.: All Star Ford :.
Kids love to run. They chase after bubbles, run around with the family pets, and you can always find a toddler running from their parents at the grocery store. That’s the good news! They love to do it. The sad news is that studies show “that fewer than eight percent of elementary schools and 6.4 percent of middle schools provide daily P.E. class, so it’s obvious that kids need to move their bodies more.”* Thurston County Elementary Schools are jumping into action to make sure that kids have the opportunity to run, be encouraged and supported, and feel the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment in setting and reaching goals. These little runners are reaping the rewards now and establishing lifelong habits of staying active.
Watching a mob of 30 – 40 Griffin Elementary kindergarten and first grade students charging at you across the playground can make you smile and shiver with fear simultaneously! Their enthusiasm is electric, but here is a word to the wise, do NOT get in the way of any 6 or 7 year-old ready to run! Five days a week, rain-or-shine, you can find a Let’s RUN 100 Miles program volunteer punching lap cards, tying shoelaces and handing out feet tokens. The program, in its second year, has almost a 50% participation rate for elementary age students….which is fantastic! Kids run the Griffin School track during lunch recess, three times around equals one mile, and every five miles the kids earn a special “foot” token for their key chain (typically hung proudly on their backpacks). This is no small undertaking, but with the support of 20 volunteers, the PTO, and the “running fairy”– Griffin has been able to support their young runners and encourage physical activity and lifelong healthy habits!
Sixteen kids hit the 100 mile mark during the 2010/2011 school year, and one hit 200! These young runners are only getting one recess a day to count for their “official” miles – so most are running an average of 1 – 1.5 miles per lunch recess! (Griffin students have a total of 3 recess periods per day). This year the program has added a “running fairy” to the repertoire. Supporting the program fully are Superintendant/Principal Greg Woods and Assistant Principal – aka the “running fairy” Doug Anderson. Both Greg and Doug run the final lap with students when they hit their 100 mile mark, pose for the finishers photo and always give out a round of high 5’s and hugs. Rain, shine, and even snow, they get out there and support the Griffin runners. This year -to up the ante- it was suggested that Doug dress up as a “running fairy” and don a tutu, wings, fairy glasses and wand. He surprised all the kids at an assembly in October, and the kids went nuts over the idea of their Assistant Principal dressing up like a fairy! The “running fairy” has nothing but great things to say! “The Let’s RUN 100 Miles program has added a much needed healthy alternative for all our elementary students during lunch recess. A few years ago our PTO put a ton of effort and energy behind the Let’s RUN 100 Miles program idea, and it has blossomed ever since. The students take pride in the laps and miles, as they use the opportunity to set personal goals to achieve healthy outcomes. The Griffin community has also embraced the Let’s RUN 100 Miles program simply through the volunteer hours and consistent dedication to the project. I have been so amazed in watching the students in their efforts to reach the 100 mile threshold, and have since dedicated myself to running the last lap of the 100 miles in a fairy costume.”
Of the over 150 kids that run ever year at Griffin there is one that has crossed the finish line first both years – Drew Smith. (In 2010/2011 Drew tied for first with John Michael Merchant.) Drew loves to run, and the volunteers out at Griffin school love to watch him crank out those miles! I asked him a few questions about his running strategy (you have to gun it from the gate to be first two years in a row!), why he likes to run, and about the “fairy”! Drew is currently in the 4th grade. “I like running because it kind of relaxes me. I think and let my mind drift when I run. I get ideas about school projects and other things.” Most days Drew runs 6 laps (2 miles), but due to a shorter recess on Wednesdays he can only get 5 laps in. Every 15 laps the kids get to pick out a plastic toe token for their key chains. When they hit 25, 50, 75 and 100 miles they get numeric charms. Drew said that the charms “help me feel accomplished when I get one.” Since Drew was the first runner to hit 100, he was the first to run with the running fairy! “It is pretty hilarious and funny to see your vice principal running in a fairy costume.” Drew is undecided on whether or not he’ll run next year, he’s going to see how he feels when the program starts. He knows the volunteers will be there if he decides to give it a go and he knows he can run anytime – anywhere! “Running relaxes you and is a good way to get exercise in. Before the program started I did not know I could run 2 miles a day….that made me feel good.”
If you are interested in creating a running program for your school there are several schools in Thurston County that support recess running programs (Griffin, McLane, Centennial, Pioneer, and Garfield Elementary are just a few). Go check them out and get a program started at your neighborhood school!
*Runners World (http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267–11828-0,00.html)
