1. What exactly is the Read, Right & Run Marathon®?
2. How long does the program last?
3. I would like to be the Read, Right & Run Marathon coordinator for my school.  How do I sign-up?
4. What is my role as a Read, Right & Run Marathon coordinator?
5. Do the coordinators have to be teachers?
6. How do the students record their books, deeds and miles?
7. Do you accept individual participants?
8. How many students participate each year?
9. Will GO! St. Louis be sponsoring any children’s training runs?
10. If a child is unable to make race day on April 18, will he or she still be given a medal?
11. If the weather is bad outside on race day and the event is canceled, do you reschedule it?
12. What is the registration fee?

What exactly is the Read, Right & Run Marathon®?
The Read, Right & Run Marathon is the youth initiative of GO! St. Louis.  It was created to promote reading proficient, physically fit and community-minded children. To that end, children are challenged to read 26 books, perform 26 good deeds and run 26.2 miles over a six-month period.  All of that hard work culminates each year when the K-5 students run their final 1.2 miles and the middle schoolers run a 5K (3.1 miles) at our April 18th Family Day in Forest Park.  

In 2007 the ULTRAMARATHON was added for middle school students. Children in grades 6 – 8 will run a total of 50 miles.  Initially, this may seem like a lot, but when broken down, middle school students need to run more in order to truly be ready to take on our 5K.  Our goal is to better prepare children for the distance and complete the event successfully.  The number of books and good deeds remains at twenty-six (26).

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How long does the program last?
Generally, this is a six-month program. We suggest the training period begin in October and end on race day in April. However, many children can finish the “training” in less time.

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I would like to be the Read, Right & Run Marathon coordinator for my school.  How do I sign-up?
Your first step is to contact the Director of Youth Programs, Mona Langenberg, at 314.727.0800 and request a School Commitment Form. After you fill-out the Commitment Form with all of the necessary information and send it back to us, your school will be entered into our database. We will then send registration form to you for distribution to interested students.

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What is my role as a Read, Right & Run Marathon coordinator?
First, coordinators are responsible for collecting the applications (which must be signed by a parent or legal guardian), along with the registration fee, and mail them into the GO! St. Louis office.

Secondly, we suggest that the coordinator’s have a regularly scheduled “Journal Check-In” time with their students on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. This helps the coordinator know which students are on target to finish their goals by the April 18th deadline, and which students may need some extra encouragement to get caught up.

Third, about three weeks before our April race day, we package each child’s “goody bag” with a t-shirt, race number and various donations.  We ask each coordinator to make one trip to our office to collect all of the goody bags for his/her school.  Finally, it’s very important for the coordinator to be with his/her students at our April 18th Race Day in Forest Park.

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Do the coordinators have to be teachers?
No. While most Read, Right & Run Marathon coordinators are physical education teachers, we also have many parents, reading specialists, librarians and school administrators who take on the coordinator duties.

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How do the students record their books, deeds and miles?
Children receive a Read, Right & Run Marathon journal, which is only distributed after their registration form and fee is turned into the GO! St. Louis office.  Again, we highly suggest that the coordinator’s have a regularly scheduled “Journal check-in” time with their students on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

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Do you accept individual participants?
Yes. If your child is home-schooled, or if your child’s school has not signed-up, then we do allow children to participate independently.  Call the office and request an Individual Commitment Form.

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How many students participate each year?
The Read, Right & Run Marathon has grown steadily since its inception in 2001.  On April 5, 2008 more than 3000 children from more than 90 schools in the metropolitan area participated.

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If a child is unable to make race day on April 18, will he or she still be given a medal?
Unfortunately, no. Much like a regular marathon, only those who are able to show-up on race day and cross the finish line receive a finisher medal.  We realize that often times there are conflicts that coincide with our race day festivities. However, we cannot make individual exceptions.  If a child is unable to attend, he or she will still receive a t-shirt, race bib and goody bag, along with the incentives that are distributed during the year.

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If the weather is bad outside on race day and the event is canceled, do you reschedule it?
Only in the event of severe weather do we cancel the Read, Right & Run Marathon Race Day.  The 2007 Race Day was canceled due to severe lightning and thunderstorms, and we did not reschedule it.  Our website will always be up-to-date regarding weather and cancellation issues.

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Registration Fee:
Please call 314.727.0800.

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* Read, Right & Run Marathon® is a trademark event for GO! St. Louis and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner without the express written consent of management.