There are several steps to starting a local Running or Jogging Club for kids in a local elementary school and Seniors.

First, you need a track or course for Club practices. See if the local High School is close enough to the elementary school. Second, go introduce yourself to the Principal or Athletic / Activities Director. Let he or she know what you’d like to do. Mention to them that you would be representing a National Nonprofit aimed at getting kids more fit by running; specifically running the Mile. Ask them for times that would allow you to have an hour to 90 minutes one day a week. That’s a start. Getting a 2nd weekday evening can come later.

A second option for a track or course is to use the grounds of the elementary school. As you would do at the high school, go introduce yourself to the Principal and Lead PE Teacher. Ask them for permission to use the school grounds for 1-2 evenings for an hour each time.

Measure a 400m lap. Go to the High School and get a meeting with the High School’s Cross Country Coach. Ask them if they have a “marking wheel” and could you borrow it. Explain your program. I am sure a coach will gladly support your efforts. More on that later.

Take the wheel or measuring wheel and walk a loop that is close to 400 meters. If it has to be 300m, then it will be just under 6 laps for the Mile.

Get contact information from the Elementary School. Pass that along to our office and we will send out a “draft” email to you and the leadership at the school. In the draft email, we will explain the program and explain fees. *As time goes by, we may be able to offer a few scholarship memberships for children of financial need.

Once you and the school leadership give us some feedback, we will send a “final” email and ask that the email be sent to parents within the school community. This is your best way to get kids to sign up.

We will offer incentives for any events that you may want to hold.

We suggest that the Running Club have a Spring debut and last 8-10 weeks. At the conclusion of the running program, we will provide the easy template or “How to” for RUN A MILE DAY. Here you can have each class run the mile over the course of one day or two days depending on school requirements.

If the event can be timed, we will tell you the basic information we desire so we can develop a National database of kids by

• Grade,

• Gender,

• School name,

• Town or City,

• State and most importantly

• A student’s Mile time.

That is the core of a getting a Running / Jogging Club started.

We will provide more tips on getting a local High School Cross Country team involved as Volunteer coaches or Assistants. They can be a huge help for you. More importantly, they get the opportunity to be leaders to the next generation of runner