Monday, June 29, 2009

Welcome WELS Kid's Marathon Particiapnts

Welcome WELS Kid’s Marathon participants,

We are excited that you’ve signed up for the first ever WELS Kid’s Marathon! The response that we received was far greater than we ever expected. We had no idea how many to expect but just under 200 participants have signed up! Wow, that’s fantastic! Thank you!

Hopefully by now everyone has received their tracking logs and you’re well on your way to tracking your reading hours/books and your running/walking miles. If you still have not received a tracking log please email us at welskidsmarathon@yahoo.com

We have developed a website to give you basic information on our program, maps to the final event and any program related news or updates as well as the emails going out. Please go to http://kidsmarathon.blogspot.com/

We’ve been blessed by a number of area businesses that have agreed to sponsor our program. These generous corporations have allowed us to keep the cost of our program down and it also offers us the ability to offer some exciting prizes. Please support our sponsors if possible. We will be highlighting a different sponsor in each WELS Kid’s Marathon email Update. This weeks sponsor is The Milwaukee Iron Indoor Football Team.

The Milwaukee Iron Arena Football team has kindly offered our program participants a free ticket to their home game on July 24th at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Kick-off time is 7 PM. The Iron has offered to seat our group in the same section and publicly announce our group. Any adults that would accompany their children to the game would need to buy a ticket. Tickets are $15. This seating area is in the lower bowl of the Bradley Center and they are end zone seats which are very close to the action and to the area where free T-shirts are tossed during the game.

At this point in time, we just need to know the numbers of seats that should be reserved for our group. If you’re interested in coming to the game, please email us your name and number of seats requested along with how many participant children and how many adults plan to attend from your family. We need to finalize ticket numbers by 7/20.
Here’s the link to the Milwaukee Iron http://www.mkeiron.com/
As we get closer to game time more information will be shared.

Thank you,

WELS Kid’s Marathon Organizing Committee

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Map and Directions to WLC Raabe Stadium

Here are directions to the Final 1 mile run event of the WELS Kid's Marathon. If you have any questions, please mail welskidsmarathon@yahoo.com

From the North:

Take Hwy 45 South and exit Watertown Plank Road.
Turn Right onto Watertown Plank Rd
Drive 0.1 miles and turn Right into the Milwaukee County Grounds
Drive 0.4 miles to Raabe Stadium Parking Lot




From South:


Take I-94 or I-894 to the Zoo Interchange
Turn onto Hwy 45 North
Drive 1.25 miles and exit Watertown Plank Rd.
Turn Left onto Watertown Plank Rd
Drive 0.1 miles and turn Right into the Milwaukee County Grounds
Drive 0.4 miles to Raabe Stadium Parking Lot


From West:


Take I-94 to the Zoo Interchange
Exit Left onto Hwy 45 North
Drive 1.25 miles and exit Watertown Plank Rd.
Turn Left onto Watertown Plank Rd
Drive 0.1 miles and turn Right into the Milwaukee County Grounds
Drive 0.4 miles to Raabe Stadium Parking Lot


Friday, June 12, 2009

Final Event Course Map

The final mile will take place at Wisconsin Lutheran College's Raabe Stadium. The mile will start at the north end of the of the track and begin with a full lap of the track. Runners will proceed into the parking lot and run along the east side of the parking lot. After a quick turn around, the runner will proceed along the west side of the parking lot before entering the track again. Runners will again run a full lap before running onto the football field and finishing at the 50 yard line.
Click on the image for a larger view.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the I Run Kids Marathon Program?

The I Run Kids Marathon Program is a summer running and reading program where kids aged 8th grade and under will all run 26.2 miles while reading 26 books or reading for 26 hours over the summer. At the final event, all kids will gather and run our final mile of our marathon together and all finish at the same finish line.

Who can enter the I Run Kids Marathon?

All children from grades 1 through 8 are encouraged to enter our program. Children younger that 1st grade can participate but parental caution is warned. Please invite a friend to join you!

My friend heard about the program and wants to sign up. Can he or she still sign up?

Sign up deadline is the end of the 2011/2012 school year but special requests will be considered. Please email the race director at kidsmarathon@yahoo.com if you wish to enter after school is out. We will do what we can to get everyone entered.

What is the cost of the Program?

The entry cost is under $15 thanks to a generous gift from Thrivent Financial.

What do I get?

All entrants will print out an I Run Kids Marathon Running & Reading Log. At the FINAL MILE, all participants will receive a goody bag and Tshirt. Upon finishing the final mile of the marathon, each participant will receive a Finishers Medal. Also at the final event there will be lots of prizes to give away.

How will we receive our T-shirts?

T-shirts will be given to all participants at the final event on Saturday, August ??.

When will I receive my other prizes?

You will be awarded your finishers medal at the finish line on August ?? at WLC at our FINAL MILE Celebration. You will also receive a small goody bag at that time.

How do I receive my prizes and goody bag if I can’t make it to the Final Mile Celebration?

Please let us or your School Representative know if can’t make the FINAL MILE Event. We will arrange to get your medal and goody bag to you. Delivery costs will be covered to the schools that participate with a representative. If you don’t have school representative, there will be a small mailing charge (approx. $5), please email us. (kidsmarathon@yahoo.com)

Do I need to be present at the FINAL MILE event on August ?? in order to win the special door prizes that are being given away?

Yes you do. We have a limited number of special prizes that were generously donated by our sponsors and you must be present to win.

How do I log my miles and books?

You will log your running and reading in the Marathon Log that will be available to print off here on the website. You can run in intervals as small as 1/4 mile at a time. Reading can be logged by the book or by the 1/4 hour of reading (or combination of reading).

Do I have to run the required miles or can I walk?

Either one is just fine, you can either walk or run. We encourage you to run but it’s up to you.

Who can I run with?

You can run with your friends, family, or by yourself. Try to get your parents to run with you so they can learn the benefits of exercise.

When is the FINAL MILE & celebration?

The final mile will be run on Saturday, August ?? with the event starting at 6:00PM and concluding around 8:00PM. Please show up early as the mile run is not the only activity going on. The race will begin near 7:00PM with the give aways after the final runners finish.

Where is the final event located?

The final event will be held at Wisconsin Lutheran College's Raabe Stadium. The address is 10200 W. Watertown Plank Rd. and along Underwood Parkway about 1/4 mile west of Hwy 45 at the Watertown Plank Rd. exit.

If is it raining will the FINAL MILE Event be held?

Yes, rain or shine the event will go on.

Are you still looking for parent volunteers to help during the Final Mile Event on August ??

Yes we are! We need lots of parent volunteers to help make this a
successful event. We need course marshals, helpers to hand out goody bags, food/drink preparation and distribution, and a clean-up crew. Please email us at kidsmarathon@yahoo.com if you can help. Thank you!

I have an different question, who do I contact?

You can contact your I Run Kids Marathon school representative or email us at kidsmarathon@yahoo.com