127 runners
33 volunteers
1 teacher
I remember being asked to solely take over our school’s run club this summer. It felt like a huge honor that I’ve wanted for years. Now it was all mine. Managing the runners, the complaints, the iPads, Run Club shirts, the 3D printed charms, Run Club permission slips, the QR codes badges…all of it was mine. Oh my gosh, it was all mine?!
It was a little overwhelming and exciting at first. There’s more than meets the eye to our Run Club that I was now in charge of. Thank goodness for our incredible sponsor who laid to rest my concerns. Then I got the great news that I had a budget to work with. That allowed me to work freely and creatively and I've been doing just that.
In a short period I was able to create this year’s Run Club logo, fill a binder with forms and new ideas, add a medical kit to our supplies, and more. It all came together day by day.
Then day 1 arrived. Music greeted runners and parents as they entered our students’ gates. Volunteers held clipboards with color coded student names to check in nearly 100 runners. Signs posted where each grade would place their bookbags; while chalk showed where each runner would stretch. Then with a blue mic in my hand it was showtime.
I announced as loud as I could it was time to start our 2026-2027 Run Club season to a chorus of cheers. I quickly explained what our run club would be like before our sponsor started presenting. She went on to ask for a show of hands who had never participated in our school’s run club before. This year nearly two-thirds of the group is new.
Then it was time for our first lap as a team! Everyone was itching to get going; but I had an idea. What if we all lined up as a school and cheered for each other. I lined the fifth graders on the side, then the fourth graders, third graders, and second graders. The first graders, kindergartens, and pre-k runners were first. We all shouted our team cry and they took off running! Let me tell you, little kids running is absolutely adorable; especially with 100 kids cheering them on. Then each grade got their turn, while chanting for them.
At the end, students dropped their colored badge into one of our buckets, an idea I proudly stole from Disney. Then I thanked all our runners and parent volunteers.
After the runners left as I began our cleanup, our sponsor told me that despite her working with 23 schools, she had never seen a school have students support each as each grade level ran their first together. A few parents thanked me for not putting a limit on entrees this year.
I’m honored to lead this year’s Run Club, but I’m more grateful for the support from parents and the amount of runners that are showing up. I nearly cried on the first day seeing the amount of people listening to me. My goal this year was to give every kid an opportunity to run and walk with us. Throughout the way, I’m sure some kids won’t return, while we’ll have more that want to join their friends. No matter what, everyone is welcome at our run club!
