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Bay Area Kids On the Run with ING for Better Fitness

MAY 17, 2007

Bay Area kids have been hitting the road this spring. And their destination is a lifetime of health and energy. On May 20, nearly 1,000 middle school students teamed up with ING for in San Francisco’s first-ever ING Run For Something Better® event.

Participants came from 10 area schools, and included more than 100 from Herbert Hoover Middle Schools. These dedicated kids were the first to join in this inaugural run through beautiful Golden Gate Park.

“We believe in healthy minds and bodies,” explained San Francisco Unified K-12 School District Superintendent Gwen Chan. “We seek out opportunities to help our students and staff focus on wellness, and we really appreciate ING’s partnership in this effort.”

Within the San Francisco Unified School District, 40 to 50 percent of kids are currently in the “healthy fitness zone.” Their goal is to see a 6 to 10 percent increase.

“ING approached us with this event, and tailored it to meet our needs,” noted Michelle Zapata, who maintains responsibility for physical education in the district. “This was a great way to help [students] work toward those goals while giving them a completely new type of fitness experience.” Zapata explained that, for many students, this was their first time running an outdoor route. For most, it usually took place on a track or blacktop.

For the kids, the new running environment was half the fun. “My favorite part was running through the woods,” said Presidio Middle School student Joseph Antione. Although tired, Antione said he felt great, and wanted to do it again.

Elite athlete Peter Gilmore — the top American finisher in the Boston and the ING New York City Marathons, a youth running coach, and a San Francisco local — remained on hand to give out medals and t-shirts to the kids. His youth coaching philosophy? “It has to be fun.”

According to the kids’ response, there was no shortage of fun at this inaugural 4k. Hoover student Emily Hernandez already loves sports of all kinds but the ING Run for Something Better offered a whole new dimension to her training. “This is fun because it’s different from anything I’ve done before. It’s neat to be out here with my friends. The music, all the free stuff — it doesn’t feel like exercise. It just feels fun.”