Washington Street Elementary students run during Mileage Club.

Each Tuesday and Friday at our elementary schools, you’ll see students walking or running outside the buildings during recess. That is Mileage Club. It started at Allegan Street Elementary School several years ago, as a way for kids to be active at recess and give them something to do; some kids don’t fit into a crowd or have a game to play. The Club has taken off ever since, each year reaching new records and attracting more kids at higher levels of participation.

It is now at all three elementary schools and the middle school. Elementary students run a loop during recess; middle school students run or walk around the hallway loop for 20-minutes before school.

Almost every student at the elementary level reached the 5-mile mark. Those who participate each time have really racked up the miles. At Washington Street, 185 students ran at least 40 miles, which earns them a pool party; 111 students got to the 50-miles mark which earns them a t-shirt; 8 students ran more than 100 miles. Co-champs this year are Will Eldred and Hunter Zartman who both ran a total of 113.7 miles. But one student, James Town, ran a total of 242.8 miles because he runs Mileage Club at his recess but also at the start of the morning in the JumpStart! program (134.5 miles in JS! and 108.3 in regular mileage club.)

At Dix Street, 34 students ran 50 miles or more. The top winners were Andy Goodwin for the lower el with 80.3 miles, Tyler DeHaan with 99.8 miles for the upper el, and Tristen Gilbert who took second place with 82.9 miles.

Alamo Elementary calls its group the “Alamo Walking Club” although many students take advantage of the time to build up miles and run. AWC’s top 6 winners were: Emily Woodin, 47 miles; Andrew Bickel, 43 miles; Alex Peterson, 32 miles; Lauren Smith, 29 miles; Emma Owens, 28 miles; and Harley Davis, 25 miles. 

The Middle School had 145 students participate this year walking at least 5 miles. This is all voluntary; students receive recognition for accumulating 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 miles. The STRIVE class that walked the most miles won breakfast, which was Mrs. Dedoes’ class with 92 miles. The top two walkers were Jacob Agy with 38.5 miles and Dylan Ingold with 38.25 miles. Physical Education Teacher Diane Hitchcock organizes the MS Mileage Club to help kids get a good start to the day, “It is proven that at least 29 minutes of activity ‘boosts’ the brain to start making new connections,” she says, “the Mileage club provides the students with an opportunity to ‘jump start’ their brains before their school day begins.”