Detroit students take home shoes for first Free Press Kids Marathon

Oct 14, 2024

A month after being fitted for new running shoes, more than 250 Detroit students received their Asics shoes on Monday in time for the first-ever Detroit Free Press Kids Marathon.

The Kids Marathon is open to those between the ages of 6 and 13 years old. All participants have until Oct. 18 to complete the first 25.2 miles of the race, and will need to track their progress on a log sheet available on the Free Press Marathon's website.

Five schools from DPSCD are a part a partnership intended to introduce youths to the sport of running. Participating students at Golightly Education Center, John R. King, Davison Elementary-Middle School, Detroit International Academy and Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School each received a pair of shoes and free registration.

"It's a great opportunity for these kids to stay engaged, get engaged and to get them active," said Jay Alexander, executive director for athletics for DPSCD. "And we talk about it all the time. We want to really work hard to get our kids engaged and active. And what better way to do it by giving them new pairs of gym shoes and logging in their hours and miles."

At Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School on Detroit's west side, more than 50 students gathered in the gymnasium to collect their shoes. Representatives from the Detroit Free Press Marathon and the group Black Men Run offered the students advice like staying hydrated and switching between walking and running to complete their miles.

Priority Health is sponsoring the partnership between the Kids Marathon and the pilot program with DPSCD.

"You see the smiles on their faces; you see them engaging in healthy lifestyles — or better yet healthy activities — and, you know, just having fun," said Rosalyn Slade, senior community relations specialist for Priority Health. "And that's what you want kids to do, have fun, be able to set some goals, (and) find some way to be healthy."

Aaron Velthoven, vice president of the Free Press Marathon and race director, said Mackenzie Elementary has the highest number of participants with 60 students, and that, overall, between 260 and 270 young people are expected to take part in the Kids Marathon.

Caroline Adeniji, a physical health teacher and track coach at Mackenzie, said the partnership with the marathon is motivating the students to want to come to school and work on their progress.

"It's very, very important for your health to keep the body moving," Adeniji said. "And also it encourages the students to be in school. Come to school, be in school to learn. Because if they are not here, they will not be able to be doing all this, but they are here, you know. So that's to encourage them. That's also to motivate them to, you know, to come to school and to be part of this. So, like, if they want to do it next year, now they will be eager. The kids will be eager to join and do that."

Michael Cain II, a fifth grader at Mackenzie, said that he' has participated in about two or three cross-country events previously, but acknowledges that they were only about a mile compared with the 26.2 miles of a marathon.

Michael said that he's staying motivated by trying to work on his stamina.

"It's just to get better at running as whole, because I'm not that good at running and jogging and all that," he said.

Adeniji said that she's on board for any program that will benefit kids.

"I'm very happy, you know, to be here with them, helping them make a difference in their lives," she said.

(The story was updated to fix typos.)