More than 15,000 students from 199 schools* are lacing up their tennis shoes and tracking their miles thanks to a Marathon Kids Active Schools grant.
Each school received an average grant size of $1,765 to establish a Marathon Kids running club that sets kids on a journey to run the equivalent of up to four marathons (26.2 x 4 = 104.8 miles) over the course of a 3-, 6-, or 9-month running club season. While kids incrementally run 104.8 miles, they track their mileage, earn rewards from NIKE, and have fun while increasing their physical activity.
“This grant can be the spark that leads to a lifetime of good health choices, starting with running. After a good run, my students are ready to take on the world. Research shows that not only physical health improves with a good cardio routine, but mental health does as well. Running with a team can be particularly energizing,” wrote Andrea Gadsden from Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science (Charleston, SC) in the grant application.
Through its partnership with Let’s Move! Active Schools, Marathon Kids launched its first-ever activation grant in Fall 2015. Grants totaling $225,000 were funded by NIKE and awarded based on the number of runners at each school, ranging from 10-875 students.
Marathon Kids and NIKE are both part of Let’s Move! Active Schools national collaborative which strives to make 60 minutes of physical activity a day the norm in schools across the country.
All K-8 schools were encouraged to apply for a Marathon Kids Active Schools grant Oct. 17-Dec. 1, 2015. To be eligible, a school had to be enrolled in Let’s Move! Active Schools and complete a grant application. Of the 337 applicants, the following schools received funds to start a Marathon Kids running club:
- Academy Of Public Relations, New York City Geographic District #7 (Bronx, NY)
- Adams Elementary, Anoka-Hennepin Public School District (Coon Rapids, MN)
- Admiral Richard E Byrd Elementary School, Community Consolidated School District 59 (Elk Grove, IL)
- Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (Van Nuys, CA)
- Aptitud Community Academy at Goss, Alum Rock Union Elementary School District (San Jose, CA)
- Arlington Heights Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
- Aycock Middle, Guilford County Schools (Greensboro, NC)
- B. Banneker Elementary, Kansas City 33 (Kansas City, MO)
- Bancroft Middle School, Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
- Barber Middle School, Cobb County School District (Acworth, GA)
- Bardmoor Elementary School, Pinellas (Seminole, FL)
- Barnes Elementary, Beaverton School District (Beaverton, OR)
- Bear Branch Elementary, Humble Independent School District (Kingwood, TX)
- Beloved Community Charter School, Beloved Community Charter School (Jersey City, NJ)
- Bennett School, Jackson Public Schools (Jackson, MI)
- Bergen Arts & Science Charter Middle School, Bergen Arts and Sciences Charter School (Garfield, NJ)
- Birney Elementary, Fresno Unified School District (Fresno, CA)
- Bridgewater Middle School, Orange County Public Schools (Winter Garden, FL)
- Brier Terrace Middle School, Edmonds School District (Brier, WA)
- Browns Mill Elementary School, DeKalb County School District (Lithonia, GA)
- Broxton-Mary Hayes Elementary, Coffee County School District (Broxton, GA)
- Burton Elementary, Fort Bend Independent School District (Fresno, TX)
- Cactus Middle, Palmdale School District (Palmdale, CA)
- Campbell Elementary, Fulton County Schools (Fairburn, GA)
- Canaan Community Academy, Canaan Community Academy (Canaan, IN)
- Carolina Voyager Charter School (Charleston, SC)
- Carter Lomax Middle, Pasadena Independent School District (Pasadena, TX)
- Carver Middle, Spartanburg 07 (Spartanburg, SC)
- Casar Elementary, Cleveland County Schools (Casar, NC)
- Centennial Elementary School, Centennial School District No. R-1 (San Luis, CO)
- Central Elementary School, Owosso Public Schools (Owosso, MI)
