UCLA Athletics Partners Up With Marathon Kids Los AngelesUCLA Athletics Partners Up With Marathon Kids Los Angeles

UCLA Athletics Partners Up With Marathon Kids Los Angeles

Bruin Athletics

The UCLA athletic department has joined forces with Marathon Kids to promote health and fitness for today's children. A ceremonial free kick-off celebration will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, Octob

Sept. 18, 2006

The UCLA athletic department has joined forces with Marathon Kids to promote health and fitness for today's children. A ceremonial free kick-off celebration will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, October 14th on the campus of UCLA at Drake Stadium as Bruin student-athletes and volunteers celebrate the launch of the Los Angeles Marathon Kids®.

UCLA student-athletes and volunteers from the Los Angeles community will join thousands of little children and their families as they run their first laps of their marathon. These children will have the opportunity to come back to UCLA's Drake Stadium on March 10, 2007, to participate in their Final Mile Medal Celebration where they receive their Finisher Medals.

Marathon Kids® is a ten year old non-profit, first begun as a passionate, grassroots initiative by community runners, Physical Educators, classroom teachers, parents and children. It is a free, six month running/walking/nutrition program for K-5th graders and their families. All children can be Marathon Kids: rich/poor, fast/slow, overweight/slender, blind/sighted, abled/disabled.

The children incrementally run 26.2 miles in ¼ to ½ mile increments, coloring in a Marathon Kids Running Log© over six months. On the reverse side of their Running Log© is their Marathon Kids "Fuel" Log. This is where they color in 26.2 days of every month of 5-a-day fruit and veggie eating: their fuel for running! Over six months, the children acquire the love and habit of moving through space and making healthy food choices.

The 2006-2007 school year is the launch of Los Angeles Marathon Kids®, with top level collaboration of Los Angles Unified School District and the gracious hosting of the Los Angeles Marathon Kids Kick Off Celebration by UCLA Athletics at Drake Stadium. The Presenting Sponsor of the six month program is Whole Foods Market, and just recently, Los Angeles Marathon Kids® has received a "Saucony Run for Good Award". This grant will be used to help keep the Los Angeles Marathon Kids six month, running/walking/nutrition and schoolyard gardening free for Los Angeles K-5th graders and their families.

If you would like to help the free, nationally recognized Marathon Kids, please go to www.MarathonKids.com. If you would like to volunteer for the Los Angeles Marathon Kids Kick Off Celebration, please contact shaverdi@usc.edu.