Get Ready, Get Set, Go!  Tips for Getting Started with Your Running Program

• Seek your principal's support of the program.

• Find the time and space to hold running sessions during, before, and/or after school.

• Enlist classroom teachers to get involved with the program by using the interdisciplinary lessons plans in their classes (as appropriate).

• If there is interest from many students, solicit other teachers and parent volunteers to assist you with the running sessions.

• Plan for how you are going to meet the different age (e.g., 5th graders vs. 8th graders) and running experience levels of participating students.

• Plan with the end in mind.  Select or create a training plan based on your students' age and running experience, program length (e.g., 8 weeks vs. 3 months), and culminating event (e.g., 1 mile vs. 5K event).

• Develop a filing/storage system for students' distance logs.

• Send parent permission forms home with all "eligible" students (those in grades 5-8) and only allow a student to begin participating when he/she has returned a signed form. 

• Hold your first running session and enjoy!