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Run for a reason. Run for kids. Join Team Marathon Kids!

Make every mile count by running on behalf of kids across the country. Fundraise, train, and race with purpose.

 

Team Marathon Kids

Empowering the next generation on runners

Team Marathon Kids (Team MK) is the official charity race team of Marathon Kids, where every mile you run and dollar you raise helps kids move more and dream bigger. Whether you’re training for your first 5K or your next marathon, you’ll be part of a community of runners raising funds to support free physical activity programs for schools and communities across the country. When you run for a reason, kids run too — stronger, farther, and with more confidence than ever before.

Run With Us in 2025–2026

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2026 Austin Marathon Charity Partner

Sunday, February 15, 2026

The Austin Marathon Gives program connects non-profit organizations to passionate race participants who want to fundraise and raise awareness for causes that give back to our local community. 

Marathon Kids is pleased to be an official Run for Charity partner of the 2026 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon through Austin Marathon Gives. Your training journey is a challenge and has a deep personal meaning—join our team and add even more meaning to your training and race day miles by supporting a program that encourages active kids and helps develop the next generation of runners.

APPLY NOW
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2026 LA Marathon Charity Partner

Sunday, March 8th, 2026

We’re proud to announce that Marathon Kids is an official charity partner of the 2026 LA Marathon. After incredible success with our TCS NYC and Austin Marathon teams, we’re bringing our mission to Los Angeles, and we want you on the team.

If you’re ready to run for a reason and help more kids get moving, fill out the interest form below to learn more and be considered for Team MK LA.

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2026 TCS Sydney Marathon Charity Partner

Sunday, August 30, 2026

We're thrilled to be back for our second straight year as charity partner for the TCS New York City Marathon, offering our Team Marathon Kids runners the chance to experience this world-famous event.

By participating, Team MK members will help raise funds to support schools with free physical activity programs, resources, and technology to promote healthy habits to youth of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

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Meet the Team Marathon Kids Runners

