Of my oldest daughter's class of 24 students, 16 parents chaperoned a fourth-grade field trip to the coast yesterday.  My thoughts turned to the school's running club for third through fifth graders.   The club could be a model for other schools.  If more elementary schools had a running club like ours that promotes running for fun and fitness for girls and boys, I think it could play a part in helping to combat obesity.  Kids love to run; it's natural.  Just watch them darting around at recess.  There are no rules to learn or skills to develop to be a successful participant.  

Part of my daughters' school culture is an expectation of a healthy lifestyle.  Three other examples of programs are Walk to School Wednesdays, the Family Marathon (which means participating students walk 25 miles over a few weeks and finish the last mile at school), and new this year, the Boosterthon fun run.  While I believe that more schools offering a running club could help keep kids fit, I know that many other factors play a role in the obesity epidemic.  It's a complex problem.  I counted the students in my daughter's class who have parents that run:  I know of five parents from this class who run full or half marathons.  That's 20 percent of the students who have a distance runner parent.   Other parents run shorter distances, exercise in other ways of which I am not aware, and are active in ways that I do know about; like the mom who lifts weights at least four days per week.  It helps to have active parents.  The school, running club, and parents are working in conjunction to position these kids to enjoy spending time being active for the rest of their lives.  

Last year when I volunteered with the club, one of the girls told me that when she grows up, she wants to run marathons just like her mom.   I remember how enthusiastic the girl was and how strikingly ambitious I found her to be.   My mind wandered a little more as I closed in on the last mile,  and I smiled as I imagined the track and cross-country powerhouse the new high school might be with the class of 2020.