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Junior joggers to pint-sized sprinters: Richmond school children tackle Kids Run Free marathon challenge

Energetic Richmond children are racking up the miles as they participate in Kids Run Free’s marathon challenge.

All 510 savvy students at Sheen Mount Primary School have been taking part in the Kids’ Marathon challenge since November 2015.

UK charity Kids Run Free is inspiring children to run a marathon — but it’s not as daunting as it sounds.

Students are given the opportunity to complete a marathon throughout the course of the school year, running as much or as little as they want each time.

Mr Lancaster, a teacher at Sheen Mount Primary School, said: “Our children have completed various laps towards their marathon challenge and they are very excited about it.

“We try to make Kids’ Marathon as a fun experience as possible for the children and we have been using it as a warm up for PE lessons.

“As a consequence of Kids’ Marathon we have noticed an increase on the number of children in our running club.

“Teachers are also running the marathon challenge, including myself and I think it is great to do it with everyone else.”

The charity created the program in 2013 to tackle the increasing issue of inactivity facing schools and families.

There are currently 9,000 students across 40 schools in the UK participating in the scheme — with further funding secured to offer the initiative to more schools in the 2016/17 academic year.

Efforts and achievements are rewarded with certificates along the way and children that complete the marathon distance are awarded with a medal.

Images courtesy of Kids Run Free, with thanks

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