JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Twice a week before school for the past two months, students at Mandarin Oaks Elementary have been training for the big race — the 1 mile Junior River Run.
“I enjoy the race,” student Maggy Koenig said. “I’ve won three times in a row and it’s really fun to get out there.”
Coach Carol Butler, who teaches physical education at the school, has 300 runners training hard.
“It’s something they can set goals for or they can find a friend,” Butler said. “It helps them academically. When they come back in to the classroom, their minds are set and engaged to learn.”
The Junior River Run has been a tradition at the school for years. Butler started the training program at the school, which was originally created by 1st Place Sports owner Doug Alred. The Gate River Run website says the program’s goal is to show kids the benefits of exercise and prepare them for race day.
The aim is to have them run 8.3 miles in training and then one mile on race day, covering the full 15k distance.
“I like going out,” student Hadley Koenig said. “I like running outside with my friends. It’s good practice of running. It’s just a lot of fun to do.”
The free program has some perks like cool swag and even a medal for the runners who finish the race.
“They come in with these wonderful smiles and yeah they might have been hurting in the beginning, but when they see that finish, it’s amazing,” Butler said.
The Junior River Run is for kids ranging from kindergarten to 13 years old.
For Butler, the real joy isn’t running the Gate River Run herself, but watching her students cross the finish line and achieve their goals.
“It is a feel-good moment,” Butler said. “My heart, I’m going to get teary because it’s just so great. It is. It’s just to me, I was a runner, to see them do it, it’s just the best thing.”