100 Mile Club
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The 100 Mile club was started by two of our teachers in the Fall of 2013. The club met on the mornings before school twice a week. At every meeting, the children (and parents!) were encouraged to either walk or run and to continously improve each meet. Each lap completed represented 1/4 of a mile. At every 1/4 a mile, a tally was marked on each runner/walker's hand. At the end of the meet, the club leaders recorded each child's total laps by counting the tally marks on their hand. The children truly enjoyed running with their peers and would often be found encouraging their friends to go the distance.
The initial goal was for the group to run 100 miles as a team by winter break. The 100 mile club was so well received by students as well as their parents that they surpassed their initial goal with over 352 miles before winter break. Since the initial goal was reached, the club set another goal of completing 1000 miles by the end of the year. By the end of the year, the 100 mile club members logged 4,032 laps since returning in January totaling 1,008 miles!!
At the end of the year, each child received a certificate with the total amount of miles ran. They were also rewarded with a breakfast to celebrate their achievements. Several club members developed such a love and appreciation for running that they went on to participate in 5k races! Over the entire 14 weeks of the program, the 100 mile club logged 2012 miles as a team!