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Cece Aboaf
Born and raised in NYC, Cece has always dreamed of running the streets of her hometown—and this fall, she’ll do it for the very first time as part of Team Marathon Kids. A former Junior Olympic gymnast, Cece credits her athletic background with shaping her confidence, mindset, and sense of purpose. Now, she’s excited to help give those same opportunities to kids across the country.
Currently a senior at Johns Hopkins, Cece runs outdoors year-round and shares her love for movement with her dad. She’ll graduate this spring with a degree in chemistry and plans to attend medical school in 2026 to become an orthopedic surgeon.
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Kyle Gallas
Kyle is a seasoned runner and dedicated educator taking on the NYC Marathon to support the kids who inspire him every day. Through Marathon Kids, his students have become more confident, engaged, and excited about physical activity—and now he’s running to help bring that impact to even more schools. Outside the classroom, Kyle is always on the move. He finds adventure in travel, improv, photography, and pickleball—and uses running as a way to stay grounded and healthy. He’s excited to experience the legendary energy of NYC while running for a cause close to his heart.
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Joel McGhee
Kansas PE teacher, Army National Guard member, and proud dad, Joel McGhee is preparing to run his third marathon at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon—just five days after turning 41. As a longtime advocate for kids’ health, Joel believes running builds more than fitness—it creates confidence, friendships, and academic success. His passion for movement led him to lose 50 pounds, enlist in the Army National Guard, and dedicate his career to empowering students through physical education. Joel lives in Kansas with his wife Erin and their three kids, Maddox, Asher, and Tripp. He’s running NYC not just for the incredible experience, but for every student who deserves to discover their strength through movement—just like he did.
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Angel Naval
Angel is lacing up for her fifth marathon this fall and taking on a dream race: the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. A world traveler and mom of two, she recently ran the Tokyo and Paris marathons and is now tackling her second Abbott World Major. For Angel, running is about joy, discipline, and giving back—which is why she’s proud to run with Team Marathon Kids. A CPA and partner at her accounting firm, Angel balances a demanding career with her passion for running and family. She hopes to inspire her daughters and others by supporting a cause that helps kids build confidence, health, and resilience through movement.
Sarah Popiel
Sarah Popiel
Sarah Popiel is lacing up for her first-ever marathon this fall—and sharing the experience with her sister makes it even more special. She’s running with Team Marathon Kids to help more kids access the kind of support and encouragement she wishes she had growing up. As a full-time public health consultant and grad student, Sarah makes time for movement with her dog and local run clubs in Florida. Running became a lifeline during a time of grief, and now it’s her way to connect, heal, and build community. She’s working toward a goal of running a half marathon in every U.S. state and Canadian province—and this November, she’s ready to take on 26.2 in NYC.
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Shelby Suther
Shelby is celebrating her 30th birthday in the best way she knows—by running her very first marathon. As a high school teacher focused on PE, health, and female athletic development, Shelby brings the Marathon Kids mission to life every day in her classroom. She’s running NYC to help inspire the next generation and spread her message of strength through movement. A lifelong runner and coach, Shelby now trains with her 10-month-old son Nash in the stroller. Her goal? To show him what’s possible through consistency, effort, and heart. She’s bringing that same energy to the NYC Marathon this fall.
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Alexia Thomas
For Alexia, the NYC Marathon is more than a race—it’s a homecoming and a fresh start. After growing up in Dallas and recently completing grad school, she’s relocating to New York City this summer and celebrating her next chapter by running her first World Major. Alexia remembers participating in Marathon Kids as a child and is thrilled to give back to the program that first introduced her to running. Inspired by her marathon-running mom, Alexia dove back into running in 2023 with the Dallas Marathon and hasn’t stopped since. With a new role in investment banking ahead, she’s excited to hit the ground running in NYC—bringing her love for fitness, goal-setting, and community with her.
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Megan Wagner
Megan is running the NYC Marathon to give back to the sport that shaped her childhood. Introduced to running through an after-school program, she learned early on how movement builds confidence, community, and fun—and now she’s helping the next generation find that same spark through Marathon Kids. A seasoned traveler, bird enthusiast, and gummy candy fan, Megan brings curiosity and joy to everything she does. With Pitbull tracks on her playlist and Marathon Kids in her heart, she’s excited to soak in every mile of her first World Major.
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Christopher Watters
Christopher is taking on his first marathon as a personal challenge and a powerful lesson in commitment for his daughters. What began as a bold goal—his 2025 “MISOGI”—has turned into a journey of discipline, growth, and unexpected joy. He’s training to show his family what perseverance really looks like. Living in Austin with his wife and two kids, Christopher balances his marathon prep with running a Wagyu cattle ranch and maintaining saltwater aquariums. He’s proud to support Marathon Kids because he believes every child deserves the chance to build confidence and resilience through movement.
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Kate Zeligson
Kate is training for her first World Major marathon this fall in New York City, representing Team Marathon Kids with every step. A late-blooming runner, Kate didn’t start running until her late 20s—but since then, she’s transformed her life and completed four marathons in just eight months. Running taught her confidence, grit, and how to tackle tough goals—something she hopes every kid can learn early on. Now based in Austin and working in tech, Kate runs with Gilbert’s Gazelles and has taken on challenges like the Grand Canyon’s Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim. She’s raising funds to help Marathon Kids provide more children with access to life-changing movement programs.
Support Our Runners

About Marathon Kids

Founded in 1995, Marathon Kids is the only evidence-based structured physical activity program specifically designed for children in the US. Using technology and research-proven methods, the Marathon Kids Program aims to get kids moving! With the help of coaches and mentors, kids set big goals and are challenged to run, jog, walk, or move the equivalent of four (or more!) marathons over the course of a season or school year.

The Marathon Kids Mission

The World Health Organization recommends 60 minutes of daily activity for kids, yet only 1 in 4 students are reaching that goal. 

Research shows that when children participate in Marathon Kids, they have a better chance of achieving the recommended amount of daily physical activity. That’s great news for their bodies and minds! When kids are active, not only are they forming life-long healthy physical habits, they are also happier and perform better in school. 

Our programming is built on six evidence-based pillars for long-term healthy behavior adoption.

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Tracking

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Goal Setting

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Modeling the Way

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Social Support

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Rewarding

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Celebrating

The Marathon Kids Program provides training, tools, and resources to the dedicated coaches, PE teachers, and other community volunteers who motivate kids to take their first step towards a healthier future and positively impact mental health.

Through movement, we show kids they can achieve more than they ever thought possible!

QUESTIONS?

Please contact development@marathonkids.org
with any questions about Team Marathon Kids and
the registration/fundraising process.

Sign up to stay connected with Marathon Kids

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