"This isn't really exercise! We are having fun!"
Nebraska Extension's Nutrition Education Program (NEP), partnered with Gomez Heritage Elementary School this summer to offer Marathon Kids. Marathon Kids is a national running program with the goal of getting kids moving. Alyssa Wessling, NEP assistant, introduced the program with a goal of completing a 26-mile "marathon", one mile at a time. One sixth grader confided, "I never thought I could run a marathon. I guess it all does add up."
Wessling led five active sessions with the students and the teacher lead daily activities to help reach their goal. They played heart-pumping games, took walks, ran relay races, and completed obstacle courses. Teachers tracked active time in between sessions.
Over the course of the month, the students accumulated 12,924 miles of physical activity. 203 students completed an entire marathon, three students completed three marathons, and twenty-three students completed four marathons. There were many other students who completed a half marathon and were close to achieving their full marathon.
With the goal of one marathon, students stepped up to the challenge. A first grader said, "I'm feeling really proud of myself," and another kindergartener told her mom, "I need to get to bed early because I have a marathon in the morning!"
Categories: Nebraska, Education