- Chartiers Valley Primary School, Chartiers Valley School District (Bridgeville, PA)
- Cherokee Elementary, Shelby County Public Schools (Memphis, TN)
- Christa Mcauliffe Academy, Wichita Public Schools (Wichita, KS)
- Christine Camacho Elementary, Leander Independent School District (Leander, TX)
- Clermont Elementary School, Lake County Schools (Clermont, FL)
- Conejo Elementary, Conejo Valley Unified (Thousand Oaks, CA)
- Cottonwood Valley Charter, Socorro Consolidated Schools (Socorro, NM)
- Crockett Elementary, Midland Independent School District (Midland, TX)
- Cultural Arts Academy Charter School at Spring Creek (Brooklyn, NY)
- Cutler School, Monadnock Regional School District (W. Swanzey, NH)
- Dietrich Elementary School (Dietrich, ID)
- Discovery Charter School, State Sponsored Charter Schools (Las Vegas, NV)
- Doby’s Mill Elementary, Kershaw County School District (Lugoff, SC)
- Douglass Elementary – Middle, Shelby County (Memphis, TN)
- Downtown Value School, Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
- EAGLE College Prep Elementary South Mountain (Phoenix, AZ)
- East Ridge Elementary, Northshore School District (Woodinville, WA)
- Eastfield Global Magnet School, McDowell County Schools (Marion, NC)
- Eastwood Elementary School, Hillsboro School District 1J (Hillsboro, OR)
- Egypt Elementary, Shelby County Public Schools (Memphis, TN)
- Emily Gray Junior High School, Tanque Verde Unified District (Tucson, AZ)
- Erin Elementary, Houston County School District (Erin, TN)
- Esperanza Middle School, St. Mary’s County Public Schools (Lexington, MD)
- Fairley Elementary, Shelby County Public Schools (Memphis, TN)
- Falcon Bluffs Middle School, Jefferson County School District No. R-1 (Littleton, CO)
- Floyd Elementary, Mesquite Independent School District (Balch Springs, TX)
- Franklin Academy Med Science and Wellness Magnet, Columbus Municipal School District (Columbus, MS)
- George K. Porter Middle, Los Angeles Unified School District (Granada Hills, CA)
- Germain Academy For Academic Achievement, Los Angeles Unified School District (Chatsworth, CA)
- Gilbert J Mircovich Elementary, Ingleside Independent School District (Ingleside, TX)
- Gilham Elementary School, Eugene School District 4J (Eugene, OR)
- Glenfeliz Boulevard Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
- Granton Area School District, Granton Area School District (Granton, WI)
- H J Macdonald Middle, Craven County Schools (New Bern, NC)
- Halls Cross Roads Elementary, Hartford County Public Schools (Aberdeen, MD)
- Hampton Elementary Charter School, Henry County (Hampton, GA)
- Harmony Science Academy – Dallas, Harmony Public Schools (Dallas, TX)
- Hays-Porter, Cincinnati Public Schools (Cincinnati, OH)
- Hazeltine Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (Van Nuys, CA)
- Hebron-Harman Elementary School, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (Hanover, MD)
- Heritage Community Charter (Caldwell, ID)
- Hickory Ridge Elementary School, Shelby County public Schools (Memphis, TN)
- Hillcrest Intermediate School (North Huntingdon, PA)
- Hillside Elementary School, Tredyffrin-Easttown School District (Berwyn, PA)
- Hillview Elementary School, Grove City Area School District (Grove City, PA)
- Hilton Head Elementary, Beaufort 01 (Hilton Head Island, SC)
- Hollister Elementary, Hollister R-V (Hollister, MO)
- Hutchinson Elementary School, Jefferson County Public Schools (Lakewood, CO)
- Independence Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (South Gate, CA)
- Iolani School (Honolulu, HI)
- Irene Lopez Elementary, Roosevelt School District (Phoenix, AZ)
- Jack Anderson Elementary, Sumner County Schools (Hendersonville, TN)
- Jerry Zucker Middle School Of Science, Charleston County School District (Charleston, SC)
- Kenmore Middle School, Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District (Kenmore, NY)
- Kenna Elementary, Jackson County Schools (Kenna, WV)
