Run, Run, Run: Ellsworth school kids train for fun run

More than a thousand running enthusiasts will take their mark Saturday when the annual NCO Spring Ahead Run kicks off on the campus of Calamos Investments in north Naperville. The community event, in its 11th year, benefits the Naperville not-for-profit organization that offers professional services for youth and their families.

The NCO Spring Ahead Run is our second biggest fundraiser of the year, said Dawn Portner, special events coordinator. It helps us to continue those programs and services we provide on a daily basis.

For kids, too

But before the 5K and 10K races begin, a group of students from Ellsworth Elementary School will take part in the NCO Kids Fun Run. The young athletes, many of them first-time runners, will prove everyone wins when physical fitness is the focus.

Our goal is to promote physical fitness and to stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle, said kindergarten teacher Tamara Glenn, who helps oversee the Ellsworth Running Club. We want the children to have fun while running with their classmates.

Established in 2007, the Ellsworth Running Club was spearheaded by Susanna and Kris Hartner, Ellsworth parents and owners of The Naperville Running Company.

This club provides an opportunity for kids to participate in something that normally would not be an option, said Susanna Hartner. It encourages them to get out and do something physical. If they leave the club feeling that exercise was fun -- that's the most important thing.

Susanna wrote a grant that funded the club's first year, and Kris went to NCO about adding a kids' running event to their already-established Spring Ahead race. Their efforts paid off.

Kris (Hartner) wanted to use our run as the end of the Ellsworth training program, Portner said. There was a lot of excitement with the kids, so we decided to try it, kind of like a prototype. It was such a success, that we opened it to the public last year.

Ellsworth fifth-grader Jessica Denney will be racing for the third year.

I get to hang out with my friends, do something fun and get some exercise at the same time," said the 10-year-old. "We do a lot of really fun things.

More to come
The NCO Kids Fun Run is only one event in the Ellsworth running program. Members of the club may also participate in the Jeanine Nicarico Run for Reading scheduled in May.

This program not only motivates the students to get outside and be active, but also encourages the parents to run with their child, Glenn said. Many parents sign up and run the races with them. It truly becomes a family affair, getting everyone off the couch, outdoors, and enjoying time together.