Salina elementary school students had a healthy start to their school year thanks to the third year of school marathon grants from the Greater Salina Community Foundation.

All ten Salina elementary schools participated in the program this fall. More than 3,516 students participated in school marathons at their respective schools, running or walking a collective 79,248 miles! That is approximately more than 10,000 miles over the 2012 number.

A total of 2,589 students completed a full marathon, 74% of the participants. In addition, approximately 1,500 teachers, parents, siblings, and other community members supported the students by participating in the program.

A school marathon provides a structure for students to run or walk distances that add up to a marathon (26.2 miles) over a period of 5-6 weeks. Modifications are made for students with special needs to ensure that all have an opportunity to be successful. Students receive incentives along the way as they complete 5-mile increments. Parents, teachers and community volunteers assist with the tracking and coordination of the events.

The School Marathon Grants are part of the Greater Salina Community Foundation’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative. This initiative is aimed at creating healthy communities by emphasizing better nutrition and increased physical activity. The initiative is funded by the Foundation through a partnership with the Kansas Health Foundation, Wichita. The grant program was based on a successful marathon program established by parent volunteer Dana Kossow at Meadowlark Elementary School in 2004.

Each participating school designed its own marathon program. Grant funding for each school is based on the number of students that complete the marathon.

Schools that have at least 75% of the enrolled students complete a full marathon will receive an additional $500 grant to purchase equipment for physical education classes or playground equipment. This year four schools earned the additional grant; they are: Cottonwood, Meadowlark, Oakdale and Salina Christian Academy.

The 2013 School Marathon Grant recipients were:
Coronado Elementary School
Cottonwood Elementary School
Heusner Elementary School
Meadowlark Ridge Elementary School
Oakdale Elementary School
St. Mary’s Elementary School
Salina Christian Academy
Schilling Elementary School
Stewart Elementary School
Sunset Elementary School

Students who completed the marathon were invited to a community celebration party at The City on the first day of Thanksgiving break. Approximately 875 students enjoyed numerous games, dancing and music as a reward for their hard work.

Plans are underway for the fourth year of the school marathon program in the fall of 2014.