Hello Kids Marathon Friends,

Welcome to 2012! Your Kids Marathon team wishes you a healthy and happy new year. Now is the time to start getting your school excited about this year's Kids Marathon!

If you are just getting started, I suggest you read all of the information on the website, especially my November and December updates, to make sure you understand all of this year's information and the changes that are being made. If you have any questions, please contact me (Shanda at mailto:kids@okcmarathon.com). For general information, please go to OKCMarathon.com. Click on the orange Kids Marathon tab.

SUGGESTIONS FOR JANUARY

1. Introduce Kids Marathon to your faculty, staff, and students. Using the information on the website and in the updates, create an informational letter for your school. Make sure you include basic race information as well as specific registration information.

2. Have a kickoff assembly to spark enthusiasm for the event! Start off the new year by talking to kids about how they can make healthy choices for their mind and body. 

3. Show students the Oklahoma City National Memorial website and educate them on the reason they are running. Click here to see the online lesson plans and resources the Memorial Museum offers. Also, encourage them to find their own personal reasons for running. 

4. Start a walking/running club at your school. Have set, supervised times when students can log miles, reward and recognize students for reaching their mileage goals, and teach them basic nutrition and exercise skills. Get parents and teachers involved!

5. Contact a local business or partner in education to help with your training whether it's to run /walk with kids and serve as healthy role models or to help financially by sponsoring some runners.

6. Get your school team registered and start logging those miles! Don't forget to download and print a running log for each of your students to use!

What does your school do to promote training for the Kids Marathon? We want to hear your stories! Send us a write up, photos, or video with your school name showing/telling what you do to get your kiddos on the road to 26.2 miles. We will feature some on our website or in the monthly Kids Marathon Sports Page newsletter, so please make sure you have approved this with your administration and that kids who cannot be photographed are not in view. We want to share your ideas with other educators!

REGISTRATION UPDATE

***There is NO paper mail in registration this year – only online registration!

This year you have 2 registration options and you can use these in combination:

1. Students can register on their own (with an adult's help) by clicking on the Click Here To Register Now link on the OKCMarathon.com main page. 

- If kids register on their own, make sure they choose your school in the drop down menu to ensure that they will show up on your school's roster. 

- Please avoid choosing "other." If your school is not listed, tell me. Check the list carefully as it may be listed differently than you think. Make sure parents know how your school is listed (put this in your introduction informational letter). Please do not choose "other" and then type in the name of your school. Advise parents not to either.

2. Or you can register all of your participants at one time. Here's how:

• Please email me and verify that you are the school coordinator for your school. If I don't hear from you, you don't get a link for group registration and roster management and your school's shirts, bibs, and goody bags will be grouped for expo pickup according to whatever information shows up in the registration database.

• Once you verify, I will send you the link for group registration/roster management and detailed instructions.

• You will have to register in the system as the school coordinator/team captain and create your school team. Again, choose your school from the drop down menu (same as regular registration). 

• Once you register as the school coordinator, you will use the link and the log in that you create to register participants as well as view/manage any registration information that pertains to your school. You will be able to see everyone who has registered under your school's name. This is your roster.

• In the detailed instructions, you will see a way to print the registration page. If you plan on registering for your participants, I would suggest printing that page, have them fill it out, and then using that to register that person online.

WHETHER YOU HAVE STUDENTS REGISTER THEMSELVES OR YOU REGISTER ALL OF YOUR PARTICIPANTS YOURSELF, YOU MUST CHOOSE THE SAME SCHOOL FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU IN ORDER FOR ALL OF THEM TO SHOW UP ON YOUR ROSTER. THAT'S THE KEY!

EVEN IF YOU HAVE STUDENTS ALL REGISTER THEMSELVES, YOU STILL MUST VERIFY YOUR STATUS AS A SCHOOL COORDINATOR BY EMAILING ME AND REGISTER ONLINE AS A SCHOOL COORDINATOR IN ORDER TO VIEW AND MANAGE YOUR ROSTER.

• It is your responsibility to view and manage your roster and correct any mistakes or ask us to help if there is an issue you cannot clear up. We will not be responsible for checking rosters this year - it's up to you!

• ALL SCHOOLS TEAM MEMBERS MUST BE REGISTERED BY APRIL 1. SCHOOL GROUP REGISTRATION WILL BE CUT OFF ON THAT DATE. Any student who registers for your school after April 1st will NOT have their stuff grouped with yours for expo pickup and will NOT count for the prizes.

• After April 1st, we will use that final roster that you have checked to group all of your kids' and adults' packets, shirts, and bibs together for your school. You can pick them up as a group at the Expo or during Thursday night pickup (more info later).

• Please make sure that you tell your participants that all of your stuff will be grouped together as a school with your coordinator picking it up so that no parent makes an extra trip to the Expo. You will be in charge of distributing stuff to your school participants.

Please contact me with any questions and I am always happy to help you and your school!

Keep Running,
Shanda B. Bandi, M.Ed, NSCA-CPT
Kids Marathon School Coordinator