ShawneeDispatch.com

Fifth- and sixth-grade students at BlueJacket Flint Elementary are starting off the new year with a healthy outlook.

The newly formed Marathon Club seeks to create a healthy relationship between students and exercise.

Lindsey Burch, a sixth-grade teacher at the school and Marathon Club sponsor, got the idea for the group after running her first marathon Jan. 17.

“I was excited to get the kids to something similar and they seemed to be on board,” she said.

At a recent club meeting about 30 students showed up to run in the school’s gym.

The goal is for students to run 25 miles over three months, ending with a 1.2-mile run in April at the Olathe Kids Marathon.

Students in the Marathon Club meet in the school’s gym to run a half-mile once a week. Club members are responsible completing additional mileage outside of club meetings, Burch said. The school’s physical education teacher offered to let students come at 7:45 a.m. on Monday and Friday mornings to run laps.

The students log their miles after each half-mile run. After completing five miles the students receive a prize from Burch.

“It’s a healthy way for them to run,” Burch said of the half-mile increments.

Kyle Cambrice, sixth-grader, said the club also teaches stretching and strength exercises to help students stay fit.

“I run a lot, and it’s a good way to stay in shape,” he said. “I’m in football and I want to be a running back, so it’s good for that.”

Kyle even signed up for a triathlon this summer.

“It’s a good way to get fit and set goals for yourself,” he said.

Kaija Dewsbury, another sixth-grader, said she likes running, even in the winter.

“I like to run a lot and I like to stay fit,” she said. “I run on the treadmill in the basement.”

Kaija is looking forward to running in the children’s marathon April 10.

“The marathon seems like a lot of fun,” she said. “I want to enter more marathons and shoot for placing. It will be hard to place, but if I keep fit and jog a lot, I can.”

Kaija said the club was setting a good example for others.

“It’s showing other people it’s good to run and be healthy,” she said. “When we run, we have a lot of fun. It’s not just staying fit; we’re having fun and talking to friends.”

Burch said she hoped the club would motivate students and their parents to be healthy.

“I hope that exercise becomes a habit for the students,” she said. “If they run as much as possible now, they’ll develop a habit. The kids go home and tell their parents what they learn. One of the best ways to influence adults is by teaching kids good habits.”

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