Elementary kids fast, fit and proud after running ‘Greenville Mile’
May 24th, 2011 Posted in Arts and LifeBy Todd Hamann
NORTH LOGAN—The crowd lining both sides of 2500 North cheered as 300 Greenville Elementary Students ran the “Greenville Mile” last week.
The event is an annual run that promotes physical activity and aims to teach students a life lesson, that when you focus on your goals, you can make huge improvements.
“I am proud of these kids doing it and not quitting,” said Nancy Jensen, a physical education specialist at Greenville Elementary.
Each year the third, fourth and fifth graders at Greenville Elementary run up the block of 2500 North, stretching from the stop sign on 400 East to the stop sign on 800 East, where they turn around for the finish.
This year brought a change to the event. Due to the restructuring of the school boundaries, room was available for all third through sixth graders to participate. In the past there was a qualifying race because of the sheer number of students at Greenville Elementary.
Jensen was proud of her kids. “One fifth grader finished the mile today, but last year she gave up,” she said. “This year was different because everyone ran. They all kept trying. I like the fact that everyone is doing it.”
Jensen said the students trained with running games for the past six weeks leading to distance running to prepare for the race. They were also given phys ed homework to run a mile each day on their own. The students learned how to pace themselves, the technique of running long distances, and how to breathe while running.
Ellie, a third grader, said that the training helped. “I didn’t get that tired,” she said, when asked about how hard it was to run a mile.
Parents also saw the results of all their children’s hard work. Danny Corbridge, whose daughter took eighth in her grade, was pleasantly surprised. “I didn’t know she could run like that,” he said. “She did great.”
The annual Greenville Mile was started by former Principal Joel Allred, who is now a principal at Skyview High School. He is still involved in planning the event and has expanded it to seven Cache County elementary schools. Each of the schools will soon send their three fastest runners in each grade level to a championship race at Skyview.
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