COVENANT KIDS RUN FITTEST SCHOOL CHALLENGE PROMOTES FITNESS, AWARDS $4,000 TO AREA SCHOOLS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 24, 2015

For more information,
Contact:
Lauren Miller
Moxley Carmichael
865-599-4050

Jason Altman
Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon
Executive Director
865-805-2476

[title]

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Kids Run program will award a total of $4,000 to 10 area elementary schools through the 2015 Fittest School Challenge.

“The Fittest School Challenge, sponsored by the Childhood Obesity Coalition at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, adds another level of excitement to Kids Run participation and provides an excellent opportunity for area schools to earn valuable prize money,” said Jason Altman, Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Executive Director.

Kingston residents Eli Owings, age 6, and Turner Deakins, age 10, celebrate finishing the one-mile fun run at the Knoxville Zoo on Jan. 31, 2015, to kick off their work to complete a personal marathon for the Covenant Kids Run. Participating youth will track physical activity adding up to the equivalent of 26.2 miles of exercise, running the final mile together at the Covenant Kids Run on Saturday, March 28, in downtown Knoxville.

Kingston residents Eli Owings, 6, and Turner Deakins, 10, celebrate finishing the one-mile fun run at the Knoxville Zoo on Jan. 31.

The friendly competition between area elementary schools is designed to encourage participation, promote healthy physical activities, and get kids excited about exercising.

Each child that participates in the Covenant Kids Run on March 28 will earn one point for his or her school in the Fittest School Challenge. Elementary schools with the highest percentage of student participation win prize money and the title of Fittest School.

Participating schools hail from a nine-county radius that includes Anderson, Blount, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Roane, Sevier and Union counties. More than one school in each county is eligible to win prize money.

The prize money for each school will be awarded as follows:

Finish                          Award Amount
First                            $1,000
Second                        $800
Third                          $500
Fourth                        $400
Fifth                            $300
Sixth-Tenth                $200

The Challenge officially kicked off with a one-mile fun run at the Knoxville Zoo on Jan. 31. It concludes Saturday, March 28, when the Covenant Kids Run starts in World’s Fair Park and ends in Neyland Stadium.

Hundreds of children from across East Tennessee take off at the start line at the Covenant Kids Run kickoff race at the Knoxville Zoo on Jan. 31, 2015. To complete a personal marathon, participating youth will track physical activity adding up to the equivalent of 26.2 miles, running the final mile together at the Covenant Kids Run on Saturday, March 28.

Each child who registers for the Covenant Kids Run receives a logbook to track miles or the exercise equivalent, such as 30 minutes of active playtime. All physical activity counts toward the child’s marathon goal. They’ll complete the last mile at the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon race weekend in March, when the children run their last mile together, finishing on the 50-yard line and seeing themselves on the Jumbotron.

For more information, visit www.knoxvillemarathon.com or call 865-684-4294.

About Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon:

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon is a premier event organized by the Knoxville Track Club, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the encouragement of physical well being through running, jogging, competitive road racing, race-walking, fun runs, cross-country and track and field.