The American Running Association and its partner Youth Runner Magazine have selected 16 sites that will be showcased as participating Schools and organizations for National Run a Mile Day™ on May 9. Schools, track clubs and organizations in over 25 states have responded and will run the mile on May 9 as participants for the second Run a Mile Day. ARA and Youth Runner Magazine will post stories and photos from multiple event sites across the U.S.
"We want adults, parents, and kids to see the fun in running the mile. It is a perfect event to entice more kids and others into running," said Dave Watt of ARA.
The 16 selected schools and mile event hosts for 2009 event are:
- Newport Mills Middle School - Kensington Maryland - ARA staff will be onsite at the host track at Einstein High School
- Ruffing Montessori School - Rocky River Ohio
- Kids Running America - Parker, Colorado - National youth group staging Run the mile events in conjunction with ARA
- Flandreau Indian School - Flandreau, South Dakota - Federally funded high school for Native American boys and girls set for 300 runners in the mile
- Spaulding Elementary - McAllister Middle School - Suffield, Connecticut
- Hyde Park Middle School - Las Vegas, Nevada
- Holy Trinity School - Beaverton, Oregon - K-8th graders set to run the mile in PE classes
- Oregon City Track Club - Oregon City, Oregon
- Columbus Elementary Schools - Columbus, Georgia
- Grove City Area Middle School - Grove City, Pennsylvania - Grades 1-6 from elementary school will run on neighboring high school trackRedwood Elementary School - West Valley City, Utah
- Commonwealth School - Fullerton, California - 200+ students slated to run the mile in K-8 classes
- Mile High Mile - Denver, Colorado - Several elementary / middle schools will use May 9 as a training race for their Mile event
- Fruitland Elementary - Puyallup, Washington
- Thomas Jefferson Science & Tech High School "TJ PENULTIMATE Track & Field Meet" - Fairfax, Virginia - ARA sponsoring the mile events in a 600 athlete invitational track meet
- Lake Cities Cross Country Club - Flower Mound, Texas
Note: As of April 29, all Texas High Schools' sports have been curtailed until May 11 due to the Swine / H1N1 flu outbreak and their mile event will run in late May.
Each of the selected 16 host schools and sites will receive Run a Mile Day™ Medals for participants in their mile events or other recognition awards. All Run a Mile Day host sites will be featured on both the American Running Association (ARA) and Youth Runner Magazine websites.
National Run a Mile Day™ is an outreach program of ARA to encourage boys and girls and their families to increase their daily physical activity through running. The mile has been a standard of track and field for more than 100 years. The mile is a measure of fitness in the Presidential Fitness Award by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. All the branches of the military run the mile and some to measure the fitness levels of the men and women in uniform. ARA and Youth Runner share the same commitment as military branches and the President's Council: get more Americans physically active and fit. The National Run a Mile Day is one step in the process to encourage more walking and running by boys and girls.
ARA and Youth Runner encourage everyone to get out and "run a mile" on May 9. Roger Bannister showed the world in 1954 that the 4 minute mile was not a barrier. He broke through that "barrier" on May 6 of that year. To this day, the sub-4 minute mile is a cherished achievement by male runners worldwide. ARA honors Sir Roger Bannister's achievement on Run a Mile Day. His tenacity and commitment to challenge a perceived impenetrable barrier can be a lesson for anyone facing a seemingly out of reach goal.
National Run a Mile Day is produced by the Bethesda, MD-based American Running Association (ARA). All event proceeds help produce this national track event and ARA's free youth walk-run training programs. ARA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1968 to promote healthy living and active lifestyles among all Americans. It is dedicated to supporting runners through education and specialized programs, as well as encouraging all individuals from youths to adults to run and be fit. For more information about the ARA or to learn more about the Walk and Run programs, visit: www.AmericanRunning.org