“This is by far the largest group that we’ve had and the kids really enjoy it,” said Principal Jennifer Metzler.

Metzler was on hand supervising and encouraging the runners as they ran their final laps at Williamsburg’s Veterans Memorial Field. She said that the district has been participating in the Kids of STEEL program for more than 10 years, although they had to take two years off during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ricci Michelone, who teaches fourth grade at the district and has been at the program’s helm for several years, said about 25 students signed up last year and that they had roughly 50 students sign up before COVID.

The Kids of STEEL program is a part of the Pittsburgh Marathon and promotes healthy eating and an active lifestyle for children in grades K-6, Michelone said.

Keegan Miller, a Williamsburg Elementary School second grader, gets some low fives from student spectators and supporters on Friday at the school. Miller, along with about 70 other elementary students, finished the final lap of a marathon that they ran over several months as part of the Kids of STEEL program. Mirror photo by Rachel Foor

Through the program, participants complete at least 25 training miles that culminates in the one-mile Pittsburgh Kids Marathon, which takes place Saturday, according to the Pittsburgh Marathon’s website.

About five of Williamsburg’s participants are going to Pittsburgh, so the elementary school put on an event of its own. Students who didn’t sign up for the program, which occurs after school hours, filled the field’s bleachers and held up colorful, handmade signs as they cheered on their friends.

“The rest of our students made posters to support the kids that were running,” Metzler said. “They were very supportive of those students.”

Parents and other community members also attended the race to cheer on the young runners.

Fifth-grader Beth Clapper said her parents had to work, so they couldn’t attend the event, but they were very supportive.

Kids of STEEL participants are cheered as they cross the finish line for the last lap in their cumulative marathon on Friday in Williamsburg. Mirror photo by Rachel Foor

“My mom was encouraging me in the car,” Clapper said. “She said she’s not going to be there, but do your best.”

The program started at Williamsburg because Michelone and sixth grade teacher April Wheland wanted to get students more involved with extracurricular activities, Michelone said.

“We started this little running club and then we incorporated Kids of STEEL and opened it up,” Michelone said.

The group would meet for an hour after school every Wednesday and exercise. Michelone said the kids “weren’t always running” and they “would have different stations.”

“We broke them up into six groups and every four minutes, they’re going to a different station,” Michelone said. “We’d have games. Of course, we’d have jogging.”

Williamsburg Elementary students and teachers cheer on participants in the Kids of STEEL program as they finish their last mile of a cumulative marathon on Friday at the school. Mirror photo by Rachel Foor

She said one day they did basketball drills while on others, they did things like dance, aerobics and yoga, adding that she had six other coaches helping with the program.

Fifth grader Braylyn Speacht said her favorite day was when the high school varsity track team ran the meeting and set up 10 stations to demonstrate what they do.

“That was fun,” Speacht said. “That was probably the most fun out of all the days.”

Michelone said the stations included javelin, shot put and different kinds of races.

“Then at the end, we have all kinds of snacks,” Michelone said. “I just try to find things that kids don’t normally eat. We would try different cheeses, like gouda cheese and crackers. We’ve had guacamole and chips.”

She told the kids that they at least had to try the snacks and, if they didn’t like it, they could spit it out.

“Very few ever spit it out,” Michelone said.

Clapper, Speacht and fellow fifth graders Mason Biddle and Parker Morgan agreed that one snack they did not like was red pepper hummus paired with carrots.

“I thought it was good,” Michelone said with a shrug, noting that mangos were a particular favorite.

When asked why they signed up for the program, Clapper and Speacht said that they wanted to stay in shape for upcoming sports seasons, while Biddle and Morgan simply wanted “to get faster.”

Metzler said that a lot of the students that sign up for the program are also involved in other sports and how important it is for them to have a healthy lifestyle.

“This has been a great program for us,” Metzler said. “(Michelone) starts every January, meeting with the students.”

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.