SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon along with Fingal County Council has officially announced their KiDSMARATHON initiative which is aimed at 6th class students in Fingal primary schools. KiDSMARATHON is a running programme developed by New Zealand Olympian, Rod Dixon, to encourage children to embrace healthy and active lifestyles while also promoting the benefits of physical activity.
SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon has organised an eight week programme for schools which promotes physical activity in young children while educating them about key elements of sports participation including nutrition and hydration and highlighting the physical, mental and social benefits of exercise. Students will be performing four running sessions per week for eight weeks inching them closer to completing their first Marathon at the end of the programme. The finale will see the students running their last mile at the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon on the 26th October where they will officially complete their 26.2 miles.
KiDSMARATHON combines running sessions and health promotions to encourage young students to improve their health, with all of the sessions free of charge. For the eight weeks of the programme, teachers for primary schools will be provided with a KiDSMARATHON handbook which will provide them with advice around nutrition, hydration, and key health benefits of exercise. The handbook is designed to help teachers to improve the health and well-being of children for years to come, helping to create a healthier and more active society for the future.
Speaking at the announcement, Jim Aughney, race director for the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon said, “We’re delighted to partner up with the Fingal County Council for such a great initiative. We’re committed to improving the health and well-being of the students of Fingal in the coming weeks and with the drop-off being so high in teenage sports, I think it is essential that we continue to promote physical activity for our younger generation while also highlighting the health benefits. I hope the KiDSMARATHON initiative will appeal to other schools in the region along with their families so that we can continue to make Ireland a healthier and more active country.”
For more information on the initiative, please visit www.sseairtricitydublinmarathon.ie or www.fingalcoco.ie