- Kensington Elementary, Georgetown 01 (Georgetown, SC)
- Kewaskum Middle, Kewaskum School District (Kewaskum, WI)
- Kingsley Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
- Knight Road Elementary, Shelby County Public Schools (Memphis, TN)
- Lakeland Elementary Middle School, Baltimore City Public Schools (Baltimore, MD)
- Laurel Ridge Elementary School (Decatur, GA)
- Leander Middle School, Leander Independent School District (Leander, TX)
- Legacy Charter Academy, Legacy Charter Academy (Detroit, MI)
- Leslie Middle School, Leslie Public Schools (Leslie, MI)
- Liberty Drive Elementary, Thomasville City Schools (Thomasville, NC)
- Lincoln (Abraham) Elementary, Anaheim City School District (Anaheim, CA)
- Lockhart Middle School, Orange County Public Schools (Orlando, FL)
- Lockwood Elementary School, Lockwood School District #26 (Lockwood, MT)
- Lugoff Elementary (Lugoff, SC)
- Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School, Detroit City School District (Detroit, MI)
- Madison #1 Elementary School, Madison Elementary District (Phoenix, AZ)
- Mannford Lower Elementary School, Mannford (Mannford, OK)
- Mariposa Elementary, Redlands Unified (Redlands, CA)
- Memorial Middle School (Conyers, GA)
- Menomonie Middle School, Menomonie Area School District (Menomonie, WI)
- Meredith Nicholson Elementary School, Crawfordsville Community Schools (Crawfordsville, IN)
- Middle School 324 Patria Mirabal, New York City Geographic District #6 (New York, NY)
- Midway Middle School, Liberty County School System (Midway, GA)
- Millville Elementary, Blackstone-Millville (Milville, MA)
- Mollie B Hoover Elementary School, Crawfordsville Community Schools (Crawfordsville, IN)
- Mollie Ray Elementary, Orange County Public Schools (Orlando, FL)
- Montara Avenue Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (South Gate, CA)
- Montclair Elementary, Corpus Christi Independent School District (Corpus Christi, TX)
- Mt Tipton Elementary School, Kingman Unified School District #20 (Dolan Springs, AZ)
- Mt. Washington Elementary School, Cincinnati Public Schools (Cincinnati, OH)
- Murchison Middle School, Austin Independent School District (Austin, TX)
- Naples Street Elementary School, New York City Geographic District #31 (Staten Island, NY)
- New Heights Middle School, New York City Geographic District #17 (Brooklyn, NY)
- New River Elementary School, Pasco County Schools (Wesley Chapel, FL)
- Nickajack Elementary School, Cobb County School District (Smyrna, GA)
- Nocatee Elementary School, School District of DeSoto (Nocatee, FL)
- Normandie Avenue Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
- North Star Elementary, Anchorage School District (Anchorage, AK)
- Oakdale Elementary, Twin Rivers Unified School District (North Highlands, CA)
- Oakshire Elementary, Orange County Public Schools (Orlando, FL)
- P. S. 131, New York City Geographic District #15 (Brooklyn, NY)
- Pacific Boulevard, Los Angeles Unified School District (Huntington Park, CA)
- Palmer Elementary, Grundy County Schools (Palmer, TN)
- Paradise Education Center, Paragon Management Inc. (Surprise, AZ)
- Pershing Elementary School, Berwyn South School District 100 (Berwyn, IL)
- Pickett Elementary School, Lexington City Schools (Lexington, NC)
- Pittsville Elementary & Middle, Wilcomico County Public Schools (Pittsville, MD)
- Prairie View Elementary (Spokane, WA)
- PS 060, New York City Geographic District #31 (Staten Island, NY)
- PS 116 Mary Lindley Murray, New York City Geographic District #2 (New York, NY)
- PS 118 Lorraine Hansberry, New York City Geographic District #29 (Hollis, NY)
- PS 188 Island School (The), New York City Geographic District #1 (New York, NY)
- PS 46 Albert V Maniscalco (Staten Island, NY)
- PS 6, New York City Geographic District #17 (Brooklyn, NY)
- PS 82 Hammond (Annex), New York City Geographic District #28 (Jamaica, NY)
