Student ‘marathon’ showcases weeks-long achievement

WASILLA — Many people spend a lifetime training to run a marathon, but more than 100 Finger Lake Elementary School students can say they went the distance in a matter of weeks.

With a grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation, the school was able to provide pedometers for about 130 Finger Lake Walking Club members to track miles walked or run over the course of six weeks, obtaining tokens for every five miles achieved. The culminating event was a one-mile “Kids Marathon” during school on Wednesday, May 18, which brought most participating students’ mileage up to a marathon distance of 26.2 miles — or more.

Since Finger Lake is a Title I school (meaning it receives federal funds based on high numbers of students from low-income families) staff and faculty strive to provide as many free, family events throughout the year as possible, according to Finger Lake Title I Coordinator Pam Smith.

Smith said the event was a perfect way to get kids outside and engaged with their families, and be rewarded for their efforts to be active.

“Every finisher gets a medal,” Smith said.

Parents were invited to pick up matching Kids Marathon t-shirts for themselves and their children at school on Wednesday, and run the last mile with pre-kindergarten through second grade students in the morning and third through fifth graders in the afternoon.

Alayna Singh and her husband Bryan — who works on the North Slope — had a small herd of kids in tow Wednesday afternoon, from 2-year-old son Zachary to fourth-grade daughter Tasina. Their third-grade daughter, Liella, and Braylana — soon to be a kindergartener — also finished the one-mile race.

Singh said it was nice to be able to do something as a family, especially with dad able to participate.

“This is a rare occasion because he usually works when he’s home, too,” she said.

Liella Singh seemed to be more excited about the fact that she beat her older sister to the finish line, even though Tasina accumulated more total miles (60) because she ran track this spring.

Third-grader Taylor Farber said she was glad to have a running buddy, though.

“My friend Tara … grabbed my hand and we did the whole race together ’cause I was slowing down,” she said.

Farber’s mother, Darla Coffey, said the Walking Club and marathon event had encouraged the family to exercise more.

“It’d be nice if they had it again next year,” Coffey said.

Both Coffey and another mother, Dee Mohammadi, said the tokens their children received were particularly motivating.

“Isabella is kind of an achiever,” Mohammadi said, of her fourth-grade daughter. “She’s super motivated, especially by rewards.”

Mohammadi said her son Cyrus, a kindergartener, also “runs all the time,” making the marathon and Walking Club a good fit for their family.

“Usually if I go exercise I go by myself, so this was almost relationship building,” she said.

Third-grader Ryder Casqueira — who logged the most miles of any student at 155.5 — said the activity had been a family affair for him as well. Though his parents were not in attendance on Wednesday, Casqueira said he usually runs with his mom or dad, who set him a goal of 150 miles at the beginning of April.

Mostly, though, he’s in it for the exercise, he said — and the speed.

“It works out my legs and it makes me faster,” Casqueira said.

The marathon wasn’t all about showcasing the runners and walkers, though, according to teacher and parent Mary Maresh.

“The best thing was all the kids on the side cheering and going, ‘I should’ve done that,’” she said.

Contact reporter Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.