New School Participation

Thank you for your interest in your school entering the I Run Kids Marathon. The goal of the I Run Kids Marathon is to get kids out and exercising in the summer as well as opening a book to exercise their minds. Healthy Bodies & Healthy Minds.

What is the Kids Marathon? It is a program where kids will run (or walk) and entire marathon, 26.2 miles, over the summer, a 1/4 mile at a time. Kids will also read either 26 books or for 26 hours, 1/4 hour at a time, over the summer. Near the end of summer, all kids participating will join to run our FINAL MILE of the marathon together and all cross the same finish line.

What do the kids get? All participants will receive an I Run Kids Marathon shirt as well as an I Run Kids Marathon finishers medal. There will possibly be some donations for the kids in their goody bags they receive as well as many prizes that will be raffled off at the FINAL MILE. And lots food and beverages for the kids. Kids will also be able to print out a running & reading log to begin their journey at the beginning of summer.

How much does it cost for a school to participate? Absolutely nothing! There is an individual entry fee per child of under $15 that go toward the costs of shirts, medal, insurance, food, etc, but no cost to any school. We do request that each school provide a "Representative" to promote the event at your school, hand out and collect entry forms and then send them to the I Run Kids Marathon. Any questions that the representative may have can be answered quickly. The cost of our event is kept low due to many wonderful sponsors either donating money, supplies, or great prizes to be given to the kids at the FINAL MILE.

Why participate in the I Run Kids Marathon? We all know there is a growing issue with kids exercising less and obesity levels rising. The I Run Kids Marathon strives to get kids out exercising and teaching that exercise is fun as well. We also strive to get kids to keep reading over the summer. Just because school is out for the summer doesn't mean we should all stop learning. Reading over the summer goes a long way to beginning the new school year well.

Who can participate? The I Run Kids Marathon is open to all kids finishing Kindergarten through 7th grade at the end of Spring. We do allow younger kids to participate but stress that parents need to know everything involved in taking on a whole marathon, even if it is over the entire summer.

Who are the organizers? The I Run Kids Marathon is the brain child of Bill Schneider of Muskego, WI. Bill is an active runner since the 5th grade and has run 39 full marathons to date as well as many other distances. He ran on his High School's Cross Country and Track teams as well as his College's Cross Country and Track teams. He has 3 young daughters that love to run and even coaches track and cross country as their school. He loves to share his passion for running. He is aided in the organization of the I Run Kids Marathon by Greg Uehling, Gwen Scherf, and Belinda Matter, all parents of young children and love to run themselves. David Habben also helps and advises on the I Run Kids Marathon.

Is there a Charity Involved? Yes. Over the past few years, we have made donations to MS Run The US, Luke Currier Fund, and well and the Jenny Crain Make It Happen Fund. We have decided in the future to choose a children's charity so the kids can help kids. One of the themes of the I Run Kids Marathon is "I Run to make a difference!" We want all the kids who participate to feel like they made a difference not only in their own lives, but in the lives of other kids.

So in a nutshell, that is the I Run Kids Marathon. If you have any further questions or want to be a representative for a school, please email is at kidsmarathon@yahoo.com.

Thank you,

Bill Schneider
I Run Kids Marathon Director