“Virtual” is everywhere now – virtual reality movies, games and headsets are readily available for purchase or download, mobile video calling is gaining popularity and video games are becoming more realistic with each release.
But a virtual marathon?
That’s exactly what students at Questar III’s Catskill Academy completed this year. Teacher Kate Ross enrolled her students in the Achilles Kids International Virtual Marathon, part of the Achilles Kids Run to Learn program, in September as a way to involve students in physical activity combined with educational components.
Students were recognized for participating in and completing the marathon at a ceremony at Catskill Academy on June 9. Each student received a new pair of running shoes and an Achilles Kids t-shirt followed by a lunch with friends and family.
The goal of the program is to have students run, walk or jog a total of (at least) 26.2 miles by the end of the year. The route is plotted on a map of their city, and on a weekly basis, students do laps around a track equal to a portion of the route. In the classroom, teachers integrate geography, social studies, reading and math skills into the running activity.
“Over the course of the school year, many of the students have worked incredibly hard to achieve the ultimate goal of running a cumulative marathon. Our students often go home at the end of the day and turn on electronics and don’t get outside and play. I wanted to try this program to motivate the kids to achieve a goal as lofty as 26.2 miles and show them that running can be fun, and when you set a goal and reach it, there is no better feeling,” Ross said.
Students who completed the virtual marathon received their shoes and t-shirts at a ceremony June 9.
She hopes students are learning that they can push themselves beyond their comfort zones and reach a set goal.
Ross said at the beginning of the year, many were not excited for the challenge, but the encouragement they received from her, their other teachers and their peers, pushed them to work to meet their goal.
“Students who normally are not motivated to run were dedicating entire PE classes to accomplishing as far a distance as possible,” Ross said of the program. “What a life lesson to learn, that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. It’s a lesson they can take into the summer, next school year, and the rest of their lives.”
The shoes serve as extra motivation for the students. Achilles Kids does fundraising and receives donations for the shoes. This year, they ordered over 7,100 pairs of shoes. Teachers submit progress reports that are sent to the donors so they can see the progress of the students and the impact of their donations.
Ross said the shoes were not guaranteed at the beginning of the year, so the students didn’t know they would be coming when they first started the program. Once they found out, it provided many students with the extra push needed to complete the program.
“I am so grateful for this program. I have students talking about track and field and cross country for the first time and have the confidence to imagine themselves participating on a team,” said Ross.
See more photos from the ceremony on Facebook:
