Marathon Kids in Liberty Hill, Texas are excited about health and fitness
By MK Editor, May 23, 2021
With H-E-B’s generous support, Marathon Kids now offers free physical activity programming for all Texas students.
Lesley Havelka teaches physical education at Bill Burden Elementary in Liberty Hill, Texas. Havelka and her two co-coaches, Coach Chadney and Coach Greene, use Marathon Kids programming to run the Burden Panthers run club—a group of 750 students, ranging from pre-K to fourth grade. “Most of our kiddos here in Liberty Hill are excited and enthusiastic about health and fitness,” says Havelka. “They enjoy our weekly track days and are always working toward hitting their running goals.”
Havelka first learned about Marathon Kids when she was a PE teacher in Austin ISD, before transferring to Burden Elementary. “I was lucky enough to attend the Marathon Kids kickoffs each year with my running clubs there.” Starting in 2020, Marathon Kids programming became available for free to all participants, thanks to a partnership between Marathon Kids and H-E-B.
Keeping Kids Motivated to Move
Havelka says the Marathon Kids program has always been a great source of motivation for the student athletes. “Marathon Kids is always coming up with new and innovative ways to continue to keep students interested in their own health and fitness.”
The Burden Panthers run club meets weekly for track days; the students typically cover anywhere from one to four miles in their 25 to 30 minutes together. Their miles are tracked digitally using Marathon Kids Connect, the cloud-based physical activity tracking and reporting app. “We currently use the lap tracking and time feature as well as all the data features available,” Havelka says.
This fall, she has both in-person and virtual learners; at school, PE has been held outside every day. “We have managed being outside daily very well, in my opinion,” she says. “The coaches and students have all worked together and been flexible, which has made our PE classes successful even in the midst of the pandemic.”
When running gets tough, Havelka says, the coaches make sure to offer words of encouragement. They also host friendly competitions to keep student motivation high. Most of all, the students keep each other going. “We always see students pushing each other in kind ways to be their best, even when it gets tough.”
Running Teaches Kids They Can Do Hard Things
Havelka sees definite benefits for her students in Marathon Kids programming. “The running club has shown many of our students that they can do hard things, and they can push themselves when it gets tough. We have seen increases in their cardiovascular health and endurance over the school year. We have also seen some students branch out into real-world races and even get family members involved in running outside of school.”
She believes physical activity is one of the most important things a person can focus on. “It can affect mental health,” she says, “and it directly affects how your body feels daily. Physical activity can have a positive impact on mood and relationships as well as prevent diseases later in life.”
To others interested in implementing Marathon Kids programming or becoming a coach, Havelka says, “I would definitely recommend it. There are so many positives that come from it for the students, coaches, and community.”