Danville kids run their final race of the school year

Anna Wiest, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·1 min read

May 16—DANVILLE — Getting active is a part of daily routines for students at Danville Primary School. On Wednesday, first- and second- graders ran their final race of the Kids Run the Nation program.

The group of students were excited to hit the track where they'd run four laps, or a total of one mile.

The kids met twice a week for one hour starting in early March, as soon as the weather got nice, according to primary school Principal Megan Geise.

Danville teacher and coach Tina Bartholomew leads the Kids Run the Nation program as well as the primary school's 'Morning Milers' program which gets students moving every morning.

"I'm very proud of the kids for working hard all season," Geise said. "I'm thankful for the teachers who have given their time and energy to the program."

Second-grader Lincoln Snyder came in third place at Wednesday's race and said he enjoyed the running program.

"We get to run and get more fit," he said. "We learn how to keep pace."

First-grader Eden Nelson said she learned running is good for and can help her body.

Some runners said their favorite part was the popsicles offered at the end of the race.

Ashley Engleman said her seven-year-old son loves the Kids Run the Nation program.

"Everybody gets involved. They get together and eat healthy snacks and cheer each other on," Engleman said. "It's a great program."

Jesse Reibson, an intervention specialist at the primary school, said the program teaches students healthy lifestyle skills.

"The running environment is so positive. It's wonderful for the kids," he said. "They look forward to Morning Milers every morning. It's so cool to see young kids getting active."