The homegrown, free family fitness phenomenon called Marathon Kids launches its seventh year in Central Texas, beginning Saturday, September 28 at The University of Texas Mike Myers Track & Field Stadium in Austin.

It's there that thousands of kindergartners through 5th graders and their families will celebrate and begin the first of 26.2 miles of incremental running/walking. Keeping running logs, they will then run/walk one half to one mile at a time, at school or at home over the next five months. Then, they will finish their last mile together at a community-wide celebration in February with Track & Field Olympians.

The program is for all little children: rich/poor, overweight/thin, able/disabled, fast/slow.

Children receive their registration forms for the free RunTex Marathon Kids program through their elementary school PE classes. Many home schoolers and their families are doing the program independently.

The September 28 KickOff Celebration event is entirely run by volunteers from the community, UT Kinesiology students, as well as teachers from the stand-out Austin Area PE & Recreation (AAPER), RRISD, Kyle, Buda and other school districts. UT Athletes will run with the children in their grade level heats, to honor them for their "courage to start." Free sports massages at the finish line will be provided by the local Body Therapy Center.

Two selected children will run the opening flag lap with live music accompanied by jazz saxophonist Thad Scott. A Mayor's proclamation will be read, announcing the day "Marathon Kids Day!"

Last year 20,000 kindergartners through 5th graders participated and earned Finisher t-shirts and Finisher Medals, donated by the nation's premiere running store, RunTex and RunTex owner Paul Carrozza. Carrozza is Co-Chairperson of the Texas Governor's Commission on Physical Fitness, as well as a member of the prestigous President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports.

Twenty five thousand children are participating in the Central Texas program this year. They come from AISD, RRISD, Eanes, DelValle, Lake Travis, Pflugerville, Kyle, Buda.

Nine thousand children of the 25,000 registered are expected at the free community-wide KickOff this year, graciously hosted by The University of Texas Athletic Department.

Marathon Kids is a program that has been directly addressing the concerns of the US Surgeon General's Office for seven years.

Those issues are:

--In the past two decades, the rate of childhood overweight/obesity has doubled, and the rate of adolescent overweight/obesity has tripled.
--13 percent, or 1 out of 8 children, are now overweight or obese.
--American children are becoming more sedentary at home
--Elementary school children spend an average of 4 hours per day watching television
--American children are becoming more sedentary at school
--A growing number of American schools have no physical activity facilities or physical education classes
--Only one state, Illinois, requires daily physical education, and, even there, waivers are permitted.

Because Marathon Kids is a fun and free program of encouragement, open-ness, challenge, substance and endurance, children of all body types are motivated to join in. They experience physical fitness on an ongoing basis and have a new sense of themselves as "people who move" and "people who have the courage to start" what at the outset can seem to be an overwhelming sports project. Completing the program affects them in a positive fashion, both physically and psychologically.

The program has been kept free so children of all economic levels can participate. It obviously is working. Each year, thousands more children and their families sign up, work hard and earn their medals.

Any questions regarding RunTex Marathon Kids should be directed to Jessica (512) 536-6980 or Jessica@MarathonKids.com