Austin ISD students at Patton Elementary started their Marathon Kids season Sept. 25 with music, cowbells and pom-poms. The kickoff marks the start of a school year spent working toward running or walking 26.2 miles.
"Ultimately, what we want the kids to say is 'I get to run' instead of 'I have to run,'" said Jason Daniel, CEO of Marathon Kids.
The details
The nonprofit, which started in Austin in 1995, offers its program free to schools nationwide, according to its website. More than 20,600 AISD students at 96 campuses took part in Marathon Kids last school year, logging more than 364,000 miles, according to the nonprofit's 2025-26 impact report.
Teachers track each student's miles in real time with the Marathon Kids Connect app and use that data to motivate students individually and by grade or classroom, Daniel said. Participating schools will come together again in May for a finisher celebration. Families can check their school's progress on the district's leaderboard.
Beyond the physical benefits, kids who move more tend to behave better and perform better academically, Daniel said. The goal is for students to carry those habits home, and some bring their families with them.
"At the end of the season, the entire family got more active than they were," Daniel said.
Why it matters
AISD trustees adopted an $887 million budget in June. It closed a projected $181 million shortfall with $205 million in gross cuts, according to previous Community Impact reporting. In April, district officials discussed adjusting schedules for elementary music, art and PE classes to save $6 million, a move that would reduce planning time for elementary teachers.
In response, Marathon Kids is launching its "Keep Austin Kids Moving" initiative, with an initial goal of raising $50,000 to sustain programming at participating campuses, according to its officials. The effort will bring together funders, community organizations, schools, families and local businesses to expand running in AISD and the wider community, Daniel said.
"Our belief is that it takes an entire community to raise healthy children," Daniel said.
Marathon Kids joins other Austin nonprofits stepping in to fill gaps left by the district's budget cuts, previous reporting shows.
Also of note
Marathon Kids also runs the Girls Movement, which Daniel said launched three years ago with support from the Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation. The free program serves girls in grades 4-8, when many drop out of physical activity, Daniel said.
"We're trying to get ahead of that," Daniel said.
Brooks Running has supported Marathon Kids for several years, Daniel said.
"We wouldn't be where we are today without them," Daniel said.
