The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
KID’S MARATHON RUNNERS
Olympic medalist Rod Dixon meets young athletes at Southwest School
TORRINGTON >> Southwest School students, buoyed by a meeting with Olympic medalist Rod Dixon, took off running this week in preparation for the annual Kid’s Marathon.
The final lap of the 2017 marathon is scheduled to take place June 4 on the Torrington High School track from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., according to organizer Tim Gaffney.
Dixon, the founder of the Kid’s Marathon Foundation, visited Southwest this week.
The young people are part of an after-school group organized by the Torrington Police Athletic League, according to Executive Director Lindsay Raymond. They have been training for the last 10 to12 weeks, Raymond said, with running, tag, and other activities.
While the students initially struggled a bit, Raymond said they have improved.
“They love running; they love doing it every week,” said Raymond. “We’ve encouraged them a lot.”
The PAL is aiming to encourage students to live healthful lifestyles, Raymond said, through partnering with the marathon and sponsoring the kids’ portion of the Torrington Road Race.
There are some universal truths about kids, Dixon said, which he’s learned through meeting with groups throughout the country and world.
“The kids are kids,” said Dixon. “They’re spontaneous, they improvise... they love to move.”
Dixon said Wednesday that he was inspired to start the Kid’s Marathon after meeting with Sir Edmund Hilary, a fellow New Zealander who was one of the first two men to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Hilary, he said, asked him to inspire the next generation — and thus, in part through the marathon, he has sought to do so.
This is the 10th year the marathon has been held in the region, according to Gaffney, and the second in Torrington.
Schools from throughout the region, including Southwest, East, Forbes, and Torringford, are expected to participate in the final lap, according to Gaffney.
“It’s a celebration day,” said Gaffney.
The aim of the Kid’s Marathon foundation, according to its website, is “to create a life-long commitment to good health and fitness habits in children at risk of obesity-related health problems.”
The final lap of the 2016 marathon was held June 7 at Torrington High School.