Dozens of local students put their legs to work and accomplished a major feat – albeit one mile at a time – in the Seattle Kids Marathon Nov. 27.
Students from Highland Terrace, Echo Lake and Mill Creek elementaries in the Shoreline and Everett school districts joined almost 3,000 other children who prepared and began running 26.2 miles in October. Together, these children raised awareness and funds for Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Puget Sound, the event beneficiary.
The students ran 1.2 miles on Nov. 27 to complete the 26.2 miles that constitute a marathon. This event is the culmination of five weeks of running, in which students completed a total of 25 miles.
P.E. teacher Rhonda Kaleiwahea at Mill Creek said the Seattle Marathon Association, the group that organized the Harrisdirect Seattle Marathon, half marathon and kids marathon last weekend, provided a lot of encouragement to the children.
Along the way, children received certificates and “toe tokens” for each five-mile increment completed.
“I make a big deal about it in their classes too,” Kaleiwahea said. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity.”
At Mill Creek, Kaleiwahea had seven students participating. The kids marathon began six years ago, and she has had students involved since the beginning.
Danae Beyer, a 7-year-old student at Mill Creek, participated in the run for the first time this year, and now that she’s completed the journey, she’s looking forward to next year, her mother, Edie Beyer, said.
Each school’s P.E. teacher serves as the liaison between the participants and the marathon organizers, but it was not required of children to go through their schools in order to participate. Teachers encouraged students to get involved, and some organized opportunities for children to complete the miles during or after school.
Teachers, including Mary Nygard at Highland Terrace, also urged parents to get involved.
Nygard said is it important for the families to be supportive of their children, since most of the work is done outside of school.
“The parents really have to be involved in it too,” Nygard said. “It’s really a family commitment.”
Nygard has encouraged parents and families to exercise together, and she’s impressed that the children have stuck with it.
“It does take some discipline to go out and do that,” Nygard said.
She and the other teachers agree that emphasizing exercise to children at an early age encourages them to maintain that same healthy practice for years.
“If you can start at an early age to get that discipline, it will continue with you,” Nygard said.
Tyanna Denova, 12, Conor McKnight, 11, and Chris Giles, 10, are all Highland Terrace students who joined the race and ran the initial 25 miles with a parent or another family member. They all agreed that the best part was the feeling of completing their accomplishment by running into Memorial Stadium, where the race ended, and crossing the finish line while their parents cheered them on.
This was the first year Nygard has organized Highland Terrace’s involvement. More than a dozen students participated, and Nygard hopes to see that number grow in future years.
At Echo Lake, 26 students from kindergartners to sixth-graders took part. This was the second year that teacher Susie Crosby has organized a team, but it was the first time fourth-grader Zoe Pierce participated. Pierce’s older sister runs cross country at Shorewood High School, so Pierce decided to give running a try.
Pierce’s mother, Kelli Pierce, said she was impressed with the kids marathon and all of the effort and time the teachers put in.
“(Crosby) encourages the kids to get out there and do whatever is fun to keep moving,” Kelli Pierce said.
No times were kept, therefore there was no “winner” of the race.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