- Rangerville Elementary, San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (San Benito, TX)
- Raymer Elementary, Toledo Public Schools (Toledo, OH)
- Raymond Park Middle School, Metropolitan School District of Warren Township (Indianapolis, IN)
- Ridge Street School, Newark Public Schools (Newark, NJ)
- River Valley Elementary School, Meridian Joint District (Meridian, ID)
- Robert Frost Elementary School, Prince George’s County Public Schools (New Carrollton, MD)
- Roberto Clemente Charter School (Allentown, PA)
- Roberts Elementary, San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (San Benito, TX)
- Roberts Elementary School, Gwinnett County (Suwanee, GA)
- Rockwell Elementary School, Bristol Warren (Bristol, RI)
- Romero Elementary, Gustine Unified School District (Santa Nella, CA)
- Roosevelt Theodore Middle School, The School District of Philadelphia, (Philadelphia, PA)
- Roseland Elementary, Roseland School District (Santa Rosa, CA)
- Roy Allen Elementary School, Brevard County Schools, (Melbourne, FL)
- Saint Francis de Sales Catholic School (Salisbury, MD)
- Saint Raphael Catholic School (Raleigh, NC)
- San Rafael Elementary, Pasadena Unified (Pasadena, CA)
- Sanchez Elementary School, Boulder Valley School District (Lafayette, CO)
- Sandy Plains Elementary, Baltimore County Public Schools (Baltimore, MD)
- Schirle Elementary School, Salem-Keizer Public Schools (Salem, OR)
- Seaview Elementary (Edmonds, WA)
- Seele Elementary, New Braunfels Independent School District (New Braunfels, TX)
- Sequoia Charter Elementary School, Edkey Inc. (Mesa, AZ)
- Smyrna Elementary School, Cobb County School District (Smyrna, GA)
- Snapfinger Elementary School, DeKalb County School District (Decatur, GA)
- South Toms River Elementary School, Toms River Regional Schools (South Toms River, NJ)
- St. Gabriel Elementary School (San Francisco, CA)
- Stevenson Elementary School (Mesa, AZ)
- Sugar Hill Elementary School, Gwinnett County Public Schools (Sugar Hill, GA)
- Summerwind Elementary, Palmdale School District (Palmdale, CA)
- Taneytown Elementary, Carroll County Public Schools (Taneytown, MD)
- Teague Park School, RSU 39 (Caribou, ME)
- Thelma Richardson Elementary, Dallas Independent School District (Dallas, TX)
- Thiells Elementary School, North Rockland Central School District (Thiells, NY)
- Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, South Redford School District (Redford, MI)
- Thomasville Middle, Thomasville City Schools (Thomasville, NC)
- Thomasville Primary, Thomasville City Schools (Thomasville, NC)
- Twenty-Eighth Street Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
- Union Avenue Middle School (Irvington, NJ)
- Vandenberg Elementary, South Redford School District (Redford, MI)
- W.A. Blair Elementary, Dallas Independent School District (Dallas, TX)
- Wahluke Junior High School (Mattawa, WA)
- Walker Butte K-8, Florence Unified School District (San Tan Valley, AZ)
- Walnut Avenue Elementary, Chino Valley Unified School District (Chino, CA)
- Walnut Grove Elementary, Williamson County (Franklin, TN)
- Wareham Middle School, Wareham (Wareham, MA)
- Watson Intermediate School, Little Rock School District (Little Rock, AR)
- Waupaca Learning Center Elementary, School District of Waupaca (Waupaca, WI)
- Weeden Elementary (Florence, AL)
- West Clayton Elementary School, Clayton County (College Park, GA)
- West Vernon Avenue Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)
- Western Hills Elementary School (Little Rock, AR)
- Westover Elementary School, Stamford Public Schools (Stamford, CT)
- Westside Primary, Wilcomico County Public Schools (Quantico, MD)
- Williams Elementary, Arlington Independent School District (Arlington, TX)
- Woodward Park Middle School, Columbus City School District (Columbus, OH)
- Wyndham Lakes Elementary, Orange County Public Schools (Orlando, FL)
- Zelma Hutsell Elementary, Katy Independent School District (Katy, TX)
* Number of awarded schools as of January 17, 2016