WELCOME BACK, COACH!
Things look a little different at Marathon Kids, and we hope you'll love the changes we’ve made! With you and your runners in mind, we've created best-in-class tools and resources to make your job easier, while increasing access to and engagement in our programming.
This season, we're giving you greater utility and saving you time and effort while helping more students than ever access quality physical activity, build their running skills, and lay a foundation for a lifetime of good health and fitness.
MARATHON KIDS IS NOW FREE FOR ALL
The biggest change we’ve made is making Marathon Kids programming FREE. Removing the price barrier opens our program to every child in the United States, Pre-K through 12th grade, regardless of background, ability, or fitness level. And any teacher, volunteer, or passionate adult who wants to start a run club can join our community and take advantage of our free, evidence-based tools and resources.
We’ve also launched Marathon Kids Connect, our new and improved digital lap-tracking app and reporting platform, making it a snap for you to track student progress, report real-time data to teachers, admins, and parents, and celebrate milestones with your runners. All you need is a smartphone or tablet—no WiFi necessary— to scan runners' ID cards after every lap or physical activity completed, and the cloud-based platform handles the rest. You can also choose to do manual data entry if you prefer, or set up a scanning station for safe distance running.
When you register for Marathon Kids Connect, there is no limit to the number of runners you can add to the platform. Create a roster for a single club, multiple clubs, or organize full-school implementation with runners listed by class, whether your students are learning in-person, online, or a combination of both. You will be able to print ID cards for all runners and easily track their progress all season long.
NO MORE GRANT APPLICATIONS
Another key change we’ve made? Since Marathon Kids is now free, there are no more grant applications or fees to hold you back. We gather information about schools when you create your free Marathon Kids Connect account, eliminating the extra step of the grant application.
To make the program free, incentives like t-shirts are no longer included with registration. We surveyed kids and 80% said either they prefer verbal praise and recognition to tangible rewards for their running achievements or find those things equally motivating. After registration, we will email you a coupon code for a complimentary welcome kit that includes a group tracking poster and stickers to celebrate your runners' accomplishments. Additional low-cost incentives will be available for purchase in our new eStore, which you can access from within Marathon Kids Connect.
HOW TO GET STARTED
To get started, all you have to do is create a free account. Select the Coach profile and set a new password (numbers and letters only—no special characters). Even if you had a Marathon Kids Connect account last year, you will need to create a new account. Once registered, you’ll receive immediate access to Marathon Kids Connect, along with a host of other tools and training opportunities designed to help you get up and running. If you have any trouble, contact support@marathonkids.org for help.