Echo Lake's 'Weekend Warriors' Plan to Shine at Virginia529 Kids Run

The term ‘Weekend Warrior’ has different meanings for different people, but for the crew at Echo Lake Elementary School in Henrico County, it means a dedicated group of students, teachers, and volunteers who get out every Saturday morning and celebrate the fun of active lifestyles. The Weekend Warriors run club, started 12 years ago as a collaboration between a fifth-grade class and kindergarten class, now has 140 students taking part on a regular basis, getting together for weekly group runs and preparing for the Virginia529 Kids Run on April 1, part of the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k presented by Kroger.

Heather Reid, a teacher at Echo Lake and one of the original founders of the Weekend Warriors, credits a fun and welcoming group atmosphere for making the program so successful and says the fact that the whole school community takes part is an important aspect. “I like being involved with students beyond the classroom. Education is so much more than the SOLs and the basic curriculum,” said Reid. “Any teacher knows that kids do better in class when they feel like a part of the community, when they are invested, when they feel like their teacher is invested. It is also really neat to interact with the families in a way that is not academic or tied to grades. We cheer on our students as they persevere and improve from week to week, improving upon their own times.”

Reid, who coordinates the program with fellow Echo Lake teacher Megan Bouton, says the Saturday group runs at Echo Lake are truly a community affair and open to all. “It is rewarding to see parents motivating their kids, friends running an extra lap to help their friends finish strong, parents connecting with teachers outside a conference or a PTA meeting, and kids coming back after graduating from Echo Lake to tell us about how they’ve joined the track team in middle or high school.”

It is the last part of the quote, about run club students who continue staying active in middle and high school, that helps illustrate the success of the Weekend Warriors and similar programs around the Richmond region. With support from Kids Run RVA, a program of Sports Backers that promotes physical activity to youth across the Richmond region and encourages more kids to get moving more often, school run clubs help instill a lifelong love of physical activity in kids at a young age. Kids Run RVA, one of the official event charities of the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, gives kids the chance to have fun while being physically active in their own communities and provides grants, equipment, and even running shoes to help kids participate in events. With nearly 70 run clubs in schools and neighborhoods, including many underserved communities, Kids Run RVA gets thousands of kids moving throughout the Richmond region on a daily basis.

In addition to improving their distances and times every week, Reid says there are many other physical and emotional benefits for run club participants. “We’ve also noticed increased confidence in students, as some excel in physical activities where they might struggle to stay focused in class during academic activities during the school day,” said Reid. “Our group is large, so many students get to shine in front of their peers! We also have a pep assembly the day before the race, where the whole school gets together to celebrate the hard work of our runners before they head off to the Virginia529 Kids Run!”

For many of the participants, the work done at the weekly group runs will pay off on race day, and Reid says her students are looking forward to every aspect of the experience. “Our kids are excited to run the race, to get a medal, to see the crowds, hear the music, to make their parents and teachers proud, and to cross the real finish line,” said Reid. And thanks to the work of the Weekend Warriors program, there will be plenty of opportunities for the kids to stay active and participate again in the future. “They are excited to do it all again next year, and see how much faster they can be,” said Reid. “Some kids are really hoping that someday they will WIN the race!”

The Virginia529 Kids Run takes place Saturday, April 1, at 8:00am. To learn more about the event and Kids Run RVA, visit www.sportsbackers.org. Walk-up registration for the Kids Run and 10k is available at the TowneBank Health and Fitness Expo on March 30 and March 31.