The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Kids Run is expanding its Fittest School Challenge to encourage greater participation among youth in East Tennessee. In addition to Knox County, the challenge is now open to elementary schools in Loudon, Anderson, Sevier, Roane and Blount counties.
The Fittest School Challenge is a friendly competition between elementary schools to promote healthy physical activities and get kids excited about exercising.
Children age 12 and younger can participate. Schools register for the competition and provide a total student body count. The top school in each county with the highest percentage of student participation at the March 27 Covenant Kids Run will win the title of Fittest School. Each of the six winning schools will receive a $250 gift card to be used toward the purchase of athletic equipment. The prizes are being sponsored by Tennessee State Health Plan.
The Covenant Kids Run is open to both students participating in the Fittest School Challenge as well as all children age 12 and under.
To encourage kids to take part in a winter fitness journey that culminates with an exciting and rewarding finish, the Covenant Kids Run is hosting a kick-off fun run at the Knoxville Zoo on Saturday, Jan. 23, at noon.
“We make the program fun because we want to encourage the good habit of regular exercise at an early age,” said Beth LaFontaine, community health coordinator at Covenant Health. “At the fun run kick-off, each child receives a special prize and a log book to begin tracking their miles toward the 26.2-mile marathon goal. We hope to see lots of kids attending and registering for the Covenant Kids Run, whether they’re students competing in the Fittest School Challenge, families participating together or any child who wants to get out to the zoo for the fun run.”
Children can hop, skip, walk or run a fun mile at the zoo and log their first mile in a challenge to complete a full 26.2 mile marathon over the three months leading up to the Covenant Kids Run on March 27. On that day, the children complete their last mile together, finishing on the 50-yard-line at Neyland Stadium just like the elite athletes do on the following day.
The fee for the fun run is $15 per child, which also covers the child’s registration for the official March 27 Kids Run. Admission to the zoo is free for the registering child and one accompanying guest. Additional guests get half-price admission to the zoo.
To register your school for the Fittest School Challenge, contact Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Race Director Jason Altman at 865-684-4294 or jason@knoxvillemarathon.com. Tools and resources for parents and teachers as well as information about the Knoxville Zoo fun run event can be accessed by visiting http://www.covenanthealth.com/fittestschool or by calling Covenant Health at 865-541-4500.
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